Co-opted transposons help perpetuate conserved higher-order chromosomal structures.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transposable elements (TEs) make up half of mammalian genomes and shape genome regulation by harboring binding sites for regulatory factors. These include binding sites for architectural proteins, such as CTCF, RAD21, and SMC3, that are involved in tethering chromatin loops and marking domain boundaries. The 3D organization of the mammalian genome is intimately linked to its function and is remarkably conserved. However, the mechanisms by which these structural intricacies emerge and evolve have not been thoroughly probed.

Results

Here, we show that TEs contribute extensively to both the formation of species-specific loops in humans and mice through deposition of novel anchoring motifs, as well as to the maintenance of conserved loops across both species through C

SUBMITTER: Choudhary MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6979391 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature