The structural basis for cohesin-CTCF-anchored loops.

ABSTRACT: Cohesin catalyses the folding of the genome into loops that are anchored by CTCF¹. The molecular mechanism of how cohesin and CTCF structure the 3D genome has remained unclear. Here we show that a segment within the CTCF N terminus interacts with the SA2-SCC1 subunits of human cohesin. We report a crystal structure of SA2-SCC1 in complex with CTCF at a resolution of 2.7 Å, which reveals the molecular basis of the interaction. We demonstrate that this interaction is specifically required for CTCF-anchored loops and contributes to the positioning of cohesin at CTCF binding sites. A similar motif is present in a number of established and newly identified cohesin ligands, including the cohesin release factor WAPL^2,3. Our data suggest that CTCF enables the formation of chr

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7035113 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature