Project description:Mammalian genomes contain several billion base pairs of DNA which are packaged in chromatin fibers. At selected gene loci, cohesin complexes have been proposed to arrange chromatin fibers into higher-order structures, but it is poorly understood how cohesin performs this task, how important this function is for determining the structure of chromosomes, and how this process is regulated to allow changes in gene expression. Here we show that the cohesin release factor Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation at numerous loci throughout the mouse genome. Conditional deletion of the Wapl gene leads to stable accumulation of cohesin on chromatin, chromatin compaction, altered gene expression, cell cycle delay, chromosome segregation defects and embryonic lethality. In Wapl deficient chromosomes, cohesin accumulates in an axial domain, similar to how condensins form a M-bM-^@M-^\scaffoldM-bM-^@M-^] in mitotic chromosomes. We propose that Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation by determining the residence time with which cohesin binds to DNA. 4 biological replicates for each genotype (Wapl +/F; Wapl -/F) treated with/without 4-OHT =16 samples
Project description:Mammalian genomes contain several billion base pairs of DNA which are packaged in chromatin fibers. At selected gene loci, cohesin complexes have been proposed to arrange chromatin fibers into higher-order structures, but it is poorly understood how cohesin performs this task, how important this function is for determining the structure of chromosomes, and how this process is regulated to allow changes in gene expression. Here we show that the cohesin release factor Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation at numerous loci throughout the mouse genome. Conditional deletion of the Wapl gene leads to stable accumulation of cohesin on chromatin, chromatin compaction, altered gene expression, cell cycle delay, chromosome segregation defects and embryonic lethality. In Wapl deficient chromosomes, cohesin accumulates in an axial domain, similar to how condensins form a “scaffold” in mitotic chromosomes. We propose that Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation by determining the residence time with which cohesin binds to DNA. ChIP-Seq using two different antibodies (CTCF, Smc3); one (CTCF) and two (Smc3) replicates; two different genotypes (Wapl +/delta, Wapl -/delta). The control sample is a single-replicate INPUT for each genotype.
Project description:SETMAR/Metnase is a naturally occurring fusion protein that consists of a histone-lysine methyltransferase domain and an HsMar1 transposase. To elucidate the biological role of SETMAR, it is crucial to identify genomic targets to which SETMAR specifically binds and link these sites to the regulation of gene expression. Herein, we mapped the genomic landscape of SETMAR in a near-haploid human leukemia cell line (HAP1) in order to identify on-target and off-target binding sites at high resolution and to elucidate their role in terms of gene expression. Our analysis revealed a perfect correlation between SETMAR and inverted tandem repeats (ITRs) of HsMar1 transposon remnants, which are considered as natural target sites for SETMAR chromosome binding. However, we did not detect any untargeted events at non-ITR sequences, calling into question previously proposed off-target binding sites. We identified sequence fidelity of the ITR motif as a key factor for determining the binding affinity of SETMAR for chromosomes, as higher ITR fidelity resulted in increased affinity for chromatin and stronger repression of SETMAR-bound gene loci. These associations highlight how SETMAR’s chromatin binding fine-tune gene regulatory networks in human tumour cells.
Project description:In budding yeast, telomeres and the mating type (HM) loci are found in a heterochromatin-like silent structure initiated by Rap1 and extended by the interaction of Sir (Silencing Information Regulator) proteins with histones. Binding data demonstrate that both the H3 and H4 N terminal domains required for silencing in vivo interact directly with Sir3 and Sir4 in vitro. The role of H4 lysine 16 deacetylation is well established in Sir3 protein recruitment, however that of the H3 N terminal tail has remained unclear. In order to characterize the role of H3 in silent chromatin formation and compare it to H4 we have generated comprehensive high resolution genome-wide binding maps of heterochromatin proteins. We find that H4 lysine 16 deacetylation is required for the recruitment and spreading of heterochromatin proteins at all telomeres and HM loci. In contrast the H3 N terminus is required for neither recruitment nor spreading of Sir proteins. Instead, deletion of the H3 tail leads to increased accessibility within heterochromatin of an ectopic bacterial dam methylase and the decreased mobility of an HML heterochromatic fragment in sucrose gradients. These findings indicate an altered chromatin structure. We propose that Sir proteins recruited by the H4 tail then interact with the H3 tail to form a higher order silent chromatin structure.
Project description:Mammalian genomes contain several billion base pairs of DNA which are packaged in chromatin fibers. At selected gene loci, cohesin complexes have been proposed to arrange chromatin fibers into higher-order structures, but it is poorly understood how cohesin performs this task, how important this function is for determining the structure of chromosomes, and how this process is regulated to allow changes in gene expression. Here we show that the cohesin release factor Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation at numerous loci throughout the mouse genome. Conditional deletion of the Wapl gene leads to stable accumulation of cohesin on chromatin, chromatin compaction, altered gene expression, cell cycle delay, chromosome segregation defects and embryonic lethality. In Wapl deficient chromosomes, cohesin accumulates in an axial domain, similar to how condensins form a “scaffold” in mitotic chromosomes. We propose that Wapl controls chromatin structure and gene regulation by determining the residence time with which cohesin binds to DNA.