Project description:DNA replication occurs through an intricately regulated series of molecular events and is fundamental for genome stability. It is currently unknown how the location of replication origins is determined in the human genome. Here, we dissect the role for topologically associating domains (TADs), subTADs, and loops in the positioning of replication initiation zones (IZs). We stratify TADs/subTADs by the presence of corner-dots indicative of loops and the orientation of CTCF motifs. We find that high-efficiency, early replicating IZs localize to boundaries between adjacent corner-dot TADs anchored by high-density arrays of divergently and convergently-oriented CTCF motifs. By contrast, low-efficiency IZs localize to weak boundaries devoid of CTCF and corner-dots. Upon ablation of cohesin-mediated loop extrusion in G1, high-efficiency IZs become diffuse and de-localized specifically at boundaries with complex CTCF motif orientation. Moreover, G1 knock-down of the cohesin unloading factor WAPL results in gained long-range loops and narrowed localization of IZs at the same boundaries. Finally, targeted deletion or insertion of specific boundaries causes local replication timing shifts consistent with loss and gain of IZs, respectively. Our data support a model in which cohesin-mediated loop extrusion and stalling at a subset of genetically-encoded TAD/subTAD boundaries is an essential determinant of the precise location of replication initiation in human S phase.
Project description:Identification of genomic anchors across the MHC in untreated MRC5 fibroblasts, and fibroblasts treated with IFN-gamma, using high resolution microarrays. Identification of genomic anchors using MRC5 fibroblasts, and fibroblasts treated with IFN-gamma: Loop associated DNA vs Matrix associated DNA, 2 biological replicates
Project description:Cohesin is a key organizer of chromatin folding in eukaryotic cells. Two basic activities of this ring-shaped protein complex are maintenance of sister chromatid cohesion and establishment of long-range DNA-DNA interactions through the process of loop extrusion. Though basic principles of both cohesion and loop extrusion have been described we still do not understand several crucial mechanistic details. One of such unresolved issues is the question of whether a cohesin ring topologically embraces DNA string(s) during loop extrusion. Here we show that cohesin complexes residing on CTCF-occupied genomic sites in mammalian cells do not interact with DNA topologically. We assessed stability of cohesin-dependent loops and cohesin association with chromatin in high ionic strength conditions in G1-synchronised HeLa cells. We found that increased salt concentration completely displaces cohesin from those genomic regions which correspond to CTCF-defined loop anchors. Unsurprisingly, CTCF-anchored cohesin loops also dissipate in these conditions. As topologically-engaged cohesin is considered to be salt-resistant, our data corroborate a non-topological model of loop extrusion.
Project description:Complex genomes show intricate organization in three-dimensional (3D) nuclear space. Current models posit that cohesin extrudes loops to form self-interacting domains delimited by the DNA binding protein CTCF. Here, we describe and quantitatively characterize cohesin-propelled, jet-like chromatin contacts as landmarks of loop extrusion in quiescent mammalian lymphocytes. Experimental observations and polymer simulations indicate that narrow origins of loop extrusion favor jet formation. Unless constrained by CTCF, jets propagate symmetrically for 1-2 Mb, providing an estimate for the range of in vivo loop extrusion. Asymmetric CTCF binding deflects the angle of jet propagation as experimental evidence that cohesin-mediated loop extrusion can switch from bi- to unidirectional and is controlled independently in both directions. These data offer new insights into the physiological behavior of in vivo cohesin-mediated loop extrusion and further our understanding of the principles that underlie genome organization.
Project description:The organization of chromatin into higher-order structures is essential for chromosome segregation, the repair of DNA damage, and the regulation of gene expression. These structures are formed by the evolutionarily conserved SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) complexes. By analyzing synchronized populations of budding yeast with Micro-C, we observed that chromatin loops are formed genome-wide, and are dependent upon the SMC complex, cohesin. We correlated the loop signal with the position and intensity of cohesin binding to chromosomes in wild-type and cells depleted for the cohesin regulators Wpl1p and Pds5p. We generate a model to explain how the genomic distribution and frequency of loops are driven by cohesin residency on chromosomes. In this model a dynamic pool of cohesin with loop extrusion activity stops when encounters two regions occupied by stably bound cohesin, forming a loop. Different regions are occupied by cohesin in different cells, defining different patterns of chromatin loops.
Project description:The organization of chromatin into higher-order structures is essential for chromosome segregation, the repair of DNA damage, and the regulation of gene expression. These structures are formed by the evolutionarily conserved SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) complexes. By analyzing synchronized populations of budding yeast with Micro-C, we observed that chromatin loops are formed genome-wide, and are dependent upon the SMC complex, cohesin. We correlated the loop signal with the position and intensity of cohesin binding to chromosomes in wild-type and cells depleted for the cohesin regulators Wpl1p and Pds5p. We generate a model to explain how the genomic distribution and frequency of loops are driven by cohesin residency on chromosomes. In this model a dynamic pool of cohesin with loop extrusion activity stops when encounters two regions occupied by stably bound cohesin, forming a loop. Different regions are occupied by cohesin in different cells, defining different patterns of chromatin loops.
Project description:Cohesin structures the genome through the formation of chromatin loops and by holding together the sister chromatids. The acetylation of cohesin’s SMC3 subunit is a dynamic process that involves the acetyltransferase ESCO1 and deacetylase HDAC8. Here we show that this cohesin acetylation cycle controls the 3D genome. ESCO1 restricts the length of chromatin loops and architectural stripes, while HDAC8 promotes the extension of such loops and stripes. This role in controlling loop length turns out to be distinct from the canonical role of cohesin acetylation that protects against WAPL-mediated DNA release. We reveal that acetylation rather controls cohesin’s interaction with PDS5A to restrict chromatin loop length. Our data supports a model in which this PDS5A-bound state acts as a brake that enables the pausing and restart of loop enlargement. The cohesin acetylation cycle hereby provides punctuation in the process of genome folding.