Chromosome compartmentalization: causes, changes, consequences, and conundrums.

The spatial segregation of the genome into compartments is a major feature of 3D genome organization. New data on mammalian chromosome organization across different conditions reveal important information about how and why these compartments form and change. A combination of epigenetic state, nuclear body tethering, physical forces, gene expression, and replication timing (RT) can all influence the establishment and alteration of chromosome compartments. We review the causes and implications of genomic regions undergoing a 'compartment switch' that changes their physical associations and spatial location in the nucleus. About 20-30% of genomic regions change compartment during cell differentiation or cancer progression, whereas alterations in response to a stimulus within a cell type are usually much more limited. However, even a change in 1-2% of genomic bins may have biologically relevant implications. Finally, we review the effects of compartment changes on gene regulation, DNA damage repair, replication, and the physical state of the cell.

Amorphous calcium phosphate-coated surfaces as a model for bone microenvironment in prostate cancer.

Bone metastasis remains one of the biggest challenges in the treatment of prostate cancer, and other solid tumors such as breast, lung, and colon. Modeling a complex microenvironment in-vitro, such as the bone niche, requires interrogation of cell-cell interactions, specific extracellular matrix proteins and a high calcium environment. Here, we present a fast and cost-effective system in which commercially available, non-adhesive, cell culture vessels are coated with amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) as a surrogate for bone matrix. We further present modified protocols for subculturing cells, as well as nucleic acid and protein collection in high calcium samples. We find that prostate epithelial cell lines show increased adhesion and proliferation when cultured in these surfaces, as well as independence from androgen starvation. We observe gene expression changes on ACP surfaces in early adenocarcinoma cell lines which may reflect alterations relevant to prostate cancer progression. Summary statement: To model the role of calcium in the microenvironment of the metastatic bone niche, we developed a cost-effective way to coat cell culture vessels in bioavailable calcium, and show that it has an effect on prostate cancer cell survival.

sciCAN: single-cell chromatin accessibility and gene expression data integration via cycle-consistent adversarial network.

The boom in single-cell technologies has brought a surge of high dimensional data that come from different sources and represent cellular systems from different views. With advances in these single-cell technologies, integrating single-cell data across modalities arises as a new computational challenge. Here, we present an adversarial approach, sciCAN, to integrate single-cell chromatin accessibility and gene expression data in an unsupervised manner. We benchmarked sciCAN with 5 existing methods in 5 scATAC-seq/scRNA-seq datasets, and we demonstrated that our method dealt with data integration with consistent performance across datasets and better balance of mutual transferring between modalities than the other 5 existing methods. We further applied sciCAN to 10X Multiome data and confirmed that the integrated representation preserves biological relationships within the hematopoietic hierarchy. Finally, we investigated CRISPR-perturbed single-cell K562 ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data to identify cells with related responses to different perturbations in these different modalities.

Constricted migration is associated with stable 3D genome structure differences in cancer cells.

To spread from a localized tumor, metastatic cancer cells must squeeze through constrictions that cause major nuclear deformations. Since chromosome structure affects nucleus stiffness, gene regulation, and DNA repair, here, we investigate the relationship between 3D genome structure and constricted migration in cancer cells. Using melanoma (A375) cells, we identify phenotypic differences in cells that have undergone multiple rounds of constricted migration. These cells display a stably higher migration efficiency, elongated morphology, and differences in the distribution of Lamin A/C and heterochromatin. Hi-C experiments reveal differences in chromosome spatial compartmentalization specific to cells that have passed through constrictions and related alterations in expression of genes associated with migration and metastasis. Certain features of the 3D genome structure changes, such as a loss of B compartment interaction strength, are consistently observed after constricted migration in clonal populations of A375 cells and in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Our observations suggest that consistent types of chromosome structure changes are induced or selected by passage through constrictions and that these may epigenetically encode stable differences in gene expression and cellular migration phenotype.

Chromosome compartmentalization alterations in prostate cancer cell lines model disease progression.

Prostate cancer aggressiveness and metastatic potential are influenced by gene expression and genomic aberrations, features that can be influenced by the 3D structure of chromosomes inside the nucleus. Using chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), we conducted a systematic genome architecture comparison on a cohort of cell lines that model prostate cancer progression, from normal epithelium to bone metastasis. We describe spatial compartment identity (A-open versus B-closed) changes with progression in these cell lines and their relation to gene expression changes in both cell lines and patient samples. In particular, 48 gene clusters switch from the B to the A compartment, including androgen receptor, WNT5A, and CDK14. These switches are accompanied by changes in the structure, size, and boundaries of topologically associating domains (TADs). Further, compartment changes in chromosome 21 are exacerbated with progression and may explain, in part, the genesis of the TMPRSS2-ERG translocation. These results suggest that discrete 3D genome structure changes play a deleterious role in prostate cancer progression. .

Radiation-induced DNA damage and repair effects on 3D genome organization.

The three-dimensional structure of chromosomes plays an important role in gene expression regulation and also influences the repair of radiation-induced DNA damage. Genomic aberrations that disrupt chromosome spatial domains can lead to diseases including cancer, but how the 3D genome structure responds to DNA damage is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the impact of DNA damage response and repair on 3D genome folding using Hi-C experiments on wild type cells and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) patient cells. We irradiate fibroblasts, lymphoblasts, and ATM-deficient fibroblasts with 5 Gy X-rays and perform Hi-C at 30 minutes, 24 hours, or 5 days after irradiation. We observe that 3D genome changes after irradiation are cell type-specific, with lymphoblastoid cells generally showing more contact changes than irradiated fibroblasts. However, all tested repair-proficient cell types exhibit an increased segregation of topologically associating domains (TADs). This TAD boundary strengthening after irradiation is not observed in ATM deficient fibroblasts and may indicate the presence of a mechanism to protect 3D genome structure integrity during DNA damage repair.

Inferring chromosome radial organization from Hi-C data.

BACKGROUND: The nonrandom radial organization of eukaryotic chromosome territories (CTs) inside the nucleus plays an important role in nuclear functional compartmentalization. Increasingly, chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) based approaches are being used to characterize the genome structure of many cell types and conditions. Computational methods to extract 3D arrangements of CTs from this type of pairwise contact data will thus increase our ability to analyze CT organization in a wider variety of biological situations. RESULTS: A number of full-scale polymer models have successfully reconstructed the 3D structure of chromosome territories from Hi-C. To supplement such methods, we explore alternative, direct, and less computationally intensive approaches to capture radial CT organization from Hi-C data. We show that we can infer relative chromosome ordering using PCA on a thresholded inter-chromosomal contact matrix. We simulate an ensemble of possible CT arrangements using a force-directed network layout algorithm and propose an approach to integrate additional chromosome properties into our predictions. Our CT radial organization predictions have a high correlation with microscopy imaging data for various cell nucleus geometries (lymphoblastoid, skin fibroblast, and breast epithelial cells), and we can capture previously documented changes in senescent and progeria cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis approaches provide rapid and modular approaches to screen for alterations in CT organization across widely available Hi-C data. We demonstrate which stages of the approach can extract meaningful information, and also describe limitations of pairwise contacts alone to predict absolute 3D positions.

3D Genome Organization Influences the Chromosome Translocation Pattern.

Recent imaging, molecular, and computational modeling studies have greatly enhanced our knowledge of how eukaryotic chromosomes are folded in the nuclear space. This work has begun to reveal how 3D genome structure contributes to various DNA-mediated metabolic activities such as replication, transcription, recombination, and repair. Failure of proper DNA repair can lead to the chromosomal translocations observed in human cancers and other diseases. Questions about the role of 3D genome structure in translocation mechanisms have interested scientists for decades. Recent applications of imaging and Chromosome Conformation Capture approaches have clarified the influence of proximal positioning of chromosomal domains and gene loci on the formation of chromosomal translocations. These approaches have revealed the importance of 3D genome structure not only in translocation partner selection, but also in repair efficiency, likelihood of DNA damage, and the biological implications of translocations. This chapter focuses on our current understanding of the role of 3D genome structure in chromosome translocation formation and its potential implications in disease outcome.

Iteratively improving Hi-C experiments one step at a time.

The 3D organization of eukaryotic chromosomes affects key processes such as gene expression, DNA replication, cell division, and response to DNA damage. The genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) approach can characterize the landscape of 3D genome organization by measuring interaction frequencies between all genomic regions. Hi-C protocol improvements and rapid advances in DNA sequencing power have made Hi-C useful to study diverse biological systems, not only to elucidate the role of 3D genome structure in proper cellular function, but also to characterize genomic rearrangements, assemble new genomes, and consider chromatin interactions as potential biomarkers for diseases. Yet, the Hi-C protocol is still complex and subject to variations at numerous steps that can affect the resulting data. Thus, there is still a need for better understanding and control of factors that contribute to Hi-C experiment success and data quality. Here, we evaluate recently proposed Hi-C protocol modifications as well as often overlooked variables in sample preparation and examine their effects on Hi-C data quality. We examine artifacts that can occur during Hi-C library preparation, including microhomology-based artificial template copying and chimera formation that can add noise to the downstream data. Exploring the mechanisms underlying Hi-C artifacts pinpoints steps that should be further optimized in the future. To improve the utility of Hi-C in characterizing the 3D genome of specialized populations of cells or small samples of primary tissue, we identify steps prone to DNA loss which should be considered to adapt Hi-C to lower cell numbers.

Investigation of Spatial Organization of Chromosome Territories in Chromosome Exchange Aberrations After Ionizing Radiation Exposure.

Higher-order organization of the human genome is well established with chromosomes occupying distinct domains or territories in the interphase nucleus. Spatial organization of chromosome territories in the interphase nucleus occurs in a cell-type-specific manner. Since both stable and unstable aberrations induced by ionizing radiation involve the exchange of material between two or more chromosomes, this study investigated the role of spatial organization of chromosome domains in ionizing-radiation-induced chromosome translocation events. Using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization, the study characterized the positioning of each human chromosome relative to its neighborhood territories in the interphase nucleus of lymphocytes and B-lymphoblastoid cells before ionizing radiation and compared this interphase positioning with the spectrum of exchanges observed after ionizing radiation in the metaphase chromosomes. In addition to multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization, the genome-wide chromosome conformation capture technique (Hi-C) was also performed in mock and x-ray-irradiated human B-lymphoblastoid and fibroblast cells to characterize the interactions among chromosomes and to assess the genome reorganization changes, if any, after ionizing radiation exposure. On average, 35-50% of the total translocations induced by x rays and neutrons correlated with proximity of chromosome territories detected by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization in both lymphocytes and lymphoblastoid cells. The translocation rate observed in proximally positioned chromosome territories was consistently higher than distally located territories and was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.01) in human lymphoblastoid cells after x rays. The interchromosome interaction frequencies detected by Hi-C correlate fairly well with ionizing-radiation-induced translocations detected by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization, suggesting the importance of chromosome proximity effects in ionizing-radiation-induced chromosomal translocation events.

Genome organization during the cell cycle: unity in division.

During the cell cycle, the genome must undergo dramatic changes in structure, from a decondensed, yet highly organized interphase structure to a condensed, generic mitotic chromosome and then back again. For faithful cell division, the genome must be replicated and chromosomes and sister chromatids physically segregated from one another. Throughout these processes, there is feedback and tension between the information-storing role and the physical properties of chromosomes. With a combination of recent techniques in fluorescence microscopy, chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), biophysical experiments, and computational modeling, we can now attribute mechanisms to many long-observed features of chromosome structure changes during cell division. Apparent conflicts that arise when integrating the concepts from these different proposed mechanisms emphasize that orchestrating chromosome organization during cell division requires a complex system of factors rather than a simple pathway. Cell division is both essential for and threatening to proper genome organization. As interphase three-dimensional (3D) genome structure is quite static at a global level, cell division provides an important window of opportunity to make substantial changes in 3D genome organization in daughter cells, allowing for proper differentiation and development. Mistakes in the process of chromosome condensation or rebuilding the structure after mitosis can lead to diseases such as cancer, premature aging, and neurodegeneration. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1389. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1389 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

RUNX1 contributes to higher-order chromatin organization and gene regulation in breast cancer cells.

RUNX1 is a transcription factor functioning both as an oncogene and a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. RUNX1 alters chromatin structure in cooperation with chromatin modifier and remodeling enzymes. In this study, we examined the relationship between RUNX1-mediated transcription and genome organization. We characterized genome-wide RUNX1 localization and performed RNA-seq and Hi-C in RUNX1-depleted and control MCF-7 breast cancer cells. RNA-seq analysis showed that RUNX1 depletion led to up-regulation of genes associated with chromatin structure and down-regulation of genes related to extracellular matrix biology, as well as NEAT1 and MALAT1 lncRNAs. Our ChIP-Seq analysis supports a prominent role for RUNX1 in transcriptional activation. About 30% of all RUNX1 binding sites were intergenic, indicating diverse roles in promoter and enhancer regulation and suggesting additional functions for RUNX1. Hi-C analysis of RUNX1-depleted cells demonstrated that overall three-dimensional genome organization is largely intact, but indicated enhanced association of RUNX1 near Topologically Associating Domain (TAD) boundaries and alterations in long-range interactions. These results suggest an architectural role for RUNX1 in fine-tuning local interactions rather than in global organization. Our results provide novel insight into RUNX1-mediated perturbations of higher-order genome organization that are functionally linked with RUNX1-dependent compromised gene expression in breast cancer cells.

Condensin-driven remodelling of X chromosome topology during dosage compensation.

The three-dimensional organization of a genome plays a critical role in regulating gene expression, yet little is known about the machinery and mechanisms that determine higher-order chromosome structure. Here we perform genome-wide chromosome conformation capture analysis, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and RNA-seq to obtain comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) maps of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome and to dissect X chromosome dosage compensation, which balances gene expression between XX hermaphrodites and XO males. The dosage compensation complex (DCC), a condensin complex, binds to both hermaphrodite X chromosomes via sequence-specific recruitment elements on X (rex sites) to reduce chromosome-wide gene expression by half. Most DCC condensin subunits also act in other condensin complexes to control the compaction and resolution of all mitotic and meiotic chromosomes. By comparing chromosome structure in wild-type and DCC-defective embryos, we show that the DCC remodels hermaphrodite X chromosomes into a sex-specific spatial conformation distinct from autosomes. Dosage-compensated X chromosomes consist of self-interacting domains (∼1 Mb) resembling mammalian topologically associating domains (TADs). TADs on X chromosomes have stronger boundaries and more regular spacing than on autosomes. Many TAD boundaries on X chromosomes coincide with the highest-affinity rex sites and become diminished or lost in DCC-defective mutants, thereby converting the topology of X to a conformation resembling autosomes. rex sites engage in DCC-dependent long-range interactions, with the most frequent interactions occurring between rex sites at DCC-dependent TAD boundaries. These results imply that the DCC reshapes the topology of X chromosomes by forming new TAD boundaries and reinforcing weak boundaries through interactions between its highest-affinity binding sites. As this model predicts, deletion of an endogenous rex site at a DCC-dependent TAD boundary using CRISPR/Cas9 greatly diminished the boundary. Thus, the DCC imposes a distinct higher-order structure onto X chromosomes while regulating gene expression chromosome-wide.

MORC family ATPases required for heterochromatin condensation and gene silencing.

Transposable elements (TEs) and DNA repeats are commonly targeted by DNA and histone methylation to achieve epigenetic gene silencing. We isolated mutations in two Arabidopsis genes, AtMORC1 and AtMORC6, which cause derepression of DNA-methylated genes and TEs but no losses of DNA or histone methylation. AtMORC1 and AtMORC6 are members of the conserved Microrchidia (MORC) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) family, which are predicted to catalyze alterations in chromosome superstructure. The atmorc1 and atmorc6 mutants show decondensation of pericentromeric heterochromatin, increased interaction of pericentromeric regions with the rest of the genome, and transcriptional defects that are largely restricted to loci residing in pericentromeric regions. Knockdown of the single MORC homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans also impairs transgene silencing. We propose that the MORC ATPases are conserved regulators of gene silencing in eukaryotes.

Spatial organization of the mouse genome and its role in recurrent chromosomal translocations.

The extent to which the three-dimensional organization of the genome contributes to chromosomal translocations is an important question in cancer genomics. We generated a high-resolution Hi-C spatial organization map of the G1-arrested mouse pro-B cell genome and used high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing to map translocations from target DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) within it. RAG endonuclease-cleaved antigen-receptor loci are dominant translocation partners for target DSBs regardless of genomic position, reflecting high-frequency DSBs at these loci and their colocalization in a fraction of cells. To directly assess spatial proximity contributions, we normalized genomic DSBs via ionizing radiation. Under these conditions, translocations were highly enriched in cis along single chromosomes containing target DSBs and within other chromosomes and subchromosomal domains in a manner directly related to pre-existing spatial proximity. By combining two high-throughput genomic methods in a genetically tractable system, we provide a new lens for viewing cancer genomes.

Translocation mapping exposes the risky lifestyle of B cells.

Recurrent chromosomal translocations can drive oncogenesis, but how they form has remained elusive. Now, Chiarle et al. (2011) and Klein et al. (2011) characterize the genome-wide spectrum of translocations that form from a single double-stranded break, revealing that specific loci have an intrinsic predisposition for frequent chromosomal rearrangements.