Rapid DNA-FISH in Arabidopsis thaliana Somatic Cells.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique has been widely used to detect and localize specific DNA and RNA sequences in interphase nuclei and chromosomes in animals and plants. Here, we present a protocol for localization of genomic loci in nuclei of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This protocol includes several advances and adaptations to A. thaliana, including preparation of nuclei and chromosomes without the use of liquid nitrogen, and an in situ hybridization procedure that preserves chromatin structure without the use of paraformaldehyde and formamide. Simultaneous denaturation of the BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) probe and nuclei followed by annealing at high temperature allows hybridization in less than an hour. These hybridization conditions also provide high signal to noise ratio by a small number of washes. Thus, this simplified in situ hybridization procedure is completed in one working day.

Dose-Dependent Transcriptional Response to Ionizing Radiation Is Orchestrated with DNA Repair within the Nuclear Space.

Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumors. Ionizing radiation (IR) induces dose-specific variations in transcriptional programs, implicating that they are tightly regulated and critical components in the tumor response and survival. Yet, our understanding of the downstream molecular events triggered by effective vs. non-effective IR doses is limited. Herein, we report that variations in the genetic programs are positively and functionally correlated with the exposure to effective or non-effective IR doses. Genome architecture analysis revealed that gene regulation is spatially and temporally coordinated with DNA repair kinetics. The radiation-activated genes were pre-positioned in active sub-nuclear compartments and were upregulated following the DNA damage response, while the DNA repair activity shifted to the inactive heterochromatic spatial compartments. The IR dose affected the levels of DNA damage repair and transcription modulation, but not the order of the events, which was linked to their spatial nuclear positioning. Thus, the distinct coordinated temporal dynamics of DNA damage repair and transcription reprogramming in the active and inactive sub-nuclear compartments highlight the importance of high-order genome organization in synchronizing the molecular events following IR.

Ep300 sequestration to functionally distinct glucocorticoid receptor binding loci underlie rapid gene activation and repression.

The rapid transcriptional response to the transcription factor, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), including gene activation or repression, is mediated by the spatial association of genes with multiple GR binding sites (GBSs) over large genomic distances. However, only a minority of the GBSs have independent GR-mediated activating capacity, and GBSs with independent repressive activity were rarely reported. To understand the positive and negative effects of GR we mapped the regulatory environment of its gene targets. We show that the chromatin interaction networks of GR-activated and repressed genes are spatially separated and vary in the features and configuration of their GBS and other non-GBS regulatory elements. The convergence of the KLF4 pathway in GR-activated domains and the STAT6 pathway in GR-repressed domains, impose opposite transcriptional effects to GR, independent of hormone application. Moreover, the ROR and Rev-erb transcription factors serve as positive and negative regulators, respectively, of GR-mediated gene activation. We found that the spatial crosstalk between GBSs and non-GBSs provides a physical platform for sequestering the Ep300 co-activator from non-GR regulatory loci in both GR-activated and -repressed gene compartments. While this allows rapid gene repression, Ep300 recruitment to GBSs is productive specifically in the activated compartments, thus providing the basis for gene induction.

Genomic retargeting of p53 and CTCF is associated with transcriptional changes during oncogenic HRas-induced transformation.

Gene transcription is regulated by distant regulatory elements via combinatorial binding of transcription factors. It is increasingly recognized that alterations in chromatin state and transcription factor binding in these distant regulatory elements may have key roles in cancer development. Here we focused on the first stages of oncogene-induced carcinogenic transformation, and characterized the regulatory network underlying transcriptional changes associated with this process. Using Hi-C data, we observe spatial coupling between differentially expressed genes and their differentially accessible regulatory elements and reveal two candidate transcription factors, p53 and CTCF, as determinants of transcriptional alterations at the early stages of oncogenic HRas-induced transformation in human mammary epithelial cells. Strikingly, the malignant transcriptional reprograming is promoted by redistribution of chromatin binding of these factors without major variation in their expression level. Our results demonstrate that alterations in the regulatory landscape have a major role in driving oncogene-induced transcriptional reprogramming.

The Position and Complex Genomic Architecture of Plant T-DNA Insertions Revealed by 4SEE.

The integration of T-DNA in plant genomes is widely used for basic research and agriculture. The high heterogeneity in the number of integration events per genome, their configuration, and their impact on genome integrity highlight the critical need to detect the genomic locations of T-DNA insertions and their associated chromosomal rearrangements, and the great challenge in doing so. Here, we present 4SEE, a circular chromosome conformation capture (4C)-based method for robust, rapid, and cost-efficient detection of the entire scope of T-DNA locations. Moreover, by measuring the chromosomal architecture of the plant genome flanking the T-DNA insertions, 4SEE outlines their associated complex chromosomal aberrations. Applying 4SEE to a collection of confirmed T-DNA lines revealed previously unmapped T-DNA insertions and chromosomal rearrangements such as inversions and translocations. Uncovering such events in a feasible, robust, and cost-effective manner by 4SEE in any plant of interest has implications for accurate annotation and phenotypic characterization of T-DNA insertion mutants and transgene expression in basic science applications as well as for plant biotechnology.

Chromatin dynamics enable transcriptional rhythms in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis.

In animals, circadian rhythms are driven by oscillations in transcription, translation, and proteasomal degradation of highly conserved genes, resulting in diel cycles in the expression of numerous clock-regulated genes. Transcription is largely regulated through the binding of transcription factors to cis-regulatory elements within accessible regions of the chromatin. Chromatin remodeling is linked to circadian regulation in mammals, but it is unknown whether cycles in chromatin accessibility are a general feature of clock-regulated genes throughout evolution. To assess this, we applied an ATAC-seq approach using Nematostella vectensis, grown under two separate light regimes (light:dark (LD) and constant darkness (DD)). Based on previously identified N. vectensis circadian genes, our results show the coupling of chromatin accessibility and circadian transcription rhythmicity under LD conditions. Out of 180 known circadian genes, we were able to list 139 gene promoters that were highly accessible compared to common promoters. Furthermore, under LD conditions, we identified 259 active enhancers as opposed to 333 active enhancers under DD conditions, with 171 enhancers shared between the two treatments. The development of a highly reproducible ATAC-seq protocol integrated with published RNA-seq and ChIP-seq databases revealed the enrichment of transcription factor binding sites (such as C/EBP, homeobox, and MYB), which have not been previously associated with circadian signaling in cnidarians. These results provide new insight into the regulation of cnidarian circadian machinery. Broadly speaking, this supports the notion that the association between chromatin remodeling and circadian regulation arose early in animal evolution as reflected in this non-bilaterian lineage.

Regulatory chromatin landscape in Arabidopsis thaliana roots uncovered by coupling INTACT and ATAC-seq.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in the role of chromatin in acquiring and maintaining cell identity. Despite the ever-growing availability of genome-wide gene expression data, understanding how transcription programs are established and regulated to define cell identity remains a puzzle. An important mechanism of gene regulation is the binding of transcription factors (TFs) to specific DNA sequence motifs across the genome. However, these sequences are hindered by the packaging of DNA to chromatin. Thus, the accessibility of these loci for TF binding is highly regulated and determines where and when TFs bind. We present a workflow for measuring chromatin accessibility in Arabidopsis thaliana and define organ-specific regulatory sites and binding motifs of TFs at these sites. RESULTS: We coupled the recently described isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types (INTACT) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) as a genome-wide strategy to uncover accessible regulatory sites in Arabidopsis based on their accessibility to nuclease digestion. By applying this pipeline in Arabidopsis roots, we revealed 41,419 accessible sites, of which approximately half are found in gene promoters and contain the H3K4me3 active histone mark. The root-unique accessible sites from this group are enriched for root processes. Interestingly, most of the root-unique accessible sites are found in nongenic regions but are correlated with root-specific expression of distant genes. Importantly, these gene-distant sites are enriched for binding motifs of TFs important for root development as well as motifs for TFs that may play a role as novel transcriptional regulators in roots, suggesting that these accessible loci are functional novel gene-distant regulatory elements. CONCLUSIONS: By coupling INTACT with ATAC-seq methods, we present a feasible pipeline to profile accessible chromatin in plants. We also introduce a rapid measure of the experiment quality. We find that chromatin accessibility at promoter regions is strongly associated with transcription and active histone marks. However, root-specific chromatin accessibility is primarily found at intergenic regions, suggesting their predominance in defining organ identity possibly via long-range chromatin interactions. This workflow can be rapidly applied to study the regulatory landscape in other cell types, plant species and conditions.

Mapping Genome-wide Accessible Chromatin in Primary Human T Lymphocytes by ATAC-Seq.

Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) is a method used for the identification of open (accessible) regions of chromatin. These regions represent regulatory DNA elements (e.g., promoters, enhancers, locus control regions, insulators) to which transcription factors bind. Mapping the accessible chromatin landscape is a powerful approach for uncovering active regulatory elements across the genome. This information serves as an unbiased approach for discovering the network of relevant transcription factors and mechanisms of chromatin structure that govern gene expression programs. ATAC-seq is a robust and sensitive alternative to DNase I hypersensitivity analysis coupled with next-generation sequencing (DNase-seq) and formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE-seq) for genome-wide analysis of chromatin accessibility and to the sequencing of micrococcal nuclease-sensitive sites (MNase-seq) to determine nucleosome positioning. We present a detailed ATAC-seq protocol optimized for human primary immune cells i.e. CD4+ lymphocytes (T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells). This comprehensive protocol begins with cell harvest, then describes the molecular procedure of chromatin tagmentation, sample preparation for next-generation sequencing, and also includes methods and considerations for the computational analyses used to interpret the results. Moreover, to save time and money, we introduced quality control measures to assess the ATAC-seq library prior to sequencing. Importantly, the principles presented in this protocol allow its adaptation to other human immune and non-immune primary cells and cell lines. These guidelines will also be useful for laboratories which are not proficient with next-generation sequencing methods.

OCT4 impedes cell fate redirection by the melanocyte lineage master regulator MITF in mouse ESCs.

Ectopic expression of lineage master regulators induces transdifferentiation. Whether cell fate transitions can be induced during various developmental stages has not been systemically examined. Here we discover that amongst different developmental stages, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are resistant to cell fate conversion induced by the melanocyte lineage master regulator MITF. By generating a transgenic system we exhibit that in mESCs, the pluripotency master regulator Oct4, counteracts pro-differentiation induced by Mitf by physical interference with MITF transcriptional activity. We further demonstrate that mESCs must be released from Oct4-maintained pluripotency prior to ectopically induced differentiation. Moreover, Oct4 induction in various differentiated cells represses their lineage identity in vivo. Alongside, chromatin architecture combined with ChIP-seq analysis suggest that Oct4 competes with various lineage master regulators for binding promoters and enhancers. Our analysis reveals pluripotency and transdifferentiation regulatory principles and could open new opportunities in the field of regenerative medicine.

Hierarchical role for transcription factors and chromatin structure in genome organization along adipogenesis.

The three dimensional folding of mammalian genomes is cell type specific and difficult to alter suggesting that it is an important component of gene regulation. However, given the multitude of chromatin-associating factors, the mechanisms driving the colocalization of active chromosomal domains and the role of this organization in regulating the transcription program in adipocytes are not clear. Analysis of genome-wide chromosomal associations revealed cell type-specific spatial clustering of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 cells. Time course analysis demonstrated that the adipogenic 'hub', sampled by PPARγ and Lpin1, undergoes orchestrated reorganization during adipogenesis. Coupling the dynamics of genome architecture with multiple chromatin datasets indicated that among all the transcription factors (TFs) tested, RXR is central to genome reorganization at the beginning of adipogenesis. Interestingly, at the end of differentiation, the adipogenic hub was shifted to an H3K27me3-repressive environment in conjunction with attenuation of gene transcription. We propose a stage-specific hierarchy for the activity of TFs contributing to the establishment of an adipogenic genome architecture that brings together the adipogenic genetic program. In addition, the repositioning of this network in a H3K27me3-rich environment at the end of differentiation may contribute to the stabilization of gene transcription levels and reduce the developmental plasticity of these specialized cells. DATABASE: All sequence data reported in this paper have been deposited at GEO (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/) (GSE92475).

Genomic effects of glucocorticoids.

Glucocorticoids and their receptor (GR) have been an important area of research because of their pleiotropic physiological functions and extensive use in the clinic. In addition, the association between GR and glucocorticoids, which is highly specific, leads to rapid nuclear translocation where GR associates with chromatin to regulate gene transcription. This simplified model system has been instrumental for studying the complexity of transcription regulation processes occurring at chromatin. In this review we discuss our current understanding of GR action that has been enhanced by recent developments in genome wide measurements of chromatin accessibility, histone marks, chromatin remodeling and 3D chromatin structure in various cell types responding to glucocorticoids.

Neuronal CTCF Is Necessary for Basal and Experience-Dependent Gene Regulation, Memory Formation, and Genomic Structure of BDNF and Arc.

CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is an organizer of higher-order chromatin structure and regulates gene expression. Genetic studies have implicated mutations in CTCF in intellectual disabilities. However, the role of CTCF-mediated chromatin structure in learning and memory is unclear. We show that depletion of CTCF in postmitotic neurons, or depletion in the hippocampus of adult mice through viral-mediated knockout, induces deficits in learning and memory. These deficits in learning and memory at the beginning of adulthood are correlated with impaired long-term potentiation and reduced spine density, with no changes in basal synaptic transmission and dendritic morphogenesis and arborization. Cognitive disabilities are associated with downregulation of cadherin and learning-related genes. In addition, CTCF knockdown attenuates fear-conditioning-induced hippocampal gene expression of key learning genes and loss of long-range interactions at the BDNF and Arc loci. This study thus suggests that CTCF-dependent gene expression regulation and genomic organization are regulators of learning and memory.

FIE, a nuclear PRC2 protein, forms cytoplasmic complexes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are evolutionarily conserved chromatin modifiers that regulate developmental pathways in plants. PcGs form nuclear multi-subunit Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRCs). The PRC2 complex mediates gene repression via methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3, which consequently leads to chromatin condensation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, several PRC2 complexes with different compositions were identified, each controlling a particular developmental program.The core subunit FIE is crucial for PRC2 function throughout the plant life cycle, yet accurate information on its spatial and temporal localization was absent. This study focused on identifying FIE accumulation patterns, using microscopy and biochemical approaches. Analysing endogenous FIE and transgenic gFIE-green fluorescent protein fusion protein (gFIE-GFP) showed that FIE accumulates in the nuclei of every cell type examined. Interestingly, gFIE-GFP, as well as the endogenous FIE, also localized to the cytoplasm in all examined tissues. In both vegetative and reproductive organs, FIE formed cytoplasmic high-molecular-mass complexes, in parallel to the nuclear PRC2 complexes. Moreover, size-exclusion chromatography and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays indicated that in inflorescences FIE formed a cytoplasmic complex with MEA, a PRC2 histone methyltransferase subunit. In contrast, CLF and SWN histone methyltransferases were strictly nuclear. Presence of PRC2 subunits in cytoplasmic complexes has not been previously described in plants. Our findings are in agreement with accumulating evidence demonstrating cytoplasmic localization and function of PcGs in metazoa. The cytosolic accumulation of PRC2 components in plants supports the model that PcGs have alternative non-nuclear functions that go beyond chromatin methylation.

Cajal bodies are linked to genome conformation.

The mechanisms underlying nuclear body (NB) formation and their contribution to genome function are unknown. Here we examined the non-random positioning of Cajal bodies (CBs), major NBs involved in spliceosomal snRNP assembly and their role in genome organization. CBs are predominantly located at the periphery of chromosome territories at a multi-chromosome interface. Genome-wide chromosome conformation capture analysis (4C-seq) using CB-interacting loci revealed that CB-associated regions are enriched with highly expressed histone genes and U small nuclear or nucleolar RNA (sn/snoRNA) loci that form intra- and inter-chromosomal clusters. In particular, we observed a number of CB-dependent gene-positioning events on chromosome 1. RNAi-mediated disassembly of CBs disrupts the CB-targeting gene clusters and suppresses the expression of U sn/snoRNA and histone genes. This loss of spliceosomal snRNP production results in increased splicing noise, even in CB-distal regions. Therefore, we conclude that CBs contribute to genome organization with global effects on gene expression and RNA splicing fidelity.

Comparative analysis of T4 DNA ligases and DNA polymerases used in chromosome conformation capture assays.

Three-dimensional (3-D) genome organization in the nuclear space affects various genomic functions. Circular chromosome conformation capture (4C-seq) is a powerful technique that allows researchers to measure long-range chromosomal interactions with a locus of interest across the entire genome. This method relies on enzymatic cleavage of cross-linked chromatin and consecutive ligation to create ligation junctions between physically adjacent loci, followed by PCR amplification of locus-specific associating loci. The enzymes used must meet 4C standards because variations in their efficiency and performance may affect the quality of the obtained data. Here we systematically compare the efficiency and reliability of different T4 DNA ligases and PCR DNA polymerases, assessing the most critical and technically challenging steps in 4C. The results of this analysis enable the use of cost-effective enzymes with superior specificity and efficiency for 4C and save time in screening for appropriate primers. This information provides users with flexibility in their experimental design and guidelines for adapting and testing any enzyme of choice for obtaining standardized results.

Dynamics of chromatin accessibility and long-range interactions in response to glucocorticoid pulsing.

Although physiological steroid levels are often pulsatile (ultradian), the genomic effects of this pulsatility are poorly understood. By utilizing glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling as a model system, we uncovered striking spatiotemporal relationships between receptor loading, lifetimes of the DNase I hypersensitivity sites (DHSs), long-range interactions, and gene regulation. We found that hormone-induced DHSs were enriched within ± 50 kb of GR-responsive genes and displayed a broad spectrum of lifetimes upon hormone withdrawal. These lifetimes dictate the strength of the DHS interactions with gene targets and contribute to gene regulation from a distance. Our results demonstrate that pulsatile and constant hormone stimulations induce unique, treatment-specific patterns of gene and regulatory element activation. These modes of activation have implications for corticosteroid function in vivo and for steroid therapies in various clinical settings.

Epigenetic targeting of activation-induced cytidine deaminase.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) by deaminating cytosine residues in immunoglobulin genes (Igh, Igκ, and Igλ). At a lower frequency, AID also causes collateral DNA damage at non-Ig loci, including genes that are rearranged or mutated in B-cell lymphoma. Precisely how AID is recruited to these off-target sites is not entirely understood. To gain further insight into how AID selects its targets, we compared AID-mediated translocations in two different cell types, B cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). AID targets a distinct set of hotspots in the two cell types. In both cases, hotspots are concentrated in highly transcribed but stalled genes. However, transcription alone is insufficient to recruit AID activity. Comparison of genes similarly transcribed in B cells and MEFs but targeted in only one of the two cell types reveals a common set of epigenetic features associated with AID recruitment in both cells. AID target genes are enriched in chromatin modifications associated with active enhancers (such as H3K27Ac) and marks of active transcription (such as H3K36me3) in both fibroblasts and B cells, indicating that these features are universal mediators of AID recruitment.

B cell super-enhancers and regulatory clusters recruit AID tumorigenic activity.

The antibody gene mutator activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) promiscuously damages oncogenes, leading to chromosomal translocations and tumorigenesis. Why nonimmunoglobulin loci are susceptible to AID activity is unknown. Here, we study AID-mediated lesions in the context of nuclear architecture and the B cell regulome. We show that AID targets are not randomly distributed across the genome but are predominantly grouped within super-enhancers and regulatory clusters. Unexpectedly, in these domains, AID deaminates active promoters and eRNA(+) enhancers interconnected in some instances over megabases of linear chromatin. Using genome editing, we demonstrate that 3D-linked targets cooperate to recruit AID-mediated breaks. Furthermore, a comparison of hypermutation in mouse B cells, AID-induced kataegis in human lymphomas, and translocations in MEFs reveals that AID damages different genes in different cell types. Yet, in all cases, the targets are predominantly associated with topological complex, highly transcribed super-enhancers, demonstrating that these compartments are key mediators of AID recruitment.

A macrohistone variant links dynamic chromatin compaction to BRCA1-dependent genome maintenance.

Appropriate DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair factor choice is essential for ensuring accurate repair outcome and genomic integrity. The factors that regulate this process remain poorly understood. Here, we identify two repressive chromatin components, the macrohistone variant macroH2A1 and the H3K9 methyltransferase and tumor suppressor PRDM2, which together direct the choice between the antagonistic DSB repair mediators BRCA1 and 53BP1. The macroH2A1/PRDM2 module mediates an unexpected shift from accessible to condensed chromatin that requires the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent accumulation of both proteins at DSBs in order to promote DSB-flanking H3K9 dimethylation. Remarkably, loss of macroH2A1 or PRDM2, as well as experimentally induced chromatin decondensation, impairs the retention of BRCA1, but not 53BP1, at DSBs. As a result, macroH2A1 and/or PRDM2 depletion causes epistatic defects in DSB end resection, homology-directed repair, and the resistance to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition-all hallmarks of BRCA1-deficient tumors. Together, these findings identify dynamic, DSB-associated chromatin reorganization as a critical modulator of BRCA1-dependent genome maintenance.

3D view of chromosomes, DNA damage, and translocations.

The cell nucleus is a busy and organized organelle. In this megalopolis made of billions of nucleotides, protein factors find their target loci to exert nuclear functions such as transcription and replication. Remarkably, despite the lack of internal membrane barrier, the interlinked and tightly regulated nuclear processes occur in spatially organized fashion. These processes can lead to double-strand breaks (DSBs) that compromise the integrity of the genome. Moreover, in some cells like lymphocytes, DNA damage is also targeted within the context of immunoglobulin gene recombination. If not repaired correctly, DSBs can cause chromosomal rearrangements, including translocations which are etiological in numerous tumors. Therefore, the chromosomal locations of DSBs, as well as their spatial positioning, are important contributors to formation of chromosomal translocations at specific genomic loci. To obtain a mechanistic understanding of chromosomal translocations these parameters should be accounted for in a global and integrative fashion. In this review we will discuss recent findings addressing how genome architecture, DNA damage, and repair contribute to the genesis of chromosomal translocations.