A TAD 边界在删除富含 CTCF 的 Firre 基因座时得以保留。
A TAD boundary is preserved upon deletion of the CTCF-rich Firre locus.
机构信息
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
出版信息
Nat Commun. 2018 Apr 13;9(1):1444. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03614-0.
The binding of the transcriptional regulator CTCF to the genome has been implicated in the formation of topologically associated domains (TADs). However, the general mechanisms of folding the genome into TADs are not fully understood. Here we test the effects of deleting a CTCF-rich locus on TAD boundary formation. Using genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), we focus on one TAD boundary on chromosome X harboring ~ 15 CTCF binding sites and located at the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) locus Firre. Specifically, this TAD boundary is invariant across evolution, tissues, and temporal dynamics of X-chromosome inactivation. We demonstrate that neither the deletion of this locus nor the ectopic insertion of Firre cDNA or its ectopic expression are sufficient to alter TADs in a sex-specific or allele-specific manner. In contrast, Firre's deletion disrupts the chromatin super-loop formation of the inactive X-chromosome. Collectively, our findings suggest that apart from CTCF binding, additional mechanisms may play roles in establishing TAD boundary formation.
转录调控因子 CTCF 与基因组的结合被认为与拓扑相关结构域(TADs)的形成有关。然而,将基因组折叠成 TAD 的一般机制尚未完全理解。在这里,我们测试了删除富含 CTCF 的基因座对 TAD 边界形成的影响。我们使用全基因组染色体构象捕获(Hi-C)技术,重点研究了 X 染色体上一个含有约 15 个 CTCF 结合位点的 TAD 边界,该边界位于长非编码 RNA(lncRNA)基因 Firre 上。具体来说,这个 TAD 边界在进化、组织和 X 染色体失活的时间动态中都是不变的。我们证明,这个基因座的缺失,或者 Firre cDNA 的异位插入或其异位表达都不足以以性别特异性或等位基因特异性的方式改变 TAD。相比之下,Firre 的缺失破坏了失活 X 染色体的染色质超螺旋形成。总之,我们的研究结果表明,除了 CTCF 结合之外,其他机制可能在 TAD 边界形成中发挥作用。