Department of Epigenetics, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 30, Stuttgart, Germany.
Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 29;15(1):9308. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53760-x.
In eukaryotes, topologically associating domains (TADs) organize the genome into functional compartments. While TAD-like structures are common in mammals and many plants, they are challenging to detect in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis PDS5 proteins play a negative role in TAD-like domain formation. Through Hi-C analysis, we show that mutations in PDS5 genes lead to the widespread emergence of enhanced TAD-like domains throughout the Arabidopsis genome, excluding pericentromeric regions. These domains exhibit increased chromatin insulation and enhanced chromatin interactions, without significant changes in gene expression or histone modifications. Our results suggest that PDS5 proteins are key regulators of genome architecture, influencing 3D chromatin organization independently of transcriptional activity. This study provides insights into the unique chromatin structure of Arabidopsis and the broader mechanisms governing plant genome folding.
在真核生物中，拓扑关联结构域（TADs）将基因组组织成功能区。虽然 TAD 样结构在哺乳动物和许多植物中很常见，但在拟南芥中很难检测到。在这里，我们证明拟南芥 PDS5 蛋白在 TAD 样结构域形成中起负作用。通过 Hi-C 分析，我们表明 PDS5 基因突变导致整个拟南芥基因组中 TAD 样结构域的广泛出现，除了着丝粒区域。这些结构域表现出增强的染色质隔离和增强的染色质相互作用，而基因表达或组蛋白修饰没有明显变化。我们的结果表明，PDS5 蛋白是基因组结构的关键调节剂，独立于转录活性影响三维染色质组织。这项研究提供了对拟南芥独特染色质结构和控制植物基因组折叠的更广泛机制的深入了解。
