Su Guangsong, Chen Bohan, Song Yingjie, Yin Qingqing, Wang Wenbin, Zhao Xueyuan, Fan Sibo, Lian Jie, Li Dongqing, Bi Jinfang, Li Peng, Zhao Zhongfang, Zhang Lei, Shi Jiandang, Lu Wange
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Institute of Precise Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jul 1;16(1):5540. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60389-x.
Cell-specific super-enhancers (SEs) and master transcription factors (TFs) dynamically remodel embryonic stem cell (ESC) fate, yet their regulatory interplay remains unclear. By integrating multi-omics data (H3K27ac, Hi-C, scRNA-seq) across ESC states, we identified SEs interacting with master TFs, exemplified by the Klf5-adjacent SE (K5aSE). K5aSE deletion impaired proliferation, differentiation, and Klf5 expression, partially rescued by KLF5 reintroduction. Despite phenotypic similarities between Klf5-KO and K5aSE-KO ESCs, scRNA-seq of embryoid bodies revealed distinct differentiation trajectories, suggesting K5aSE targets beyond Klf5. High-throughput 3D genome screening demonstrated K5aSE activates four distal genes via chromatin looping. CRISPRa-mediated activation of these targets rescued K5aSE-KO phenotypes and uncovered their regulatory roles. Furthermore, CTCF depletion disrupted topologically associated domains (TADs) near K5aSE, suppressing Klf5 and target gene expression, indicating CTCF-mediated TADs sustain K5aSE activity. Our study unveils a 3D genome-dependent mechanism by which SEs govern ESC identity through coordinated TF interaction and multi-gene regulation.
细胞特异性超级增强子(SEs)和主转录因子(TFs)动态重塑胚胎干细胞(ESC)命运,但其调控相互作用仍不清楚。通过整合跨ESC状态的多组学数据(H3K27ac、Hi-C、scRNA-seq),我们鉴定出与主TF相互作用的SEs,以Klf5相邻SE(K5aSE)为例。K5aSE缺失损害增殖、分化和Klf5表达,通过重新引入KLF5可部分挽救。尽管Klf5基因敲除(Klf5-KO)和K5aSE基因敲除(K5aSE-KO)的ESC之间存在表型相似性,但胚胎体的scRNA-seq显示出不同的分化轨迹,表明K5aSE的靶标不止Klf5。高通量3D基因组筛选表明K5aSE通过染色质环化激活四个远端基因。CRISPRa介导的这些靶标的激活挽救了K5aSE-KO表型并揭示了它们的调控作用。此外,CTCF缺失破坏了K5aSE附近的拓扑相关结构域(TADs),抑制了Klf5和靶基因表达,表明CTCF介导的TADs维持K5aSE活性。我们的研究揭示了一种3D基因组依赖性机制,通过该机制SEs通过协调TF相互作用和多基因调控来控制ESC身份。
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