Histone H3K79 modifications are essential to regulate chromatin structure and gene transcription,but understanding of the molecular mechanisms is limited.Because H3K79 is at globular domain,short histone peptide canno...Histone H3K79 modifications are essential to regulate chromatin structure and gene transcription,but understanding of the molecular mechanisms is limited.Because H3K79 is at globular domain,short histone peptide cannot mimic H3K79 in chromatin.Instead,reconstituted nucleosome-based chemical tools are ideally used to investigate H3K79 modifications.In consequence,H3K79-modified histone H3 with additional chemical handles are required,but such synthesis is challenging and laborious.Here we report a facile semisynthesis method that enables multifunctional histone H3 readily available.H3K79-containing fragment is short for straight peptide synthesis that was later ligated to recombinant expressed H3 fragments for full-length product in large scale.As a result,nucleosomes with H3K79 modifications as well as photo-reactive group and affinity tag were obtained to investigate potential binding proteins.We believe this method that enhances synthetic accessibility of nucleosome probes will accelerate understanding of the underexplored H3K79 modifications.展开更多
High mobility group protein 1(HMGB1) is a multifunctional protein that interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA replication and repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 al...High mobility group protein 1(HMGB1) is a multifunctional protein that interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA replication and repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 alters the structure and stability of the canonical nucleosome(N) in a nonenzymatic,adenosine triphosphate-independent manner. As a result, the canonical nucleosome is converted to two stable, physically distinct nucleosome conformers. Although estrogen receptor(ER) does not bind to its consensus estrogen response element within a nucleosome, HMGB1 restructures the nucleosome to facilitate strong ER binding. The isolated HMGB1-restructured nucleosomes(N' and N'') remain stable and exhibit a number of characteristics that are distinctly different from the canonical nucleosome. These findings complement previous studies that showed(1) HMGB1 stimulates in vivo transcriptional activation at estrogen response elements and(2) knock down of HMGB1 expression by siR NA precipitously reduced transcriptional activation. The findings indicate that a major facet of the mechanism of HMGB1 action involves a restructuring of aspects of the nucleosome that appear to relax structural constraints within the nucleosome. The findings are extended to reveal the differences between ER and the other steroid hormone receptors. A working proposal outlines mechanisms that highlight the multiple facets that HMGB1 may utilize in restructuring the nucleosome.展开更多
Objective： To determine the relationship between nucleosome positions and formation of differential methylation of the reported region A, B, C, and D within the MLH1 CpG island. Methods： Methylation of the MLH1 prom...Objective： To determine the relationship between nucleosome positions and formation of differential methylation of the reported region A, B, C, and D within the MLH1 CpG island. Methods： Methylation of the MLH1 promoter was analyzed by combined of bisulfite restriction assay. Chromatin of RKO and MGC803 cells were extracted and digested by MNase. Mononucleosomal DNA fragment was isolated and used as templates for detection of nucleosomal distribution by a battery of quantitative PCRs covering the full MLH1 promoter region. Results： The MLH1 was methylated in RKO and unmethylated in MGC803. At the region B, where methylation of CpG sites did not correlated with transcription of this gene well, qPCR product of the M-3 （-599nt ～ -475nt） fragment was amplified in both RKO and MGC803 cells. However, at the region C and D within the core promoter, where methylation of CpG sites correlated with loss of MLH1 transcription well, the M-7 （-257nt ～ -153nt） and M-8 （-189nt ～ -71nt） fragments were amplified remarkably only in RKO cells. Conclusion： Nucleosome may be the basic unit for both CpG methylation and methylation-related regulation of gene transcription. Methylation status of CpG sites within the same nucleosome may be homogeneous; between different nucleosomes, homogeneous or heterogeneous.展开更多
The structure of the nuclosome core particle of chromatin in chicken erythrocytes has been examined by usingAFM. The 146 hp of DNA wrapped twice around the corehistone octamer are clearly visualized. Both the ends ofe...The structure of the nuclosome core particle of chromatin in chicken erythrocytes has been examined by usingAFM. The 146 hp of DNA wrapped twice around the corehistone octamer are clearly visualized. Both the ends ofentry/exit of linker DNA are also demonstrated. The dimension of the nucleosome core particles is- 1-4 um inheight and ～13-22 um in width. In addition, superbeads(width of - 48-57 urn, beight of-2-3 nm) are occasionallyrevealed, two turns of DNA around the core particles arealso detected.展开更多
Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the dynamic process of the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution followed by slow dilution from high salt to low salt was visualized. Data showed that the histone octamers were dissoc...Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the dynamic process of the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution followed by slow dilution from high salt to low salt was visualized. Data showed that the histone octamers were dissociated from DNA at 1M NaCl. When the salt concentration was slowly reduced to 650 mMand 300 mM, the core histones bound to the naked DNA gradually. Once the salt concentration was reduced to 50 mM the classic 'beads-on-a-string' structure was clearly visualized. Furthermore, using the technique of the in vitro reconstitution ofnucleosome,the mono- and di- nucleosomes were assembled in vitro with both HS2core (-10681 to -10970 bp) and NCR2 (-372to -194 bp) DNA sequences in the 5'flanking sequence of human b-globin gene. Data revealed that HMG 1/2 and HMG 14/17 proteins binding to both DNA sequences are changeable following the assembly and disassembly of nucleosomes. We suggest that the changeable binding patterns of HMG 14/17 and HMG1/2 proteins with these regulatory elements may be critical in the process of nucleosome assembly, recruitment of chromatin-modifying activities, and the regulation of human b-globin gene expression.展开更多
A nucleosome contains two copies of each histone H2A,H2B,H3 and H4.Histone H3 K4me0 and K36me3are two key chromatin marks for de novo DNA methylation catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases in mammals.However,it remains u...A nucleosome contains two copies of each histone H2A,H2B,H3 and H4.Histone H3 K4me0 and K36me3are two key chromatin marks for de novo DNA methylation catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases in mammals.However,it remains unclear whether K4me0 and K36me3 marks on both sister histone H3s regulate de novo DNA methylation independently or cooperatively.Here,taking advantage of the bivalent histone H3 system in yeast,we examined the contributions of K4 and K36 on sister histone H3s to genomic DNA methylation catalyzed by ectopically co-expressed murine Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L.The results show that lack of both K4me0 and K36me3 on one sister H3 tail,or lack of K4me0 and K36me3 on respective sister H3s results in a dramatic reduction of 5mC,revealing a synergy of two sister H3s in DNA methylation regulation.Accordingly,the Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L mutation that disrupts the interaction of Dnmt3aADD domain-H3K4me0,Dnmt3LADD domain-H3K4me0,orDnmt3aPWWP domain-H3K36me3 causes a significant reduction of DNA methylation.These results support the model that each heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L reads both K4me0 and K36me3 marks on one tail of sister H3s,and the dimer of heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L recognizes two tails of sister histone H3s to efficiently execute de novo DNA methylation.展开更多
Using Brownian dynamics simulation, we studied the effect of histone modifications On conformations of an array of nucleosomes in a segment of chromatin. The simulation demonstrated that the segment of chromatin shows...Using Brownian dynamics simulation, we studied the effect of histone modifications On conformations of an array of nucleosomes in a segment of chromatin. The simulation demonstrated that the segment of chromatin shows the dynamic behaviour that its conformation can switch between a state with nearly all of the histones being wrapped by DNA and a state with nearly all of the histones being unwrapped by DNA, thus involving the ＂cross-talking＂ interactions among the histones. Each state can stay for a sufficiently long time. These conformational states are essential for gene expression or gene silence. The simulation also shows that these conformational states can be inherited by the daughter DNAs during DNA replication, giving a theoretical explanation of the epigenetic phenomenon.展开更多
Deformability of DNA is important for its superhelical folding in the nucleosome and has long been thought to be facilitated by periodic occurrences of certain dinucleotides along the sequences, with the period close ...Deformability of DNA is important for its superhelical folding in the nucleosome and has long been thought to be facilitated by periodic occurrences of certain dinucleotides along the sequences, with the period close to 10.5 bases. This study statistically examines the conformational properties of dinucleotides containing the 10.5 - base periodicity and those without that periodicity through scanning all nucleosome structures provided in PDB. By categorizing performances on the distribution of step parameter values, averaged net values, standard deviations and deformability based on step conformational energies, we give a detailed description as to the deformation preferences correlated with the periodicity for the 10 unique types of dinucleotides and summarize the possible roles of various steps in how they facilitate DNA bending. The results show that the structural properties of dinucleotide steps are influenced to various extents by the periodicity in nucleosomes and some periodic steps have shown a clear tendency to take specific bending or shearing patterns.展开更多
With the identification of increasing number of chromatin modifiers, histone variants, histone post-translational modifications and their cross-talk, it is essential to validate these findings and interactions in vitr...With the identification of increasing number of chromatin modifiers, histone variants, histone post-translational modifications and their cross-talk, it is essential to validate these findings and interactions in vitro for which pure histone complexes are required. Although, the production of such complexes has been described earlier but still it remains a challenge for a non-specialist lab. Here we describe a protocol to quickly obtain large quantities of highly pure histones using bacterial expression system for GST pull-down and reconstitution experiments. In addition, we describe methods to quickly reconstitute and purify H2A/H2B dimers, H3/H4 tetramers and histone octamers for in vitro experiments. We demonstrate that these sub-complexes are properly folded and are hence, true representatives of the actual substrates in vivo. We also show that histones have a propensity to be non-specifically cleaved by proteases. Our results suggest that TEV protease is the most suitable protease while working with histones. The methodology described here should allow researchers to purify histone complexes in three days enabling functional and structural analyses of histone variants, mutants and post-translational modifications.展开更多
Nucleosomes play a vital role in chromatin organization and gene regulation,acting as key hubs that inter-act with various chromatin-associated factors through diverse binding mechanisms.Recent research has highlighte...Nucleosomes play a vital role in chromatin organization and gene regulation,acting as key hubs that inter-act with various chromatin-associated factors through diverse binding mechanisms.Recent research has highlighted the prevalence of mutations in linker histones across different types of cancer,emphasizing their critical involvement in cancer progression.These cancer-associated mutations in linker histones have been shown to disrupt nucleosome stacking and the formation of higher-order chromatin structures,which in turn significantly affect epigenetic regulatory processes.In this review,we provide a comprehensive analysis of how cancer-associated linker histone mutations alter their physicochemical properties,influencing their binding to nucleosomes,and overall chromatin architecture.Additionally,we explore the significant impact of mutations near post-translational modification sites,which further modulate chromatin dynamics and regulatory functions,offering insights into their role in oncogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.展开更多
BACKGROUND Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are critical regulators in tumorigenesis,functioning as microRNA sponges or protein decoys.Although numerous circRNAs have been implicated in gastric cancer progression,the role of hs...BACKGROUND Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are critical regulators in tumorigenesis,functioning as microRNA sponges or protein decoys.Although numerous circRNAs have been implicated in gastric cancer progression,the role of hsa_circRNA_101996 remains unclear.This study hypothesizes that hsa_circRNA_101996 promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis via the microRNA-577(miR-577)/high mobility group nucleosome binding domain 5(HMGN5)axis.AIM To investigate the role of hsa_circRNA_101996 in gastric cancer proliferation and apoptosis through the miR-577/HMGN5 axis.METHODS Forty-one paired gastric cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were analyzed.Differential circRNA expression was identified using GSE83521 and GSE89143 datasets.miR-577 and HMGN5 were predicted via CircInteractome and TargetScan.Functional experiments(MTT,colony formation,Western blot)and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed in gastric cancer cell lines(OCUM-1,HSC-39).In vivo tumorigenesis was validated in nude mice.Statistical analysis included Student’s t-test and one-way ANOVA(P<0.05).RESULTS Hsa_circRNA_101996 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues(P<0.05).Dual-luciferase reporter assays validated the interactions among hsa_circRNA_101996,miR-577,and HMGN5.In vitro,gastric cancer cells overexpressing hsa_circRNA_101996 showed significantly increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis compared to controls(P<0.05).Cells transfected with miR-577 mimics exhibited reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis(P<0.05).Co-transfection with hsa_circRNA_101996 or HMGN5 reversed the effects of miR-577 mimics.In vivo,hsa_circRNA_101996-overexpressing tumors showed increased volume and HMGN5 expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Hsa_circRNA_101996 promotes gastric cancer progression by sponging miR-577 to upregulate HMGN5,suggesting a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.展开更多
The nucleosome is the fundamental unit of eukaryotic genomes.Its positioning in the promoter region plays a central role in regulating gene transcription.Experimental evidence suggests that the genomic DNA sequence is...The nucleosome is the fundamental unit of eukaryotic genomes.Its positioning in the promoter region plays a central role in regulating gene transcription.Experimental evidence suggests that the genomic DNA sequence is one important determinant of nucleosome positioning.Several approaches have been developed to predict nucleosome positions based on DNA sequence features,but the results indicate that there is room for improvement.This paper presents a new computational approach to predict genome-wide nucleosome locations in promoter regions.Importantly,the proposed approach outperforms existing approaches in yeast.Further anal-ysis demonstrates that DNA signals for nucleosome posi-tioning vary with species and composition of histones.Analysis of individual genes reveals that the role of the underlying DNA sequence in nucleosome positioning var-ies with genes.展开更多
Deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z at gene bodies regulates transcription by modifying chromatin accessibility in plants. However, the role of H2A.Z enrichment at the promoter and enhancer regions is unclear, and...Deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z at gene bodies regulates transcription by modifying chromatin accessibility in plants. However, the role of H2A.Z enrichment at the promoter and enhancer regions is unclear, and how H2A.Z interacts with other mechanisms of chromatin modification to regulate gene expression remains obscure. Here, we mapped genome-wide H2A.Z, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, Pol II, and nucleosome occupancy in Arabidopsis inflorescence. We showed that H2A.Z preferentially associated with H3K4me3 at promoters, while it was found with H3K27me3 at enhancers, and that H2A.Z deposition negatively correlated with gene expression. In addition, we demonstrated that H2A.Z represses gene expression by establishing low gene accessibility at ＋1 nucleosome and maintaining high gene accessibility at -1 nucleosome. We further showed that the high measures of gene responsiveness correlate with the H2A.Z-associated closed ＋1 nucleosome structure. Moreover, we found that H2A.Z represses enhancer activity by promoting H3K27me3 and preventing H3K4me3 histone modifications. This study provides a framework for future studies of H2A.Z functions and opens up new aspects for decoding the interplay between chromatin modification and histone variants in transcrip- tional control.展开更多
Temperature influences the distribution, range, and phenology of plants. The key transcriptional activators of heat shock response in eukaryotes, the heat shock factors （HSFs）, have undergone large-scale gene amplif...Temperature influences the distribution, range, and phenology of plants. The key transcriptional activators of heat shock response in eukaryotes, the heat shock factors （HSFs）, have undergone large-scale gene amplification in plants. While HSFs are central in heat stress responses, their role in the response to ambient temperature changes is less well understood. We show here that the warm ambient temperature transcriptome is dependent upon the HSFA1 clade ofArabidopsis HSFs, which cause a rapid and dynamic eviction of H2A.Z nucleosomes at target genes. A transcriptional cascade results in the activation of multiple downstream stress-responsive transcription factors, triggering large-scale changes to the transcriptome in response to elevated temperature. H2A.Z nucleosomes are enriched at temperature-responsive genes at non-inducible temperature, and thus likely confer inducibility of gene expression and higher responsive dynamics. We propose that the antagonistic effects of H2A.Z and HSF1 provide a mechanism to activate gene expression rapidly and precisely in response to temperature, while preventing leaky transcription in the absence of an activation signal.展开更多
Genomic distribution of the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin, contains important epigenetic information. To map nucleosome distribution in structurally and functionally differentiated micronucleus(MIC) and macr...Genomic distribution of the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin, contains important epigenetic information. To map nucleosome distribution in structurally and functionally differentiated micronucleus(MIC) and macronucleus(MAC) of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, we have purified MIC and MAC and performed micrococcal nuclease(MNase) digestion as well as hydroxyl radical cleavage. Different factors that may affect MNase digestion were examined, to optimize mono-nucleosome production. Mono-nucleosome purity was further improved by ultracentrifugation in a sucrose gradient. As MNase concentration increased, nucleosomal DNA sizes in MIC and MAC converged on 147 bp, as expected for the nucleosome core particle. Both MNase digestion and hydroxyl radical cleavage consistently showed a nucleosome repeat length of^200 bp in MAC of Tetrahymena, supporting ~50 bp of linker DNA. Our work has systematically tested methods currently available for mapping nucleosome distribution in Tetrahymena, and provided a solid foundation for future epigenetic studies in this ciliated model organism.展开更多
Our recent investigation in the protist Trichomonas vaginalis suggested a DNA sequence periodicity with a unit length of 120.9 nt, which represents a sequence signature for nucleosome positioning. We now extended our ...Our recent investigation in the protist Trichomonas vaginalis suggested a DNA sequence periodicity with a unit length of 120.9 nt, which represents a sequence signature for nucleosome positioning. We now extended our observation in higher eukaryotes and identified a similar periodicity of 175 nt in length in Caenorhabditis elegans. In the process of defining the sequence compositional characteristics, we found that the 10.5-nt periodicity, the sequence signature of DNA double helix, may not be sufficient for cross-nucleosome positioning but provides essential guiding rails to facilitate positioning. We further dissected nucleosome-protected sequences and identified a strong positive purine （AG） gradient from the 5＇-end to the 3＂-end, and also learnt that the nucleosome-enriched regions are GC-rich as compared to the nucleosome-free sequences as purine content is positively correlated with GC content. Sequence characterization allowed us to develop a hidden Markov model （HMM） algorithm for decoding nucleosome positioning computationally, and based on a set of training data from the fifth chromosome of C. elegans, our algorithm predicted 60%-70% of the well-positioned nucleosomes, which is 15%-20% higher than random positioning. We concluded that nucleosomes are not randomly positioned on DNA sequences and yet bind to different genome regions with variable stability, well-positioned nucleosomes leave sequence signatures on DNA, and statistical positioning of nucleosomes across genome can be decoded computationally based on these sequence signatures.展开更多
It was shown that nuclear reassembly was induced by small pieces of DNA fragments in cell free extracts of Xenopus. In an attempt to learn the relationship between the nuclear reassembly and nucleosome/chromatin assem...It was shown that nuclear reassembly was induced by small pieces of DNA fragments in cell free extracts of Xenopus. In an attempt to learn the relationship between the nuclear reassembly and nucleosome/chromatin assembly, limited amounts of CM Cellulose are used to eliminate the capacity of the egg extract S 150 to assemble chromatin, while the forming of nucleosomes is checked with DNA supercoiling by plasmid DNA pBR322 incubated in the extract, and further analysed by micrococcal nuclease digestion. This depleted extract is then used to induce nuclear reassembly around demembraned sperms with membrane vesicles. It is found that CM Cellulose depletes histones H2A and H2B efficiently and blocks the assembly of nucleosomes, the demembraned sperms are yet reconstituted into nuclei in the treated S 150, although the chromatin in reassembled nuclei does not produce protected DNA fragments when digested with micrococcal nuclease. It suggests that in the cell free system of Xenopus, DNA can be formed into nuclei without assembly of nucleosomes or chromatin.展开更多
Histone lysine methyltransferases(HKMTs)deposit methyl groups onto lysine residues on histones and play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression.The structures and functions of HKMTs have ...Histone lysine methyltransferases(HKMTs)deposit methyl groups onto lysine residues on histones and play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression.The structures and functions of HKMTs have been extensively investigated in recent decades,significantly advancing our understanding of the dynamic regulation of histone methylation.Here,we review the recent progress in structural studies of representative HKMTs in complex with nucleosomes(H3K4,H3K27,H3K36,H3K79,and H4K20 methyltransferases),with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of nucleosome recognition and trans-histone crosstalk by these HKMTs.These structural studies inform HKMTs'roles in tumorigenesis and provide the foundations for developing new therapeutic approachestargetingHKMTs incancers.展开更多
Nucleosomes are fundamental units of chromatin that play critical roles in gene regulation by modulating DNA accessibility. However, their roles in regulating tissue-specific gene transcription are poorly understood. ...Nucleosomes are fundamental units of chromatin that play critical roles in gene regulation by modulating DNA accessibility. However, their roles in regulating tissue-specific gene transcription are poorly understood. Here, we present genome-wide nucleosome maps of maize shoot and endosperm generated by sequencing the micrococcal nuclease digested nucleosomal DNA. The changes of gene transcriptional status between shoot and endosperm were accompanied by preferential nucleosome loss from the promoters and shifts in the first nucleosome downstream of the transcriptional start sites （＋1 nucleosome） and upstream of transcriptional termination sites （-1 nucleosome）. Intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome orga- nization was largely associated with the capacity of a gene to alter its transcriptional status among different tissues. Compared with tissue-specific genes, constitutively expressed genes showed more pronounced 5＇ and 3＇ nucleosome-depleted regions as well as further ＋1 nucleosome to transcriptional start sites and -1 nucleosome to transcriptional termination sites. Moreover, nucleosome organization was more highly correlated with the plasticity of gene transcriptional status than with its expression level when examined using in vivo and predicted nucleosome data. In addition, the translational efficiencies of tissue-specific genes appeared to be greater than those of constitutively expressed genes. Taken together, our results indicate that intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome organization is important, beyond its role in regulating gene expression levels, in determining the plasticity of gene transcriptional status.展开更多
In eukaryotic cells,histones are packaged into octameric core particles with DNA wrapping around to form nucleosomes,which are the basic units of chromatin(Kornberg and Thomas,1974).Multicellular organisms utilise chr...In eukaryotic cells,histones are packaged into octameric core particles with DNA wrapping around to form nucleosomes,which are the basic units of chromatin(Kornberg and Thomas,1974).Multicellular organisms utilise chromatin marks to translate one single genome into hundreds of epigenomes for their corresponding cell types.Inheritance of epigenetic status is critical for the maintenance of gene expression profile during mitotic cell divisions(Allis et al.,2006).During S phase,canonical histones are deposited onto DNA in a replication-coupled manner(Allis et al.,2006).To understand how dividing cells overcome the dilution of epigenetic marks after chromatin duplication,DNA replication coupled(RC)nucleosome assembly has been of great interest.In this review,we focus on the potential influence of RC nucleosome assembly processes on the maintenance of epigenetic status.展开更多
基金support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22077103 and 22161132006)Westlake University startup。
文摘Histone H3K79 modifications are essential to regulate chromatin structure and gene transcription,but understanding of the molecular mechanisms is limited.Because H3K79 is at globular domain,short histone peptide cannot mimic H3K79 in chromatin.Instead,reconstituted nucleosome-based chemical tools are ideally used to investigate H3K79 modifications.In consequence,H3K79-modified histone H3 with additional chemical handles are required,but such synthesis is challenging and laborious.Here we report a facile semisynthesis method that enables multifunctional histone H3 readily available.H3K79-containing fragment is short for straight peptide synthesis that was later ligated to recombinant expressed H3 fragments for full-length product in large scale.As a result,nucleosomes with H3K79 modifications as well as photo-reactive group and affinity tag were obtained to investigate potential binding proteins.We believe this method that enhances synthetic accessibility of nucleosome probes will accelerate understanding of the underexplored H3K79 modifications.
文摘High mobility group protein 1(HMGB1) is a multifunctional protein that interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA replication and repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 alters the structure and stability of the canonical nucleosome(N) in a nonenzymatic,adenosine triphosphate-independent manner. As a result, the canonical nucleosome is converted to two stable, physically distinct nucleosome conformers. Although estrogen receptor(ER) does not bind to its consensus estrogen response element within a nucleosome, HMGB1 restructures the nucleosome to facilitate strong ER binding. The isolated HMGB1-restructured nucleosomes(N' and N'') remain stable and exhibit a number of characteristics that are distinctly different from the canonical nucleosome. These findings complement previous studies that showed(1) HMGB1 stimulates in vivo transcriptional activation at estrogen response elements and(2) knock down of HMGB1 expression by siR NA precipitously reduced transcriptional activation. The findings indicate that a major facet of the mechanism of HMGB1 action involves a restructuring of aspects of the nucleosome that appear to relax structural constraints within the nucleosome. The findings are extended to reveal the differences between ER and the other steroid hormone receptors. A working proposal outlines mechanisms that highlight the multiple facets that HMGB1 may utilize in restructuring the nucleosome.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30571056)the National"973"Basic Research Program of China(No.2005CB522403).
文摘Objective： To determine the relationship between nucleosome positions and formation of differential methylation of the reported region A, B, C, and D within the MLH1 CpG island. Methods： Methylation of the MLH1 promoter was analyzed by combined of bisulfite restriction assay. Chromatin of RKO and MGC803 cells were extracted and digested by MNase. Mononucleosomal DNA fragment was isolated and used as templates for detection of nucleosomal distribution by a battery of quantitative PCRs covering the full MLH1 promoter region. Results： The MLH1 was methylated in RKO and unmethylated in MGC803. At the region B, where methylation of CpG sites did not correlated with transcription of this gene well, qPCR product of the M-3 （-599nt ～ -475nt） fragment was amplified in both RKO and MGC803 cells. However, at the region C and D within the core promoter, where methylation of CpG sites correlated with loss of MLH1 transcription well, the M-7 （-257nt ～ -153nt） and M-8 （-189nt ～ -71nt） fragments were amplified remarkably only in RKO cells. Conclusion： Nucleosome may be the basic unit for both CpG methylation and methylation-related regulation of gene transcription. Methylation status of CpG sites within the same nucleosome may be homogeneous; between different nucleosomes, homogeneous or heterogeneous.
文摘The structure of the nuclosome core particle of chromatin in chicken erythrocytes has been examined by usingAFM. The 146 hp of DNA wrapped twice around the corehistone octamer are clearly visualized. Both the ends ofentry/exit of linker DNA are also demonstrated. The dimension of the nucleosome core particles is- 1-4 um inheight and ～13-22 um in width. In addition, superbeads(width of - 48-57 urn, beight of-2-3 nm) are occasionallyrevealed, two turns of DNA around the core particles arealso detected.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.39893320 and 39870378)the Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.Kj982-j1-618).
文摘Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), the dynamic process of the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution followed by slow dilution from high salt to low salt was visualized. Data showed that the histone octamers were dissociated from DNA at 1M NaCl. When the salt concentration was slowly reduced to 650 mMand 300 mM, the core histones bound to the naked DNA gradually. Once the salt concentration was reduced to 50 mM the classic 'beads-on-a-string' structure was clearly visualized. Furthermore, using the technique of the in vitro reconstitution ofnucleosome,the mono- and di- nucleosomes were assembled in vitro with both HS2core (-10681 to -10970 bp) and NCR2 (-372to -194 bp) DNA sequences in the 5'flanking sequence of human b-globin gene. Data revealed that HMG 1/2 and HMG 14/17 proteins binding to both DNA sequences are changeable following the assembly and disassembly of nucleosomes. We suggest that the changeable binding patterns of HMG 14/17 and HMG1/2 proteins with these regulatory elements may be critical in the process of nucleosome assembly, recruitment of chromatin-modifying activities, and the regulation of human b-globin gene expression.
基金We thank members of Zhou lab for the help,discussions and suggestions for this project.This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology(2016YFA0500701)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC 31521061)the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB19000000)to J.QZ.
文摘A nucleosome contains two copies of each histone H2A,H2B,H3 and H4.Histone H3 K4me0 and K36me3are two key chromatin marks for de novo DNA methylation catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases in mammals.However,it remains unclear whether K4me0 and K36me3 marks on both sister histone H3s regulate de novo DNA methylation independently or cooperatively.Here,taking advantage of the bivalent histone H3 system in yeast,we examined the contributions of K4 and K36 on sister histone H3s to genomic DNA methylation catalyzed by ectopically co-expressed murine Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L.The results show that lack of both K4me0 and K36me3 on one sister H3 tail,or lack of K4me0 and K36me3 on respective sister H3s results in a dramatic reduction of 5mC,revealing a synergy of two sister H3s in DNA methylation regulation.Accordingly,the Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L mutation that disrupts the interaction of Dnmt3aADD domain-H3K4me0,Dnmt3LADD domain-H3K4me0,orDnmt3aPWWP domain-H3K36me3 causes a significant reduction of DNA methylation.These results support the model that each heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L reads both K4me0 and K36me3 marks on one tail of sister H3s,and the dimer of heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L recognizes two tails of sister histone H3s to efficiently execute de novo DNA methylation.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 10834014 and 10674173)the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2009CB930704)
文摘Using Brownian dynamics simulation, we studied the effect of histone modifications On conformations of an array of nucleosomes in a segment of chromatin. The simulation demonstrated that the segment of chromatin shows the dynamic behaviour that its conformation can switch between a state with nearly all of the histones being wrapped by DNA and a state with nearly all of the histones being unwrapped by DNA, thus involving the ＂cross-talking＂ interactions among the histones. Each state can stay for a sufficiently long time. These conformational states are essential for gene expression or gene silence. The simulation also shows that these conformational states can be inherited by the daughter DNAs during DNA replication, giving a theoretical explanation of the epigenetic phenomenon.
文摘Deformability of DNA is important for its superhelical folding in the nucleosome and has long been thought to be facilitated by periodic occurrences of certain dinucleotides along the sequences, with the period close to 10.5 bases. This study statistically examines the conformational properties of dinucleotides containing the 10.5 - base periodicity and those without that periodicity through scanning all nucleosome structures provided in PDB. By categorizing performances on the distribution of step parameter values, averaged net values, standard deviations and deformability based on step conformational energies, we give a detailed description as to the deformation preferences correlated with the periodicity for the 10 unique types of dinucleotides and summarize the possible roles of various steps in how they facilitate DNA bending. The results show that the structural properties of dinucleotide steps are influenced to various extents by the periodicity in nucleosomes and some periodic steps have shown a clear tendency to take specific bending or shearing patterns.
文摘With the identification of increasing number of chromatin modifiers, histone variants, histone post-translational modifications and their cross-talk, it is essential to validate these findings and interactions in vitro for which pure histone complexes are required. Although, the production of such complexes has been described earlier but still it remains a challenge for a non-specialist lab. Here we describe a protocol to quickly obtain large quantities of highly pure histones using bacterial expression system for GST pull-down and reconstitution experiments. In addition, we describe methods to quickly reconstitute and purify H2A/H2B dimers, H3/H4 tetramers and histone octamers for in vitro experiments. We demonstrate that these sub-complexes are properly folded and are hence, true representatives of the actual substrates in vivo. We also show that histones have a propensity to be non-specifically cleaved by proteases. Our results suggest that TEV protease is the most suitable protease while working with histones. The methodology described here should allow researchers to purify histone complexes in three days enabling functional and structural analyses of histone variants, mutants and post-translational modifications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12205112)financially supported by self-determined research funds of CCNU from the colleges’basic research and operation of MOE(CCNU24JC012)supported by Natural Science Foundation of Wuhan(No.2024040801020302).
文摘Nucleosomes play a vital role in chromatin organization and gene regulation,acting as key hubs that inter-act with various chromatin-associated factors through diverse binding mechanisms.Recent research has highlighted the prevalence of mutations in linker histones across different types of cancer,emphasizing their critical involvement in cancer progression.These cancer-associated mutations in linker histones have been shown to disrupt nucleosome stacking and the formation of higher-order chromatin structures,which in turn significantly affect epigenetic regulatory processes.In this review,we provide a comprehensive analysis of how cancer-associated linker histone mutations alter their physicochemical properties,influencing their binding to nucleosomes,and overall chromatin architecture.Additionally,we explore the significant impact of mutations near post-translational modification sites,which further modulate chromatin dynamics and regulatory functions,offering insights into their role in oncogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.
文摘BACKGROUND Circular RNAs(circRNAs)are critical regulators in tumorigenesis,functioning as microRNA sponges or protein decoys.Although numerous circRNAs have been implicated in gastric cancer progression,the role of hsa_circRNA_101996 remains unclear.This study hypothesizes that hsa_circRNA_101996 promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis via the microRNA-577(miR-577)/high mobility group nucleosome binding domain 5(HMGN5)axis.AIM To investigate the role of hsa_circRNA_101996 in gastric cancer proliferation and apoptosis through the miR-577/HMGN5 axis.METHODS Forty-one paired gastric cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were analyzed.Differential circRNA expression was identified using GSE83521 and GSE89143 datasets.miR-577 and HMGN5 were predicted via CircInteractome and TargetScan.Functional experiments(MTT,colony formation,Western blot)and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed in gastric cancer cell lines(OCUM-1,HSC-39).In vivo tumorigenesis was validated in nude mice.Statistical analysis included Student’s t-test and one-way ANOVA(P<0.05).RESULTS Hsa_circRNA_101996 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues(P<0.05).Dual-luciferase reporter assays validated the interactions among hsa_circRNA_101996,miR-577,and HMGN5.In vitro,gastric cancer cells overexpressing hsa_circRNA_101996 showed significantly increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis compared to controls(P<0.05).Cells transfected with miR-577 mimics exhibited reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis(P<0.05).Co-transfection with hsa_circRNA_101996 or HMGN5 reversed the effects of miR-577 mimics.In vivo,hsa_circRNA_101996-overexpressing tumors showed increased volume and HMGN5 expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Hsa_circRNA_101996 promotes gastric cancer progression by sponging miR-577 to upregulate HMGN5,suggesting a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.60474075)。
文摘The nucleosome is the fundamental unit of eukaryotic genomes.Its positioning in the promoter region plays a central role in regulating gene transcription.Experimental evidence suggests that the genomic DNA sequence is one important determinant of nucleosome positioning.Several approaches have been developed to predict nucleosome positions based on DNA sequence features,but the results indicate that there is room for improvement.This paper presents a new computational approach to predict genome-wide nucleosome locations in promoter regions.Importantly,the proposed approach outperforms existing approaches in yeast.Further anal-ysis demonstrates that DNA signals for nucleosome posi-tioning vary with species and composition of histones.Analysis of individual genes reveals that the role of the underlying DNA sequence in nucleosome positioning var-ies with genes.
文摘Deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z at gene bodies regulates transcription by modifying chromatin accessibility in plants. However, the role of H2A.Z enrichment at the promoter and enhancer regions is unclear, and how H2A.Z interacts with other mechanisms of chromatin modification to regulate gene expression remains obscure. Here, we mapped genome-wide H2A.Z, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, Pol II, and nucleosome occupancy in Arabidopsis inflorescence. We showed that H2A.Z preferentially associated with H3K4me3 at promoters, while it was found with H3K27me3 at enhancers, and that H2A.Z deposition negatively correlated with gene expression. In addition, we demonstrated that H2A.Z represses gene expression by establishing low gene accessibility at ＋1 nucleosome and maintaining high gene accessibility at -1 nucleosome. We further showed that the high measures of gene responsiveness correlate with the H2A.Z-associated closed ＋1 nucleosome structure. Moreover, we found that H2A.Z represses enhancer activity by promoting H3K27me3 and preventing H3K4me3 histone modifications. This study provides a framework for future studies of H2A.Z functions and opens up new aspects for decoding the interplay between chromatin modification and histone variants in transcrip- tional control.
文摘Temperature influences the distribution, range, and phenology of plants. The key transcriptional activators of heat shock response in eukaryotes, the heat shock factors （HSFs）, have undergone large-scale gene amplification in plants. While HSFs are central in heat stress responses, their role in the response to ambient temperature changes is less well understood. We show here that the warm ambient temperature transcriptome is dependent upon the HSFA1 clade ofArabidopsis HSFs, which cause a rapid and dynamic eviction of H2A.Z nucleosomes at target genes. A transcriptional cascade results in the activation of multiple downstream stress-responsive transcription factors, triggering large-scale changes to the transcriptome in response to elevated temperature. H2A.Z nucleosomes are enriched at temperature-responsive genes at non-inducible temperature, and thus likely confer inducibility of gene expression and higher responsive dynamics. We propose that the antagonistic effects of H2A.Z and HSF1 provide a mechanism to activate gene expression rapidly and precisely in response to temperature, while preventing leaky transcription in the absence of an activation signal.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(31522051,31470064)the funding awarded to Weibo Song(15-12-1-1-jch)+3 种基金the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology,ChinaYifan Liu was supported by National Sanitation Foundation(MCB 1411565)National Institute of Health(R01 GM087343)the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan
文摘Genomic distribution of the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin, contains important epigenetic information. To map nucleosome distribution in structurally and functionally differentiated micronucleus(MIC) and macronucleus(MAC) of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, we have purified MIC and MAC and performed micrococcal nuclease(MNase) digestion as well as hydroxyl radical cleavage. Different factors that may affect MNase digestion were examined, to optimize mono-nucleosome production. Mono-nucleosome purity was further improved by ultracentrifugation in a sucrose gradient. As MNase concentration increased, nucleosomal DNA sizes in MIC and MAC converged on 147 bp, as expected for the nucleosome core particle. Both MNase digestion and hydroxyl radical cleavage consistently showed a nucleosome repeat length of^200 bp in MAC of Tetrahymena, supporting ~50 bp of linker DNA. Our work has systematically tested methods currently available for mapping nucleosome distribution in Tetrahymena, and provided a solid foundation for future epigenetic studies in this ciliated model organism.
基金supported by the National Basic Re-search Program (973 Program) from the Ministry of ScienceTechnology of the People’s Republic of China (2006CB910404 to JY)
文摘Our recent investigation in the protist Trichomonas vaginalis suggested a DNA sequence periodicity with a unit length of 120.9 nt, which represents a sequence signature for nucleosome positioning. We now extended our observation in higher eukaryotes and identified a similar periodicity of 175 nt in length in Caenorhabditis elegans. In the process of defining the sequence compositional characteristics, we found that the 10.5-nt periodicity, the sequence signature of DNA double helix, may not be sufficient for cross-nucleosome positioning but provides essential guiding rails to facilitate positioning. We further dissected nucleosome-protected sequences and identified a strong positive purine （AG） gradient from the 5＇-end to the 3＂-end, and also learnt that the nucleosome-enriched regions are GC-rich as compared to the nucleosome-free sequences as purine content is positively correlated with GC content. Sequence characterization allowed us to develop a hidden Markov model （HMM） algorithm for decoding nucleosome positioning computationally, and based on a set of training data from the fifth chromosome of C. elegans, our algorithm predicted 60%-70% of the well-positioned nucleosomes, which is 15%-20% higher than random positioning. We concluded that nucleosomes are not randomly positioned on DNA sequences and yet bind to different genome regions with variable stability, well-positioned nucleosomes leave sequence signatures on DNA, and statistical positioning of nucleosomes across genome can be decoded computationally based on these sequence signatures.
文摘It was shown that nuclear reassembly was induced by small pieces of DNA fragments in cell free extracts of Xenopus. In an attempt to learn the relationship between the nuclear reassembly and nucleosome/chromatin assembly, limited amounts of CM Cellulose are used to eliminate the capacity of the egg extract S 150 to assemble chromatin, while the forming of nucleosomes is checked with DNA supercoiling by plasmid DNA pBR322 incubated in the extract, and further analysed by micrococcal nuclease digestion. This depleted extract is then used to induce nuclear reassembly around demembraned sperms with membrane vesicles. It is found that CM Cellulose depletes histones H2A and H2B efficiently and blocks the assembly of nucleosomes, the demembraned sperms are yet reconstituted into nuclei in the treated S 150, although the chromatin in reassembled nuclei does not produce protected DNA fragments when digested with micrococcal nuclease. It suggests that in the cell free system of Xenopus, DNA can be formed into nuclei without assembly of nucleosomes or chromatin.
基金supported by grants from the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB37010303 to Y.C.)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31670748,31970576 to Y.C.,and 32071195 and 31900934 to Y.L.)+1 种基金the Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by Chinese Association for Science and Technology(YESS20170198 to Y.L.)the National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents(Bx201700263 to Y.L.).
文摘Histone lysine methyltransferases(HKMTs)deposit methyl groups onto lysine residues on histones and play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression.The structures and functions of HKMTs have been extensively investigated in recent decades,significantly advancing our understanding of the dynamic regulation of histone methylation.Here,we review the recent progress in structural studies of representative HKMTs in complex with nucleosomes(H3K4,H3K27,H3K36,H3K79,and H4K20 methyltransferases),with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of nucleosome recognition and trans-histone crosstalk by these HKMTs.These structural studies inform HKMTs'roles in tumorigenesis and provide the foundations for developing new therapeutic approachestargetingHKMTs incancers.
基金This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （91435206 31421005）, and the 948 project （2016-X33） to J.L.
文摘Nucleosomes are fundamental units of chromatin that play critical roles in gene regulation by modulating DNA accessibility. However, their roles in regulating tissue-specific gene transcription are poorly understood. Here, we present genome-wide nucleosome maps of maize shoot and endosperm generated by sequencing the micrococcal nuclease digested nucleosomal DNA. The changes of gene transcriptional status between shoot and endosperm were accompanied by preferential nucleosome loss from the promoters and shifts in the first nucleosome downstream of the transcriptional start sites （＋1 nucleosome） and upstream of transcriptional termination sites （-1 nucleosome）. Intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome orga- nization was largely associated with the capacity of a gene to alter its transcriptional status among different tissues. Compared with tissue-specific genes, constitutively expressed genes showed more pronounced 5＇ and 3＇ nucleosome-depleted regions as well as further ＋1 nucleosome to transcriptional start sites and -1 nucleosome to transcriptional termination sites. Moreover, nucleosome organization was more highly correlated with the plasticity of gene transcriptional status than with its expression level when examined using in vivo and predicted nucleosome data. In addition, the translational efficiencies of tissue-specific genes appeared to be greater than those of constitutively expressed genes. Taken together, our results indicate that intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome organization is important, beyond its role in regulating gene expression levels, in determining the plasticity of gene transcriptional status.
基金supported by the National Programs for High Technology Research and Development Program(863 Program)(Grant No.2007AA02Z1A6,to B.Z.).
文摘In eukaryotic cells,histones are packaged into octameric core particles with DNA wrapping around to form nucleosomes,which are the basic units of chromatin(Kornberg and Thomas,1974).Multicellular organisms utilise chromatin marks to translate one single genome into hundreds of epigenomes for their corresponding cell types.Inheritance of epigenetic status is critical for the maintenance of gene expression profile during mitotic cell divisions(Allis et al.,2006).During S phase,canonical histones are deposited onto DNA in a replication-coupled manner(Allis et al.,2006).To understand how dividing cells overcome the dilution of epigenetic marks after chromatin duplication,DNA replication coupled(RC)nucleosome assembly has been of great interest.In this review,we focus on the potential influence of RC nucleosome assembly processes on the maintenance of epigenetic status.
