1
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Câmara AS, Kubalová I, Schubert V. Helical chromonema coiling is conserved in eukaryotes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:1284-1300. [PMID: 37840457 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Efficient chromatin condensation is required to transport chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis, forming daughter cells. While it is well accepted that these processes follow fundamental rules, there has been a controversial debate for more than 140 years on whether the higher-order chromatin organization in chromosomes is evolutionarily conserved. Here, we summarize historical and recent investigations based on classical and modern methods. In particular, classical light microscopy observations based on living, fixed, and treated chromosomes covering a wide range of plant and animal species, and even in single-cell eukaryotes suggest that the chromatids of large chromosomes are formed by a coiled chromatin thread, named the chromonema. More recently, these findings were confirmed by electron and super-resolution microscopy, oligo-FISH, molecular interaction data, and polymer simulation. Altogether, we describe common and divergent features of coiled chromonemata in different species. We hypothesize that chromonema coiling in large chromosomes is a fundamental feature established early during the evolution of eukaryotes to handle increasing genome sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Souza Câmara
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, D-06466, Seeland, Germany
| | - Ivona Kubalová
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, D-06466, Seeland, Germany
| | - Veit Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, D-06466, Seeland, Germany
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2
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Zhang M, Díaz-Celis C, Liu J, Tao J, Ashby PD, Bustamante C, Ren G. Angle between DNA linker and nucleosome core particle regulates array compaction revealed by individual-particle cryo-electron tomography. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4395. [PMID: 38782894 PMCID: PMC11116431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48305-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The conformational dynamics of nucleosome arrays generate a diverse spectrum of microscopic states, posing challenges to their structural determination. Leveraging cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), we determine the three-dimensional (3D) structures of individual mononucleosomes and arrays comprising di-, tri-, and tetranucleosomes. By slowing the rate of condensation through a reduction in ionic strength, we probe the intra-array structural transitions that precede inter-array interactions and liquid droplet formation. Under these conditions, the arrays exhibite irregular zig-zag conformations with loose packing. Increasing the ionic strength promoted intra-array compaction, yet we do not observe the previously reported regular 30-nanometer fibers. Interestingly, the presence of H1 do not induce array compaction; instead, one-third of the arrays display nucleosomes invaded by foreign DNA, suggesting an alternative role for H1 in chromatin network construction. We also find that the crucial parameter determining the structure adopted by chromatin arrays is the angle between the entry and exit of the DNA and the corresponding tangents to the nucleosomal disc. Our results provide insights into the initial stages of intra-array compaction, a critical precursor to condensation in the regulation of chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - César Díaz-Celis
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jianfang Liu
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jinhui Tao
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Paul D Ashby
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Bustamante
- Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Gang Ren
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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3
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Li Y, Zhang H, Li X, Wu W, Zhu P. Cryo-ET study from in vitro to in vivo revealed a general folding mode of chromatin with two-start helical architecture. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113134. [PMID: 37708029 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization and dynamics of chromatin fiber play crucial roles in regulating DNA accessibility for gene expression. Here we combine cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET), sub-volume averaging, and 3D segmentation to visualize the in vitro and in vivo chromatin fibers folding by linker histone. We discover that an increased nucleosome repeat length and prolonged fiber length do not change the two-start helical architecture in reconstituted chromatin of homogeneous composition. Additionally, an isolated chromatin fiber with heterogeneous composition was observed, which includes short-range regions compatible with two-start helix. In vivo, sub-volume averaging reveals similar subunits of two-start helical architecture in transcriptionally inactive chromatin in frog erythrocyte nuclei. Strikingly, unambiguous DNA trajectories that displayed a zigzag pattern universally between alternate N/N+2 nucleosomes were further determined by cryo-ET with voltage phase plate. Therefore, these structural similarities suggest a general folding mode of chromatin induced by linker histone, and heterogeneous compositions mainly affect local conformation rather than changing the overall architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haonan Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaomin Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wanyu Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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4
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Zhang M, Celis CD, Liu J, Bustamante C, Ren G. Conformational Change of Nucleosome Arrays prior to Phase Separation. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2460504. [PMID: 36711774 PMCID: PMC9882673 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2460504/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin phase transition serves as a regulatory mechanism for eukaryotic transcription. Understanding this process requires the characterization of the nucleosome array structure in response to external stimuli prior to phase separation. However, the intrinsic flexibility and heterogeneity hinders the arrays' structure determination. Here we exploit advances in cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of each individual particle of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetranucleosome arrays. Statistical analysis reveals the ionic strength changes the angle between the DNA linker and nucleosome core particle (NCP), which regulate the overall morphology of nucleosome arrays. The finding that one-third of the arrays in the presence of H1 contain an NCP invaded by foreign DNA suggests an alternative function of H1 in constructing nucleosomal networks. The new insights into the nucleosome conformational changes prior to the intermolecular interaction stage extends our understanding of chromatin phase separation regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA
- Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - César-Díaz Celis
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Jianfang Liu
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA
| | - Carlos Bustamante
- Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
- Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Gang Ren
- The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA
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5
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Liu S, Lin X, Zhang B. Chromatin fiber breaks into clutches under tension and crowding. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9738-9747. [PMID: 36029149 PMCID: PMC9508854 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The arrangement of nucleosomes inside chromatin is of extensive interest. While in vitro experiments have revealed the formation of 30 nm fibers, most in vivo studies have failed to confirm their presence in cell nuclei. To reconcile the diverging experimental findings, we characterized chromatin organization using a residue-level coarse-grained model. The computed force–extension curve matches well with measurements from single-molecule experiments. Notably, we found that a dodeca-nucleosome in the two-helix zigzag conformation breaks into structures with nucleosome clutches and a mix of trimers and tetramers under tension. Such unfolded configurations can also be stabilized through trans interactions with other chromatin chains. Our study suggests that unfolding from chromatin fibers could contribute to the irregularity of in vivo chromatin configurations. We further revealed that chromatin segments with fibril or clutch structures engaged in distinct binding modes and discussed the implications of these inter-chain interactions for a potential sol–gel phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xingcheng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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6
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Kong S, Lu Y, Tan S, Li R, Gao Y, Li K, Zhang Y. Nucleosome-Omics: A Perspective on the Epigenetic Code and 3D Genome Landscape. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071114. [PMID: 35885897 PMCID: PMC9323251 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic information is loaded on chromatin, which involves DNA sequence arrangement and the epigenetic landscape. The epigenetic information including DNA methylation, nucleosome positioning, histone modification, 3D chromatin conformation, and so on, has a crucial impact on gene transcriptional regulation. Out of them, nucleosomes, as basal chromatin structural units, play an important central role in epigenetic code. With the discovery of nucleosomes, various nucleosome-level technologies have been developed and applied, pushing epigenetics to a new climax. As the underlying methodology, next-generation sequencing technology has emerged and allowed scientists to understand the epigenetic landscape at a genome-wide level. Combining with NGS, nucleosome-omics (or nucleosomics) provides a fresh perspective on the epigenetic code and 3D genome landscape. Here, we summarized and discussed research progress in technology development and application of nucleosome-omics. We foresee the future directions of epigenetic development at the nucleosome level.
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7
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Superstructure Detection in Nucleosome Distribution Shows Common Pattern within a Chromosome and within the Genome. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040541. [PMID: 35455033 PMCID: PMC9026121 DOI: 10.3390/life12040541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleosome positioning plays an important role in crucial biological processes such as replication, transcription, and gene regulation. It has been widely used to predict the genome’s function and chromatin organisation. So far, the studies of patterns in nucleosome positioning have been limited to transcription start sites, CTCFs binding sites, and some promoter and loci regions. The genome-wide organisational pattern remains unknown. We have developed a theoretical model to coarse-grain nucleosome positioning data in order to obtain patterns in their distribution. Using hierarchical clustering on the auto-correlation function of this coarse-grained nucleosome positioning data, a genome-wide clustering is obtained for Candida albicans. The clustering shows the existence beyond hetero- and eu-chromatin inside the chromosomes. These non-trivial clusterings correspond to different nucleosome distributions and gene densities governing differential gene expression patterns. Moreover, these distribution patterns inside the chromosome appeared to be conserved throughout the genome and within species. The pipeline of the coarse grain nucleosome positioning sequence to identify underlying genomic organisation used in our study is novel, and the classifications obtained are unique and consistent.
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8
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A multimethod approach for analyzing FapC fibrillation and determining mass per length. Biophys J 2021; 120:2262-2275. [PMID: 33812849 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid proteins are found in a wide range of organisms owing to the high stability of the β-sheet core of the amyloid fibrils. There are both pathological amyloids involved in various diseases and functional amyloids that play a beneficial role for the organism. The aggregation process is complex and often involves many different species. Full understanding of this process requires parallel acquisition of data by complementary techniques monitoring the time course of aggregation. This is not an easy task, given the often-stochastic nature of aggregation, which can lead to significant variations in lag time. Here, we investigate the aggregation process of the functional amyloid FapC by simultaneous use of four different techniques, namely dynamic light scattering, small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), circular dichroism, and Thioflavin T fluorescence. All these approaches are applied to the same FapC sample just after desalting. Our data allow us to construct a master time-course graph showing the same time-course of aggregation by all techniques. This allows us to integrate insights from approaches that report on different structural and length scales. During the lag phase, loosely aggregated oligomers with random-coil structure are formed, which subsequently transform to fibrils without accumulation of additional significant species. Subsequently, the loosely associated protofilaments/subfilaments, which form side by side, mature to more compact fibrils. Furthermore, we determine the mass per length of the mature fibrils, obtaining very similar results by SAXS (33 kDa/nm) and tilted-beam transmission electron microscopy (31 kDa/nm). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the fibrils consist of primarily two protofilaments and similar dimensions of the cross section of the fibrils as revealed by SAXS modeling when the number of protofilaments per fibril was taken into account. Mass per length information underscores the general usefulness of SAXS in fibrillation analysis and provides an important constraint for further modeling the fibril structures.
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9
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Woods DC, Rodríguez-Ropero F, Wereszczynski J. The Dynamic Influence of Linker Histone Saturation within the Poly-Nucleosome Array. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166902. [PMID: 33667509 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Linker histones bind to nucleosomes and modify chromatin structure and dynamics as a means of epigenetic regulation. Biophysical studies have shown that chromatin fibers can adopt a plethora of conformations with varying levels of compaction. Linker histone condensation, and its specific binding disposition, has been associated with directly tuning this ensemble of states. However, the atomistic dynamics and quantification of this mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we present molecular dynamics simulations of octa-nucleosome arrays, based on a cryo-EM structure of the 30-nm chromatin fiber, with and without the globular domains of the H1 linker histone to determine how they influence fiber structures and dynamics. Results show that when bound, linker histones inhibit DNA flexibility and stabilize repeating tetra-nucleosomal units, giving rise to increased chromatin compaction. Furthermore, upon the removal of H1, there is a significant destabilization of this compact structure as the fiber adopts less strained and untwisted states. Interestingly, linker DNA sampling in the octa-nucleosome is exaggerated compared to its mono-nucleosome counterparts, suggesting that chromatin architecture plays a significant role in DNA strain even in the absence of linker histones. Moreover, H1-bound states are shown to have increased stiffness within tetra-nucleosomes, but not between them. This increased stiffness leads to stronger long-range correlations within the fiber, which may result in the propagation of epigenetic signals over longer spatial ranges. These simulations highlight the effects of linker histone binding on the internal dynamics and global structure of poly-nucleosome arrays, while providing physical insight into a mechanism of chromatin compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin C Woods
- Department of Chemistry and the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
| | - Francisco Rodríguez-Ropero
- Department of Physics and the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
| | - Jeff Wereszczynski
- Department of Physics and the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, United States.
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10
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Zhurkin VB, Norouzi D. Topological polymorphism of nucleosome fibers and folding of chromatin. Biophys J 2021; 120:577-585. [PMID: 33460599 PMCID: PMC7896024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We discuss recent observations of polymorphic chromatin packaging at the oligonucleosomal level and compare them with computer simulations. Our computations reveal two topologically different families of two-start 30-nm fiber conformations distinguished by the linker length L; fibers with L ≈ 10n and L ≈ 10n+5 basepairs have DNA linking numbers per nucleosome of ΔLk ≈ -1.5 and -1.0, respectively (where n is a natural number). Although fibers with ΔLk ≈ -1.5 were observed earlier, the topoisomer with ΔLk ≈ -1.0 is novel. These predictions were confirmed experimentally for circular nucleosome arrays with precisely positioned nucleosomes. We suggest that topological polymorphism of chromatin may play a role in transcription, with the {10n+5} fibers producing transcriptionally competent chromatin structures. This hypothesis is consistent with available data for yeast and, partially, for fly. We show that both fiber topoisomers (with ΔLk ≈ -1.5 and -1.0) have to be taken into account to interpret experimental data obtained using new techniques: genome-wide Micro-C, Hi-CO, and RICC-seq, as well as self-association of nucleosome arrays in vitro. The relative stability of these topoisomers is likely to depend on epigenetic histone modifications modulating the strength of internucleosome interactions. Potentially, our findings may reflect a general tendency of functionally distinct parts of the genome to retain topologically different higher-order structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor B Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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11
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Boopathi R, Dimitrov S, Hamiche A, Petosa C, Bednar J. Cryo-electron microscopy of the chromatin fiber. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 64:97-103. [PMID: 32717688 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The three-dimensional (3D) organization of chromatin plays a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression. Chromatin conformation is strongly affected by the composition, structural features and dynamic properties of the nucleosome, which in turn determine the nature and geometry of interactions that can occur between neighboring nucleosomes. Understanding how chromatin is spatially organized above the nucleosome level is thus essential for understanding how gene regulation is achieved. Towards this end, great effort has been made to understand how an array of nucleosomes folds into a regular chromatin fiber. This review summarizes new insights into the 3D structure of the chromatin fiber that were made possible by recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramachandran Boopathi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Sante´ - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Stefan Dimitrov
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Sante´ - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Balcova, Izmir 35330, Turkey
| | - Ali Hamiche
- Département de Génomique Fonctionnelle et Cancer, Institut de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC)/Université de Strasbourg/CNRS/INSERM, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Carlo Petosa
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Jan Bednar
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Sante´ - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Laboratory of the Biology and Pathology of the Eye, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Albertov 4, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
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12
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Saurabh S, Jang YH, Lansac Y, Maiti PK. Orientation Dependence of Inter-NCP Interaction: Insights into the Behavior of Liquid Crystal Phase and Chromatin Fiber Organization. J Phys Chem B 2019; 124:314-323. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Suman Saurabh
- GREMAN, University of Tours, CNRS UMR 7347, 37200 Tours, France
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - Yun Hee Jang
- Department of Energy Science and Engineering, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Yves Lansac
- GREMAN, University of Tours, CNRS UMR 7347, 37200 Tours, France
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
| | - Prabal K. Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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13
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Wu C, Travers A. Modelling and DNA topology of compact 2-start and 1-start chromatin fibres. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:9902-9924. [PMID: 31219588 PMCID: PMC6765122 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have investigated the structure of the most compact 30-nm chromatin fibres by modelling those with 2-start or 1-start crossed-linker organisations. Using an iterative procedure we obtained possible structural solutions for fibres of the highest possible compaction permitted by physical constraints, including the helical repeat of linker DNA. We find that this procedure predicts a quantized nucleosome repeat length (NRL) and that only fibres with longer NRLs (≥197 bp) can more likely adopt the 1-start organisation. The transition from 2-start to 1-start fibres is consistent with reported differing binding modes of the linker histone. We also calculate that in 1-start fibres the DNA constrains more torsion (as writhe) than 2-start fibres with the same NRL and that the maximum constraint obtained is in accord with previous experimental results. We posit that the coiling of the fibre is driven by overtwisting of linker DNA which, in the most compact forms - for example, in echinoderm sperm and avian erythrocytes - could adopt a helical repeat of ∼10 bp/turn. We argue that in vivo the total twist of linker DNA could be modulated by interaction with other abundant chromatin-associated proteins and by epigenetic modifications of the C-terminal tail of linker histones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Wu
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Andrew Travers
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
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14
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Lequieu J, Córdoba A, Moller J, de Pablo JJ. 1CPN: A coarse-grained multi-scale model of chromatin. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:215102. [PMID: 31176328 DOI: 10.1063/1.5092976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A central question in epigenetics is how histone modifications influence the 3D structure of eukaryotic genomes and, ultimately, how this 3D structure is manifested in gene expression. The wide range of length scales that influence the 3D genome structure presents important challenges; epigenetic modifications to histones occur on scales of angstroms, yet the resulting effects of these modifications on genome structure can span micrometers. There is a scarcity of computational tools capable of providing a mechanistic picture of how molecular information from individual histones is propagated up to large regions of the genome. In this work, a new molecular model of chromatin is presented that provides such a picture. This new model, referred to as 1CPN, is structured around a rigorous multiscale approach, whereby free energies from an established and extensively validated model of the nucleosome are mapped onto a reduced coarse-grained topology. As such, 1CPN incorporates detailed physics from the nucleosome, such as histone modifications and DNA sequence, while maintaining the computational efficiency that is required to permit kilobase-scale simulations of genomic DNA. The 1CPN model reproduces the free energies and dynamics of both single nucleosomes and short chromatin fibers, and it is shown to be compatible with recently developed models of the linker histone. It is applied here to examine the effects of the linker DNA on the free energies of chromatin assembly and to demonstrate that these free energies are strongly dependent on the linker DNA length, pitch, and even DNA sequence. The 1CPN model is implemented in the LAMMPS simulation package and is distributed freely for public use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Lequieu
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Andrés Córdoba
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Joshua Moller
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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15
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Chromatin fiber structural motifs as regulatory hubs of genome function? Essays Biochem 2019; 63:123-132. [PMID: 30967476 PMCID: PMC6484786 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20180065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosomes cover eukaryotic genomes like beads on a string and play a central role in regulating genome function. Isolated strings of nucleosomes have the potential to compact and form higher order chromatin structures, such as the well-characterized 30-nm fiber. However, despite tremendous advances in observing chromatin fibers in situ it has not been possible to confirm that regularly ordered fibers represent a prevalent structural level in the folding of chromosomes. Instead, it appears that folding at a larger scale than the nucleosome involves a variety of random structures with fractal characteristics. Nevertheless, recent progress provides evidence for the existence of structural motifs in chromatin fibers, potentially localized to strategic sites in the genome. Here we review the current understanding of chromatin fiber folding and the emerging roles that oligonucleosomal motifs play in the regulation of genome function.
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16
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Chromatin structures condensed by linker histones. Essays Biochem 2019; 63:75-87. [DOI: 10.1042/ebc20180056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA exists in the form of chromatin through association with histone proteins, which consist of four core histone (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) families and one linker histone (H1) family. The core histones bind to DNA to form the nucleosome, the recurring structural unit of chromatin. The linker histone binds to the nucleosome to form the next structural unit of chromatin, the chromatosome, which occurs dominantly in metazoans. Linker histones also play an essential role in condensing chromatin to form higher order structures. Unlike the core histones in the formation of the nucleosome, the role of linker histone in the formation of the chromatosome and high-order chromatin structure is not well understood. Nevertheless, exciting progress in the structural studies of chromatosomes and nucleosome arrays condensed by linker histones has been made in the last several years. In this mini-review, we discuss these recent experimental results and provide some perspectives for future studies.
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17
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Moller J, Lequieu J, de Pablo JJ. The Free Energy Landscape of Internucleosome Interactions and Its Relation to Chromatin Fiber Structure. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:341-348. [PMID: 30834322 PMCID: PMC6396382 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The supramolecular chromatin fiber is governed by molecular scale energetics and interactions. Such energetics originate from the fiber's building block, the nucleosome core particle (NCP). In recent years, the chromatin fiber has been examined through perturbative methods in attempts to extract the energetics of nucleosome association in the fiber. This body of work has led to different results from experiments and simulations concerning the nucleosome-nucleosome energetics. Here, we expand on previous experiments and use coarse-grained simulations to evaluate the energetics inherent to nucleosomes across a variety of parameters in configurational and environmental space. Through this effort, we are able to uncover molecular processes that are critical to understanding the 30 nm chromatin fiber structure. In particular, we describe the NCP-NCP interactions by relying on an anisotropic energetic landscape, rather than a single potential energy value. The attractions in that landscape arise predominantly from the highly anisotropic interactions provided by the NCP histone N-terminal domain (NTD) tails. Our results are found to be in good agreement with recent nucleosome interaction experiments that suggest a maximum interaction energy of 2.69k B T. Furthermore, we examine the influence of crucial epigenetic modifications, such as acetylation of the H4 tail, and how they modify the underlying landscape. Our results for acetylated NCP interactions are also in agreement with experiment. We additionally find an induced chirality in NCP-NCP interactions upon acetylation that reduces interactions which would correspond to a left-handed superhelical chromatin fiber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Moller
- Institute
for Molecular Engineering, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Joshua Lequieu
- Institute
for Molecular Engineering, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Chemical
Engineering, University of California Santa
Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Institute
for Molecular Engineering, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Materials
Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
- E-mail for J.J.d.P.:
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18
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Garcia-Saez I, Menoni H, Boopathi R, Shukla MS, Soueidan L, Noirclerc-Savoye M, Le Roy A, Skoufias DA, Bednar J, Hamiche A, Angelov D, Petosa C, Dimitrov S. Structure of an H1-Bound 6-Nucleosome Array Reveals an Untwisted Two-Start Chromatin Fiber Conformation. Mol Cell 2018; 72:902-915.e7. [PMID: 30392928 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin adopts a diversity of regular and irregular fiber structures in vitro and in vivo. However, how an array of nucleosomes folds into and switches between different fiber conformations is poorly understood. We report the 9.7 Å resolution crystal structure of a 6-nucleosome array bound to linker histone H1 determined under ionic conditions that favor incomplete chromatin condensation. The structure reveals a flat two-start helix with uniform nucleosomal stacking interfaces and a nucleosome packing density that is only half that of a twisted 30-nm fiber. Hydroxyl radical footprinting indicates that H1 binds the array in an on-dyad configuration resembling that observed for mononucleosomes. Biophysical, cryo-EM, and crosslinking data validate the crystal structure and reveal that a minor change in ionic environment shifts the conformational landscape to a more compact, twisted form. These findings provide insights into the structural plasticity of chromatin and suggest a possible assembly pathway for a 30-nm fiber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Garcia-Saez
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Hervé Menoni
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Ramachandran Boopathi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Manu S Shukla
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Lama Soueidan
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France
| | | | - Aline Le Roy
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Dimitrios A Skoufias
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Jan Bednar
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; Laboratory of the Biology and Pathology of the Eye, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Albertov 4, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Ali Hamiche
- Département de Génomique Fonctionnelle et Cancer, Institut de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France.
| | - Dimitar Angelov
- Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Modélisation de la Cellule LBMC, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69007 Lyon, France.
| | - Carlo Petosa
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Stefan Dimitrov
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Site Santé - Allée des Alpes, 38700 La Tronche, France; "Roumen Tsanev" Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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19
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Potdar P, Pinto P, D’Souza N, Joshi P, Malwade A, Sen S. A Novel Method to Generate MNase Ladders Reveal Rapid Chromatin Remodeling upon Gametogenesis and Mating in Chlamydomonas. Protist 2018; 169:632-644. [DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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20
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Zhou BR, Jiang J, Ghirlando R, Norouzi D, Sathish Yadav KN, Feng H, Wang R, Zhang P, Zhurkin V, Bai Y. Revisit of Reconstituted 30-nm Nucleosome Arrays Reveals an Ensemble of Dynamic Structures. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:3093-3110. [PMID: 29959925 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
It has long been suggested that chromatin may form a fiber with a diameter of ~30 nm that suppresses transcription. Despite nearly four decades of study, the structural nature of the 30-nm chromatin fiber and conclusive evidence of its existence in vivo remain elusive. The key support for the existence of specific 30-nm chromatin fiber structures is based on the determination of the structures of reconstituted nucleosome arrays using X-ray crystallography and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy coupled with glutaraldehyde chemical cross-linking. Here we report the characterization of these nucleosome arrays in solution using analytical ultracentrifugation, NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering. We found that the physical properties of these nucleosome arrays in solution are not consistent with formation of just a few discrete structures of nucleosome arrays. In addition, we obtained a crystal of the nucleosome in complex with the globular domain of linker histone H5 that shows a new form of nucleosome packing and suggests a plausible alternative compact conformation for nucleosome arrays. Taken together, our results challenge the key evidence for the existence of a limited number of structures of reconstituted nucleosome arrays in solution by revealing that the reconstituted nucleosome arrays are actually best described as an ensemble of various conformations with a zigzagged arrangement of nucleosomes. Our finding has implications for understanding the structure and function of chromatin in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Rui Zhou
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jiansheng Jiang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - K N Sathish Yadav
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Hanqiao Feng
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ping Zhang
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Victor Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yawen Bai
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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21
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Nucleosome-level 3D organization of the genome. Biochem Soc Trans 2018; 46:491-501. [PMID: 29626147 DOI: 10.1042/bst20170388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosomes are the unitary structures of chromosome folding, and their arrangements are intimately coupled to the regulation of genome activities. Conventionally, structural analyses using electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography have been used to study such spatial nucleosome arrangements. In contrast, recent improvements in the resolution of sequencing-based methods allowed investigation of nucleosome arrangements separately at each genomic locus, enabling exploration of gene-dependent regulation mechanisms. Here, we review recent studies on nucleosome folding in chromosomes from these two methodological perspectives: conventional structural analyses and DNA sequencing, and discuss their implications for future research.
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22
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Chen P, Li G. Structure and Epigenetic Regulation of Chromatin Fibers. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2017; 82:25-35. [PMID: 29167282 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2017.82.033795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is hierarchically packaged by histones into chromatin on several levels to fit inside the nucleus. As a central-level structure between nucleosomal arrays and higher-order chromatin organizations, the 30-nm chromatin fiber and its dynamics play a crucial role in gene regulation. However, despite considerable efforts over the past three decades, the fundamental structure and its dynamic regulation of chromatin fibers still remain as a big challenge in molecular biology. Here, we mainly summarize the most recent progress in elucidating the structure of the 30-nm chromatin fiber in vitro and epigenetic regulation of chromatin fibers by chromatin factors, particularly histone variants. In addition, we also discuss recent studies in unraveling the three-dimensional organization of chromatin fibers in situ by genomic approaches and electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Chen
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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23
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Emerging roles of linker histones in regulating chromatin structure and function. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2017; 19:192-206. [PMID: 29018282 DOI: 10.1038/nrm.2017.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Together with core histones, which make up the nucleosome, the linker histone (H1) is one of the five main histone protein families present in chromatin in eukaryotic cells. H1 binds to the nucleosome to form the next structural unit of metazoan chromatin, the chromatosome, which may help chromatin to fold into higher-order structures. Despite their important roles in regulating the structure and function of chromatin, linker histones have not been studied as extensively as core histones. Nevertheless, substantial progress has been made recently. The first near-atomic resolution crystal structure of a chromatosome core particle and an 11 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy-derived structure of the 30 nm nucleosome array have been determined, revealing unprecedented details about how linker histones interact with the nucleosome and organize higher-order chromatin structures. Moreover, several new functions of linker histones have been discovered, including their roles in epigenetic regulation and the regulation of DNA replication, DNA repair and genome stability. Studies of the molecular mechanisms of H1 action in these processes suggest a new paradigm for linker histone function beyond its architectural roles in chromatin.
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24
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Nikitina T, Norouzi D, Grigoryev SA, Zhurkin VB. DNA topology in chromatin is defined by nucleosome spacing. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1700957. [PMID: 29098179 PMCID: PMC5659657 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic nucleosomes, DNA makes ~1.7 superhelical turns around histone octamer. However, there is a long-standing discrepancy between the nucleosome core structure determined by x-ray crystallography and measurements of DNA topology in circular minichromosomes, indicating that there is only ~1.0 superhelical turn per nucleosome. Although several theoretical assumptions were put forward to explain this paradox by conformational variability of the nucleosome linker, none was tested experimentally. We analyzed topological properties of DNA in circular nucleosome arrays with precisely positioned nucleosomes. Using topological electrophoretic assays and electron microscopy, we demonstrate that the DNA linking number per nucleosome strongly depends on the nucleosome spacing and varies from -1.4 to -0.9. For the predominant {10n + 5} class of nucleosome repeats found in native chromatin, our results are consistent with the DNA topology observed earlier. Thus, we reconcile the topological properties of nucleosome arrays with nucleosome core structure and provide a simple explanation for the DNA topology in native chromatin with variable DNA linker length. Topological polymorphism of the chromatin fibers described here may reflect a more general tendency of chromosomal domains containing active or repressed genes to acquire different nucleosome spacing to retain topologically distinct higher-order structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Nikitina
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sergei A. Grigoryev
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Victor B. Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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25
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Muskhelishvili G, Travers A. The regulatory role of DNA supercoiling in nucleoprotein complex assembly and genetic activity. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:5-22. [PMID: 28510220 PMCID: PMC5425797 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0237-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We argue that dynamic changes in DNA supercoiling in vivo determine both how DNA is packaged and how it is accessed for transcription and for other manipulations such as recombination. In both bacteria and eukaryotes, the principal generators of DNA superhelicity are DNA translocases, supplemented in bacteria by DNA gyrase. By generating gradients of superhelicity upstream and downstream of their site of activity, translocases enable the differential binding of proteins which preferentially interact with respectively more untwisted or more writhed DNA. Such preferences enable, in principle, the sequential binding of different classes of protein and so constitute an essential driver of chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Travers
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
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26
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Zhu P, Li G. Higher-order structure of the 30-nm chromatin fiber revealed by cryo-EM. IUBMB Life 2016; 68:873-878. [PMID: 27704715 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Genomic DNA is hierarchically packaged into chromatin in eukaryotes. As a central-level chromatin structure between nucleosomal arrays and higher order organizations, 30 nm chromatin fiber, and its dynamics play a crucial role in regulating DNA accessibility for gene transcription. However, despite extensive efforts over three decades, the higher-order structure of the 30 nm chromatin fiber remains unresolved and controversial. We have recently reconstituted the 30 nm chromatin fibers from 12 nucleosomal arrays in vitro in the presence of linker histone H1, and determined their cryo-EM structures at resolution of 11 Å (Song et al., Science 344, 376-380). Here, we briefly reviewed the higher-order structure studies of chromatin fibers, mainly focusing on the insights from the cryo-EM structures we recently solved. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(11):873-878, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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27
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Kuznetsova MA, Sheval EV. Chromatin fibers: from classical descriptions to modern interpretation. Cell Biol Int 2016; 40:1140-1151. [PMID: 27569720 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The first description of intrachromosomal fibers was made by Baranetzky in 1880. Since that time, a plethora of fibrillar substructures have been described inside the mitotic chromosomes, and published data indicate that chromosomes may be formed as a result of the hierarchical folding of chromatin fibers. In this review, we examine the evolution and the current state of research on the morphological organization of mitotic chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Kuznetsova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia.,A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eugene V Sheval
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia. .,LIA1066 French-Russian Joint Cancer Research Laboratory, 119334, Moscow, Russia.
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28
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29
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Ghirlando R, Felsenfeld G. Chromatin structure outside and inside the nucleus. Biopolymers 2016; 99:225-32. [PMID: 23348669 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The structure of the 30-nm chromatin fiber has provided, over the years, an important reference in chromatin studies. Originally derived from electron microscopic studies of soluble chromatin fibers released by restriction digestion, the gross structural features of such fragments have been supported by biophysical methods such as low angle X-ray and neutron scattering, sedimentation, light scattering, and electric dichroism. Electron microscopy and sedimentation velocity measurements demonstrated that reconstituted chromatin fibers, prepared from repeating arrays of high affinity nucleosome positioning sequences, retain the same overall features as observed for native chromatin fibers. It had been suggested that the 30 nm fiber might be the form assumed in vivo by transcriptionally silent chromatin, but individual gene or genome-wide studies of chromatin released from nuclei do not reveal any such simple correlation. Furthermore, even though the 30 nm fiber has been thought to represent an intermediate in the hierarchical folding of DNA into chromosomes, most analyses of chromatin folding within the nucleus do not detect any regular extended compact structures. However, there are important exceptions in chicken erythroid cell nuclei as well as in transcribed regions that form extended loops. Localized domains within the nucleus, either at the surface of chromosome domains or constrained as a specialized kind of constitutive heterochromatin by specific DNA binding proteins, may adopt 30 nm fiber-like structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0540
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30
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Wu C, McGeehan JE, Travers A. A metastable structure for the compact 30-nm chromatin fibre. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:935-42. [PMID: 26969895 PMCID: PMC4863496 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The structure of compact 30‐nm chromatin fibres is still debated. We present here a novel unified model that reconciles all experimental observations into a single framework. We propose that compact fibres are formed by the interdigitation of the two nucleosome stacks in a 2‐start crossed‐linker structure to form a single stack. This process requires that the dyad orientation of successive nucleosomes relative to the helical axis alternates. The model predicts that, as observed experimentally, the fibre‐packing density should increase in a stepwise manner with increasing linker length. This model structure can also incorporate linker DNA of varying lengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Wu
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - John E McGeehan
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Andrew Travers
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
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31
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Norouzi D, Zhurkin VB. Topological polymorphism of the two-start chromatin fiber. Biophys J 2016; 108:2591-2600. [PMID: 25992737 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific details concerning the spatial organization of nucleosomes in 30 nm fibers remain unknown. To investigate this, we analyzed all stereochemically possible configurations of two-start nucleosome fibers with short DNA linkers L = 13-37 bp (nucleosome repeat length (NRL) = 160-184 bp). Four superhelical parameters-inclination of nucleosomes, twist, rise, and diameter-uniquely describe a regular symmetric fiber. The energy of a fiber is defined as the sum of four terms: elastic energy of the linker DNA, steric repulsion, electrostatics, and a phenomenological (H4 tail-acidic patch) interaction between two stacked nucleosomes. By optimizing the fiber energy with respect to the superhelical parameters, we found two types of topological transition in fibers (associated with the change in inclination angle): one caused by an abrupt 360° change in the linker DNA twisting (change in the DNA linking number, ΔLk = 1), and another caused by overcrossing of the linkers (ΔLk = 2). To the best of our knowledge, this topological polymorphism of the two-start fibers was not reported in the computations published earlier. Importantly, the optimal configurations of the fibers with linkers L = 10n and 10n + 5 bp are characterized by different values of the DNA linking number-that is, they are topologically different. Our results are consistent with experimental observations, such as the inclination 60° to 70° (the angle between the nucleosomal disks and the fiber axis), helical rise, diameter, and left-handedness of the fibers. In addition, we make several testable predictions, among them different degrees of DNA supercoiling in fibers with L = 10n and 10n + 5 bp, different flexibility of the two types of fibers, and a correlation between the local NRL and the level of transcription in different parts of the yeast genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Victor B Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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32
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Zhu P, Li G. Structural insights of nucleosome and the 30-nm chromatin fiber. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 36:106-15. [PMID: 26872330 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The eukaryotic genome is hierarchically packaged into chromatin in the nucleus. The organization and dynamics of 30-nm chromatin fibers, which is typically regarded as the secondary structure of chromatin, play a crucial role in regulating DNA accessibility for gene expression. Here we reviewed some recent progresses on the structural studies on nucleosomes, nucleosome-protein complexes, and chromatin fibers, focusing on the structural insights how the chromatin structure is regulated by different epigenetic regulation factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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33
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Wu C, Read C, McGeehan J, Crane-Robinson C. The construction of customized nucleosomal arrays. Anal Biochem 2015; 496:71-5. [PMID: 26706802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2015.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A simple, efficient, and reliable method is demonstrated for cloning long tandem arrays of the 601 nucleosomal positioning sequence. In addition, it is shown that such long arrays can be ligated together in vitro with high efficiency. By combining these two procedures it becomes straightforward to synthesize customized arrays that contain different (or variable) nucleosomal repeat lengths (NRLs) and monosome units bearing chemical modifications such as fluorophores, methyl groups, and reaction sites. This is, therefore, an enabling technology for the in vitro study of chromatin structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Wu
- Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Christopher Read
- Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - John McGeehan
- Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Colyn Crane-Robinson
- Biophysics Laboratories, School of Biology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
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34
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Norouzi D, Katebi A, Cui F, Zhurkin VB. Topological diversity of chromatin fibers: Interplay between nucleosome repeat length, DNA linking number and the level of transcription. AIMS BIOPHYSICS 2015; 2:613-629. [PMID: 28133628 PMCID: PMC5271602 DOI: 10.3934/biophy.2015.4.613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial organization of nucleosomes in 30-nm fibers remains unknown in detail. To tackle this problem, we analyzed all stereochemically possible configurations of two-start chromatin fibers with DNA linkers L = 10–70 bp (nucleosome repeat length NRL = 157–217 bp). In our model, the energy of a fiber is a sum of the elastic energy of the linker DNA, steric repulsion, electrostatics, and the H4 tail-acidic patch interaction between two stacked nucleosomes. We found two families of energetically feasible conformations of the fibers—one observed earlier, and the other novel. The fibers from the two families are characterized by different DNA linking numbers—that is, they are topologically different. Remarkably, the optimal geometry of a fiber and its topology depend on the linker length: the fibers with linkers L = 10n and 10n + 5 bp have DNA linking numbers per nucleosome ΔLk ≈ −1.5 and −1.0, respectively. In other words, the level of DNA supercoiling is directly related to the length of the inter-nucleosome linker in the chromatin fiber (and therefore, to NRL). We hypothesize that this topological polymorphism of chromatin fibers may play a role in the process of transcription, which is known to generate different levels of DNA supercoiling upstream and downstream from RNA polymerase. A genome-wide analysis of the NRL distribution in active and silent yeast genes yielded results consistent with this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Norouzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ataur Katebi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Feng Cui
- Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, 85 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Victor B Zhurkin
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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35
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Li X, Feng H, Zhang J, Sun L, Zhu P. Analysis of chromatin fibers in Hela cells with electron tomography. BIOPHYSICS REPORTS 2015; 1:51-60. [PMID: 26942219 PMCID: PMC4762132 DOI: 10.1007/s41048-015-0009-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence and folding pattern of chromatin in eukaryotic cells remain elusive and controversial. In this study, we prepared ultra-thin sections of Hela cells with three different fixation and sectioning methods, i.e., chemical fixation, high pressure freezing with freeze substitution, and cryo-ultramicrotomy with SEM-FIB (focused ion beam), and analyzed in vivo architecture of chromatin fibers in Hela nuclei with electron tomography technology. The results suggest that the chromatin fibers in eukaryotic Hela cells are likely organized in an architecture with a diameter of about 30 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Hongli Feng
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Jianguo Zhang
- Center for Biological Imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Lei Sun
- Center for Biological Imaging, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
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36
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Norouzi D, Zhurkin VB. 7 Topological polymorphism of two-start nucleosome fibers. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2015.1032631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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37
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Li G, Zhu P. Structure and organization of chromatin fiber in the nucleus. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:2893-904. [PMID: 25913782 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are organized hierarchically into chromatin structures by histones. Despite extensive research for over 30 years, not only the fundamental structure of the 30-nm chromatin fiber is being debated, but the actual existence of such fiber remains hotly contested. In this review, we focus on the most recent progress in elucidating the structure of the 30-nm fiber upon in vitro reconstitution, and its possible organization inside the nucleus. In addition, we discuss the roles of linker histone H1 as well as the importance of specific nucleosome-nucleosome interactions in the formation of the 30-nm fiber. Finally, we discuss the involvement of structural variations and epigenetic mechanisms available for the regulation of this chromatin form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Ping Zhu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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38
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Chen
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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39
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Ozer G, Collepardo-Guevara R, Schlick T. Forced unraveling of chromatin fibers with nonuniform linker DNA lengths. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2015; 27:064113. [PMID: 25564319 PMCID: PMC4554754 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/6/064113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The chromatin fiber undergoes significant structural changes during the cell's life cycle to modulate DNA accessibility. Detailed mechanisms of such structural transformations of chromatin fibers as affected by various internal and external conditions such as the ionic conditions of the medium, the linker DNA length, and the presence of linker histones, constitute an open challenge. Here we utilize Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of a coarse grained model of chromatin with nonuniform linker DNA lengths as found in vivo to help explain some aspects of this challenge. We investigate the unfolding mechanisms of chromatin fibers with alternating linker lengths of 26-62 bp and 44-79 bp using a series of end-to-end stretching trajectories with and without linker histones and compare results to uniform-linker-length fibers. We find that linker histones increase overall resistance of nonuniform fibers and lead to fiber unfolding with superbeads-on-a-string cluster transitions. Chromatin fibers with nonuniform linker DNA lengths display a more complex, multi-step yet smoother process of unfolding compared to their uniform counterparts, likely due to the existence of a more continuous range of nucleosome-nucleosome interactions. This finding echoes the theme that some heterogeneity in fiber component is biologically advantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gungor Ozer
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003
| | | | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012, USA
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40
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Boulé JB, Mozziconacci J, Lavelle C. The polymorphisms of the chromatin fiber. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2015; 27:033101. [PMID: 25437138 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/3/033101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, the genome is packed into chromosomes, each consisting of large polymeric fibers made of DNA bound with proteins (mainly histones) and RNA molecules. The nature and precise 3D organization of this fiber has been a matter of intense speculations and debates. In the emerging picture, the local chromatin state plays a critical role in all fundamental DNA transactions, such as transcriptional control, DNA replication or repair. However, the molecular and structural mechanisms involved remain elusive. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the tremendous efforts that have been made for almost 40 years to build physiologically relevant models of chromatin structure. The motivation behind building such models was to shift our representation and understanding of DNA transactions from a too simplistic 'naked DNA' view to a more realistic 'coated DNA' view, as a step towards a better framework in which to interpret mechanistically the control of genetic expression and other DNA metabolic processes. The field has evolved from a speculative point of view towards in vitro biochemistry and in silico modeling, but is still longing for experimental in vivo validations of the proposed structures or even proof of concept experiments demonstrating a clear role of a given structure in a metabolic transaction. The mere existence of a chromatin fiber as a relevant biological entity in vivo has been put into serious questioning. Current research is suggesting a possible reconciliation between theoretical studies and experiments, pointing towards a view where the polymorphic and dynamic nature of the chromatin fiber is essential to support its function in genome metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Boulé
- Genome Structure and Instability, CNRS UMR7196 - INSERM U1154, National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France. CNRS GDR 3536, University Pierre and Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McGinty
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Song Tan
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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42
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Abstract
Deciphering the factors that control chromatin fiber structure is key to understanding fundamental chromosomal processes. Although details remain unknown, it is becoming clear that chromatin is polymorphic depending on internal and external factors. In particular, different lengths of the linker DNAs joining successive nucleosomes (measured in nucleosome-repeat lengths or NRLs) that characterize different cell types and cell cycle stages produce different structures. NRL is also nonuniform within single fibers, but how this diversity affects chromatin fiber structure is not clear. Here we perform Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained oligonucleosome model to help interpret fiber structure subject to intrafiber NRL variations, as relevant to proliferating cells of interphase chromatin, fibers subject to remodeling factors, and regulatory DNA sequences. We find that intrafiber NRL variations have a profound impact on chromatin structure, with a wide range of different architectures emerging (highly bent narrow forms, canonical and irregular zigzag fibers, and polymorphic conformations), depending on the NRLs mixed. This stabilization of a wide range of fiber forms might allow NRL variations to regulate both fiber compaction and selective DNA exposure. The polymorphic forms spanning canonical to sharply bent structures, like hairpins and loops, arise from large NRL variations and are surprisingly more compact than uniform NRL structures. They are distinguished by tail-mediated far-nucleosome interactions, in addition to the near-nucleosome interactions of canonical 30-nm fibers. Polymorphism is consistent with chromatin's diverse biological functions and heterogeneous constituents. Intrafiber NRL variations, in particular, may contribute to fiber bending and looping and thus to distant communication in associated regulatory processes.
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43
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Song F, Chen P, Sun D, Wang M, Dong L, Liang D, Xu RM, Zhu P, Li G. Cryo-EM study of the chromatin fiber reveals a double helix twisted by tetranucleosomal units. Science 2014; 344:376-80. [PMID: 24763583 DOI: 10.1126/science.1251413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The hierarchical packaging of eukaryotic chromatin plays a central role in transcriptional regulation and other DNA-related biological processes. Here, we report the 11-angstrom-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of 30-nanometer chromatin fibers reconstituted in the presence of linker histone H1 and with different nucleosome repeat lengths. The structures show a histone H1-dependent left-handed twist of the repeating tetranucleosomal structural units, within which the four nucleosomes zigzag back and forth with a straight linker DNA. The asymmetric binding and the location of histone H1 in chromatin play a role in the formation of the 30-nanometer fiber. Our results provide mechanistic insights into how nucleosomes compact into higher-order chromatin fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Song
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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44
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Dynamics of modeled oligonucleosomes and the role of histone variant proteins in nucleosome organization. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2013; 90:119-49. [PMID: 23582203 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-410523-2.00004-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Elucidation of the structural dynamics of a nucleosome is of primary importance for understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the nucleosomal positioning. The presence of variant histone proteins in the nucleosome core raises the functional diversity of the nucleosomes in gene regulation and has the profound epigenetic consequences of great importance for understanding the fundamental issues like the assembly of variant nucleosomes, chromatin remodeling, histone posttranslational modifications, etc. Here, we report our observation of the dominant mechanisms of relaxation motions of the oligonucleosomes such as dimer, trimer, and tetramer (in the beads on a string model) with conventional core histones and role of variant histone H2A.Z in the chromatin dynamics using normal mode analysis. Analysis of the directionality of the global dynamics of the oligonucleosome reveals (i) the in-planar stretching as well as out-of-planar bending motions as the relaxation mechanisms of the oligonucleosome and (ii) the freedom of the individual nucleosome in expressing the combination of the above-mentioned motions as the global mode of dynamics. The highly dynamic N-termini of H3 and (H2A.Z-H2B) dimer evidence their participation in the transcriptionally active state. The key role of variant H2A.Z histone as a major source of vibrant motions via weaker intra- and intermolecular correlations is emphasized in this chapter.
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45
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du Preez LL, Patterton HG. Secondary structures of the core histone N-terminal tails: their role in regulating chromatin structure. Subcell Biochem 2013; 61:37-55. [PMID: 23150245 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-4525-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The core histone N-terminal tails dissociate from their binding positions in nucleosomes at moderate salt concentrations, and appear unstructured in the crystal. This suggested that the tails contributed minimally to chromatin structure. However, in vitro studies have shown that the tails were involved in a range of intra- and inter-nucleosomal as well as inter-fibre contacts. The H4 tail, which is essential for chromatin compaction, was shown to contact an adjacent nucleosome in the crystal. Acetylation of H4K16 was shown to abolish the ability of a nucleosome array to fold into a 30 nm fibre. The application of secondary structure prediction software has suggested the presence of extended structured regions in the histone tails. Molecular Dynamics studies have further shown that sections of the H3 and H4 tails assumed α-helical and β-strand content that was enhanced by the presence of DNA, and that post-translational modifications of the tails had a major impact on these structures. Circular dichroism and NMR showed that the H3 and H4 tails exhibited significant α-helical content, that was increased by acetylation of the tail. There is thus strong evidence, both from biophysical and from computational approaches, that the core histones tails, particularly that of H3 and H4, are structured, and that these structures are influenced by post-translational modifications. This chapter reviews studies on the position, binding sites and secondary structures of the core histone tails, and discusses the possible role of the histone tail structures in the regulation of chromatin organization, and its impact on human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis L du Preez
- Advanced Biomolecular Research Cluster, University of the Free State, 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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46
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Barbi M, Mozziconacci J, Wong H, Victor JM. DNA topology in chromosomes: a quantitative survey and its physiological implications. J Math Biol 2012. [PMID: 23179130 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-012-0621-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Using a simple geometric model, we propose a general method for computing the linking number of the DNA embedded in chromatin fibers. The relevance of the method is reviewed through the single molecule experiments that have been performed in vitro with magnetic tweezers. We compute the linking number of the DNA in the manifold conformational states of the nucleosome which have been evidenced in these experiments and discuss the functional dynamics of chromosomes in the light of these manifold states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Barbi
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, CNRS UMR 7600, and CNRS GDR 3536, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Case courrier 121, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 , Paris, France,
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47
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Comprehensive identification and annotation of cell type-specific and ubiquitous CTCF-binding sites in the human genome. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41374. [PMID: 22829947 PMCID: PMC3400636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin insulators are DNA elements that regulate the level of gene expression either by preventing gene silencing through the maintenance of heterochromatin boundaries or by preventing gene activation by blocking interactions between enhancers and promoters. CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a ubiquitously expressed 11-zinc-finger DNA-binding protein, is the only protein implicated in the establishment of insulators in vertebrates. While CTCF has been implicated in diverse regulatory functions, CTCF has only been studied in a limited number of cell types across human genome. Thus, it is not clear whether the identified cell type-specific differences in CTCF-binding sites are functionally significant. Here, we identify and characterize cell type-specific and ubiquitous CTCF-binding sites in the human genome across 38 cell types designated by the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) consortium. These cell type-specific and ubiquitous CTCF-binding sites show uniquely versatile transcriptional functions and characteristic chromatin features. In addition, we confirm the insulator barrier function of CTCF-binding and explore the novel function of CTCF in DNA replication. These results represent a critical step toward the comprehensive and systematic understanding of CTCF-dependent insulators and their versatile roles in the human genome.
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48
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Grigoryev SA, Woodcock CL. Chromatin organization - the 30 nm fiber. Exp Cell Res 2012; 318:1448-55. [PMID: 22394510 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2012.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Revised: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite over 30 years of work, the fundamental structure of eukaryotic chromatin remains controversial. Here, we review the roots of this controversy in disparities between results derived from studies of chromatin in nuclei, chromatin isolated from nuclei, and chromatin reconstituted from defined components. Thanks to recent advances in imaging, modeling, and other approaches, it is now possible to recognize some unifying principles driving chromatin architecture at the level of the ubiquitous '30 nm' chromatin fiber. These suggest that fiber architecture involves both zigzag and bent linker motifs, and that such heteromorphic structures facilitate the observed high packing ratios. Interactions between neighboring fibers in highly compact chromatin lead to extensive interdigitation of nucleosomes and the inability to resolve individual fibers in compact chromatin in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A Grigoryev
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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49
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Loops determine the mechanical properties of mitotic chromosomes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29225. [PMID: 22216220 PMCID: PMC3246460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a new polymer model for mitotic chromosomes. The key assumption of the model is the ability of the chromatin fibre to cross-link to itself due to binding proteins. These protein-chromatin interactions are included by a probabilistic and dynamic mechanism. The hypothesis is motivated by the observation of high repulsive forces between ring polymers. We performed computer simulations to validate our model. Our results show that the presence of loops leads to a tight compaction and contributes significantly to the bending rigidity of chromosomes. Moreover, our qualitative prediction of the force elongation behaviour is close to experimental findings. The Dynamic Loop Model presented here indicates that the internal structure of mitotic chromosomes is based on self-organization of the chromatin fibre rather than attachment of chromatin to a protein scaffold. It also shows that the number and size of loops have a strong influence on the mechanical properties. We suggest that changes in the mechanical characteristics of chromosomes in different stages of the cell cycle, for example, can be explained by an altered internal loop structure.
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50
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Scheffer MP, Eltsov M, Bednar J, Frangakis AS. Nucleosomes stacked with aligned dyad axes are found in native compact chromatin in vitro. J Struct Biol 2011; 178:207-14. [PMID: 22138167 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2011.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this study, electron tomograms of plunge-frozen isolated chromatin in both open and compacted form were recorded. We have resolved individual nucleosomes in these tomograms in order to provide a 3D view of the arrangement of nucleosomes within chromatin fibers at different compaction states. With an optimized template matching procedure we obtained accurate positions and orientations of nucleosomes in open chromatin in "low-salt" conditions (5 mM NaCl). The mean value of the planar angle between three consecutive nucleosomes is 70°, and the mean center-to-center distance between consecutive nucleosomes is 22.3 nm. Since the template matching approach was not effective in crowded conditions, for nucleosome detection in compact fibers (40 mM NaCl and 1 mM MgCl(2)) we developed the nucleosome detection procedure based on the watershed algorithm, followed by sub-tomogram alignment, averaging, and classification by Principal Components Analysis. We find that in compact chromatin the nucleosomes are arranged with a predominant face-to-face stacking organization, which has not been previously shown for native isolated chromatin. Although the path of the DNA cannot be directly seen in compact conditions, it is evident that the nucleosomes stack with their dyad axis aligned in forming a "double track" conformation which is a consequence of DNA joining adjacent nucleosome stacks. Our data suggests that nucleosome stacking is an important mechanism for generating chromatin compaction in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot P Scheffer
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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