Encounters in Three Dimensions: How Nuclear Topology Shapes Genome Integrity

Polymer Modeling Reveals Interplay between Physical Properties of Chromosomal DNA and the Size and Distribution of Condensin-Based Chromatin Loops

Transient DNA loops occur throughout the genome due to thermal fluctuations of DNA and the function of SMC complex proteins such as condensin and cohesin. Transient crosslinking within and between chromosomes and loop extrusion by SMCs have profound effects on high-order chromatin organization and exhibit specificity in cell type, cell cycle stage, and cellular environment. SMC complexes anchor one end to DNA with the other extending some distance and retracting to form a loop. How cells regulate loop sizes and how loops distribute along chromatin are emerging questions. To understand loop size regulation, we employed bead-spring polymer chain models of chromatin and the activity of an SMC complex on chromatin. Our study shows that (1) the stiffness of the chromatin polymer chain, (2) the tensile stiffness of chromatin crosslinking complexes such as condensin, and (3) the strength of the internal or external tethering of chromatin chains cooperatively dictate the loop size distribution and compaction volume of induced chromatin domains. When strong DNA tethers are invoked, loop size distributions are tuned by condensin stiffness. When DNA tethers are released, loop size distributions are tuned by chromatin stiffness. In this three-way interaction, the presence and strength of tethering unexpectedly dictates chromatin conformation within a topological domain.

The CMG DNA helicase and the core replisome

Eukaryotic DNA replication is performed by the replisome, a large and dynamic multi-protein machine endowed with the required enzymatic components for the synthesis of new DNA. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) analyses have revealed the conserved architecture of the core eukaryotic replisome, comprising the CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) DNA helicase, the leading-strand DNA polymerase epsilon, the Timeless-Tipin heterodimer, the hub protein AND-1 and the checkpoint protein Claspin. These results bid well for arriving soon at an integrated understanding of the structural basis of semi-discontinuous DNA replication. They further set the scene for the characterisation of the mechanisms that interface DNA synthesis with concurrent processes such as DNA repair, propagation of chromatin structure and establishment of sister chromatid cohesion.

Histone H2A variants: Diversifying chromatin to ensure genome integrity

Histone variants represent chromatin components that diversify the structure and function of the genome. The variants of H2A, primarily H2A.X, H2A.Z and macroH2A, are well-established participants in DNA damage response (DDR) pathways, which function to protect the integrity of the genome. Through their deposition, post-translational modifications and unique protein interaction networks, these variants guard DNA from endogenous threats including replication stress and genome fragility as well as from DNA lesions inflicted by exogenous sources. A growing body of work is now providing a clearer picture on the involvement and mechanistic basis of H2A variant contribution to genome integrity. Beyond their well-documented role in gene regulation, we review here how histone H2A variants promote genome stability and how alterations in these pathways contribute to human diseases including cancer.

Multiscale reorganization of the genome following DNA damage facilitates chromosome translocations via nuclear actin polymerization

Nuclear actin-based movements have been shown to orchestrate clustering of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into homology-directed repair domains. Here we describe multiscale three-dimensional genome reorganization following DNA damage and analyze the contribution of the nuclear WASP-ARP2/3-actin pathway toward chromatin topology alterations and pathologic repair. Hi-C analysis reveals genome-wide, DNA damage-induced chromatin compartment flips facilitated by ARP2/3 that enrich for open, A compartments. Damage promotes interactions between DSBs, which in turn facilitate aberrant, actin-dependent intra- and inter-chromosomal rearrangements. Our work establishes that clustering of resected DSBs into repair domains by nuclear actin assembly is coordinated with multiscale alterations in genome architecture that enable homology-directed repair while also increasing nonhomologous end-joining-dependent translocation frequency.