遗传 ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (8): 758-774.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.21-131

• 研究报告 • 上一篇    下一篇

HOXD基因簇内一系列CTCF位点反转揭示绝缘子功能

何象龙(), 李金环, 吴强   

  1. 上海交通大学系统生物医学研究院比较生物医学研究中心,系统生物医学教育部重点实验室,上海 200240
  • 收稿日期:2021-04-11 修回日期:2021-05-12 出版日期:2021-08-20 发布日期:2021-06-30
  • 作者简介:何象龙,在读硕士研究生,专业方向:生物学。E-mail: esroom@163.com
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金项目编号(31800636);国家自然科学基金项目编号(31630039);国家自然科学基金项目编号(91940303);上海市科学技术委员会项目资助编号(19JC1412500)

Combinatorial CRISPR inversions of CTCF sites in HOXD cluster reveal complex insulator function

Xianglong He(), Jinhuan Li, Qiang Wu   

  1. Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Key laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • Received:2021-04-11 Revised:2021-05-12 Online:2021-08-20 Published:2021-06-30
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China Nos(31800636);Supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China Nos(31630039);Supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China Nos(91940303);Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality program No(19JC1412500)

摘要:

CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor)是一种重要的染色质架构蛋白,其与绝缘子的方向性结合在哺乳动物基因组三维空间结构形成和维持中起着至关重要的作用。正向-反向相对方向的CTCF结合位点(简称CTCF位点)可以在染色质黏连蛋白(cohesin)的协助下,形成染色质环,介导远距离DNA元件之间的相互作用;而在染色质拓扑结构域边界区域的CTCF位点呈现反向-正向相背方向分布,发挥绝缘子的功能。为进一步研究CTCF介导染色质环的形成与其绝缘功能之间的关系,本研究采用DNA片段编辑方法通过设计成对sgRNA (dual sgRNA)构建了一系列HOXD基因簇区域CTCF位点反转的单细胞克隆。定量高分辨率染色质构象捕获实验显示边界区域CTCF位点反转会改变原有的染色质环方向,通过环挤出模型(loop extrusion)形成新的染色质环,引起染色质拓扑结构域边界漂移至新形成的一对反向-正向CTCF位点处。此外,串联排列的CTCF位点可以通过阻碍反方向渗透的黏连蛋白继续滑动发挥绝缘子的功能。RNA-seq实验发现CTCF位点反转引起的局部基因组空间结构变化会进一步影响基因的表达。上述研究表明相邻两个染色质拓扑结构域边界区域的反向-正向CTCF位点可以通过与各自所在拓扑结构域内相向的CTCF位点形成染色质环,阻碍黏连蛋白滑动,该发现为进一步研究CTCF的绝缘功能和其对基因组拓扑结构的影响提供了参考。

关键词: CTCF, 染色质环, HOXD, 绝缘子, CTCF位点反转

Abstract:

CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is a zinc-finger protein which plays a vital role in the three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture. A pair of forward-reverse convergent CTCF binding sites (CBS elements) mediates long-distance DNA interactions to form chromatin loops with the assistance of the cohesin complex, while CBS elements at the chromatin domain boundaries show reverse-forward divergent patterns and function as insulators to discriminate against DNA interaction between chromatin domains. However, there are still many unresolved problems regarding CTCF-mediated insulation function. In order to study the connections between chromatin loops and the insulation function of CBS elements, we combinatorically inverted CBS elements at the HOXD locus by using CRISPR/Cas9 DNA-fragment editing methods in the HEK293T cell line and obtained five different kinds of single-cell CRISPR clones. By performing quantitative high-resolution chromosome conformation capture copy (QHR-4C) experiments, we found that boundary CBS inversions abolish original chromatin loops and establish new loops from the opposite direction, thus shifting the insulator boundary to the new divergent CTCF sites. Furthermore, tandem CBS elements block cohesin permeated from the opposite orientation to function as insulators. RNA-seq experiments showed that alterations of local three-dimensional genome architecture would further influence gene expression of the HOXD cluster. In conclusion, a pair of divergent CBS elements function as insulators by forming chromatin loops within chromatin domains to block cohesin sliding.

Key words: CTCF, chromatin loop, HOXD, insulator, CBS inversion