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Hereditas(Beijing) ›› 2020, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (8): 760-774.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.20-184

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

RFX5 regulates gene expression of the Pcdhα cluster

Na Wang, Zhilian Jia, 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:2020-06-19 Revised:2020-07-08 Online:2020-08-20 Published:2020-07-29
  • Contact: Wu Qiang E-mail:qwu123@gmail.com
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Nos(91640118);Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Nos(31630039)

Abstract:

Gene expression and three-dimensional (3D) genome organization are thought to be closely related. The protocadherin (Pcdh) clusters are central for neuronal self-avoidance in brain development and have been used as model genes to explore the role of 3D genome structures in gene regulation. Transcription factor RFX5 (regulatory factor x 5) is a member of the winged-helix subfamily of the helix-turn-helix superfamily proteins. The RFX5 protein contains four domains: oligomerization, DNA-binding, helical, and transactivation domains. RFX5 plays an important role in regulating expression of the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) gene complex. Here we report a role of RFX5 in the regulation of clustered Pcdh genes. We first knocked out the RFX5 gene by using CRISPR/Cas9 DNA-fragment editing in HEC-1-B cell line. By RNA-seq experiments, we found that RFX5 deletion results in a significant increase of expression levels of the Pcdhα6, Pcdhα12 and Pcdhαc2 genes. By ChIP-nexus experiments, we found that RFX5 deletion leads to the increased binding of CTCF and RAD21 in the Pcdhα cluster. Finally, through quantitative high-resolution chromosome conformation capture copy (QHR-4C) experiments, we found that RFX5 deletion results in a significant increase of long-distance chromatin interactions between the HS5-1 enhancer and its target promoters in the Pcdhα cluster. In conclusion, RFX5 regulates gene expression of the Pcdhα cluster through higher-order chromatin structure.

Key words: RFX5, Pcdh, CTCF, cohesin, CRISPR/Cas9