Epigenetics of Long-Range Chromatin Interactions
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0031-3998/07/6105-0011R PEDIATRIC RESEARCH Vol. 61, No. 5, Pt 2, 2007 Copyright © 2007 International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Epigenetics of Long-Range Chromatin Interactions JIAN QUN LING, AND ANDREW R. HOFFMAN VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 ABSTRACT: DNA segments that are separated from the promoter comprehensive epigenetic code regulating the transcription of region of a gene by many thousands of bases may nonetheless each gene (4). Genome-wide DNA hypomethylation and his- regulate the transcriptional activity of that gene. This finding has led tone hypoacetylation are now recognized as signature findings to the investigation of mechanisms underlying long-range chromatin in cancer, and efforts to describe the human cancer epigenome interactions. In intermitotic cells, chromosomes decondense, filling are underway in several labs throughout the world (5–7). the nucleus with distinct chromosome territories that interdigitate and intercalate with neighboring and even more distant chromosome territories. Both intrachromosomal and interchromosomal long-range NUCLEAR GEOGRAPHY AND CHROMOSOME associations have been demonstrated, and DNA binding proteins TERRITORIES have been implicated in the maintenance of these interactions. A single gene may have interactions with many distant DNA segments. The architecture and geography of the nucleus and its Genes that are monoallelically expressed, such as imprinted genes constituents represents a new dimension of regulatory control and odorant receptors, are frequently found to be regulated by these that is related to epigenetic marks and organization. During long-range interactions. These findings emphasize the importance of mitosis, chromosomes assume a very compact configuration, studying the geography and architecture of the nucleus as an impor- allowing them to segregate in anticipation of cell division. In tant factor in the regulation of gene transcription. (Pediatr Res 61: 11R–16R, 2007) intermitotic cells, however, much of the chromatin is decon- densed, and spreads out into a three-dimensional chromo- somal territory within a highly organized nuclear architecture. EPIGENETICS Controversy exists as to whether each chromosome has a fixed nuclear “address” throughout development, during oncogene- sis (8,9) and across cell types. In general, chromosomes with pigenetics refers to a system of inheritance that does not greater gene density occupy more central parts of the nucleus, E involve changes in the primary DNA sequence but that but loops and extensions may protrude from the central terri- can nevertheless be transmitted through cell and organismal tory. It is not known whether homologous chromosome terri- lineages and can result in changes in gene expression. Epige- tories are randomly situated, or if maternal and paternal netic alterations have been implicated in the initiation and chromosomes are somehow marked for specific nuclear lo- progression of malignancy, serving as primary disruptors of cales (10). cancer stem cells as well as Knudson “second hits” that The chromosome territories comprise heterochromatin, silence the expression of tumor suppressor genes (1). The chromatin loops, and other higher-order chromatin fibers, traditional study of epigenetic changes encompasses the ex- interspersed with DNA-free channels and interchromosomal amination of chromatin structure, of covalent histone modifi- domains, which may contain the transcription apparatus to cations, such as methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, serve as transcription factories or active chromatin hubs. One ubiquitination, sumoylation, and ADP-ribosylation, as well as can envisage the nucleus as a well-ordered sponge composed of alterations in DNA methylation. For example, in a tran- of individual chromosome territories with interchromosomal scriptionally active gene, histone H3 is acetylated at K9 and interactions at the borders between adjacent chromosomes K14, dimethylated or trimethylated at K4, and phosphorylated (11). Moreover, recent studies have shown that these inter- at S10; histone H4 is acetylated at K5 and methylated at K3. chromosomal interactions may also take place well within the By contrast, histone H3 is dimethylated or trimethylated at K9 central portions of the chromosome territories, as the euchro- in inactive chromatin, and H4 sumoylation is found in inactive matin loops migrate by Brownian motion and make numerous chromatin (2,3). In general, DNA methylation of promoter interactions at the surface and inside of nearby territories (12). regions leads to silencing of that gene. There are important The nuclear matrix and its attachments also give form to this syncretic interactions between this putative histone code and conglomeration of chromosome territories (13). It is highly DNA methylation, and it is now possible to describe a more Abbreviations: ACH, active chromosome hub; ACT, associated chromo- Received November 1, 2006; accepted December 7, 2006. some trap; CT, chromosome territory; DMR, differentially methylated region; Correspondence: Andrew R. Hoffman, M.D., Medical Service (111), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304; e-mail: [email protected] ICR, imprinting control region; LCR, locus control region; 3C, chromosome Supported by National Institutes of Health grants DK36054, the March of Dimes, and conformation capture; 4C, chromosome conformation capture-on-a-chip, or the Research Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs. circular chromosome conformation capture; 5C, chromosome conformation DOI: 10.1203/pdr.0b013e31804575db capture carbon copy 11R 12R LING AND HOFFMAN likely that many of these interactions between distant DNA STAT6 and GATA3 (32), as well as SATB1, an anchoring segments are mediated or strengthened by DNA-binding pro- protein that organizes nuclear architecture and recruits chro- teins, including the insulating protein CTCF (14), SATB1 matin remodeling factors (15). (15), MeCP2 (16), and the DNA architectural protein HMG Using 3C methodology, Wolf Reik and his colleagues I/Y (17). In addition to providing protein-protein bridges elegantly demonstrated that on mouse paternal chromosome 7, between DNA loops, these DNA-binding proteins might also the Igf2 differentially methylated region-2 (DMR2) loops out tether DNA segments to the nucleolus and perhaps other to interact with the distant methylated Igf2/H19 imprinting nuclear structures (18). control region (ICR), thereby pushing the Igf2 promoter into Recently, it has become clear that nuclear architecture and close contact with the H19-enhancer, which lies 100 kb chromatin geography are important factors in the regulation of downstream. This interaction results in Igf2 transcription from gene expression (19), and that these components may play a this allele. In contrast, on the maternal chromosome, DMR1 vital epigenetic role both in normal physiology as well as in interacts with the unmethylated ICR via CTCF binding, the initiation and progression of malignancies (8,20). Loops of thereby partitioning the Igf2 promoter into a silent loop, DNA bulge out from euchromatic portions of chromosomes, inhibiting Igf2 and promoting H19 transcription (33). Chro- and the genes on these loops may localize to active chromatin mosome looping has now been shown to be an important hubs where gene transcription takes place (21). Chromosome mechanism whereby distant DNA elements can interact in looping allows distant segments of DNA from the same other gene systems as well (34,35). Intrachromosomal looping chromosome or from different chromosomes to interact and, has now been described for the Dlx5/Dlx6 imprinted dyad potentially, to modify the expression of genes that are very (16), for immune genes (32), for the immunoglobin heavy- distant from another. The propinquity of these loops may chain locus (36–38), and for human chromosome 4q35 locus also facilitate recombination and chromatin rearrangements D4Z4 polymorphic repeat involved in fascioscapulohumeral (22–24). muscular dystrophy (FSHD) (39). Thus, these intrachromo- somal chromatin loops constitute an important element in the DNA LOOPING AND LONG-RANGE architecture of the nucleus and in regulatory control of a INTRACHROMOSOMAL INTERACTIONS number of genes (40). The existence of long-range interactions between regions of a chromosome separated by more than 100,000 bases led to INTERCHROMOSOMAL INTERACTIONS the discovery of intrachromosomal loops that juxtapose down- stream enhancers close to promoter regions to increase gene Physiologically important, nonrandom interactions between transcription (25–27). Two techniques have been essential for chromosomes have now been observed in a number of normal characterizing these long-range interactions. In the chromo- and malignant cells. Genomic imprinting is a form of non- some conformation capture (3C) technique (28,29), formalde- Mendelian inheritance in which only one of the parental hyde is used to cross-link nearby DNA sequences. The DNA alleles is expressed, while the other parental allele is epige- is digested with a restriction enzyme and then allowed to netically silenced. A number of genes on human chromosome undergo intramolecular ligation. The cross-links are then re- 15q11-q13 are imprinted; loss of the paternal genome in this versed and the resulting DNA sequence, which is a chimera of region results in Prader-Willi syndrome, whereas loss of the two distant sequences, is determined. RNA-TRAP