Computational construction of 3D chromatin ensembles and prediction of functional interactions of alpha-globin locus from 5C data.
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ABSTRACT: Conformation capture technologies measure frequencies of interactions between chromatin regions. However, understanding gene-regulation require knowledge of detailed spatial structures of heterogeneous chromatin in cells. Here we describe the nC-SAC (n-Constrained-Self Avoiding Chromatin) method that transforms experimental interaction frequencies into 3D ensembles of chromatin chains. nC-SAC first distinguishes specific from non-specific interaction frequencies, then generates 3D chromatin ensembles using identified specific interactions as spatial constraints. Application to ?-globin locus shows that these constraints (?20%) drive the formation of ?99% all experimentally captured interactions, in which ?30% additional to the imposed constraints is found to be specific. Many novel specific spatial contacts not captured by experiments are also predicted. A subset, of which independent ChIA-PET data are available, is validated to be RNAPII-, CTCF-, and RAD21-mediated. Their positioning in the architectural context of imposed specific interactions from nC-SAC is highly important. Our results also suggest the presence of a many-body structural unit involving ?-globin gene, its enhancers, and POL3RK gene for regulating the expression of ?-globin in silent cells.
SUBMITTER: Gursoy G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5714131 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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