Project description:In a B lymphocyte immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH), a developmentally assembled V(D)J exon encoding an antibody variable region lies upstream of exons encoding a m constant region (Cm), allowing generation of mIgH chain transcripts and IgM-class antibodies1. Mouse IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cmwith one of 6 sets of constant region exons (CHs) that lie 100-200kb downstream1. Each CH is flanked upstream by a promoter, non-coding I-exon, and long repetitive switch (S) region1,2. Cytokines/activators induce specific I-promoter transcription and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)2,3. AID is transcriptionally-targeted to initiate DNA breaks in Sm and activated downstream acceptor S regions, which are joined in deletional orientation to complete CSR4,5. 3’IgH regulatory region (3’IgHRR) enhancers control upstream I promoters and, thereby, CSR via linear competition involving I promoter/3’IgHRR interactions6-11. Here, we report that synapsis of regulatory elements, S regions and DSBs for CSR is achieved by chromatin loop extrusion. In naive B cells, 3’IgHRR enhancers and adjacent 3’IgH CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) interact via loop extrusion with the upstream Igh intronic enhancer (iEm)/Sm locale to generate dynamic 200kb 3’Igh basal loop. In CSR-activated B cells, induced transcription from I-promoters within this basal loop generates dynamic sub-loops that directionally align Sm and target S regions near the 3’IgHRR for CSR. In CH12F3 B lymphoma cells, inactivation of the constitutively active Ia-promoter abrogates looping and CSR to Sa, while activating transcription, looping, and CSR to upstream S regions. CBEs inserted upstream of Ia in convergent orientation with 3’IgH CBEs generate sub-loops that activate inversional Sa CSR. In I-promoter-deleted CH12F3 cells, this ectopic CBE-based sub-loop inactivates upstream S region CSR, while transcriptionally activating non-S region sequences adjacent to the inserted CBEs for S synapsis and CSR. Together, our findings implicate chromatin loop extrusion in the “unprecedented mechanism”5 by which Igh organization in cis promotes orientation-specific CSR DSB joining.

Project description:In a B lymphocyte immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH), a developmentally assembled V(D)J exon encoding an antibody variable region lies upstream of exons encoding a  constant region (C), allowing generation of IgH chain transcripts and IgM-class antibodies1. Mouse IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cwith one of 6 sets of constant region exons (CHs) that lie 100-200kb downstream1. Each CH is flanked upstream by a promoter, non-coding I-exon, and long repetitive switch (S) region1,2. Cytokines/activators induce specific I-promoter transcription and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)2,3. AID is transcriptionally-targeted to initiate DNA breaks in S and activated downstream acceptor S regions, which are joined in deletional orientation to complete CSR4,5. 3’IgH regulatory region (3’IgHRR) enhancers control upstream I promoters and, thereby, CSR via linear competition involving I promoter/3’IgHRR interactions6-11. Here, we report that synapsis of regulatory elements, S regions and DSBs for CSR is achieved by chromatin loop extrusion. In naive B cells, 3’IgHRR enhancers and adjacent 3’IgH CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) interact via loop extrusion with the upstream Igh intronic enhancer (iE)/S locale to generate dynamic 200kb 3’Igh basal loop. In CSR-activated B cells, induced transcription from I-promoters within this basal loop generates dynamic sub-loops that directionally align S and target S regions near the 3’IgHRR for CSR. In CH12F3 B lymphoma cells, inactivation of the constitutively active I-promoter abrogates looping and CSR to S, while activating transcription, looping, and CSR to upstream S regions. CBEs inserted upstream of I in convergent orientation with 3’IgH CBEs generate sub-loops that activate inversional S CSR. In I-promoter-deleted CH12F3 cells, this ectopic CBE-based sub-loop inactivates upstream S region CSR, while transcriptionally activating non-S region sequences adjacent to the inserted CBEs for S synapsis and CSR. Together, our findings implicate chromatin loop extrusion in the “unprecedented mechanism”5 by which Igh organization in cis promotes orientation-specific CSR DSB joining.

Project description:In a B lymphocyte immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH), a developmentally assembled V(D)J exon encoding an antibody variable region lies upstream of exons encoding a m constant region (Cm), allowing generation of mIgH chain transcripts and IgM-class antibodies1. Mouse IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cmwith one of 6 sets of constant region exons (CHs) that lie 100-200kb downstream1. Each CH is flanked upstream by a promoter, non-coding I-exon, and long repetitive switch (S) region1,2. Cytokines/activators induce specific I-promoter transcription and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)2,3. AID is transcriptionally-targeted to initiate DNA breaks in Sm and activated downstream acceptor S regions, which are joined in deletional orientation to complete CSR4,5. 3’IgH regulatory region (3’IgHRR) enhancers control upstream I promoters and, thereby, CSR via linear competition involving I promoter/3’IgHRR interactions6-11. Here, we report that synapsis of regulatory elements, S regions and DSBs for CSR is achieved by chromatin loop extrusion. In naive B cells, 3’IgHRR enhancers and adjacent 3’IgH CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) interact via loop extrusion with the upstream Igh intronic enhancer (iEm)/Sm locale to generate dynamic 200kb 3’Igh basal loop. In CSR-activated B cells, induced transcription from I-promoters within this basal loop generates dynamic sub-loops that directionally align Sm and target S regions near the 3’IgHRR for CSR. In CH12F3 B lymphoma cells, inactivation of the constitutively active Ia-promoter abrogates looping and CSR to Sa, while activating transcription, looping, and CSR to upstream S regions. CBEs inserted upstream of Ia in convergent orientation with 3’IgH CBEs generate sub-loops that activate inversional Sa CSR. In I-promoter-deleted CH12F3 cells, this ectopic CBE-based sub-loop inactivates upstream S region CSR, while transcriptionally activating non-S region sequences adjacent to the inserted CBEs for S synapsis and CSR. Together, our findings implicate chromatin loop extrusion in the “unprecedented mechanism”5 by which Igh organization in cis promotes orientation-specific CSR DSB joining.

Project description:In a B lymphocyte immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH), a developmentally assembled V(D)J exon encoding an antibody variable region lies upstream of exons encoding a  constant region (C), allowing generation of IgH chain transcripts and IgM-class antibodies1. Mouse IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cwith one of 6 sets of constant region exons (CHs) that lie 100-200kb downstream1. Each CH is flanked upstream by a promoter, non-coding I-exon, and long repetitive switch (S) region1,2. Cytokines/activators induce specific I-promoter transcription and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)2,3. AID is transcriptionally-targeted to initiate DNA breaks in S and activated downstream acceptor S regions, which are joined in deletional orientation to complete CSR4,5. 3’IgH regulatory region (3’IgHRR) enhancers control upstream I promoters and, thereby, CSR via linear competition involving I promoter/3’IgHRR interactions6-11. Here, we report that synapsis of regulatory elements, S regions and DSBs for CSR is achieved by chromatin loop extrusion. In naive B cells, 3’IgHRR enhancers and adjacent 3’IgH CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) interact via loop extrusion with the upstream Igh intronic enhancer (iE)/S locale to generate dynamic 200kb 3’Igh basal loop. In CSR-activated B cells, induced transcription from I-promoters within this basal loop generates dynamic sub-loops that directionally align S and target S regions near the 3’IgHRR for CSR. In CH12F3 B lymphoma cells, inactivation of the constitutively active I-promoter abrogates looping and CSR to S, while activating transcription, looping, and CSR to upstream S regions. CBEs inserted upstream of I in convergent orientation with 3’IgH CBEs generate sub-loops that activate inversional S CSR. In I-promoter-deleted CH12F3 cells, this ectopic CBE-based sub-loop inactivates upstream S region CSR, while transcriptionally activating non-S region sequences adjacent to the inserted CBEs for S synapsis and CSR. Together, our findings implicate chromatin loop extrusion in the “unprecedented mechanism”5 by which Igh organization in cis promotes orientation-specific CSR DSB joining.

Project description:Antibody class switch recombination (CSR) in B lymphocytes replaces immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (Igh) C? constant region exons (CHs) with one of six CHs lying 100-200 kb downstream1. Each CH is flanked upstream by an I promoter and long repetitive switch (S) region1. Cytokines and activators induce activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)2 and I-promoter transcription, with 3' IgH regulatory region (3' IgHRR) enhancers controlling the latter via I-promoter competition for long-range 3' IgHRR interactions3-8. Transcription through donor S? and an activated downstream acceptor S-region targets AID-generated deamination lesions at, potentially, any of hundreds of individual S-region deamination motifs9-11. General DNA repair pathways convert these lesions to double-stranded breaks (DSBs) and join an S?-upstream DSB-end to an acceptor S-region-downstream DSB-end for deletional CSR12. AID-initiated DSBs at targets spread across activated S regions routinely participate in such deletional CSR joining11. Here we report that chromatin loop extrusion underlies the mechanism11 by which IgH organization in cis promotes deletional CSR. In naive B cells, loop extrusion dynamically juxtaposes 3' IgHRR enhancers with the 200-kb upstream S? to generate a CSR centre (CSRC). In CSR-activated primary B cells, I-promoter transcription activates cohesin loading, leading to generation of dynamic subdomains that directionally align a downstream S region with S? for deletional CSR. During constitutive S? CSR in CH12F3 B lymphoma cells, inversional CSR can be activated by insertion of a CTCF-binding element (CBE)-based impediment in the extrusion path. CBE insertion also inactivates upstream S-region CSR and converts adjacent downstream sequences into an ectopic S region by inhibiting and promoting their dynamic alignment with S? in the CSRC, respectively. Our findings suggest that, in a CSRC, dynamically impeded cohesin-mediated loop extrusion juxtaposes proper ends of AID-initiated donor and acceptor S-region DSBs for deletional CSR. Such a mechanism might also contribute to pathogenic DSB joining genome-wide.

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Chromatin Loop Extrusion Plays a Fundamental Mechanistic Role in Antibody Class Switching

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