The nucleosome DNA entry-exit site is important for transcription termination and prevention of pervasive transcription
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Compared to the initiation and elongation stages of transcription, the role of chromatin in transcription termination is poorly understood. Through a yeast genetic screen, we identified histone H3 and H4 substitutions that cause transcription to read through the terminator of a small noncoding gene. The substitutions map to the nucleosome DNA entry-exit site, a region that controls nucleosome stability and certain histone modifications. Genome-wide studies on the strongest mutants revealed evidence of transcription read-through of noncoding and coding genes and reduced nucleosome occupancy. Replacement of the native sequence downstream of a gene with a “superbinder” sequence that increases nucleosome occupancy in vivo increased termination efficiency and suppressed the effect of a DNA entry-exit site substitution at this locus. Our results highlight the importance of the DNA entry-exit site in maintaining the integrity of the transcriptome and suggest that nucleosomes can facilitate termination by serving as a barrier to RNA polymerase.
Project description:Tn5 transposase is used as a tool for detecting nucleosome-free regions of genomic DNA in eukaryotes, but its DNA target site in chromatin has not been understood. In the present study, the well-positioned dinucleosomes were reconstituted, and the Tn5 transposase target sites were mapped in the dinucleosomes in vitro. We found that Tn5 transposase preferentially targets near the entry-exit DNA region within the nucleosome, if the linker DNA exists between two nucleosomes. This specific DNA targeting by Tn5 did not depend on the linker DNA length and DNA sequence. Tn5 transposase becomes to target the middle of the linker DNA, in addition to the entry-exit site of the nucleosome, if the linker DNA length extends to 30 base pairs. These in vitro data provide direct evidence for the Tn5 target sites in the nucleosome, resulting important information for interpretation of the Tn5-transposase-based genomics methods, which have been interpreted as linker or nucleosome-free DNA regions in genomes.
Project description:Nucleosome structure directly influences gene transcription. However, the function of each histone residue remains largely unknown. Here we profiled gene expression changes upon the mutation of individual residues of histone H3 and H4. Histone residues grouped by expression change similarity displayed overall structural relevance. This regulatory functional map of the core histones led to novel findings. First, the residues specific to each histone family tend to be more influential than those commonly found among different histones. Second, unlike histone acetylations, H3K4 trimethylation does not appear to be prerequisite for gene activation. Third, H3Q5 has been newly identified for its putative interactions with many chromatin regulators for transcription control. Lastly, the nucleosome lateral surface seems to play a key role through interactions with the surrounding DNA. Remarkably, we discovered a novel role for H3K56 in chromatin dynamics. The deletion of this residue, but not the alteration of acetylation states, caused a genome-wide decrease in nucleosome mobility and stabilized nucleosome positioning near transcription start and end sites. Occupying the DNA entry/exit site, H3K56 is thought to modulate nucleosome sliding along DNA. Taken together, genomics approaches such as microarray and deep sequencing prove valuable for mapping the function of histone residues. Performing Mnase-seq for six histone mutants and two wild-types in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Project description:Approximately 75% of the human genome is transcribed, the majority of which does not encode protein. However, most noncoding RNA (ncRNA) is rapidly degraded after transcription, and relatively few have established functions, questioning the significance of this observation. Here we show that esBAF, a SWI/SNF family nucleosome remodeling factor, suppresses transcription of ncRNAs from approximately 57,000 nucleosome-depleted regions (NDRs) throughout the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We show that esBAF functions both to keep NDRs nucleosome-free and to promote elevated nucleosome occupancy adjacent to NDRs. Reduction of adjacent nucleosome occupancy upon esBAF depletion is strongly correlated with ncRNA expression, suggesting that flanking nucleosomes form a barrier to pervasive transcription. Upon forcing nucleosome occupancy near an NDR using a nucleosome-positioning sequence, we find that esBAF is no longer required to silence transcription. These data reveal a novel role for esBAF in suppressing pervasive transcription from open chromatin regions in ESCs. Examine nucleosome occupancy (MNase-Seq) and transcript production (CapSeq and RNA-Seq) in EGFP KD and Smarca4 KD ESCs
Project description:Nucleosome structure directly influences gene transcription. However, the function of each histone residue remains largely unknown. Here we profiled gene expression changes upon the mutation of individual residues of histone H3 and H4. Histone residues grouped by expression change similarity displayed overall structural relevance. This regulatory functional map of the core histones led to novel findings. First, the residues specific to each histone family tend to be more influential than those commonly found among different histones. Second, unlike histone acetylations, H3K4 trimethylation does not appear to be prerequisite for gene activation. Third, H3Q5 has been newly identified for its putative interactions with many chromatin regulators for transcription control. Lastly, the nucleosome lateral surface seems to play a key role through interactions with the surrounding DNA. Remarkably, we discovered a novel role for H3K56 in chromatin dynamics. The deletion of this residue, but not the alteration of acetylation states, caused a genome-wide decrease in nucleosome mobility and stabilized nucleosome positioning near transcription start and end sites. Occupying the DNA entry/exit site, H3K56 is thought to modulate nucleosome sliding along DNA. Taken together, genomics approaches such as microarray and deep sequencing prove valuable for mapping the function of histone residues. Microarray analysis was performed for 123 histone mutants and four wild-types as two reaplications of H3 and H4 of Saccharomyces ceravisiae.
Project description:Eukaryotic genomes are almost entirely scanned by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Consequently, the transcription of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) often overlaps with coding gene promoters triggering potential gene repression through a poorly characterized mechanism of transcription interference. In this study, we propose a global model of chromatin-based transcription interference in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). By using a noncoding transcription inducible strain, we analyzed the relationship between antisense elongation and coding sense repression, nucleosome occupancy and transcription-associated histone modifications using near-base pair resolution techniques. We show that antisense noncoding transcription leads to -1/+1 nucleosome deacetylation via H3K36 trimethylation (H3K36me3). This results in the loss of -1/+1 nucleosome interaction with the RSC chromatin remodeler and subsequent sliding into the Nucleosome-Depleted Region (NDR) hindering Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC) binding. Finally, we extend our model by showing that natural antisense noncoding transcription significantly regulates around 20% of S. cerevisiae genes through this chromatin-based transcription interference mechanism.
Project description:Previous studies have analyzed patterns of transcription, transcription factor (TF) binding or mapped nucleosome occupancy across the genome. These suggest that the three aspects are genetically connected but the cause and effect relationships are still unknown. For example, physiologic TF binding studies involve many TFs, consequently, it is difficult to assign nucleosome reorganization to the binding site occupancy of any particular TF. Therefore, several aspects remain unclear: does TF binding influence nucleosome (re)organizations locally (in close vicinity of their binding sites) or impact the chromatin landscape at a more global level; are all or only a fraction of TF binding a result of reorganization in nucleosome occupancy; finally, do all TF binding and associated nucleosome occupancy changes result in altered gene expression? With these in mind, we sought to study a single TF that induces physiological changes, and following characterization of the two states (before and after induction of the TF) we determined: (a) genomic binding sites of the TF, (b) promoter nucleosome occupancy and (c) transcriptome profiles, independently in both conditions. Results demonstrate that TF binding influences expression of the target gene only when it is coupled to nucleosome repositioning at or close to its binding site, and not when transcription factor binding occurs without local associated nucleosome reorganization. The nature of interaction between TF binding and nucleosomes and what extent it influences transcription
Project description:Eukaryotic topoisomerase I and II relax DNA and are key components in the processes of DNA replication, transcription and genome stability. It is not clear, however, how their activity controls epigenetic states across an entire eukaryotic genome. Using the fission yeast model Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we investigate genome-wide how topoisomerases affect chromatin formation through nucleosome occupancy and regulate transcription. We show that topoisomerase activity is required for nucleosome turnover at promoter regions, affecting epigenetic gene regulatory states, and for effective termination of transcription.
Project description:Termination of RNAPII transcription is associated with RNA 3â end formation. For coding genes, termination is initiated by the cleavage/polyadenylation machinery. In contrast, a majority of noncoding transcription events in S. cerevisiae do not rely on RNA cleavage for termination, but instead terminate via a pathway that requires the Nrd1-Nab3-Sen1 (NNS) complex. Here we show that the S. pombe ortholog of Nrd1, Seb1, does not function in NNS-like termination, but promotes polyadenylation site selection of coding and noncoding genes. We found that Seb1 associates with 3â end processing factors, is enriched at the 3â end of genes, and binds RNA motifs downstream of cleavage sites. Importantly, a deficiency in Seb1 resulted in widespread changes in 3â UTR length as a consequence of increased alternative polyadenylation. Given that Seb1 levels affected the recruitment of conserved 3â end processing factors, our findings indicate that the conserved RNA-binding protein Seb1 co-transcriptionally controls alternative polyadenylation. Two biological replicates of Seb1 and Control (parental strain) CRAC experiments
Project description:We determined genome-wide nucleosome occupancy in mouse embryonic stem cells and their neural progenitor and embryonic fibroblast counterparts to assess features associated with nucleosome positioning during lineage commitment. Cell type and protein specific binding preferences of transcription factors to sites with either low (e.g. Myc, Klf4, Zfx) or high (e.g. Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2) nucleosome occupancy as well as complex patterns for CTCF were identified. Nucleosome depleted regions around transcription start and termination sites were broad and more pronounced for active genes, with distinct patterns for promoters classified according to their CpG-content or histone methylation marks. Throughout the genome nucleosome occupancy was dependent on the presence of certain histone methylation or acetylation modifications. In addition, the average nucleosome-repeat length increased during differentiation by 5-7 base pairs, with local variations for specific genomic regions. Our results reveal regulatory mechanisms of cell differentiation acting through nucleosome repositioning.