ABSTRACT: Dynamic placement of the linker histone H1 regulates nucleosome arrangement and coordinates gene transcription in early Drosophila embryos[RNA-Seq]
Project description:Dynamic placement of the linker histone H1 regulates nucleosome arrangement and coordinates gene transcription in early Drosophila embryos[ChIP-Seq]
Project description:Dynamic placement of the linker histone H1 regulates nucleosome arrangement and coordinates gene transcription in early Drosophila embryos
Project description:Eukaryotic chromosomal DNA is assembled into regularly spaced nucleosomes, which play a central role in gene regulation by determining accessibility of control regions. The nucleosome contains ~147 bp of DNA wrapped ~1.7 times around a central core histone octamer. The linker histone, H1, binds both to the nucleosome, sealing the DNA coils, and to the linker DNA between nucleosomes, directing chromatin folding. Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digests the linker to yield the chromatosome, containing H1 and ~160 bp, and then converts it to a core particle, containing ~147 bp and no H1. Sequencing of nucleosomal DNA obtained after MNase digestion (MNase-seq) generates genome-wide nucleosome maps that are important for understanding gene regulation. We present an improved MNase-seq method involving simultaneous digestion with exonuclease III, which removes linker DNA. Remarkably, we discovered two novel intermediate particles containing 154 or 161 bp, corresponding to 7 bp protruding from one or both sides of the nucleosome core. These particles are detected in yeast lacking H1 and in H1-depleted mouse chromatin. They can be reconstituted in vitro using purified core histones and DNA. We propose that these "proto-chromatosomes" are fundamental chromatin subunits, which include the H1 binding site and influence nucleosome spacing independently of H1.
Project description:As a key structural component of the chromatin of higher eukaryotes, linker histones (H1s) are involved in stabilizing the folding of extended nucleosome arrays into higher-order chromatin structures and function as a gene-specific regulators of transcription in vivo. The H1 C-terminal domain (CTD) is essential for high affinity binding of linker histones to chromatin and stabilization of higher-order chromatin structure. Importantly, the H1 CTD is an intrinsically disordered domain that undergoes a drastic condensation upon binding to nucleosomes. Moroever, although phosphorylation is a prevalent posttranslational modification (PTM) within the H1 CTD, exactly where this modification is installed and how phosphorylation influences the structure of the H1 CTD remains unclear for many H1s. Using novel mass spectrometry techniques, we identified six phosphorylation sites within the CTD of the archetypal linker histone Xenopus H1.0. We then analyzed nucleosome-dependent CTD condensation and H1-dependent linker DNA conformation for six full-length H1s in which the phosphorylated serine residues were replaced by glutamic acid residues.
Project description:Chromatin architectural proteins interact with nucleosomes to modulate chromatin accessibility and higher-order chromatin structure. While these proteins are almost certainly important for gene regulation they have been studied far less than the core histone proteins. Here we describe the genomic distributions and functional roles of two chromatin architectural proteins: histone H1 and the high mobility group protein HMGD1, in Drosophila S2 cells. Using ChIP-seq, biochemical and gene specific approaches, we find that HMGD1 binds to highly accessible regulatory chromatin and active promoters. In contrast, H1 is primarily associated with heterochromatic regions marked with repressive histone marks. However, the ratio of HMGD1 to H1 is better correlated with chromatin accessibility, gene expression and nucleosome spacing variation than either protein alone suggesting a competitive mechanism between these proteins. Indeed, we show that HMGD1 and H1 compensate each other’s absence by binding reciprocally to chromatin resulting in changes to nucleosome repeat length and distinct gene expression patterns. Collectively our data suggest that dynamic and mutually exclusive binding of H1 and HMGD1 to nucleosomes and linker sequences may control the fluid chromatin structure that is required for transcriptional regulation. This study thus provides a framework to further study the interplay between chromatin architectural proteins and epigenetics in gene regulation. ChIP-seq of HMGD1 and Histone H1 bound nucleosomes as well as MNase-seq of total nucleosome in Drosophila S2 cells
Project description:Eukaryotic DNA is wrapped around histone octamers to form nucleosomes, which are separated by linker DNA bound by histone H1. In many species, the DNA exhibits methylation of CG dinucleotides, which is epigenetically inherited via a semiconservative mechanism. How methyltransferases access DNA within nucleosomes remains mysterious. Here we show that methylation of nucleosomes requires DDM1/Lsh nucleosome remodelers in Arabidopsis thaliana and mouse. We also show that removal of histone H1, which partially restores methylation in ddm1 mutants, does so primarily in the linker DNA between nucleosomes. In h1ddm1 compound mutants, substantial portions of the genome exhibit dramatically periodic methylation that approaches wild-type levels in linker DNA but is virtually absent in nucleosomes. We also present evidence that de novo methylation supplements semiconservative maintenance of CG methylation across generations. Overall, our results demonstrate that nucleosomes and H1 are barriers to DNA methylation, which are overcome by DDM1/Lsh nucleosome remodelers.
Project description:Linker histones are involved in the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. Although linker histones have been implicated in the regulation of specific genes, it still remains unclear what their principal binding determinants are and how their repressive function in vitro can be reconciled with presumed broad binding in vivo. We generated a full genome, high resolution binding map of linker histone H1 in Drosophila Kc cells, using DamID. H1 binds at similar levels across much of the genome, both in classical euchromatin and heterochromatin. Strikingly, there are pronounced dips of low H1 occupancy around transcription start sites of active genes and at many distant cis-regulatory sites. H1 dips are not due to lack of nucleosomes. Rather, all regions with low binding of H1 show enrichment of the histone variant H3.3 which itself has been linked to high nucleosome turnover. Upon knockdown of H3.3, we find that H1 levels increase at sites previously not covered with H1 with a concomitant increase in nucleosome repeat length. These changes are independent of transcriptional changes. Our results show that the H3.3 protein counteracts association of H1 at genomic sites with high rates of histone turnover. This antagonism provides a mechanism to keep diverse genomic sites in an open chromatin conformation. For this study, we generated DamID profiles of histone H1 and RpII18 in Drosophila Kc167 cells. Additionally, we generated H1 profiles in cells treated with RNAi against white, H3.3B, or H3.3A and H3.3B. Nucleosome occupancy profiles were generated in untreated cells and cells treated with RNAi against white or H3.3A and H3.3B. Profiles of expression changes were generated for H3.3B RNAi and H3.3A and H3.3B RNAi.
Project description:Linker histones are involved in the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. Although linker histones have been implicated in the regulation of specific genes, it still remains unclear what their principal binding determinants are and how their repressive function in vitro can be reconciled with presumed broad binding in vivo. We generated a full genome, high resolution binding map of linker histone H1 in Drosophila Kc cells, using DamID. H1 binds at similar levels across much of the genome, both in classical euchromatin and heterochromatin. Strikingly, there are pronounced dips of low H1 occupancy around transcription start sites of active genes and at many distant cis-regulatory sites. H1 dips are not due to lack of nucleosomes. Rather, all regions with low binding of H1 show enrichment of the histone variant H3.3 which itself has been linked to high nucleosome turnover. Upon knockdown of H3.3, we find that H1 levels increase at sites previously not covered with H1 with a concomitant increase in nucleosome repeat length. These changes are independent of transcriptional changes. Our results show that the H3.3 protein counteracts association of H1 at genomic sites with high rates of histone turnover. This antagonism provides a mechanism to keep diverse genomic sites in an open chromatin conformation. For this study, we generated DamID profiles of histone H1 and RpII18 and a FAIRE profile in Drosophila Kc167 cells. Additionally, we generated H1 profiles in cells treated with RNAi against white, H3.3B, or H3.3A and H3.3B. Nucleosome positioning profiles were generated in untreated cells and cells treated with RNAi against white, H3.3B, or H3.3A and H3.3B. Profiles of expression changes were generated for H3.3B RNAi and H3.3A and H3.3B RNAi.
Project description:Linker histones are involved in the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. Although linker histones have been implicated in the regulation of specific genes, it still remains unclear what their principal binding determinants are and how their repressive function in vitro can be reconciled with presumed broad binding in vivo. We generated a full genome, high resolution binding map of linker histone H1 in Drosophila Kc cells, using DamID. H1 binds at similar levels across much of the genome, both in classical euchromatin and heterochromatin. Strikingly, there are pronounced dips of low H1 occupancy around transcription start sites of active genes and at many distant cis-regulatory sites. H1 dips are not due to lack of nucleosomes. Rather, all regions with low binding of H1 show enrichment of the histone variant H3.3 which itself has been linked to high nucleosome turnover. Upon knockdown of H3.3, we find that H1 levels increase at sites previously not covered with H1 with a concomitant increase in nucleosome repeat length. These changes are independent of transcriptional changes. Our results show that the H3.3 protein counteracts association of H1 at genomic sites with high rates of histone turnover. This antagonism provides a mechanism to keep diverse genomic sites in an open chromatin conformation. For this study, we generated DamID profiles of histone H1 and RpII18 in Drosophila Kc167 cells. Additionally, we generated H1 profiles in cells treated with RNAi against white, H3.3B, or H3.3A and H3.3B. Nucleosome positioning profiles were generated in untreated cells and cells treated with RNAi against white, H3.3B, or H3.3A and H3.3B. Profiles of expression changes were generated for H3.3B RNAi and H3.3A and H3.3B RNAi.