Project description:One elusive aspect of the chromosome architecture is how it constrains the DNA topology. Nucleosomes stabilise negative DNA supercoils by restraining a DNA linking number difference (∆Lk) of about -1.26. However, whether this capacity is uniform across the genome is unknown. Here, we calculated the ∆Lk restrained by over 4000 nucleosomes in yeast cells. To achieve this, we placed each nucleosome in a circular minichromosome and performed Topo-seq, a high-throughput procedure to inspect the topology of circular DNA libraries in one gel electrophoresis. We found that nucleosomes inherently restrain distinct ∆Lk values depending on their genomic origin. Nucleosome DNA topologies differ at gene bodies (∆Lk=-1.29), intergenic regions (∆Lk=-1.23), rDNA genes (∆Lk=-1.24) and telomeric regions (∆Lk=-1.07). Nucleosomes near the transcription start and termination sites also exhibit singular DNA topologies. Our findings demonstrate that nucleosome DNA topology is imprinted by its native chromatin context and persists when the nucleosome is relocated.
Project description:DNA topological stress inhibits DNA replication fork (RF) progression and contributes to DNA replication stress. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae we demonstrate that centromeric DNA and the rDNA array are especially vulnerable to DNA topological stress during replication. The activity of the SMC complexes cohesin and condensin are linked to both the generation and repair of DNA topological stress linked damage in these regions. At cohesin enriched centromeres cohesin activity causes the accumulation of DNA damage, RF rotation and precatenation, confirming that cohesin dependent DNA topological stress impacts on normal replication progression. In contrast, at the rDNA cohesin and condensin activity inhibit the repair of damage caused by DNA topological stress. We propose that as well as generally acting to ensure faithful genetic inheritance, SMCs can disrupt genome stability by trapping DNA topological stress.
Project description:To investigate the interactions between FoxP3 and chromatinized templates, particularly assessing whether FoxP3 can still bind significantly to TnG-repeat DNA, we conducted FoxP3 pulldown experiments using nucleosomal DNA. Consitent with the result using naked genomic DNA, the results highlighted TnG repeats as one of the most significant motifs in these interactions.
Project description:The fork protection complex (FPC), composed of Mrc1, Tof1, and Csm3, supports rapid and stable DNA replication. Here, we show that FPC activity also introduces DNA damage by increasing DNA topological stress during replication. Mrc1 action increases DNA topological stress during plasmid replication, while Mrc1 or Tof1 activity causes replication stress and DNA damage within topologically constrained regions. We show that the recruitment of Top1 to the fork by Tof1 suppresses the DNA damage generated in these loci. While FPC activity introduces some DNA damage due to increased topological stress, the FPC is also necessary to prevent DNA damage in long replicons across the genome, indicating that the FPC is required for complete and faithful genome duplication. We conclude that FPC regulation must balance ensuring full genome duplication through rapid replication with minimizing the consequential DNA topological stress-induced DNA damage caused by rapid replication through constrained regions.
Project description:In the yeast genome, a large proportion of nucleosomes occupy well-defined positions. While the contribution of chromatin remodelers and DNA binding proteins to maintain this organization is well established, the relevance of the DNA sequence to nucleosome positioning in the genomic context remains controversial. Through genome-wide, quantitative analysis of nucleosome positioning and high-resolution mutagenenesis of mononucleosomal DNA, we show that sequence changes distort the nucleosomal pattern at the level of individual nucleosomes. This effect is equally detected in transcribed and non-transcribed regions, suggesting the existence of sequence elements contributing to positioning. To identify such elements, we incorporated information from nucleosomal signatures into artificial synthetic DNA molecules and found that they generated regular nucleosomal arrays indistinguishable from those of endogenous sequences. Strikingly, this information is species-specific and can be combined with coding information through the use of synonymous codons such that genes from one species can be engineered to adopt the nucleosomal organization of another. These findings open up the possibility of designing coding and non-coding DNA molecules capable of directing their own nucleosomal organization.
Project description:The fork protection complex (FPC), composed of Mrc1, Tof1, and Csm3, supports rapid and stable DNA replication. Here, we show that FPC activity also introduces DNA damage by increasing DNA topological stress during replication. Mrc1 action increases DNA topological stress during plasmid replication, while Mrc1 or Tof1 activity causes replication stress and DNA damage within topologically constrained regions. We show that the recruitment of Top1 to the fork by Tof1 suppresses the DNA damage generated in these loci. While FPC activity introduces some DNA damage due to increased topological stress, the FPC is also necessary to prevent DNA damage in long replicons across the genome, indicating that the FPC is required for complete and faithful genome duplication. We conclude that FPC regulation must balance ensuring full genome duplication through rapid replication with minimizing the consequential DNA topological stress-induced DNA damage caused by rapid replication through constrained regions.
Project description:Genomic DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303-1A was isolated along with nucleosomal DNA from W303-1A and the yeast strain GAL:orc2-1. Nucleosomal DNA was isolated following a 2h release from a nocodazole block in which the medium was changed from galactose (YPAG) to glucose (YPAD).
Project description:Using a TIP-seq protocol (specifically isolating transposon insertion junctions) we determined that the Ty1 retrotransposon targets tRNA genes and, in particular, we determined that the transposon inserts into nucleosomal DNA in an asymmetric pattern.