Chromosome Biology Flashcards
(124 cards)
Genome architecture in eukaryotic cells
Morphology of diving cells differs significantly from interphase cells
Interphase and mitosis structure change
Highly dynamic and regulated process
Mistakes/different in diseases
Physical organisation of the genome
Sequence (2001 - first draft of human genome), epigenetics (modifications of DNA and histones), structure beyond double helix (DNA spatial organisation), dynamicity (response to stimuli and DNA status)
Knowledge about the genome sequence alone is not enough
Chromatin at different zoomed views
In vivo and vitro different
eg in lab (vitro) smallest (regions of DNA double helix < beads on string form of chromatin < chromatin fibre of packed nucleosides < chrimatin fibre folded into loops < entire multitude chromosome)
In vivo - chrimatin fibre of packed nucleosomes probably doesn’t exist
Nucleosome is the basic unit of chromatin structure
October of 8 histones
Histone H2A, H2B, H3, H4 (all x2)
Shared throughout all eukaryotes - evolutionary (old)
Nucleosome is formed from histones and DNA
DNA - acid
Nucleosome - basic
So bind to eachother, DNA wraps around histone octomer (almost twice)
Histone proteins - Histone fold domain (responsible for forming octomer, interacts with other histones in hand shake fold) and N-terminal tail (regulation)
Post translational modifications (PTMs) of histones play key regulatory role
Unstructured Histone N terminal tail
Regulation and Histone code - major epigenetic characteristics in eukaryotic cells (leaves marks on Histone tails for post translational modifications eg methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitation, acetylation)
Histone code example
Specific patterns of post translational modifications to histones act like a molecular code recognised and used by non Histone proteins to regulate specific chromatin functions
Eg Histone H3 - K9 M = heterochromatij formation and gene silencing
K4 M + K9 A = gene expression
K27 M = gene silencing, poly comb repressive complex
K = lysine
M = trimethylayed
A = acytelated
How trimethylation if Histone H3 Lysine 9 silences transcription
Histone methyl transferase (HMT) SUV38H1 methylated H3K9
Chromodomain of HP1 recognises H3K9me3 and binds to it
More HMT attracted, so greater silencing signal on H3
HP1 spreads along a long domain of chromatin and become transcriptonally silent
Chromatin boundary elements will isolate this domain from the “open” chromatin and so silence transcription of that area. Silencing will start and stop at boundary elements
What does Histone code need to work?
Writers - proteins/enzymes that’ll put mark on (communication with outside world to put mark on eg SUV39H1)
Readers - (sometimes different from effectors) HP1
Binders/effectors - HP1 hererochromatirasation
Erasers - sometimes need to remove silencing marks due to different times and conditions, marks leads to opening also need to be removed sometimes
Misregulated Histone code is correlated with diseases
Cancer - up or down regulation of writers eg acetyl-transferases or HATs
FIND ANOTHER or specific
Examples of other epigenetic mechanisms
DNA methylation - silencing of transcription of domain of DNA so chromatin closed
Histone code
RNA based mechanisms - growing feild, related to DNA methylation
Histone variant replacement - function in some situations and replaced in others eg CENTA (centumeric protein A) SPECIFIC TO centromeres
We do not know exactly how Nucleosome a form higher Ofer structure
Idea: 11nm fibre of beads on a string for of chromatin with linker DNA and Nucleosome (DNA AND HISTONES), Nucleosome contains ~ 200 nucleotide pairs of DNA
3 features help chromatin to fold and maintain higher order structures
1) non Histone proteins bind chromatin (affecting structure of chromatin)
2) linker histones (H1) - (bind to linker DNA between nucleosomes regulates compaction, more H1 = more compaction but different variants do different things) - do not contain Histone golf and less conserved
3) tails of core histones - interact with DNA, other nucleosomes around and non Histone proteins (ESSENTIAL IN HIGHER ORDER CHROMATIN FORMATION)
How do higher order structures correspond to the organisation of chromatin in interphase nucleus?
Initially - microscopy (nuclear pores - communication and regulation of gene expression, nucleolus - , euchromatin - open and transcription ally active, herterochromatin - dense and stuck to envelope and abundant at periphery, much less active transcriptional pov)
Why is how the genome packed in nuclei important?
Organisation of chromatin affects all functions of DNA, including maintenance of accessibility and gene expression
Cell fate influenced by genome organisation - cell differentiation and pluripotency
Pathological states eg cancer related to aberrant regulation of genomic structures
Genomic architecture changes dramatically during cell cycle
Mitosis - chromatin condensed, nuclear envelope and pore dissociation, ejection of transcription factors and chromatin binding proteins, disruption of laminate associated domains
g1 - permissive for differentiation genes, pre PC assembly (prep for s phase) chromatin opens
S - early s phase: early origins fire Histone synthesis, late s phase: late origins fire, Histone synthesis inhibition (duplicate all chromosomes)
G2 - Histone biogenesis inhibited, Nucleosomes mature (prep for mitosis)
What do we currently know about the genome architecture in interphase cells
HI-C - new experimental method, new discoveries
Chromosome territories
Technique to paint chromosomes
Multi-colour FISH (spectral karyotyping) helps visualise entire chromosomes
Chromosomes in interphase cells do not occupy random spaces, occupy defined spaces. Helps to see if there’s any mistakes eg in cancer
Metaphors chromosomes random and overlap
What we know about chromosomal territories
1) after decondesation occupy defined and non random areas in interphase nuclei
2) high gene density chromosomes are located inside nuclei, gener poor chromosomes close to nuclear periphery
This also correlates with transcriptional activity
3) arrangement is conserved across different species (evolutionary conservation)
4) arrangement not found in early embryos
5) position in nucleus depends on cells type and may change over time eg transcriptional activity - may loop out of home territories
FISH labelling - two loci red, chromosomes green, activation of locus moved towards middle BUT longer time scale and sometimes may require passing through mitosis
NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD - movement of territory within cells
Don’t know if transcription follows movement of DNA, or DNA movement occurs because of transcription
Correlation, don’t have good understanding of mechanism
Mitosis to interphase transition (chromosome structures)
Mouse embryonic stem cells, single cell resolution:
Immediately after cell division chromosomes de condense and change shape from rod-like to spherical
Equally condensed regions unfold to more than
What lies “below” chromosomal territories?
Smallest to biggest so eg compartments within territories
Nucleosomes scale: epigenetic modifications - nucleosomes
Supranucleosomal scale: Intra TAD dynamics - chromatin loops
Inter TAD dynamics - b compartments and a compartments
Nuclear scale: Nuclear positioning - chromosome territories
Chromosomal compartment: A compartment
Active transcriptionally