Biology subjects

Stadler, M. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Stadler, M. R..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

Dynamic multifactor hubs interact transiently with sites of active transcription in Drosophila embryos

The regulation of transcription requires the coordination of numerous activities on DNA, yet it remains poorly understood how transcription factors facilitate these multiple functions. Here we use lattice light-sheet microscopy to integrate single-molecule and high-speed 4D imaging in developing Drosophila embryos to study the nuclear organization and interactions of the key patterning factors Zelda and Bicoid. In contrast to previous studies suggesting stable, cooperative binding, we show that both factors interact with DNA with surprisingly high off-rates. We find that both factors form dynamic subnuclear hubs, and that Bicoid binding is enriched within Zelda hubs. Remarkably, these hubs are both short lived and interact only transiently with sites of active Bicoid dependent transcription. Based on our observations we hypothesize that, beyond simply forming bridges between DNA and the transcription machinery, transcription factors can organize other proteins into hubs that transiently drive multiple activities at their gene targets.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Convergence of topological domain boundaries, insulators, and polytene interbands revealed by high-resolution mapping of chromatin contacts in the early Drosophila melanogaster embryo

Evidence has emerged in recent years linking insulators and the proteins that bind them to the higher order structure of animal chromatin, but the precise nature of this relationship and the manner by which insulators influence chromatin structure have remained elusive. Here we present high-resolution genome-wide chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) data from early Drosophila melanogaster embryos that allow us to map three-dimensional interactions to 500 base pairs. We observe a complex, nested pattern of regions of chromatin self-association, and use a combination of computational and manual annotation to identify boundaries between these topological associated domains (TADs). We demonstrate that, when mapped at high resolution, boundaries resemble classical insulators: short (500 - 1000 bp) genomic regions that are sensitive to DNase digestion and strongly bound by known insulator proteins. Strikingly, we show that for regions where the banding pattern of polytene chromosomes has been mapped to genomic position at comparably high resolution, there is a perfect correspondence between polytene banding and our chromatin conformation maps, with boundary insulators forming the interband regions that separate compacted bands that correspond to TADs. We propose that this precise, high-resolution relationship between insulators and TADs on the one hand and polytene bands and interbands on the other extends across the genome, and suggest a model in which the decompaction of insulator regions drives the organization of interphase chromosomes by creating stable physical separation between adjacent domains.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2017

A chromatin extension model for insulator function based on comparison of high-resolution chromatin conformation capture and polytene banding maps

Insulator proteins bind to specific genomic loci and have been shown to play a role in partitioning genomes into independent domains of gene expression and chromatin structure. Despite decades of study, the mechanism by which insulators establish these domains remains elusive. Here, we use genome-wide chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) to generate a high-resolution map of spatial interactions of chromatin from Drosophila melanogaster embryos. We show that from the earliest stages of development the genome is divided into distinct topologically associated domains (TADs), that we can map the boundaries between TADs to sub-kilobase resolution, and that these boundaries correspond to 500-2000 bp insulator elements. Comparing this map with a detailed assessment of the banding pattern of a region of a polytene chromosome, we show that these insulator elements correspond to low density polytene interbands that divide compacted bands, which correspond to TADs. It has been previously shown that polytene interbands have low packing ratios allowing the conversion of small genomic distances (in base pairs) into a large physical distances. We therefore suggest a simple mechanism for insulator function whereby insulators increase the physical space between adjacent domains via the unpacking and extension of intervening chromatin. This model provides an intuitive explanation for known features of insulators, including the ability to block enhancer-promoter interactions, limit the spread of heterochromatin, and organize the structural features of interphase chromosomes.

genomics↗