Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila
In higher eukaryotes, distance enhancer-promoter interactions are organized by topologically associated domains, tethering elements, and chromatin insulators/boundaries. While insulators/boundaries play a central role in chromosome organization, the mechanisms regulating their functions are largely...
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| author | Olga Kyrchanova Vladimir Sokolov Maxim Tikhonov Galya Manukyan Paul Schedl Pavel Georgiev |
| author_facet | Olga Kyrchanova Vladimir Sokolov Maxim Tikhonov Galya Manukyan Paul Schedl Pavel Georgiev |
| author_sort | Olga Kyrchanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In higher eukaryotes, distance enhancer-promoter interactions are organized by topologically associated domains, tethering elements, and chromatin insulators/boundaries. While insulators/boundaries play a central role in chromosome organization, the mechanisms regulating their functions are largely unknown. In the studies reported here, we have taken advantage of the well-characterized <i>Drosophila</i> bithorax complex (BX-C) to study one potential mechanism for controlling boundary function. The regulatory domains of BX-C are flanked by boundaries, which block crosstalk with their neighboring domains and also support long-distance interactions between the regulatory domains and their target gene. As many lncRNAs have been found in BX-C, we asked whether readthrough transcription (RT) can impact boundary function. For this purpose, we took advantage of two BX-C boundary replacement platforms, <i>Fab-7<sup>attP50</sup></i> and <i>F2<sup>attP</sup></i>, in which the <i>Fab-7</i> and <i>Fub</i> boundaries, respectively, are deleted and replaced with an <i>attP</i> site. We introduced boundary elements, promoters, and polyadenylation signals arranged in different combinations and then assayed for boundary function. Our results show that RT can interfere with boundary activity. Since lncRNAs represent a significant fraction of Pol II transcripts in multicellular eukaryotes, it is therefore possible that RT may be a widely used mechanism to alter boundary function and regulation of gene expression. |
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| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:01:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
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| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c35676ceda2441ceb7d50e75679fe8642023-11-18T19:38:23ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672023-07-0124141136810.3390/ijms241411368Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in DrosophilaOlga Kyrchanova0Vladimir Sokolov1Maxim Tikhonov2Galya Manukyan3Paul Schedl4Pavel Georgiev5Department of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., Moscow 119334, RussiaDepartment of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., Moscow 119334, RussiaCenter for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., Moscow 119334, RussiaCenter for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., Moscow 119334, RussiaDepartment of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USADepartment of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov St., Moscow 119334, RussiaIn higher eukaryotes, distance enhancer-promoter interactions are organized by topologically associated domains, tethering elements, and chromatin insulators/boundaries. While insulators/boundaries play a central role in chromosome organization, the mechanisms regulating their functions are largely unknown. In the studies reported here, we have taken advantage of the well-characterized <i>Drosophila</i> bithorax complex (BX-C) to study one potential mechanism for controlling boundary function. The regulatory domains of BX-C are flanked by boundaries, which block crosstalk with their neighboring domains and also support long-distance interactions between the regulatory domains and their target gene. As many lncRNAs have been found in BX-C, we asked whether readthrough transcription (RT) can impact boundary function. For this purpose, we took advantage of two BX-C boundary replacement platforms, <i>Fab-7<sup>attP50</sup></i> and <i>F2<sup>attP</sup></i>, in which the <i>Fab-7</i> and <i>Fub</i> boundaries, respectively, are deleted and replaced with an <i>attP</i> site. We introduced boundary elements, promoters, and polyadenylation signals arranged in different combinations and then assayed for boundary function. Our results show that RT can interfere with boundary activity. Since lncRNAs represent a significant fraction of Pol II transcripts in multicellular eukaryotes, it is therefore possible that RT may be a widely used mechanism to alter boundary function and regulation of gene expression.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/14/11368chromatin boundaryinsulatorbithorax complexAbd-BscsFub |
| spellingShingle | Olga Kyrchanova Vladimir Sokolov Maxim Tikhonov Galya Manukyan Paul Schedl Pavel Georgiev Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila International Journal of Molecular Sciences chromatin boundary insulator bithorax complex Abd-B scs Fub |
| title | Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila |
| title_full | Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila |
| title_short | Transcriptional Readthrough Interrupts Boundary Function in Drosophila |
| title_sort | transcriptional readthrough interrupts boundary function in drosophila |
| topic | chromatin boundary insulator bithorax complex Abd-B scs Fub |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/14/11368 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olgakyrchanova transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila AT vladimirsokolov transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila AT maximtikhonov transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila AT galyamanukyan transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila AT paulschedl transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila AT pavelgeorgiev transcriptionalreadthroughinterruptsboundaryfunctionindrosophila |