Transcription organizes euchromatin via microphase separation

Hilbert L, Sato Y, Kuznetsova K, Bianucci T, Kimura H, Jülicher F, Honigmann A, Zaburdaev V, Vastenhouw NL (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 12

Article Number: 1360

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21589-3

Abstract

In eukaryotes, DNA is packed inside the cell nucleus in the form of chromatin, which consists of DNA, proteins such as histones, and RNA. Euchromatin, which is permissive for transcription, is spatially organized into transcriptionally inactive domains interspersed with pockets of transcriptional activity. While transcription and RNA have been implicated in euchromatin organization, it remains unclear how their interplay forms and maintains transcription pockets. Here we combine theory and experiment to analyze the dynamics of euchromatin organization as pluripotent zebrafish cells exit mitosis and begin transcription. We show that accumulation of RNA induces formation of transcription pockets which displace transcriptionally inactive chromatin. We propose that the accumulating RNA recruits RNA-binding proteins that together tend to separate from transcriptionally inactive euchromatin. Full phase separation is prevented because RNA remains tethered to transcribed euchromatin through RNA polymerases. Instead, smaller scale microphases emerge that do not grow further and form the typical pattern of euchromatin organization.

Authors with CRIS profile

Vasily Zaburdaev Lehrstuhl für Mathematik in den Lebenswissenschaften

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Zellbiologie und Genetik / Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) DE Germany (DE) Tokyo Institute of Technology JP Japan (JP) Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Hilbert, L., Sato, Y., Kuznetsova, K., Bianucci, T., Kimura, H., Jülicher, F.,... Vastenhouw, N.L. (2021). Transcription organizes euchromatin via microphase separation. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21589-3

MLA:

Hilbert, Lennart, et al. "Transcription organizes euchromatin via microphase separation." Nature Communications 12.1 (2021).

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