A 3D Map of the Human Genome at Kilobase Resolution Reveals Principles of Chromatin Looping

SummaryWe use in situ Hi-C to probe the 3D architecture of genomes, constructing haploid and diploid maps of nine cell types. The densest, in human lymphoblastoid cells, contains 4.9 billion contacts, achieving 1 kb resolution. We find that genomes are partitioned into contact domains (median length, 185 kb), which are associated with distinct patterns of histone marks and segregate into six subcompartments. We identify ∼10,000 loops. These loops frequently link promoters and enhancers, correlate with gene activation, and show conservation across cell types and species. Loop anchors typically occur at domain boundaries and bind CTCF. CTCF sites at loop anchors occur predominantly (>90%) in a convergent orientation, with the asymmetric motifs “facing” one another. The inactive X chromosome splits into two massive domains and contains large loops anchored at CTCF-binding repeats.PaperFlic

Deletion of DXZ4 on the human inactive X chromosome alters higher-order genome architecture

During interphase, the inactive X chromosome (Xi) is largely transcriptionally silent and adopts an unusual 3D configuration known as the "Barr body." Despite the importance of X chromosome inactivation, little is known about this 3D conformation. We recently showed that in humans the Xi chromosome exhibits three structural features, two of which are not shared by other chromosomes. First, like the chromosomes of many species, Xi forms compartments. Second, Xi is partitioned into two huge intervals, called "superdomains," such that pairs of loci in the same superdomain tend to colocalize. The boundary between the superdomains lies near DXZ4, a macrosatellite repeat whose Xi allele extensively binds the protein CCCTC-binding factor. Third, Xi exhibits extremely large loops, up to 77 megabases long, called "superloops." DXZ4 lies at the anchor of several superloops. Here, we combine 3D mapping, microscopy, and genome editing to study the structure of Xi, focusing on the role of DXZ4 We show that superloops and superdomains are conserved across eutherian mammals. By analyzing ligation events involving three or more loci, we demonstrate that DXZ4 and other superloop anchors tend to colocate simultaneously. Finally, we show that deleting DXZ4 on Xi leads to the disappearance of superdomains and superloops, changes in compartmentalization patterns, and changes in the distribution of chromatin marks. Thus, DXZ4 is essential for proper Xi packaging.National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.) (Grant HG003067

Chromatin extrusion explains key features of loop and domain formation in wild-type and engineered genomes

We recently used in situ Hi-C to create kilobase-resolution 3D maps of mammalian genomes. Here, we combine these maps with new Hi-C, microscopy, and genome-editing experiments to study the physical structure of chromatin fibers, domains, and loops. We find that the observed contact domains are inconsistent with the equilibrium state for an ordinary condensed polymer. Combining Hi-C data and novel mathematical theorems, we show that contact domains are also not consistent with a fractal globule. Instead, we use physical simulations to study two models of genome folding. In one, intermonomer attraction during polymer condensation leads to formation of an anisotropic “tension globule.” In the other, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and cohesin act together to extrude unknotted loops during interphase. Both models are consistent with the observed contact domains and with the observation that contact domains tend to form inside loops. However, the extrusion model explains a far wider array of observations, such as why loops tend not to overlap and why the CTCF-binding motifs at pairs of loop anchors lie in the convergent orientation. Finally, we perform 13 genome-editing experiments examining the effect of altering CTCF-binding sites on chromatin folding. The convergent rule correctly predicts the affected loops in every case. Moreover, the extrusion model accurately predicts in silico the 3D maps resulting from each experiment using only the location of CTCF-binding sites in the WT. Thus, we show that it is possible to disrupt, restore, and move loops and domains using targeted mutations as small as a single base pair.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant PHY-1427654)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (New Innovator Award 1DP2OD008540-01)Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (Scholar Award R1304)Baylor College of Medicine (McNair Medical Institute Scholar Award)Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineer

Juicer Provides a One-Click System for Analyzing Loop-Resolution Hi-C Experiments

Hi-C experiments explore the 3D structure of the genome, generating terabases of data to create high-resolution contact maps. Here, we introduce Juicer, an open-source tool for analyzing terabase-scale Hi-C datasets. Juicer allows users without a computational background to transform raw sequence data into normalized contact maps with one click. Juicer produces a hic file containing compressed contact matrices at many resolutions, facilitating visualization and analysis at multiple scales. Structural features, such as loops and domains, are automatically annotated. Juicer is available as open source software at http://aidenlab.org/juicer/.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (New Innovator Award 1DP2OD008540)National Science Foundation (U.S.) Physics Frontier Center (Grant PHY-1427654)National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.) (Grant HG006193)Robert A. Welch Foundation (Grant Q-1866)Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (Scholar Award R1304)NVIDIA Corporation (Research Center Award)IBM (University Challenge Award)Google (Research Award)Baylor College of Medicine (McNair Medical Institute Scholar Award)National Human Genome Research Institute (U.S.) (Grant HG003067)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (4D Nucleome Grant U01HL130010