Chromatin decondensation is sufficient to alter nuclear organization in embryonic stem cells

Pierre Therizols, Robert S Illingworth, Celine Courilleau, Shelagh Boyle, Andrew J Wood, Wendy A Bickmore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

During differentiation, thousands of genes are repositioned toward or away from the nuclear envelope. These movements correlate with changes in transcription and replication timing. Using synthetic (TALE) transcription factors, we found that transcriptional activation of endogenous genes by a viral trans-activator is sufficient to induce gene repositioning toward the nuclear interior in embryonic stem cells. However, gene relocation was also induced by recruitment of an acidic peptide that decondenses chromatin without affecting transcription, indicating that nuclear reorganization is driven by chromatin remodeling rather than transcription. We identified an epigenetic inheritance of chromatin decondensation that maintained central nuclear positioning through mitosis even after the TALE transcription factor was lost. Our results also demonstrate that transcriptional activation, but not chromatin decondensation, is sufficient to change replication timing.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1238-1242
Number of pages5
JournalScience
Volume346
Issue number6214
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Dec 2014

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