Functional and topological characteristics of mammalian regulatory domains

Genome Res. 2014 Mar;24(3):390-400. doi: 10.1101/gr.163519.113. Epub 2014 Jan 7.

Abstract

Long-range regulatory interactions play an important role in shaping gene-expression programs. However, the genomic features that organize these activities are still poorly characterized. We conducted a large operational analysis to chart the distribution of gene regulatory activities along the mouse genome, using hundreds of insertions of a regulatory sensor. We found that enhancers distribute their activities along broad regions and not in a gene-centric manner, defining large regulatory domains. Remarkably, these domains correlate strongly with the recently described TADs, which partition the genome into distinct self-interacting blocks. Different features, including specific repeats and CTCF-binding sites, correlate with the transition zones separating regulatory domains, and may help to further organize promiscuously distributed regulatory influences within large domains. These findings support a model of genomic organization where TADs confine regulatory activities to specific but large regulatory domains, contributing to the establishment of specific gene expression profiles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites*
  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / metabolism
  • Cohesins
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic*
  • Genome
  • Mice
  • Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Ctcf protein, mouse
  • Repressor Proteins