[HTML][HTML] Extensive promoter-centered chromatin interactions provide a topological basis for transcription regulation

G Li, X Ruan, RK Auerbach, KS Sandhu, M Zheng… - Cell, 2012 - cell.com
G Li, X Ruan, RK Auerbach, KS Sandhu, M Zheng, P Wang, HM Poh, Y Goh, J Lim, J Zhang…
Cell, 2012cell.com
Higher-order chromosomal organization for transcription regulation is poorly understood in
eukaryotes. Using genome-wide Chromatin Interaction Analysis with Paired-End-Tag
sequencing (ChIA-PET), we mapped long-range chromatin interactions associated with
RNA polymerase II in human cells and uncovered widespread promoter-centered intragenic,
extragenic, and intergenic interactions. These interactions further aggregated into higher-
order clusters, wherein proximal and distal genes were engaged through promoter-promoter …
Summary
Higher-order chromosomal organization for transcription regulation is poorly understood in eukaryotes. Using genome-wide Chromatin Interaction Analysis with Paired-End-Tag sequencing (ChIA-PET), we mapped long-range chromatin interactions associated with RNA polymerase II in human cells and uncovered widespread promoter-centered intragenic, extragenic, and intergenic interactions. These interactions further aggregated into higher-order clusters, wherein proximal and distal genes were engaged through promoter-promoter interactions. Most genes with promoter-promoter interactions were active and transcribed cooperatively, and some interacting promoters could influence each other implying combinatorial complexity of transcriptional controls. Comparative analyses of different cell lines showed that cell-specific chromatin interactions could provide structural frameworks for cell-specific transcription, and suggested significant enrichment of enhancer-promoter interactions for cell-specific functions. Furthermore, genetically-identified disease-associated noncoding elements were found to be spatially engaged with corresponding genes through long-range interactions. Overall, our study provides insights into transcription regulation by three-dimensional chromatin interactions for both housekeeping and cell-specific genes in human cells.
cell.com