• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.883-892
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• 2021

Genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (3C)-based high-throughput sequencing (Hi-C) has enabled identification of genome-wide chromatin loops. Because the Hi-C map with restriction fragment resolution is intrinsically associated with sparsity and stochastic noise, Hi-C data are usually binned at particular intervals; however, the binning method has limited reliability, especially at high resolution. Here, we describe a new method called HiCORE, which provides simple pipelines and algorithms to overcome the limitations of single-layered binning and predict core chromatin regions with three-dimensional physical interactions. In this approach, multiple layers of binning with slightly shifted genome coverage are generated, and interacting bins at each layer are integrated to infer narrower regions of chromatin interactions. HiCORE predicts chromatin looping regions with higher resolution, both in human and Arabidopsis genomes, and contributes to the identification of the precise positions of potential genomic elements in an unbiased manner.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.103-108
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• 2023

Enhancers are cis-elements to regulate transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes in multicellular organisms. These elements locate in upstream or downstream regions of target genes and are found in a long distance up to 100 Kb in some cases. Transcription factors and coactivators bind to enhancers in a chromatin environment. Enhancers appear to facilitate the transcription of target genes by communicating with promoters and activating them. As transcription activation mechanism of enhancers, chromatin looping between enhancers and promoters, tracking of enhancer activity to promoters along the intervening regions, and movement of enhancers and promoters into transcription condensates have been suggested based on various molecular and cellular biology studies. These mechanisms are likely to act together rather than exclusive each other for gene transcription. Understanding of enhancer action mechanism may provide a way to regulate the transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes relating with aging or various diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1587-1592
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• 2007

Locus control region (LCR) is a cia-acting element which regulates the transcription of genes in developmental stage and/or tissue-specific pattern. Typically, LCR consists of several DNase I hypersensitive sites (HSs), where the binding motifs for transcriptional activators are present. The binding of activators to the HSs recruits chromatin modifying complexes to the LCR, opening chromatin structure and modifying histones covalently through the locus. LCR forms close physical contact with target gene located at a distance by looping away intervening region. In addition, non-coding RNA is transcribed from LCR toward target genes in continuously acetylated active domain. These structural and functional features of LCR suggest that the LCR plays many roles in chromatin activation and transcriptional regulation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.445-453
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• 2017

CTCF, Zinc-finger protein, has been identified as a multifunctional transcription factor that regulates gene expression through various mechanisms, including recruitment of other co-activators and binding to promoter regions of target genes. Furthermore, it has been proposed to be an insulator protein that contributes to the establishment of functional three-dimensional chromatin structures. It can disrupt transcription through blocking the connection between an enhancer and a promoter. Previous studies revealed that the onset of various diseases, including breast cancer, could be attributed to the aberrant expression of CTCF itself or one or more of its target genes. In this review, we will describe molecular dysfunction involving CTCF that induces tumorigenesis and summarize the functional roles of CTCF in breast cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.841-850
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• 2014

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are conserved chromatin regulators involved in the control of key developmental programs in eukaryotes. They collectively provide the transcriptional memory unique to each cell identity by maintaining transcriptional states of developmental genes. PcG proteins form multi-protein complexes, known as Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC1 and PRC2 contribute to the stable gene silencing in part through catalyzing covalent histone modifications. Components of PRC1 and PRC2 are well conserved from plants to animals. PcG-mediated gene silencing has been extensively investigated in efforts to understand molecular mechanisms underlying developmental programs in eukaryotes. Here, we describe our current knowledge on PcG-mediated gene repression which dictates developmental programs by dynamic layers of regulatory activities, with an emphasis given to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.