Role of dynamic nuclear deformation on genomic architecture reorganization

PLoS Comput Biol. 2019 Sep 11;15(9):e1007289. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007289. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Higher-order genomic architecture varies according to cell type and changes dramatically during differentiation. One of the remarkable examples of spatial genomic reorganization is the rod photoreceptor cell differentiation in nocturnal mammals. The inverted nuclear architecture found in adult mouse rod cells is formed through the reorganization of the conventional architecture during terminal differentiation. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes remain largely unknown. Here, we found that the dynamic deformation of nuclei via actomyosin-mediated contractility contributes to chromocenter clustering and promotes genomic architecture reorganization during differentiation by conducting an in cellulo experiment coupled with phase-field modeling. Similar patterns of dynamic deformation of the nucleus and a concomitant migration of the nuclear content were also observed in rod cells derived from the developing mouse retina. These results indicate that the common phenomenon of dynamic nuclear deformation, which accompanies dynamic cell behavior, can be a universal mechanism for spatiotemporal genomic reorganization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics*
  • Cell Nucleus* / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus* / physiology
  • Chromosome Structures* / physiology
  • Chromosome Structures* / ultrastructure
  • Computational Biology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Biological
  • Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / cytology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP18H05531 and JP19K06612 to H.O.; JP16K17643 to S.S.L; JP15K15631 to F.O., and by JST, PRESTO Grant Number JPMJPR16E2 to S.S.L.; JPMJPR14F6 to F.O.; and JPMJPR15F2 to H.O., Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.