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A change in biophysical properties accompanies heterochromatin formation in mouse embryos.
Genes Dev. 37, 336-350 (2023)
The majority of our genome is composed of repeated DNA sequences that assemble into heterochromatin, a highly compacted structure that constrains their mutational potential. How heterochromatin forms during development and how its structure is maintained are not fully understood. Here, we show that mouse heterochromatin phase-separates after fertilization, during the earliest stages of mammalian embryogenesis. Using high-resolution quantitative imaging and molecular biology approaches, we show that pericentromeric heterochromatin displays properties consistent with a liquid-like state at the two-cell stage, which change at the four-cell stage, when chromocenters mature and heterochromatin becomes silent. Disrupting the condensates results in altered transcript levels of pericentromeric heterochromatin, suggesting a functional role for phase separation in heterochromatin function. Thus, our work shows that mouse heterochromatin forms membrane-less compartments with biophysical properties that change during development and provides new insights into the self-organization of chromatin domains during mammalian embryogenesis.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
Embryo ; Heterochromatin ; Imaging; Phase-separation; Correlation Spectroscopy; Chromatin; Atrx; Organization; Proteins; Domain; Rna; Pluripotency; Localization
Language
english
Publication Year
2023
HGF-reported in Year
2023
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0890-9369
e-ISSN
1549-5477
Journal
Genes and Development
Quellenangaben
Volume: 37,
Issue: 7-8,
Pages: 336-350
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
Publishing Place
1 Bungtown Rd, Cold Spring Harbor, Ny 11724 Usa
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
POF-Topic(s)
30204 - Cell Programming and Repair
30203 - Molecular Targets and Therapies
30203 - Molecular Targets and Therapies
Research field(s)
Stem Cell and Neuroscience
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
Helmholtz Diabetes Center
PSP Element(s)
G-506200-001
G-502800-001
G-502800-001
Grants
LMUinnovativ Initiative BioImaging Network (BIN)
Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich via the Center for NanoScience (CeNS)
German Research Foundation)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG
German Research Foundation (DFG)
Helmholtz Association
LMUinnovativ Initiative BioImaging Network (BIN)
Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich via the Center for NanoScience (CeNS)
German Research Foundation)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG
German Research Foundation (DFG)
Helmholtz Association
WOS ID
000980566600006
Scopus ID
85153802935
PubMed ID
37072228
Erfassungsdatum
2023-10-06