A specific conformation of the territory of chromosome 17 locates ERBB-2 sequences to a DNase-hypersensitive domain at the nuclear periphery.
Chromatin in interphase nuclei exhibits a topology that is associated with the transcriptional state of cells. We examined the spatial, intranuclear distribution of chromosome 17 and the ERBB-2 (HER2/neu) sequence thereon, relative to that of DNase-hypersensitive chromatin (DHC), in breast tumour cells exhibiting different levels of expression of ERBB-2. These sequences were specifically associated with the nuclear periphery, within a band of DHC. The remainder of the chromosome 17 mass showed no preferential position within the nucleus. The peripheral placement of ERBB-2 sequences is associated with a specific conformation of chromosome 17. We propose that the conformational organization of chromosome territories might represent a fundamental control mechanism in gene expression.
Park
P C
PC
Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
De Boni
U
U
D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018734:Genes, erbB-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D003851:Deoxyribonucleases