Chromatin organization marks exon-intron structure.
An increasing body of evidence indicates that transcription and splicing are coupled, and it is accepted that chromatin organization regulates transcription. Little is known about the cross-talk between chromatin structure and exon-intron architecture. By analysis of genome-wide nucleosome-positioning data sets from humans, flies and worms, we found that exons show increased nucleosome-occupancy levels with respect to introns, a finding that we link to differential GC content and nucleosome-disfavoring elements between exons and introns. Analysis of genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation data in humans and mice revealed four specific post-translational histone modifications enriched in exons. Our findings indicate that previously described enrichment of H3K36me3 modifications in exons reflects a more fundamental phenomenon, namely increased nucleosome occupancy along exons. Our results suggest an RNA polymerase II-mediated cross-talk between chromatin structure and exon-intron architecture, implying that exon selection may be modulated by chromatin structure.
Schwartz
Schraga
S
Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
Meshorer
Eran
E
Ast
Gil
G
D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D016678:Genome; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008745:Methylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D012319:RNA Polymerase II
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