title: Chromosome conformation maps in fission yeast reveal cell cycle dependent sub nuclear structure.
abstract: Successful progression through the cell cycle requires spatial and temporal regulation of gene transcript levels and the number, positions and condensation levels of chromosomes. Here we present a high resolution survey of genome interactions in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using synchronized cells to investigate cell cycle dependent changes in genome organization and transcription. Cell cycle dependent interactions were captured between and within S. pombe chromosomes. Known features of genome organization (e.g. the clustering of telomeres and retrotransposon long terminal repeats (LTRs)) were observed throughout the cell cycle. There were clear correlations between transcript levels and chromosomal interactions between genes, consistent with a role for interactions in transcriptional regulation at specific stages of the cell cycle. In silico reconstructions of the chromosome organization within the S. pombe nuclei were made by polymer modeling. These models suggest that groups of genes with high and low, or differentially regulated transcript levels have preferred positions within the S. pombe nucleus. We conclude that the S. pombe nucleus is spatially divided into functional sub-nuclear domains that correlate with gene activity. The observation that chromosomal interactions are maintained even when chromosomes are fully condensed in M phase implicates genome organization in epigenetic inheritance and bookmarking.
authors.affiliation: Liggins institute, University of Auckland, Grafton Auckland 1032, NZ Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ.
authors.forename: Ralph S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Grand
authors.affiliation: Liggins institute, University of Auckland, Grafton Auckland 1032, NZ.
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pichugina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ.
authors.forename: Lutz R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Gehlen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ.
authors.forename: M Beatrix
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, NZ.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, Auckland 0745, NZ.
authors.forename: Jane R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.affiliation: HHMI-GBMF, Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, NY 11724, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martienssen
authors.affiliation: Liggins institute, University of Auckland, Grafton Auckland 1032, NZ justin.osullivan@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Justin M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D042581:Intranuclear Space; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences; D014158:Transcription, Genetic