Chromobility: the rapid movement of chromosomes in interphase nuclei

Abstract

There are an increasing number of studies reporting the movement of gene loci and whole chromosomes to new compartments within interphase nuclei. Some of the movements can be rapid, with relocation of parts of the genome within less than 15 min over a number of microns. Some of these studies have also revealed that the activity of motor proteins such as actin and myosin are responsible for these long-range movements of chromatin. Within the nuclear biology field, there remains some controversy over the presence of an active nuclear acto-myosin motor in interphase nuclei. However, both actin and myosin isoforms are localized to the nucleus, and there is a requirement for rapid and directed movements of genes and whole chromosomes and evidence for the involvement of motor proteins in this relocation. The presence of nuclear motors for chromatin movement is thus an important and timely debate to have.

Three-dimensional genome architecture: players and mechanisms

“…At the next level of organization, whole chromosomes occupy discrete chromosome territories in the interphase nucleus, with preferred positioning that depends on the cell type and is conserved between humans and other primates 59,60 . Striking changes in chromosome positioning are rare, but have been reported to occur within minutes 61 . The positioning of many genes changes in response to environmental stimuli, during cell commitmen t and in disease [62][63][64][65] .…”

Differential Spatial Repositioning of Activated Genes in Biomphalaria glabrata Snails Infected with Schistosoma mansoni

“…We have now taken a step further to analyse the behaviour of these genes in the susceptible and resistant snail lines after exposure to S. mansoni miracidia. Considering that genes and chromosomes can move within a matter of minutes to hours within the nuclear environment [25], [32]–[34], time points were taken at 0, 0.5, 2, 5 and 24 hours after exposing snails to miracidia. To correlate the alteration in the spatial positioning with gene expression, quantitative real time (qRT)-PCR was performed using RNA isolated from parasite-exposed snails for the same time points.…”

Coming to terms with chromatin structure

“…Other nuclear structures that associate with specific loci include the nucleolus (Nemeth and Langst 2011;Olson and Dundr 2001), transcription factories (Osborne et al 2004) and a variety of nuclear bodies, such as promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) nuclear bodies (Ching et al 2013), Cajal bodies (Smith and Lawrence 2000) and histone locus bodies (Liu et al 2006;Nizami et al 2010). This spatial proximity between specific loci and nuclear factors or sub-compartments may be a consequence of either active movement directed by nuclear skeletal elements (Bridger 2011;Bridger et al 2014;Chuang et al 2006;Dundr et al 2007) or may reflect a passive mass action and selfassembly of functional domains that stabilize once formed (reviewed in Chuang and Belmont 2007).…”