Function of Insulators in 3D Genome Folding (Maria Gambetta)

<p class="md-end-block md-p">In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Maria Gambetta from the University of Lausanne about her work on the function of insulators in 3D genome folding.</p> <p class="md-end-block md-p">Maria Gambetta focuses on investigating 3D contact dynamics between enhancers and promoters, providing insights into tissue-specific gene activation. The team used capture-C to analyze dynamic looping events, emphasizing the significance of accessible chromatin peaks in enhancer-promoter interactions. Furthermore, they focused on gene insulation and CTCF's role in forming topologically associating domains in Drosophila. Hi-C analysis on CTCF mutants revealed the conservation of TAD boundary mechanisms, identifying CP-190 as a potential binding protein.</p> <p class="md-end-block md-p md-focus">Their findings on the loss of TAD boundaries in mutants and the role of transcription in TAD boundary formation are discussed as well as the function of CP190 and insulators in preventing interactions between promoters and enhancers. Their work challenges existing models of insulator function and seeks to understand their mechanisms better. The conversation concludes with insights into long-range regulatory associations in Drosophila, emphasizing the punctual interactions between transcription factor binding sites and their effect on neural gene transcription and genome folding.</p> <p class="md-end-block md-p"> </p> <p class="md-end-block md-p">References</p> <ul class="ul-list"><li class="md-list-item"> <p class="md-end-block md-p">Gambetta, M. C., Oktaba, K., &amp; Müller, J. (2009). Essential role of the glycosyltransferase sxc/Ogt in polycomb repression. Science (New York, N.Y.), 325(5936), 93–96. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1169727'>https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1169727</a></p> </li> <li class="md-list-item"> <p class="md-end-block md-p">Kaushal, A., Mohana, G., Dorier, J., Özdemir, I., Omer, A., Cousin, P., Semenova, A., Taschner, M., Dergai, O., Marzetta, F., Iseli, C.,