DNA Binding Kinetics of CTCF in vitro

Abstract

CTCF is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor whose architectural role as an insulator is tied to its ability to form genomic loops and delimit boundaries of topologically associated domains (TADs). This capacity for binding of a single protein to affect distal regulation over megabases is both remarkable and poorly understood mechanistically. In current models, a cohesin‐associated complex expands a loop by tracking along DNA in both directions, while CTCF defines the loop size and position by halting this complex. However, a recent single molecule imaging study finds the DNA‐association lifetime of CTCF to be ten‐fold shorter than that of cohesin in vivo, suggesting that CTCF and cohesin act independently and dynamically (Hansen et al., 2017). This raises key questions about how CTCF forms and maintains domain boundaries and loops, and highlights the need for a careful study of CTCF‐DNA binding kinetics.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2018
Source ID
10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.523.6

Entities

People

  • Adrian L. Sanborn
  • Roger D. Kornberg

Organizations

  • National Institutes of Health
  • Stanford University

Tags

Readers

  • Breast cancer cell signaling and growth regulation.
  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics