Global impact of balanced X-AUTOSOME translocations on chromatin architecture

Abstract

Balanced structural rearrangements may induce position effects by modifying specific cis- and trans-acting DNA regulatory element, thus changing the overall chromatin topology and DNA accessibility. Disease-associated balanced chromosomal rearrangements are good paradigms to assess the mechanism underlying these genome reorganizations. Women with balanced X-autosome translocations constitute a heterogeneous group of patients as the phenotypic outcomes depend both on the location of the breakpoints and the X-chromosome inactivation pattern. As in the majority of patients, the normal X-chromosome is preferentially inactivated, balanced X-autosome translocations are a useful model to assess the genome-wide effects of balanced rearrangements. We propose to investigate the impact of genome reorganization in patients with balanced X-autosome translocations by combining RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and 4C-seq (chromatin conformation capture) data. Cross-feeding of these information should unravel if balanced X-autosome translocations induce large-scale chromatin conformation in various ways, e.g. influencing expression levels of breakpoint flanking genes and other gene sequences genome-wide. (AU)