The Role of Chromosome-Nuclear Envelope Attachments in 3D Genome Organization.

Chromosomes are intricately folded and packaged in the cell nucleus and interact with the nuclear envelope. This complex nuclear architecture has a profound effect on how the genome works and how the cells function. The main goal of review is to highlight recent studies on the effect of chromosome-nuclear envelope interactions on chromatin folding and function in the nucleus. The data obtained suggest that chromosome-nuclear envelope attachments are important for the organization of nuclear architecture in various organisms. A combination of experimental cell biology methods with computational modeling offers a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental relationships between different aspects of 3D genome organization in greater details. This powerful interdisciplinary approach could reveal how the organization and function of the genome in the nuclear space is affected by the chromosome-nuclear envelope attachments and will enable the development of novel approaches to regulate gene expression.

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF CHROMOSOMES IN MALARIA MOSQUITOES.

Malaria mosquitoes are vectors of dangerous human diseases and a model system for investigations of chromosome evolution, heterochromatin organization, and nuclei architecture in the cells of the reproductive system. Investigations of nurse cells chromosomes are aimed at understanding of mechanisms that cause interspecies differences in the nuclear spatial organization in these cells. One of the most important tasks of this research is the undestanding of molecular organization of the chromosome regions that are attached to the nuclear envelope. In the present review, the recent achievements in this field of research are described and unsolved problems of the spatial chromosome organization are identified.

[Comparative Analysis of DNA Sequences of Regions of X-Chromosome Attachment to the Nuclear Envelope of Nurse Cells Anopheles messeae Fall].

Polytene chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells of Anopheles mosquitoes form strong contacts with the nuclear envelope. The presence of contacts, their position at nurse cell chromosomes, and their morphological features are species-specific in malaria mosquitoes. It is important to determine the nature of these interspecies differences in the nuclear architecture, both to understand the function of the nucleus and to assess the role of the spatial organization of chromosomes in evolution. Using dot-blot hybridization, we compared DNA sequences of the clone library from the X-chromosome attachment region to the nuclear envelope of ovarian nurse cells of Anopheles messeae with DNA-probes: (1) of the X-chromosome attachment region of An. atroparvus, (2) of the 3R chromosome attachment region ofAn. messeae, and (3) of the chromosome 2 pericentromeric region of An. messeae, without expressed contacts with the nuclear envelope. It has been shown that the chromosome attachment regions have a significantly higher number of homologous DNA sequences as compared with the pericentromeric region of chromosome 2. Sequences that are common for attachment regions are largely potentially able to participate in the formation of chromatin loop domains and to interact with some nucleus frameworks, according to the analysis in the ChrClass program. The obtained results support the important role of DNA in the formation of strong chromosomal attachments to the nuclear envelope in nurse cells of Anopheles mosquitoes.

A standard photomap of ovarian nurse cell chromosomes in the European malaria vector Anopheles atroparvus.

Anopheles atroparvus (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the main malaria vectors of the Maculipennis group in Europe. Cytogenetic analysis based on salivary gland chromosomes has been used in taxonomic and population genetic studies of mosquitoes from this group. However, a high-resolution cytogenetic map that could be used in physical genome mapping in An. atroparvus is still lacking. In the present study, a high-quality photomap of the polytene chromosomes from ovarian nurse cells of An. atroparvus was developed. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization, 10 genes from the five largest genomic supercontigs on the polytene chromosome were localized and 28% of the genome was anchored to the cytogenetic map. The study established chromosome arm homology between An. atroparvus and the major African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, suggesting a whole-arm translocation between autosomes of these two species. The standard photomap constructed for ovarian nurse cell chromosomes of An. atroparvus will be useful for routine physical mapping. This map will assist in the development of a fine-scale chromosome-based genome assembly for this species and will also facilitate comparative and evolutionary genomics studies in the genus Anopheles.

[Molecular genetic analysis of the X-chromosomal nuclear envelope attachment region in nurse cells of the malaria mosquitoes Anopheles messeae Fall].

DNA of the X-chromosomal nuclear envelope attachment region was isolated from malaria mosquito Anopheles messeae Fall. nurse cells by chromosome microdissection. A DNA library of the region was constructed using a plasmid vector. DNA sequencing revealed gene fragments, tandem repeats, and a great variety of transposable elements (TEs). The X-chromosomal nuclear envelope attachment region was concluded to correspond in molecular organization and cytogenetics to diffuse intercalary heterochromatin.

[Analysis of the spatial organization of the XL chromosome attachment site in nurse cell nuclei of the malaria mosquito Anopheles atroparvus].

The spatial position of the site of XL chromosome attachment to the nuclear envelope of ovarian nurse cells relative to the oocyte has been analyzed in the malaria mosquito Anopheles atroparvus. The XL chromosome attachment sites in the oocyte-nurse cell system of this species have been demonstrated to be orderly arranged, with the attachment sites in two out of three nurse cells in the same layer identically oriented relative to the oocyte.

[Inversion polymorphism in malarial mosquito Anopheles messeae natural populations from the north-eastern region of the range].

A cytogenetic study of eight natural populations of Anopheles messeae from the north-eastern part of the species areal was conducted. Complete predominance of homozygotes XL11 and 3R11 in the northern populations was observed. Change in the chromosome 2 inversion frequencies from south northwards was shown. The 2R11 variant, which was not observed in the southern region, was found in the northern populations. These results indicate the maintenance of chromosome frequency of the distribution of inversions XL1 and 3R (in longitude) and 2R1 (in latitude). The inversion frequency distribution in the examined part of the areal have been preserved for a long time.

[Molecular cytogenetic analysis of DNA from pericentric heterochromatin of chromosome 2L of malaria mosquito Anopheles beklemishevi (Culicidae, Diptera)].

Using the method of microdissection of polytene chromosomes, followed by in situ hybridization, chromosomal localization of region-specific DNA probe from pericentic heterochromatin of chromosome 2L of Anopheles beklemishevi Stegnii et Kabanova was examined on polytene chromosomes of Anopheles atroparvus van Thiel, An. messeae Fall, and An. beklemishevi. DNA sequences homologous to the probe used were found in all species examined on chromosomes 2 and 3 in pericentric regions and in attachment regions. The exclusion were the attachment regions of chromosome XL in An. beklemishevi and An. messeae, and pericentric region of arm 2R in An. messeae. Pericentric a-heterochromatin of arm 2L in An. messeae and arm 3R in An. atroparvus also contained no sequences homologous to the DNA probe. The data obtained were compared with the earlier obtained data on localization of species-specific probe from the segment of chromosome 2R of An. atroparvus on chromosomes of An. artoparvus, An. messeae, and An. beklemishevi. The differences between the species in the sites of probes localization and fluorescence intensity revealed pointed to the existence of individual sequence associations in the regions of chromosomes attachment.