Fasting Triggers Major Chromatin Reorganization
In a new study led by Dr. Daphne Cabianca, researchers of the Institute of Functional Epigenetics at Helmholtz Munich have unveiled how environmental factors, specifically fasting, can dramatically alter the spatial organization of chromatin within the nucleus. This study, conducted using the model organism C. elegans, sheds new light on how the genome responds to nutritional changes. The results were published in Nature Cell Biology.
Chromatin is a complex of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Its organization is crucial for genome function, yet the effects of various environmental stimuli on chromatin’s 3D structure remain largely unexplored. Dr. Cabianca’s team utilized advanced single-nucleus confocal imaging techniques to observe fluorescently labeled chromatin in live animals. Their findings reveal that fasting induces a drastic, intestine-specific reorganization of chromatin. This large-scale spatial shift appears to facilitate the gene expression changes associated with the absence of food.
Key Players in Chromatin Reorganization
Remarkably, the study identifies the nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway and RNA polymerase I as key regulators of this fasting-induced chromatin reorganization. This discovery highlights novel roles for these evolutionarily conserved factors, which are also implicated in cancer and aging, in managing chromatin architecture. Overall, these findings open new avenues for research into how metabolic states and nutrients availability influence chromatin organization, offering potential insights into health and disease mechanisms.
Original publication
Al-Refaie et al. (2024): Fasting shapes chromatin architecture through an mTOR/RNA Pol I axis. Nature Cell Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01512-w
About the scientist
Daphne S. Cabianca, Group Leader at the Institute of Functional Epigenetics (IFE) at the Helmholtz Munich Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center.
