Physiological role of the 3’IgH CBEs super-anchor in antibody class switching

Abstract

IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cμ constant region (CH) exons with one of six downstream CHS by joining transcription-targeted DSBs in the Cμ switch (S) region to DSBs in a downstream S region. Chromatin loop extrusion underlies fundamental CSR mechanisms including 3’IgH regulatory region (3’IgHRR)-mediated S region transcription, CSR center formation, and deletional CSR joining. There are ten consecutive CTCF binding elements (CBEs) downstream of the 3’IgHRR, termed the “3’IgH CBEs”. Prior studies showed that deletion of eight 3’IgH CBEs did not detectably affect CSR. Here, we report that deletion of all 3’IgH CBEs impacts, to varying degrees, germline transcription and CSR of upstream S regions, except Sγ1. Moreover, deletion of all 3’IgH CBEs rendered the 6kb region just downstream highly transcribed and caused sequences within to be aligned with Sμ, broken, and joined to form aberrant CSR rearrangements. These findings implicate the 3’IgH CBEs as a critical insulator for focusing loop extrusion-mediated 3’IgHRR transcriptional and CSR activities on upstream CH locus targets.SignificanceB lymphocytes change antibody heavy chain (IgH) isotypes by a recombination/deletion process called IgH class switch recombination (CSR). CSR involves introduction of DNA breaks into a donor switch (S) region and also into one of six downstream S regions, with joining of the breaks changing antibody isotype. A chromatin super-anchor, of unknown function, is located just downstream of the IgH locus. We show that complete deletion of this super-anchor variably decreases CSR to most S regions and creates an ectopic S region downstream of IgH locus that undergoes aberrant CSR-driven chromosomal rearrangements. Based on these and other findings, we conclude that the super-anchor downstream of IgH is a critical insulator for focusing potentially dangerous CSR rearrangements to the IgH locus.

Repair of programmed DNA lesions in antibody class switch recombination: common and unique features

“…In cis , the chromatin architecture offers a convenient way for deletional recombination. IgH locus locates in its own topological associated domain (TAD), in which context the CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) are key cis -elements in regulating either V(D)J recombination or CSR (Guo et al 2011 ; Lin et al 2015 ; Zhang et al 2021 ). Cohesin-mediated loop extrusion facilitates chromatin contacts and the formation of TADs (Vian et al 2018 ), and assists both V(D)J recombination and CSR (Zhang et al 2019a , 2019b ).…”