CTCF confers local nucleosome resiliency after DNA replication and during mitosis

Abstract

The access of Transcription Factors (TFs) to their cognate DNA binding motifs requires a precise control over nucleosome posi-tioning. This is especially important following DNA replication and during mitosis, both resulting in profound changes in nu-cleosome organization over TF binding regions. Using mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) cells, we show that the TF CTCF displaces nucleosomes from its binding site and locally organizes large and phased nucleosomal arrays, not only in interphase steady-state but also immediately after replication and during mitosis. While regions bound by other TFs, such as Oct4 and Sox2, display major rearrangement, the post-replication and mitotic nucleosome organization activity of CTCF is not likely to be unique: Esrrb binding regions are also characterized by persistent nucleosome positioning. Therefore, we propose that selected TFs, such as CTCF and Esrrb, govern the inheritance of nucleosome positioning at gene regulatory regions through-out the ES cell-cycle.