MyoD1 localization at the nuclear periphery is mediated by association of WFS1 with active enhancers

Spatial organization of the mammalian genome influences gene expression and cell identity. While association of genes with the nuclear periphery is commonly linked to transcriptional repression, also active, expressed genes can localize at the nuclear periphery. The transcriptionally active MyoD1 gene, a master regulator of myogenesis, exhibits peripheral localization in proliferating myoblasts, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Using a newly generated reporter cell line, we demonstrate here that peripheral association of the MyoD1 locus is independent of mechanisms involved in heterochromatin anchoring. We identify a set of nuclear envelope transmembrane proteins, particularly WFS1, that actively tether MyoD1 to the nuclear periphery. WFS1 primarily associates with active distal enhancer elements upstream of MyoD1, and with a subset of enhancers enriched in active histone marks genome-wide, which are linked to expressed myogenic genes. Overall, our data identify a novel mechanism involved in tethering active genes to the nuclear periphery. This research was funded in whole or in part by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [P29713-B28, P32512-B and P36503-B] to Roland Foisner and a doctorate program funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [W1261-B28].