The molecular basis of lamin- chromatin interactions [ChIP-Seq]

Lamins are the main constituents of the nuclear lamina, a fibrillar layer underlyingthe inner nuclear membrane. The nuclear lamina governs chromatinorganization through lamina-associated domainswithin the densely packed heterochromatin regions. Employing cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling in conjunction withcryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), we mappedthe concentration of nucleosomesat the lamin-chromatin interface. Depletion of lamin A/C induces nanometer-scale chromatin decompaction, macroscopic-scale alterations in gene expression and chromatin-wide alterations of chromatin properties, revealed by 4f-genome-wide analysis. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural analysis revealed a specific interaction between nucleosomes and the tail domain of lamin A. A unique motif of lamin A that distinguishes it from other lamin isoforms. These findings illuminatethe dynamic interplay between specific lamins and chromatin, shaping chromatin architecture and epigenetic regulation.