Mega-Enhancers Compartmentalize Transcriptionally Active Long Genes in the Brain [RNA-Seq]

Exceptionally long genes and cis-regulatory enhancers are selectively activated in mammalian brain neurons, and these loci are mutation hotspots in neurological disorders. However, the organization of these large genomic elements at the level of chromosome folding, beyond local enhancer-promoter interactions, remains poorly understood. Here, we report the discovery of a genomic subcompartment in the mouse cerebellum formed by near-megabase long enhancers and their associated long genes encoding synaptic or signaling proteins. Genomic regions within this subcompartment are enriched in the outer-half of the nucleus, while other transcriptionally active structures are enriched in the nuclear interior. Using an in vivo CRISPR genetic mini-screen, we uncover a specific role for the transcription factor Etv1 in coupling the compartmentalization of neuronal long genes with their expression. Together, our study defines mechanisms that organize transcriptionally active genes across chromosomes in the mammalian brain.