2021年11月4日，《细胞》杂志在线发表了美国加州理工学院Mitchell Guttman团队的最新成果，他们的研究认为RNA促进细胞核内空间区室的形成。

据研究人员介绍，RNA、DNA和蛋白质分子在细胞核的三维（3D）结构中高度组织。尽管有人提出RNA在核组织中发挥作用，但探索这一点一直具有挑战性，因为现有方法无法测量3D结构内的高阶RNA和DNA接触。

为了解决这个问题，研究人员开发了RNA&DNA SPRITE（RD-SPRITE）来全面映射RNA和DNA的空间组织。这些图谱揭示了与三大类核功能相关的高阶RNA染色质结构：RNA加工、异染色质组装和基因调控。这些数据表明，数百个ncRNA在整个细胞核中形成了高浓度区域，需要特定的RNA将各种调节因子招募到这些区域，并且这些RNA可以形成远程DNA接触、异染色质组装和基因表达。这些结果证明了一种机制：RNA形成高浓度区域，与可扩散的调节因子结合，并将它们引导到区室中来调节基本的核功能。 

附：英文原文

Title: RNA promotes the formation of spatial compartments in the nucleus

Author: Sofia A. Quinodoz, Joanna W. Jachowicz, Prashant Bhat, Noah Ollikainen, Abhik K. Banerjee, Isabel N. Goronzy, Mario R. Blanco, Peter Chovanec, Amy Chow, Yolanda Markaki, Jasmine Thai, Kathrin Plath, Mitchell Guttman

Issue&Volume: 2021-11-04

Abstract: RNA, DNA, and protein molecules are highly organized within three-dimensional (3D)structures in the nucleus. Although RNA has been proposed to play a role in nuclearorganization, exploring this has been challenging because existing methods cannotmeasure higher-order RNA and DNA contacts within 3D structures. To address this, wedeveloped RNA & DNA SPRITE (RD-SPRITE) to comprehensively map the spatial organizationof RNA and DNA. These maps reveal higher-order RNA-chromatin structures associatedwith three major classes of nuclear function: RNA processing, heterochromatin assembly,and gene regulation. These data demonstrate that hundreds of ncRNAs form high-concentrationterritories throughout the nucleus, that specific RNAs are required to recruit variousregulators into these territories, and that these RNAs can shape long-range DNA contacts,heterochromatin assembly, and gene expression. These results demonstrate a mechanismwhere RNAs form high-concentration territories, bind to diffusible regulators, andguide them into compartments to regulate essential nuclear functions.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.014

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)01230-7