研究実績
2026
2.
Masa A. Shimazoe, Shiori Iida, Katsuhiko Minami, Koichi Higashi, Sachiko Tamura, Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Shin Fujishiro, Le Xiong, Kako Nakazato, S. S. Ashwin, Tomoko Nishiyama, Yu Nagata, Masato T. Kanemaki, Akane Kawaguchi, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Lothar Schermelleh, Atsushi Toyoda, Liangqi Xie, Ken Kurokawa, Hiroshi Ochiai, Masaki Sasai, Kazuhiro Maeshima
Cohesin prevents local mixing of condensed euchromatic domains in living human cells Journal Article
In: Nature Genetics, vol. 58, no. 9, pp. 2335–2349, 2026, ISSN: 1546-1718.
Abstract | Links | タグ: Kawaguchi G, Nishiyama G, Ochiai G, Ohkawa G
@article{Shimazoe2026,
title = {Cohesin prevents local mixing of condensed euchromatic domains in living human cells},
author = {Masa A. Shimazoe and Shiori Iida and Katsuhiko Minami and Koichi Higashi and Sachiko Tamura and Yoshiaki Kobayashi and Shin Fujishiro and Le Xiong and Kako Nakazato and S. S. Ashwin and Tomoko Nishiyama and Yu Nagata and Masato T. Kanemaki and Akane Kawaguchi and Yasuyuki Ohkawa and Lothar Schermelleh and Atsushi Toyoda and Liangqi Xie and Ken Kurokawa and Hiroshi Ochiai and Masaki Sasai and Kazuhiro Maeshima},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-026-02736-2},
doi = {10.1038/s41588-026-02736-2},
issn = {1546-1718},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-08},
urldate = {2026-09-08},
journal = {Nature Genetics},
volume = {58},
number = {9},
pages = {2335--2349},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
abstract = {The human genome is folded into chromatin loops by the cohesin complex, forming functional chromatin domains that underlie transcription and DNA replication/repair. However, how cohesin organizes these domains in living cells, especially in active euchromatin, remains elusive. Here, to address this question, we combined single-nucleosome imaging/tracking and super-resolution three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy with euchromatin-specific labeling of histone variant H3.3. Using this nanoscopic approach, we revealed that euchromatin forms condensed domains that are constrained by cohesin-mediated loops. This organization refines the classical view of euchromatin as largely open, in line with emerging evidence. Transcription machinery appears to be located near the condensed domain surfaces/borders. Cohesin loss increased nucleosome-level fluidity within these domains without altering their overall compaction, leading to local mixing of domains and compromising transcriptional insulation. These findings suggest a physical role of cohesin in maintaining the integrity of condensed euchromatic domains and ensuring proper higher-order regulation of gene expression.},
keywords = {Kawaguchi G, Nishiyama G, Ochiai G, Ohkawa G},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The human genome is folded into chromatin loops by the cohesin complex, forming functional chromatin domains that underlie transcription and DNA replication/repair. However, how cohesin organizes these domains in living cells, especially in active euchromatin, remains elusive. Here, to address this question, we combined single-nucleosome imaging/tracking and super-resolution three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy with euchromatin-specific labeling of histone variant H3.3. Using this nanoscopic approach, we revealed that euchromatin forms condensed domains that are constrained by cohesin-mediated loops. This organization refines the classical view of euchromatin as largely open, in line with emerging evidence. Transcription machinery appears to be located near the condensed domain surfaces/borders. Cohesin loss increased nucleosome-level fluidity within these domains without altering their overall compaction, leading to local mixing of domains and compromising transcriptional insulation. These findings suggest a physical role of cohesin in maintaining the integrity of condensed euchromatic domains and ensuring proper higher-order regulation of gene expression.
1.
Akane Kawaguchi, Mao Igari, Yasuto Murayama, Hiroko Iikawa, Mika Sakamoto, Yasukazu Nakamura, Shigehiro Kuraku, Keisuke Ishihara, Daisuke Saito
ATAC-seq of low-input and cryopreserved primordial germ cells reveals functional enhancers Journal Article
In: Development, vol. 153, no. 9, 2026, ISSN: 1477-9129.
Abstract | Links | タグ: Kawaguchi G
@article{Kawaguchi2026,
title = {ATAC-seq of low-input and cryopreserved primordial germ cells reveals functional enhancers},
author = {Akane Kawaguchi and Mao Igari and Yasuto Murayama and Hiroko Iikawa and Mika Sakamoto and Yasukazu Nakamura and Shigehiro Kuraku and Keisuke Ishihara and Daisuke Saito},
doi = {10.1242/dev.205214},
issn = {1477-9129},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-05-01},
urldate = {2026-05-01},
journal = {Development},
volume = {153},
number = {9},
publisher = {The Company of Biologists},
abstract = {Dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility at cis-regulatory elements underlie cell fate transitions during development. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) represent a rare population whose chromatin dynamics remain poorly understood compared to known epigenetic landscapes. Here, we utilized the chicken PGC model to bridge this gap, leveraging its capacity for in vitro expansion and in vivo colonization. We adapted the ATAC-seq workflow to obtain reproducible accessible chromatin region (ACR) profiles from as few as 200 cells, even after cryopreservation. Integrative analysis identified over 10,000 PGC-specific ACRs, many absent from somatic tissues, and revealed inherent Tn5 transposase sequence biases in the chicken genome. To validate these ACRs, we established an in vitro PGC differentiation system and utilized in vivo embryonic transplantation. Reporter assays confirmed enhancer activities in cultured PGCs, while transcriptome integration associated these ACRs with genes expressed at embryonic day 2.5. In vivo transplantation demonstrated that these enhancers exhibited early stage-specific activity, becoming silenced upon gonadal settlement. Our results provide a practical strategy for identifying functional regulatory elements from minimal starting material, facilitating the study of chromatin dynamics in rare cell populations.},
keywords = {Kawaguchi G},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility at cis-regulatory elements underlie cell fate transitions during development. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) represent a rare population whose chromatin dynamics remain poorly understood compared to known epigenetic landscapes. Here, we utilized the chicken PGC model to bridge this gap, leveraging its capacity for in vitro expansion and in vivo colonization. We adapted the ATAC-seq workflow to obtain reproducible accessible chromatin region (ACR) profiles from as few as 200 cells, even after cryopreservation. Integrative analysis identified over 10,000 PGC-specific ACRs, many absent from somatic tissues, and revealed inherent Tn5 transposase sequence biases in the chicken genome. To validate these ACRs, we established an in vitro PGC differentiation system and utilized in vivo embryonic transplantation. Reporter assays confirmed enhancer activities in cultured PGCs, while transcriptome integration associated these ACRs with genes expressed at embryonic day 2.5. In vivo transplantation demonstrated that these enhancers exhibited early stage-specific activity, becoming silenced upon gonadal settlement. Our results provide a practical strategy for identifying functional regulatory elements from minimal starting material, facilitating the study of chromatin dynamics in rare cell populations.
