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Updated: Jun 10, 2025

CRISPR-Mediated Reorganization of Chromatin Loop Structure
Published on: September 14, 2018
SRF promotes long-range chromatin loop formation and stem cell pluripotency
Pavel Tsaytler1, Gaby Blaess1, Manuela Scholze-Wittler1
1Department Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestr. 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor essential for cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration and is required for primitive streak and mesoderm formation in the embryo. The canonical roles of SRF are mediated by a diverse set of context-dependent cofactors. Here, we show that SRF physically interacts with CTCF and cohesin subunits at topologically associating domain (TAD) boundaries and loop anchors. SRF promotes long-range chromatin loop formation and contributes to TAD insulation. In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), SRF associates with SOX2 and NANOG and contributes to the formation of three-dimensional (3D) pluripotency hubs. Our findings reveal additional roles of SRF in higher-order chromatin organization.
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