A novel single cell method to identify the genetic composition at a single nuclear body

Gene loci make specific associations with compartments of the nucleus (e.g. the nuclear envelope, nucleolus and transcription factories) and this association may determine or reflect a mechanism of genetic control. With current methods, it is not possible to identify sets of genes that converge to form a “gene hub” as there is a reliance on loci-specific probes, or immunoprecipitation of a particular protein from bulk cells. We introduce a method that will allow for the identification of loci contained within the vicinity of a single nuclear body in a single cell. For the first time, we demonstrate that the DNA sequences originating from a single sub-nuclear structure in a single cell targeted by two-photon irradiation can be determined and mapped to a particular locus. Its application to single PML nuclear bodies reveals ontologically related loci that frequently associate with each other and with PML bodies in a population of cells and a possible nuclear body targeting role for specific transcription factor binding sites.