JMJD3 intrinsically disordered region links the 3D-genome structure to TGF beta-dependent transcription activation

Enhancers are key regulatory elements that govern gene expression programs in response to developmental signals. However, how multiple enhancers arrange in the 3D-space to control the activation of a specific promoter remains unclear. To address this question, we exploited our previously characterized TGF beta-response model, the neural stem cells, focusing on a similar to 374 kb locus where enhancers abound. Our 4C-seq experiments reveal that the TGF beta pathway drives the assembly of an enhancer-cluster and precise gene activation. We discover that the TGF beta pathway coactivator JMJD3 is essential to maintain these structures. Using live-cell imaging techniques, we demonstrate that an intrinsically disordered region contained in JMJD3 is involved in the formation of phase-separated biomolecular condensates, which are found in the enhancer-cluster. Overall, in this work we uncover novel functions for the coactivator JMJD3, and we shed light on the relationships between the 3D-conformation of the chromatin and the TGF beta-driven response during mammalian neurogenesis.