This study shows that HP1β regulates olfactory receptor choice and neuronal identity in mice by modulating H3K9me3 levels and chromatin structure, leading to changes in OR expression patterns and reduced receptor diversity.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences · Mar 24, 2026Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Cohesin erases genomic-proximity biases to drive stochastic Protocadherin expression for proper neural wiring

Lea Alice Kiefer, Gabrielle Isabelle F. Servito, Sandy M. Rajkumar, Jennifer Langen, Anna Chiosso, Alexander Buckley, S. Elizabeth, Adan Horta, Michael H. Mui, Daniele Canzio

The paper reveals cohesin's role in enabling stochastic Protocadherin expression in olfactory sensory neurons by regulating enhancer-promoter interactions and DNA demethylation, contrasting with deterministic expression in serotonergic neurons.

bioRxiv · Mar 9, 2022 · PreprintGenomics

Antisense lncRNA transcription drives stochastic Protocadherin α promoter choice

Daniele Canzio, Chiamaka L. Nwakeze, Adan Horta, Sandy M. Rajkumar, Eliot L. Coffey, Erin E. Duffy, Rachel Duffié, Kevin D. Monahan, Sean O’Keeffe, Matthew D. Simon, Stavros Lomvardas, Tom Maniatis

The paper shows antisense lncRNA transcription is required for stochastic Protocadherin promoter choice in neurons.

Cell · Apr 1, 2019Peer-reviewedGenomics