LBR nucleoplasmic domains regulate X-chromosome solubility and nuclear organization

Abstract

The nuclear lamina plays a central role in genome organization, yet how specific lamina-associated proteins regulate chromosome architecture during development remains unclear. Here, we show that the nucleoplasmic domains of the Lamin B Receptor (LBR) are essential for X-chromosome localization at the nuclear periphery and chromatin architecture during neural differentiation. Using genetic dissection of LBR function, combined with genome-wide chromatin solubility profiling and transcriptional analyses, we demonstrate that loss of LBR N-terminal domains impairs proper cell differentiation and X chromosome inactivation (XCI), selectively disrupting chromatin structure in neural progenitors but not in pluripotent cells. Strikingly, these effects are disproportionately concentrated - but not limited to - on the inactive X chromosome, which undergoes a pronounced shift toward a more soluble chromatin state. Our findings establish the nucleoplasmic function of LBR as a key determinant of X-chromosome functionality and identify chromatin solubility and accessibility as a previously underappreciated layer of genome regulation by the nuclear lamina in XCI. Finally, our work provides definitive genetic evidence that LBRs nuclear architectural functions are molecularly separable from its metabolic sterol reductase activity, which is preserved in our model, and are critically necessary for XCI in differentiating mouse female XX ESCs models.