News Finding: We know that certain X chromosome genes are particularly sensitive to the loss of SMCHD1, so in the future we may be able to harness that differential sensitivity to turn on specific genes."
Paper Finding: Given that SMCHD1 resembles SMC proteins, we posit that SMCHD1 promotes chromatin mixing by mediating random chromatin interactions that span the boundaries of existing structures, thereby blurring compartments and TADs ( Figure 7D ).
News Context: By bridging the S1 and S2 compartments, SMCHD1 was found to induce their merging into the conformation that prevents gene expression. She says, "The knowledge gained could also be used to reactivate the inactive X chromosome to treat certain diseases, such as the neurodevelopmental disorders Rett syndrome and CDKL5 disorder. We know that certain X chromosome genes are particularly sensitive to the loss of SMCHD1, so in the future we may be able to harness that differential sensitivity to turn on specific genes."
Paper Context: Cohesins may antagonize phase separation by facilitating chromatin looping between different compartments. Given that SMCHD1 resembles SMC proteins, we posit that SMCHD1 promotes chromatin mixing by mediating random chromatin interactions that span the boundaries of existing structures, thereby blurring compartments and TADs ( Figure 7D ). This idea is supported by the nearly homogeneous distribution of SMCHD1 on the Xi, contacting both S1 and S2 compartments ( Figure 6 ).