p63 cooperates with CTCF to modulate chromatin accessibility and architecture in skin keratinocytes

Here we integrated multi-omics profiles including transcriptomics, DNA accessibility and capture Hi-C data to explore how p63 shapes local chromatin architecture in skin keratinocytes isolated from EEC syndrome patients. Surprisingly, we observed decreased chromatin accessibility in a number of DNA looping nodes which were co-mediated by p63 and CTCF. Our findings not only identified a new aspect of the bookmark function of p63, but also shed light on the disease mechanism underlined p63 dysfunction. Therefore, we propose p63 as a spatial genome organizer by modulating a subset of DNA loops with CTCF and therefore fine-tuning transcription programs required for skin keratinocytes. ATAC-seq, CTCF ChIP-Seq of both control and p63 mutant keratinocytes on the proliferation stage