Chromosome conformation capture-on-chip analysis of long-range cis interactions of the SOX9 promoter

Transcription factor SOX9 is essential for the differentiation of chondrocytes and the development of testes. Heterozygous point mutations and genomic deletions involving SOX9 lead to campomelic dysplasia (CD) often associated with sex reversal. Chromosomal rearrangements with breakpoints mapping up to 1.3 Mb up- and downstream to SOX9, and likely disrupting its distant cis-regulatory elements, have been described in patients with milder forms of CD. Performing chromosome conformation capture-on-chip (4C) analysis in Sertoli cells and lymphoblasts we identified several novel potentially cis-interacting regions both up- and downstream to SOX9, with some of them overlapping lncRNA genes preferentially expressed in testes. Custom designed 3x720K tiling microarrays covering 4 Mb region (chr17:68,117,161-72,122,560) flanking SOX9 gene of interest