Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40598901›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2025

Differential oligomerization regulates PHF13 chromatin affinity and function.

Francesca Rossi, Alexandre P Magalhaes, Rene Buschow, Tobias Schubert, Laura Glaser, Andrea Fontana, Julia Mai, Hannah Staege, Astrid Grimme, Hans Will and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Evolution of CTCF binding sites in the human genome.Molecular biology and evolution · 2026
    Article
  2. A Self-Organized Liquid Reaction Container for Cellular Memory.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Francesca RossiChromatin Structure and Function Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.
Alexandre P MagalhaesMulti-level Gene Control Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.
Rene BuschowCore Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.
Tobias SchubertThe Department of Virology at the Leibniz Institute for Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg20251, Germany.
Laura GlaserChromatin Structure and Function Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4495-9032
Andrea FontanaDipartimento di Fisica, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy.ORCID 0009-0004-1996-4800
Julia MaiInstitute of Virology, Medical Center at the University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 11, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
Hannah StaegeThe Department of Virology at the Leibniz Institute for Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg20251, Germany.
Astrid GrimmeChromatin Structure and Function Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.
Hans WillThe Department of Virology at the Leibniz Institute for Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg20251, Germany.
Sabrina Schriener
Denes HniszMulti-level Gene Control Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.
Martin VingronDepartment of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin, 14195, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1765-4241
Andrea M ChiarielloDipartimento di Fisica, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples 80126, Italy.
Sarah KinkleyChromatin Structure and Function Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 63-73 Ihnestrasse, Berlin14195, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4997-4749

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 443644894DFG 4154/4-1Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC 2155 390874280Max Planck Institute for Molecular GeneticsMax Planck SocietyProgramma per il Finanziamento della Ricerca di Ateneo Linea BUniversity of Naples Federico II PhaSSep - HP10C8JWU7VW-Stiftung 97131
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

PHF13 is a H3K4me3 epigenetic reader that modulates key chromatin processes including transcription, DNA damage response, and chromatin architecture. PHF13 is found aberrantly regulated in different cancers and its misexpression alters the epigenetic landscape of key transcription factors that regulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In this study, we sought to understand how PHF13's chromatin affinity and diverse chromatin functions are intrinsically regulated. Our results show that PHF13 can oligomerize via conserved ordered regions in its N- and C- terminus increasing its chromatin valence and avidity, promoting polymer-polymer phase separation (PPPS) and chromatin inaccessibility. Impressively, a ∼3- to 5-fold overexpression of PHF13 was sufficient to globally compact chromatin visible by optical microscopy, dependent on its ordered dimerizing regions and oligomerization potential. Unexpectedly, we discovered that PHF13 can self-associate independent of its ordered domains via intrinsically disordered regions, which conversely reduced PHF13's chromatin affinity, formed liquid-liquid phase separated (LLPS) condensates, and differentially impacted gene expression. Our findings support that there is an intrinsic balance between PHF13's ordered and disordered regions and that PHF13 can phase transition between polymer-polymer and liquid-liquid phase separation states to impact chromatin structure and function.

Indexed as

ChromatinDNA-Binding ProteinsTranscription FactorsHistonesHumansProtein BindingProtein MultimerizationChromatinDNA-Binding ProteinsHistonesTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID40598901
PMCPMC12214034

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.