Cohesin Releasing Factor WAPL Regulates Genome Structure and Function of Mature T Cells

The cohesin complex modulates gene expression and cellular functions by shaping three-dimensional (3D) organization of chromatin. WAPL, cohesin9s DNA releasing factor, regulates 3D chromatin architecture. The 3D genome structure and its relevance to mature T cell functions is not well understood. We show that in vivo lymphopenic expansion, and allo-antigen driven proliferation, alters the 3D structure and function of the genome in mature T cells. Conditional deletion of Wapl in T cells reduced long-range genomic interactions, altered chromatin A/B compartments and the topologically associating domains (TAD) of the chromatin in T cells at baseline. Comparison of chromatin structure in normal and WAPL-deficient T cells after lymphopenic and allo-antigen driven stimulation revealed reduced loop extensions with changes in cell cycling genes. WAPL-mediated changes in 3D architecture of chromatin regulated activation, cycling and proliferation of T cells in vitro and in vivo. Finally, WAPL-deficient T cells caused reduced severity of graft-versus-host disease following experimental allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. These data collectively characterize 3D genomic architecture of T cells in vivo and demonstrate biological and clinical implications for its disruption by cohesin releasing factor WAPL.