Correction to: Scientific Reports, published online 19 May 2023 The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 1b-1, where the fore- and background order of the strands “DNA” (in black) and “Brn1 Kleisin” (in green), were switched. The original Figure 1 and accompanying legend appear below. (Figure presented.) Description of the mechanism postulated by Shaltiel et al. for roadblock passage into an extruded loop on the DNA and a potential nontopological model. (a) The steps through the proposed DNA loop extrusion cycle are commented in more detail in steps 1–6 within the figure. Adapted from Ref.¹¹. (b) Potential nontopological model which is closely analogous to the pseudotopological model, but with a slight variation in the DNA-SMC topology which allows particle bypass. The original Article has been corrected.

DNA loop extrusion by structural-maintenance-of-chromosome (SMC) complexes has emerged as a primary organizing principle for chromosomes. The mechanism by which SMC motor proteins extrude DNA loops is still unresolved and much debated. The ring-like structure of SMC complexes prompted multiple models where the extruded DNA is topologically or pseudotopologically entrapped within the ring during loop extrusion. However, recent experiments showed the passage of roadblocks much bigger than the SMC ring size, suggesting a nontopological mechanism. Recently, attempts were made to reconcile the observed passage of large roadblocks with a pseudotopological mechanism. Here we examine the predictions of these pseudotopological models and find that they are not consistent with new experimental data on SMC roadblock encounters. Particularly, these models predict the formation of two loops and that roadblocks will reside near the stem of the loop upon encounter—both in contrast to experimental observations. Overall, the experimental data reinforce the notion of a nontopological mechanism for extrusion of DNA.

In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is extruded into loops by cohesin¹. By restraining this process, the DNA-binding protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) generates topologically associating domains (TADs)^2,3 that have important roles in gene regulation and recombination during development and disease^1,4–7. How CTCF establishes TAD boundaries and to what extent these are permeable to cohesin is unclear⁸. Here, to address these questions, we visualize interactions of single CTCF and cohesin molecules on DNA in vitro. We show that CTCF is sufficient to block diffusing cohesin, possibly reflecting how cohesive cohesin accumulates at TAD boundaries, and is also sufficient to block loop-extruding cohesin, reflecting how CTCF establishes TAD boundaries. CTCF functions asymmetrically, as predicted; however, CTCF is dependent on DNA tension. Moreover, CTCF regulates cohesin’s loop-extrusion activity by changing its direction and by inducing loop shrinkage. Our data indicate that CTCF is not, as previously assumed, simply a barrier to cohesin-mediated loop extrusion but is an active regulator of this process, whereby the permeability of TAD boundaries can be modulated by DNA tension. These results reveal mechanistic principles of how CTCF controls loop extrusion and genome architecture.