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Blumenstiel JP. From the cauldron of conflict: Endogenous gene regulation by piRNA and other modes of adaptation enabled by selfish transposable elements. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2025; 164:1-12. [PMID: 38823219 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) provide a prime example of genetic conflict because they can proliferate in genomes and populations even if they harm the host. However, numerous studies have shown that TEs, though typically harmful, can also provide fuel for adaptation. This is because they code functional sequences that can be useful for the host in which they reside. In this review, I summarize the "how" and "why" of adaptation enabled by the genetic conflict between TEs and hosts. In addition, focusing on mechanisms of TE control by small piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), I highlight an indirect form of adaptation enabled by conflict. In this case, mechanisms of host defense that regulate TEs have been redeployed for endogenous gene regulation. I propose that the genetic conflict released by meiosis in early eukaryotes may have been important because, among other reasons, it spurred evolutionary innovation on multiple interwoven trajectories - on the part of hosts and also embedded genetic parasites. This form of evolution may function as a complexity generating engine that was a critical player in eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Blumenstiel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States.
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2
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Kosuge M, Ito J, Hamada M. Landscape of evolutionary arms races between transposable elements and KRAB-ZFP family. Sci Rep 2024; 14:23358. [PMID: 39375372 PMCID: PMC11458898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73752-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile parasitic sequences that have expanded within the host genome. It has been hypothesized that host organisms have expanded the Krüppel-associated box-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs), which epigenetically suppress TEs, to counteract disorderly TE transpositions. This process is referred to as the evolutionary arms race. However, the extent to which this evolutionary arms race occurred across various TE families remains unclear. In the present study, we systematically explored the evolutionary arms race between TE families and human KRAB-ZFPs using public ChIP-seq data. We discovered and characterized new instances of evolutionary arms races with KRAB-ZFPs in endogenous retroviruses. Furthermore, we found that the regulatory landscape shaped by this arms race contributed to the gene regulatory networks. In summary, our results provide insight into the impact of the evolutionary arms race on TE families, the KRAB-ZFP family, and host gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Kosuge
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jumpei Ito
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiaki Hamada
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
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3
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Zhao L, Gong F, Lou K, Wang L, Wang J, Sun H, Wang D, Shi Y, Wang Z. Retrotransposon involves in photoperiodic spermatogenesis in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) by co-transcription with flagellar genes. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 281:136224. [PMID: 39362423 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Photoperiod is a pivotal factor in affecting spermatogenesis in seasonal-breeding animals. Transposable elements have regulatory functions during spermatogenesis. However, whether it also functions in photoperiodic spermatogenesis in seasonal breeding animals is unknown. To explore this, we first annotated 5,501,822 transposons in the whole genome of Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii), and revealed that LINEs were the most abundant, comprising 16.61 % of the genome. Following closely, SINEs accounted for 10.13 %, LTRs for 7.54 %, and DNA transposons for 0.70 %. Subsequently, we exposed male Brandt's voles to long-photoperiod (LP, 16 h/day) and short-photoperiod (SP, 8 h/day) from their embryonic stages, and obtained testes transcriptome at 4 and 10 weeks after birth. Differential expression and Pearson analysis indicated strongly positive correlations between the expression of differentially expressed retrotransposons and the adjacent genes. KO, KEGG and GSEA results showed that sperm flagellar genes were most enriched nearby the retrotransposons such as Dnah1, Dnah2, Dnah17, Dnali1. RT-PCR results showed that SINE/Alu_1213291 co-transcripted with Dnali1 gene. Our findings first reveal the regulatory function of transposons in photoperiodic spermatogenesis, providing insights into the role of photoperiod in seasonal reproduction in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Fanglei Gong
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Kang Lou
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Lewen Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Science, Changji 831100, China
| | - Jingou Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Hong Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China; Centre for Sport Nutrition and Health, School of Physical Education (Main Campus), Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Science, Changji 831100, China.
| | - Yuhua Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China.
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4
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Karttunen K, Patel D, Sahu B. Transposable elements as drivers of dedifferentiation: Connections between enhancers in embryonic stem cells, placenta, and cancer. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2400059. [PMID: 39073128 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have emerged as important factors in establishing the cell type-specific gene regulatory networks and evolutionary novelty of embryonic and placental development. Recently, studies on the role of TEs and their dysregulation in cancers have shed light on the transcriptional, transpositional, and regulatory activity of TEs, revealing that the activation of developmental transcriptional programs by TEs may have a role in the dedifferentiation of cancer cells to the progenitor-like cell states. This essay reviews the recent evidence of the cis-regulatory TEs (henceforth crTE) in normal development and malignancy as well as the key transcription factors and regulatory pathways that are implicated in both cell states, and presents existing gaps remaining to be studied, limitations of current technologies, and therapeutic possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konsta Karttunen
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Divyesh Patel
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Biswajyoti Sahu
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Pizzioli E, Minutolo A, Balestrieri E, Matteucci C, Magiorkinis G, Horvat B. Crosstalk between human endogenous retroviruses and exogenous viruses. Microbes Infect 2024:105427. [PMID: 39349096 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections of human germ-line cells, which are mostly silenced during evolution, but could be de-repressed and play a pathological role. Infection with some exogenous viruses, including herpesviruses, HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, was demonstrated to induce the expression of HERV RNAs and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Pizzioli
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
| | - Antonella Minutolo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Emanuela Balestrieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Claudia Matteucci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Gkikas Magiorkinis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Branka Horvat
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France.
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Lei X, Mao S, Li Y, Huang S, Li J, Du W, Kuang C, Yuan K. ERVcancer: a web resource designed for querying activation of human endogenous retroviruses across major cancer types. J Genet Genomics 2024:S1673-8527(24)00241-8. [PMID: 39265822 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) comprise approximately 8% of the human genome, co-opted into the dynamic regulatory network of cellular potency in early embryonic development. In recent studies, resurgent HERVs' transcriptional activity has been frequently observed in many types of human cancers, suggesting their potential functions in the occurrence and progression of malignancy. However, a dedicated web resource for querying the relationship between activation of HERVs and cancer development is lacking. Here, we have constructed a database to explore the sequence information, expression profiles, survival prognosis, and genetic interactions of HERVs in diverse cancer types. Our database currently contains RNA sequencing data of 580 HERVs across 16246 samples, including that of 6478 tumoral and 634 normal tissues, 932 cancer cell lines, as well as 151 early embryonic and 8051 human adult tissues. The primary goal is to provide an easily accessible and user-friendly database for professionals in the fields of bioinformatics, pathology, pharmacology, and related areas, enabling them to efficiently screen the activity of HERVs of interest in normal and cancerous tissues and evaluate the clinical relevance. The ERVcancer database is available at http://kyuanlab.com/ervcancer/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Lei
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China
| | - Song Mao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yinshuang Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Shi Huang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Jinchen Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Wei Du
- Department of Pathology, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changde, Hunan 415000, China
| | - Chunmei Kuang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; Furong Laboratory, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; The Biobank of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
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7
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Zhang R, Wu M, Xiang D, Zhu J, Zhang Q, Zhong H, Peng Y, Wang Z, Ma G, Li G, Liu F, Ye W, Shi R, Zhou X, Babarinde IA, Su H, Chen J, Zhang X, Qin D, Hutchins AP, Pei D, Li D. A primate-specific endogenous retroviral envelope protein sequesters SFRP2 to regulate human cardiomyocyte development. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:1298-1314.e8. [PMID: 39146934 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) occupy a significant part of the human genome, with some encoding proteins that influence the immune system or regulate cell-cell fusion in early extra-embryonic development. However, whether ERV-derived proteins regulate somatic development is unknown. Here, we report a somatic developmental function for the primate-specific ERVH48-1 (SUPYN/Suppressyn). ERVH48-1 encodes a fragment of a viral envelope that is expressed during early embryonic development. Loss of ERVH48-1 led to impaired mesoderm and cardiomyocyte commitment and diverted cells to an ectoderm-like fate. Mechanistically, ERVH48-1 is localized to sub-cellular membrane compartments through a functional N-terminal signal peptide and binds to the WNT antagonist SFRP2 to promote its polyubiquitination and degradation, thus limiting SFRP2 secretion and blocking repression of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Knockdown of SFRP2 or expression of a chimeric SFRP2 with the ERVH48-1 signal peptide rescued cardiomyocyte differentiation. This study demonstrates how ERVH48-1 modulates WNT/β-catenin signaling and cell type commitment in somatic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Menghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Dan Xiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jieying Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Hui Zhong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
| | - Yuling Peng
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Gang Ma
- Department of Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guihuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Fengping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China; Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau 999078, China
| | - Weipeng Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Ruona Shi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuemeng Zhou
- Department of Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Isaac A Babarinde
- Department of Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Huanxing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Dajiang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Department of Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Duanqing Pei
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Dongwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China.
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Jarosz AS, Halo JV. Transcription of Endogenous Retroviruses: Broad and Precise Mechanisms of Control. Viruses 2024; 16:1312. [PMID: 39205286 PMCID: PMC11359688 DOI: 10.3390/v16081312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are the remnants of retroviral germline infections and are highly abundant in the genomes of vertebrates. At one time considered to be nothing more than inert 'junk' within genomes, ERVs have been tolerated within host genomes over vast timescales, and their study continues to reveal complex co-evolutionary histories within their respective host species. For example, multiple instances have been characterized of ERVs having been 'borrowed' for normal physiology, from single copies to ones involved in various regulatory networks such as innate immunity and during early development. Within the cell, the accessibility of ERVs is normally tightly controlled by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation or histone modifications. However, these silencing mechanisms of ERVs are reversible, and epigenetic alterations to the chromatin landscape can thus lead to their aberrant expression, as is observed in abnormal cellular environments such as in tumors. In this review, we focus on ERV transcriptional control and draw parallels and distinctions concerning the loss of regulation in disease, as well as their precise regulation in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail S. Jarosz
- Science and Mathematics Division, Lorrain County Community College, Lorrain, OH 44035, USA;
| | - Julia V. Halo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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9
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Shi G, Pang Q, Lin Z, Zhang X, Huang K. Repetitive Sequence Stability in Embryonic Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8819. [PMID: 39201503 PMCID: PMC11354519 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Repetitive sequences play an indispensable role in gene expression, transcriptional regulation, and chromosome arrangements through trans and cis regulation. In this review, focusing on recent advances, we summarize the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of repetitive sequences in embryonic stem cells. We aim to bridge the knowledge gap by discussing DNA damage repair pathway choices on repetitive sequences and summarizing the significance of chromatin organization on repetitive sequences in response to DNA damage. By consolidating these insights, we underscore the critical relationship between the stability of repetitive sequences and early embryonic development, seeking to provide a deeper understanding of repetitive sequence stability and setting the stage for further research and potential therapeutic strategies in developmental biology and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Shi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; (Q.P.); (Z.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Qianwen Pang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; (Q.P.); (Z.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Zhancheng Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; (Q.P.); (Z.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; (Q.P.); (Z.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Kaimeng Huang
- Division of Radiation and Genome Stability, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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10
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Fageer SM, Alamin MF, Attaelmanan AM, Alfaki M. Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals Long Non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Embryonic Stem Cell-Related Gene (ESRG) as a Promising Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker. Cureus 2024; 16:e67389. [PMID: 39310490 PMCID: PMC11414139 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.67389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Embryonic stem cell-related gene (ESRG; also known as HESRG) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). It is involved in the regulation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) self-renewal. ESRG gene has the ability to interact with chromatins, different RNA types, and RNA binding proteins (RBP); thus making ESRG be considered an oncogenic lncRNA, where its expression is detected in various tumor tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the prospective diagnostic and prognostic values of ESRG in various human cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression of ESRG in various cancers was analyzed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN) databases. Moreover, the correlation between the expression of ESRG and clinical pathological parameters was analyzed using UALCAN. The effect of ESRG expression on the survival outcome was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier plotter, UALCAN, GEPIA, and TIMER. The correlation between ESRG expression and immune cell infiltration was studied by TIMER. Additionally, the genetic alterations were investigated cBioportal. Our findings were validated using the GEO2R database. RESULTS Our results showed ESRG to be significantly up-regulated in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) with p<0.001, in addition to rectum adenocarcinoma (READ), and uterine carcinosarcoma (UCEC) with p<0.01. Regarding pathogenic stages, there was a significant upregulation in stages 2, 3, and 4 compared to normal in COAD and stages 1, 2, and 3 for LUSC patients. The combined prognostic analysis showed that the up-regulated expression of ESRG was associated with better survival outcomes in patients with brain lower-grade glioma (LGG). Our results demonstrate a significant negative correlation between ESRG expression and the abundance of CD8+T cells in COAD, READ, LUSC, and UCEC. Additionally, ESRG was mutated in 0.77 (<1%) of the queried samples, and the most prevalent ESRG mutations are deep deletion mutations, followed by amplification. CONCLUSION Analysis of ESRG across various cancer types elucidated its potential to be used as a diagnostic biomarker in COAD, LUSC, READ, and UCEC and a promising prognostic biomarker in LGG. Our findings provide useful insights for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira M Fageer
- Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Bioscience Research Institute, Khartoum, SDN
| | - Marwa F Alamin
- Molecular Biology, Institute of Endemic Disease, Khartoum University, Khartoum, SDN
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11
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Morrissey A, Shi J, James DQ, Mahony S. Accurate allocation of multimapped reads enables regulatory element analysis at repeats. Genome Res 2024; 34:937-951. [PMID: 38986578 PMCID: PMC11293539 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278638.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) and other repetitive regions have been shown to contain gene regulatory elements, including transcription factor binding sites. However, regulatory elements harbored by repeats have proven difficult to characterize using short-read sequencing assays such as ChIP-seq or ATAC-seq. Most regulatory genomics analysis pipelines discard "multimapped" reads that align equally well to multiple genomic locations. Because multimapped reads arise predominantly from repeats, current analysis pipelines fail to detect a substantial portion of regulatory events that occur in repetitive regions. To address this shortcoming, we developed Allo, a new approach to allocate multimapped reads in an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly manner. Allo combines probabilistic mapping of multimapped reads with a convolutional neural network that recognizes the read distribution features of potential peaks, offering enhanced accuracy in multimapping read assignment. Allo also provides read-level output in the form of a corrected alignment file, making it compatible with existing regulatory genomics analysis pipelines and downstream peak-finders. In a demonstration application on CTCF ChIP-seq data, we show that Allo results in the discovery of thousands of new CTCF peaks. Many of these peaks contain the expected cognate motif and/or serve as TAD boundaries. We additionally apply Allo to a diverse collection of ENCODE ChIP-seq data sets, resulting in multiple previously unidentified interactions between transcription factors and repetitive element families. Finally, we show that Allo may be particularly beneficial in identifying ChIP-seq peaks at centromeres, near segmentally duplicated genes, and in younger TEs, enabling new regulatory analyses in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Morrissey
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Jeffrey Shi
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Daniela Q James
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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12
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Katznelson A, Hernandez B, Fahning H, Zhang J, Burton A, Torres-Padilla ME, Plachta N, Zaret KS, McCarthy RL. Heterochromatin protein ERH represses alternative cell fates during early mammalian differentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597604. [PMID: 38895478 PMCID: PMC11185749 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
During development, H3K9me3 heterochromatin is dynamically rearranged, silencing repeat elements and protein coding genes to restrict cell identity. Enhancer of Rudimentary Homolog (ERH) is an evolutionarily conserved protein originally characterized in fission yeast and recently shown to be required for H3K9me3 maintenance in human fibroblasts, but its function during development remains unknown. Here, we show that ERH is required for proper segregation of the inner cell mass and trophectoderm cell lineages during mouse development by repressing totipotent and alternative lineage programs. During human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation into germ layer lineages, ERH is crucial for silencing naïve and pluripotency genes, transposable elements, and alternative lineage genes. Strikingly, ERH depletion in somatic cells reverts the H3K9me3 landscape to an hESC state and enables naïve and pluripotency gene and transposable element activation during iPSC reprogramming. Our findings reveal a role for ERH in initiation and maintenance of developmentally established gene repression.
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13
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Radrizzani S, Kudla G, Izsvák Z, Hurst LD. Selection on synonymous sites: the unwanted transcript hypothesis. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:431-448. [PMID: 38297070 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00686-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Although translational selection to favour codons that match the most abundant tRNAs is not readily observed in humans, there is nonetheless selection in humans on synonymous mutations. We hypothesize that much of this synonymous site selection can be explained in terms of protection against unwanted RNAs - spurious transcripts, mis-spliced forms or RNAs derived from transposable elements or viruses. We propose not only that selection on synonymous sites functions to reduce the rate of creation of unwanted transcripts (for example, through selection on exonic splice enhancers and cryptic splice sites) but also that high-GC content (but low-CpG content), together with intron presence and position, is both particular to functional native mRNAs and used to recognize transcripts as native. In support of this hypothesis, transcription, nuclear export, liquid phase condensation and RNA degradation have all recently been shown to promote GC-rich transcripts and suppress AU/CpG-rich ones. With such 'traps' being set against AU/CpG-rich transcripts, the codon usage of native genes has, in turn, evolved to avoid such suppression. That parallel filters against AU/CpG-rich transcripts also affect the endosomal import of RNAs further supports the unwanted transcript hypothesis of synonymous site selection and explains the similar design rules that have enabled the successful use of transgenes and RNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Radrizzani
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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14
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Li N, Jin K, Liu B, Yang M, Shi P, Heng D, Wang J, Liu L. Single-cell 3D genome structure reveals distinct human pluripotent states. Genome Biol 2024; 25:122. [PMID: 38741214 PMCID: PMC11089717 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03268-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pluripotent states of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with distinct transcriptional profiles affect ESC differentiative capacity and therapeutic potential. Although single-cell RNA sequencing has revealed additional subpopulations and specific features of naive and primed human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), the underlying mechanisms that regulate their specific transcription and that control their pluripotent states remain elusive. RESULTS By single-cell analysis of high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) genomic structure, we herein demonstrate that remodeling of genomic structure is highly associated with the pluripotent states of human ESCs (hESCs). The naive pluripotent state is featured with specialized 3D genomic structures and clear chromatin compartmentalization that is distinct from the primed state. The naive pluripotent state is achieved by remodeling the active euchromatin compartment and reducing chromatin interactions at the nuclear center. This unique genomic organization is linked to enhanced chromatin accessibility on enhancers and elevated expression levels of naive pluripotent genes localized to this region. In contradistinction, the primed state exhibits intermingled genomic organization. Moreover, active euchromatin and primed pluripotent genes are distributed at the nuclear periphery, while repressive heterochromatin is densely concentrated at the nuclear center, reducing chromatin accessibility and the transcription of naive genes. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide insights into the chromatin structure of ESCs in their naive and primed states, and we identify specific patterns of modifications in transcription and chromatin structure that might explain the genes that are differentially expressed between naive and primed hESCs. Thus, the inversion or relocation of heterochromatin to euchromatin via compartmentalization is related to the regulation of chromatin accessibility, thereby defining pluripotent states and cellular identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niannian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Weifang People's Hospital, Shandong, 261041, China
| | - Kairang Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Weifang People's Hospital, Shandong, 261041, China
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Mingzhu Yang
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - PanPan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dai Heng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jichang Wang
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China.
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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15
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da Silva AL, Guedes BLM, Santos SN, Correa GF, Nardy A, Nali LHDS, Bachi ALL, Romano CM. Beyond pathogens: the intriguing genetic legacy of endogenous retroviruses in host physiology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1379962. [PMID: 38655281 PMCID: PMC11035796 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1379962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The notion that viruses played a crucial role in the evolution of life is not a new concept. However, more recent insights suggest that this perception might be even more expansive, highlighting the ongoing impact of viruses on host evolution. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are considered genomic remnants of ancient viral infections acquired throughout vertebrate evolution. Their exogenous counterparts once infected the host's germline cells, eventually leading to the permanent endogenization of their respective proviruses. The success of ERV colonization is evident so that it constitutes 8% of the human genome. Emerging genomic studies indicate that endogenous retroviruses are not merely remnants of past infections but rather play a corollary role, despite not fully understood, in host genetic regulation. This review presents some evidence supporting the crucial role of endogenous retroviruses in regulating host genetics. We explore the involvement of human ERVs (HERVs) in key physiological processes, from their precise and orchestrated activities during cellular differentiation and pluripotency to their contributions to aging and cellular senescence. Additionally, we discuss the costs associated with hosting a substantial amount of preserved viral genetic material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Lopes da Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Luiz Miranda Guedes
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel Nascimento Santos
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Francisco Correa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariane Nardy
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Malta Romano
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Wang J, Lu X, Zhang W, Liu GH. Endogenous retroviruses in development and health. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:342-354. [PMID: 37802660 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are evolutionary remnants of retroviral infections in which the viral genome became embedded as a dormant regulatory element within the host germline. When ERVs become activated, they comprehensively rewire genomic regulatory networks of the host and facilitate critical developmental events, such as preimplantation development and placentation, in a manner specific to species, developmental stage, and tissues. However, accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant ERV transcription compromises genome stability and has been implicated in cellular senescence and various pathogenic processes, underscoring the significance of host genomic surveillance mechanisms. Here, we revisit the prominent functions of ERVs in early development and highlight their emerging roles in mammalian post-implantation development and organogenesis. We also discuss their implications for aging and pathological processes such as microbial infection, immune response. Furthermore, we discuss recent advances in stem-cell-based models, single-cell omics, and genome editing technologies, which serve as beacons illuminating the versatile nature of ERVs in mammalian development and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichang Wang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
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17
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Lee M, Ahmad SF, Xu J. Regulation and function of transposable elements in cancer genomes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:157. [PMID: 38556602 PMCID: PMC10982106 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05195-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Over half of human genomic DNA is composed of repetitive sequences generated throughout evolution by prolific mobile genetic parasites called transposable elements (TEs). Long disregarded as "junk" or "selfish" DNA, TEs are increasingly recognized as formative elements in genome evolution, wired intimately into the structure and function of the human genome. Advances in sequencing technologies and computational methods have ushered in an era of unprecedented insight into how TE activity impacts human biology in health and disease. Here we discuss the current views on how TEs have shaped the regulatory landscape of the human genome, how TE activity is implicated in human cancers, and how recent findings motivate novel strategies to leverage TE activity for improved cancer therapy. Given the crucial role of methodological advances in TE biology, we pair our conceptual discussions with an in-depth review of the inherent technical challenges in studying repeats, specifically related to structural variation, expression analyses, and chromatin regulation. Lastly, we provide a catalog of existing and emerging assays and bioinformatic software that altogether are enabling the most sophisticated and comprehensive investigations yet into the regulation and function of interspersed repeats in cancer genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place - MS 345, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Pathology, Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place - MS 345, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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18
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Kong X, Li R, Chen M, Zheng R, Wang J, Sun C, Qu Y. Endogenous retrovirus HERVH-derived lncRNA UCA1 controls human trophoblast development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318176121. [PMID: 38483994 PMCID: PMC10962953 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318176121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are frequently reactivated in mammalian placenta. It has been proposed that ERVs contribute to shaping the gene regulatory network of mammalian trophoblasts, dominantly acting as species- and placental-specific enhancers. However, whether and how ERVs control human trophoblast development through alternative pathways remains poorly understood. Besides the well-recognized function of human endogenous retrovirus-H (HERVH) in maintaining pluripotency of early human epiblast, here we present a unique role of HERVH on trophoblast lineage development. We found that the LTR7C/HERVH subfamily exhibits an accessible chromatin state in the human trophoblast lineage. Particularly, the LTR7C/HERVH-derived Urothelial Cancer Associated 1 (UCA1), a primate-specific long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), is transcribed in human trophoblasts and promotes the proliferation of human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs), whereas its ectopic expression compromises human trophoblast syncytialization coinciding with increased interferon signaling pathway. Importantly, UCA1 upregulation is detectable in placental samples from early-onset preeclampsia (EO-PE) patients and the transcriptome of EO-PE placenta exhibits considerable similarities to that of the syncytiotrophoblasts differentiated from UCA1-overexpressing hTSCs, supporting up-regulated UCA1 as a potential biomarker of this disease. Altogether, our data shed light on the versatile regulatory role of HERVH in early human development and provide a unique mechanism whereby ERVs exert a function in human placentation and placental syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Kong
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou510080, China
| | - Ruiqi Li
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Kapok, Hainan571400, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510120, China
- The First People’s Hospital of Kashgar, Kashgar844000, China
| | - Manqi Chen
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou510080, China
| | - Rongyan Zheng
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou510080, China
| | - Jichang Wang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou510080, China
| | - Chuanbo Sun
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou510623, China
| | - Yuliang Qu
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou510080, China
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19
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Liang Y, Qu X, Shah NM, Wang T. Towards targeting transposable elements for cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:123-140. [PMID: 38228901 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00653-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) represent almost half of the human genome. Historically deemed 'junk DNA', recent technological advancements have stimulated a wave of research into the functional impact of TEs on gene-regulatory networks in evolution and development, as well as in diseases including cancer. The genetic and epigenetic evolution of cancer involves the exploitation of TEs, whereby TEs contribute directly to cancer-specific gene activities. This Review provides a perspective on the role of TEs in cancer as being a 'double-edged sword', both promoting cancer evolution and representing a vulnerability that could be exploited in cancer therapy. We discuss how TEs affect transcriptome regulation and other cellular processes in cancer. We highlight the potential of TEs as therapeutic targets for cancer. We also summarize technical hurdles in the characterization of TEs with genomic assays. Last, we outline open questions and exciting future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghao Liang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xuan Qu
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nakul M Shah
- Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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20
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Wang C, Shi Z, Huang Q, Liu R, Su D, Chang L, Xiao C, Fan X. Single-cell analysis of isoform switching and transposable element expression during preimplantation embryonic development. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002505. [PMID: 38363809 PMCID: PMC10903961 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an essential regulatory mechanism for development and pathogenesis. Through alternative splicing one gene can encode multiple isoforms and be translated into proteins with different functions. Therefore, this diversity is an important dimension to understand the molecular mechanism governing embryo development. Isoform expression in preimplantation embryos has been extensively investigated, leading to the discovery of new isoforms. However, the dynamics of isoform switching of different types of transcripts throughout the development remains unexplored. Here, using single-cell direct isoform sequencing in over 100 single blastomeres from the mouse oocyte to blastocyst stage, we quantified isoform expression and found that 3-prime partial transcripts lacking stop codons are highly accumulated in oocytes and zygotes. These transcripts are not transcription by-products and might play a role in maternal to zygote transition (MZT) process. Long-read sequencing also enabled us to determine the expression of transposable elements (TEs) at specific loci. In this way, we identified 3,894 TE loci that exhibited dynamic changes along the preimplantation development, likely regulating the expression of adjacent genes. Our work provides novel insights into the transcriptional regulation of early embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyang Wang
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuoxing Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingpei Huang
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong Liu
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Su
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Chang
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanle Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoying Fan
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Bioland Laboratory (GuangZhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
- The Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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21
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Dopkins N, Singh B, Michael S, Zhang P, Marston JL, Fei T, Singh M, Feschotte C, Collins N, Bendall ML, Nixon DF. Ribosomal profiling of human endogenous retroviruses in healthy tissues. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:5. [PMID: 38166631 PMCID: PMC10759522 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09909-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are the germline embedded proviral fragments of ancient retroviral infections that make up roughly 8% of the human genome. Our understanding of HERVs in physiology primarily surrounds their non-coding functions, while their protein coding capacity remains virtually uncharacterized. Therefore, we applied the bioinformatic pipeline "hervQuant" to high-resolution ribosomal profiling of healthy tissues to provide a comprehensive overview of translationally active HERVs. We find that HERVs account for 0.1-0.4% of all translation in distinct tissue-specific profiles. Collectively, our study further supports claims that HERVs are actively translated throughout healthy tissues to provide sequences of retroviral origin to the human proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dopkins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
| | - Bhavya Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Stephanie Michael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Jez L Marston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Tongyi Fei
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Nicholas Collins
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Matthew L Bendall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Douglas F Nixon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
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22
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Mantovani F, Kitsou K, Paraskevis D, Lagiou P, Magiorkinis G. The interaction of human immunodeficiency virus-1 and human endogenous retroviruses in patients (primary cell cultures) and cell line models. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0137923. [PMID: 37811936 PMCID: PMC10715072 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01379-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In this work, we demonstrated that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to the modification of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) expression. Differential expression of multiple HERVs was found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from HIV-infected patients compared to healthy donors and HIV-infected T cell cultures compared to non-infected. The effect of HIV presence on HERV expression appears to be more restricted in cells of monocytic origin, as only deregulation of HERV-W and HERV-K (HML-6) was found in these cell cultures after their infection with HIV. Multiple factors contribute to this aberrant HERV expression, and its levels appear to be modified in a time-dependent manner. Further studies and the development of optimized in vitro protocols are warranted to elucidate the interactions between HIV and HERVs in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Mantovani
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Kitsou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Pagona Lagiou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gkikas Magiorkinis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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23
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Grillo G, Keshavarzian T, Linder S, Arlidge C, Mout L, Nand A, Teng M, Qamra A, Zhou S, Kron KJ, Murison A, Hawley JR, Fraser M, van der Kwast TH, Raj GV, He HH, Zwart W, Lupien M. Transposable Elements Are Co-opted as Oncogenic Regulatory Elements by Lineage-Specific Transcription Factors in Prostate Cancer. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2470-2487. [PMID: 37694973 PMCID: PMC10618745 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements hold regulatory functions that impact cell fate determination by controlling gene expression. However, little is known about the transcriptional machinery engaged at transposable elements in pluripotent and mature versus oncogenic cell states. Through positional analysis over repetitive DNA sequences of H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data from 32 normal cell states, we report pluripotent/stem and mature cell state-specific "regulatory transposable elements." Pluripotent/stem elements are binding sites for pluripotency factors (e.g., NANOG, SOX2, OCT4). Mature cell elements are docking sites for lineage-specific transcription factors, including AR and FOXA1 in prostate epithelium. Expanding the analysis to prostate tumors, we identify a subset of regulatory transposable elements shared with pluripotent/stem cells, including Tigger3a. Using chromatin editing technology, we show how such elements promote prostate cancer growth by regulating AR transcriptional activity. Collectively, our results suggest that oncogenesis arises from lineage-specific transcription factors hijacking pluripotent/stem cell regulatory transposable elements. SIGNIFICANCE We show that oncogenesis relies on co-opting transposable elements from pluripotent stem cells as regulatory elements altering the recruitment of lineage-specific transcription factors. We further discover how co-option is dependent on active chromatin states with important implications for developing treatment options against drivers of oncogenesis across the repetitive DNA. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2293.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Grillo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tina Keshavarzian
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simon Linder
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christopher Arlidge
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisanne Mout
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ankita Nand
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mona Teng
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aditi Qamra
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stanley Zhou
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ken J. Kron
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alex Murison
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - James R. Hawley
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Fraser
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Theodorus H. van der Kwast
- Laboratory Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ganesh V. Raj
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Housheng Hansen He
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Lupien
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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24
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Costa B, Vale N. Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14631. [PMID: 37834078 PMCID: PMC10572383 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This review investigates the intricate role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in cancer development and progression, explicitly focusing on HERV-K (HML-2). This paper sheds light on the latest research advancements and potential treatment strategies by examining the historical context of HERVs and their involvement in critical biological processes such as embryonic development, immune response, and disease progression. This review covers computational modeling for drug-target binding assessment, systems biology modeling for simulating HERV-K viral cargo dynamics, and using antiviral drugs to combat HERV-induced diseases. The findings presented in this review contribute to our understanding of HERV-mediated disease mechanisms and provide insights into future therapeutic approaches. They emphasize why HERV-K holds significant promise as a biomarker and a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Costa
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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25
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Morrissey A, Shi J, James DQ, Mahony S. Allo: Accurate allocation of multi-mapped reads enables regulatory element analysis at repeats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.556916. [PMID: 37745557 PMCID: PMC10515862 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.556916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) and other repetitive regions have been shown to contain gene regulatory elements, including transcription factor binding sites. Unfortunately, regulatory elements harbored by repeats have proven difficult to characterize using short-read sequencing assays such as ChIP-seq or ATAC-seq. Most regulatory genomics analysis pipelines discard "multi-mapped" reads that align equally well to multiple genomic locations. Since multi-mapped reads arise predominantly from repeats, current analysis pipelines fail to detect a substantial portion of regulatory events that occur in repetitive regions. To address this shortcoming, we developed Allo, a new approach to allocate multi-mapped reads in an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly manner. Allo combines probabilistic mapping of multi-mapped reads with a convolutional neural network that recognizes the read distribution features of potential peaks, offering enhanced accuracy in multi-mapping read assignment. Allo also provides read-level output in the form of a corrected alignment file, making it compatible with existing regulatory genomics analysis pipelines and downstream peak-finders. In a demonstration application on CTCF ChIP-seq data, we show that Allo results in the discovery of thousands of new CTCF peaks. Many of these peaks contain the expected cognate motif and/or serve as TAD boundaries. We additionally apply Allo to a diverse collection of ENCODE ChIP-seq datasets, resulting in multiple previously unidentified interactions between transcription factors and repetitive element families. Finally, we show that Allo may be particularly effective in identifying ChIP-seq peaks in younger TEs, which hold evolutionary significance due to their emergence during human evolution from primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Morrissey
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Shi
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Daniela Q. James
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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26
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Kazachenka A, Loong JH, Attig J, Young GR, Ganguli P, Devonshire G, Grehan N, Ciccarelli FD, Fitzgerald RC, Kassiotis G. The transcriptional landscape of endogenous retroelements delineates esophageal adenocarcinoma subtypes. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad040. [PMID: 37502711 PMCID: PMC10370457 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Most cancer types exhibit aberrant transcriptional activity, including derepression of retrotransposable elements (RTEs). However, the degree, specificity and potential consequences of RTE transcriptional activation may differ substantially among cancer types and subtypes. Representing one extreme of the spectrum, we characterize the transcriptional activity of RTEs in cohorts of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor Barrett's esophagus (BE) from the OCCAMS (Oesophageal Cancer Clinical and Molecular Stratification) consortium, and from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas). We found exceptionally high RTE inclusion in the EAC transcriptome, driven primarily by transcription of genes incorporating intronic or adjacent RTEs, rather than by autonomous RTE transcription. Nevertheless, numerous chimeric transcripts straddling RTEs and genes, and transcripts from stand-alone RTEs, particularly KLF5- and SOX9-controlled HERVH proviruses, were overexpressed specifically in EAC. Notably, incomplete mRNA splicing and EAC-characteristic intronic RTE inclusion was mirrored by relative loss of the respective fully-spliced, functional mRNA isoforms, consistent with compromised cellular fitness. Defective RNA splicing was linked with strong transcriptional activation of a HERVH provirus on Chr Xp22.32 and defined EAC subtypes with distinct molecular features and prognosis. Our study defines distinguishable RTE transcriptional profiles of EAC, reflecting distinct underlying processes and prognosis, thus providing a framework for targeted studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane Hc Loong
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jan Attig
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - George R Young
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Piyali Ganguli
- Cancer Systems Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ginny Devonshire
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicola Grehan
- Early Cancer Institute, Hutchison Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Francesca D Ciccarelli
- Cancer Systems Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca C Fitzgerald
- Early Cancer Institute, Hutchison Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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27
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Liang X, Heath LS. Towards understanding paleoclimate impacts on primate de novo genes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad135. [PMID: 37313728 PMCID: PMC10468307 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
De novo genes are genes that emerge as new genes in some species, such as primate de novo genes that emerge in certain primate species. Over the past decade, a great deal of research has been conducted regarding their emergence, origins, functions, and various attributes in different species, some of which have involved estimating the ages of de novo genes. However, limited by the number of species available for whole-genome sequencing, relatively few studies have focused specifically on the emergence time of primate de novo genes. Among those, even fewer investigate the association between primate gene emergence with environmental factors, such as paleoclimate (ancient climate) conditions. This study investigates the relationship between paleoclimate and human gene emergence at primate species divergence. Based on 32 available primate genome sequences, this study has revealed possible associations between temperature changes and the emergence of de novo primate genes. Overall, findings in this study are that de novo genes tended to emerge in the recent 13 MY when the temperature continues cooling, which is consistent with past findings. Furthermore, in the context of an overall trend of cooling temperature, new primate genes were more likely to emerge during local warming periods, where the warm temperature more closely resembled the environmental condition that preceded the cooling trend. Results also indicate that both primate de novo genes and human cancer-associated genes have later origins in comparison to random human genes. Future studies can be in-depth on understanding human de novo gene emergence from an environmental perspective as well as understanding species divergence from a gene emergence perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Lenwood S Heath
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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28
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Alkailani MI, Gibbings D. The Regulation and Immune Signature of Retrotransposons in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4340. [PMID: 37686616 PMCID: PMC10486412 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing technologies and the bioinformatic analysis of big data facilitate the study of jumping genes' activity in the human genome in cancer from a broad perspective. Retrotransposons, which move from one genomic site to another by a copy-and-paste mechanism, are regulated by various molecular pathways that may be disrupted during tumorigenesis. Active retrotransposons can stimulate type I IFN responses. Although accumulated evidence suggests that retrotransposons can induce inflammation, the research investigating the exact mechanism of triggering these responses is ongoing. Understanding these mechanisms could improve the therapeutic management of cancer through the use of retrotransposon-induced inflammation as a tool to instigate immune responses to tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maisa I. Alkailani
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Derrick Gibbings
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada;
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29
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Sun T, Xu Y, Xiang Y, Ou J, Soderblom EJ, Diao Y. Crosstalk between RNA m 6A and DNA methylation regulates transposable element chromatin activation and cell fate in human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1324-1335. [PMID: 37474847 PMCID: PMC10766344 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01452-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are parasitic DNA sequences accounting for over half of the human genome. Tight control of the repression and activation states of TEs is critical for genome integrity, development, immunity and diseases, including cancer. However, precisely how this regulation is achieved remains unclear. Here we develop a targeted proteomic proximity labeling approach to capture TE-associated proteins in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We find that the RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader, YTHDC2, occupies genomic loci of the primate-specific TE, LTR7/HERV-H, specifically through its interaction with m6A-modified HERV-H RNAs. Unexpectedly, YTHDC2 recruits the DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mC)-demethylase, TET1, to remove 5mC from LTR7/HERV-H and prevent epigenetic silencing. Functionally, the YTHDC2/LTR7 axis inhibits neural differentiation of hESCs. Our results reveal both an underappreciated crosstalk between RNA m6A and DNA 5mC, the most abundant regulatory modifications of RNA and DNA in eukaryotes, and the fact that in hESCs this interplay controls TE activity and cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongyu Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yueyuan Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yu Xiang
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Erik J Soderblom
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource, Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yarui Diao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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30
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DiRusso JA, Clark AT. Transposable elements in early human embryo development and embryo models. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102086. [PMID: 37441874 PMCID: PMC10917458 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), long discounted as 'selfish genomic elements,' are increasingly appreciated as the drivers of genomic evolution, genome organization, and gene regulation. TEs are particularly important in early embryo development, where advances in stem cell technologies, in tandem with improved computational and next-generation sequencing approaches, have provided an unprecedented opportunity to study the contribution of TEs to early mammalian development. Here, we summarize advances in our understanding of TEs in early human development and expand on how new stem cell-based embryo models can be leveraged to augment this understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A DiRusso
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amander T Clark
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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31
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Yang F, Su W, Chung OW, Tracy L, Wang L, Ramsden DA, Zhang ZZZ. Retrotransposons hijack alt-EJ for DNA replication and eccDNA biogenesis. Nature 2023; 620:218-225. [PMID: 37438532 PMCID: PMC10691919 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06327-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Retrotransposons are highly enriched in the animal genome1-3. The activation of retrotransposons can rewrite host DNA information and fundamentally impact host biology1-3. Although developmental activation of retrotransposons can offer benefits for the host, such as against virus infection, uncontrolled activation promotes disease or potentially drives ageing1-5. After activation, retrotransposons use their mRNA as templates to synthesize double-stranded DNA for making new insertions in the host genome1-3,6. Although the reverse transcriptase that they encode can synthesize the first-strand DNA1-3,6, how the second-strand DNA is generated remains largely unclear. Here we report that retrotransposons hijack the alternative end-joining (alt-EJ) DNA repair process of the host for a circularization step to synthesize their second-strand DNA. We used Nanopore sequencing to examine the fates of replicated retrotransposon DNA, and found that 10% of them achieve new insertions, whereas 90% exist as extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA). Using eccDNA production as a readout, further genetic screens identified factors from alt-EJ as essential for retrotransposon replication. alt-EJ drives the second-strand synthesis of the long terminal repeat retrotransposon DNA through a circularization process and is therefore necessary for eccDNA production and new insertions. Together, our study reveals that alt-EJ is essential in driving the propagation of parasitic genomic retroelements. Our study uncovers a conserved function of this understudied DNA repair process, and provides a new perspective to understand-and potentially control-the retrotransposon life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Weijia Su
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Oliver W Chung
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Tracy
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Dale A Ramsden
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Z Z Zhao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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32
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Luo Q, Wang N, Que H, Mai E, Hu Y, Tan R, Gu J, Gong P. Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-like Cells: Induction Methods and Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11592. [PMID: 37511351 PMCID: PMC10380504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of regenerative medicine provides new options for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases. Stem cells, such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are effective tools for tissue repair in regenerative medicine. iPSCs are an appropriate source of hepatocytes for the treatment of liver disease due to their unlimited multiplication capacity, their coverage of the entire range of genetics required to simulate human disease, and their evasion of ethical implications. iPSCs have the ability to gradually produce hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) with homologous phenotypes and physiological functions. However, how to induce iPSCs to differentiate into HLCs efficiently and accurately is still a hot topic. This review describes the existing approaches for inducing the differentiation of iPSCs into HLCs, as well as some challenges faced, and summarizes various parameters for determining the quality and functionality of HLCs. Furthermore, the application of iPSCs for in vitro hepatoprotective drug screening and modeling of liver disease is discussed. In conclusion, iPSCs will be a dependable source of cells for stem-cell therapy to treat end-stage liver disease and are anticipated to facilitate individualized treatment for liver disease in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiulin Luo
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Nan Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Hanyun Que
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Erziya Mai
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Yanting Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Rui Tan
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610032, China
| | - Jian Gu
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Puyang Gong
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610225, China
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33
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Singh M, Kondraskhina AM, Hurst LD, Izsvák Z. Staring at the onco-exaptation: the two-faced medley of an ancient retrovirus, HERVH. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e172278. [PMID: 37463444 DOI: 10.1172/jci172278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell senescence suppresses tumors by arresting cells at risk of becoming malignant. However, this process in turn can affect the microenvironment, leading to acquisition of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that renders senescent cells proinflammatory and results in tumor progression. But how is SASP controlled? In this issue of the JCI, Attig and Pape et al. describe the role of chimeric calbindin 1 (CALB1) transcripts, which are driven by an upstream human endogenous retrovirus subfamily H (HERVH) element. The authors propose that in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), HERVH-driven isoforms of calbindin (HERVH-CALB1) counteract SASP. As an alternative promoter, HERVH drove calbindin isoforms that prevented cancer cell senescence and associated inflammation, which was associated with better patient survival. We comment on the similarities between HERVH-CALB1-related cellular fitness in cancer and early embryogenesis and discuss the potential benefits of HERVH-driven chimeric transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manvendra Singh
- Max Planck Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Laurence D Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
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34
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Attig J, Pape J, Doglio L, Kazachenka A, Ottina E, Young GR, Enfield KS, Aramburu IV, Ng KW, Faulkner N, Bolland W, Papayannopoulos V, Swanton C, Kassiotis G. Human endogenous retrovirus onco-exaptation counters cancer cell senescence through calbindin. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e164397. [PMID: 37192000 PMCID: PMC10348765 DOI: 10.1172/jci164397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased levels and diversity of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcription characterize most cancer types and are linked with disease outcomes. However, the underlying processes are incompletely understood. Here, we show that elevated transcription of HERVH proviruses predicted survival of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and identified an isoform of CALB1, encoding calbindin, ectopically driven by an upstream HERVH provirus under the control of KLF5, as the mediator of this effect. HERVH-CALB1 expression was initiated in preinvasive lesions and associated with their progression. Calbindin loss in LUSC cell lines impaired in vitro and in vivo growth and triggered senescence, consistent with a protumor effect. However, calbindin also directly controlled the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), marked by secretion of CXCL8 and other neutrophil chemoattractants. In established carcinomas, CALB1-negative cancer cells became the dominant source of CXCL8, correlating with neutrophil infiltration and worse prognosis. Thus, HERVH-CALB1 expression in LUSC may display antagonistic pleiotropy, whereby the benefits of escaping senescence early during cancer initiation and clonal competition were offset by the prevention of SASP and protumor inflammation at later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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35
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Lynch-Sutherland CF, McDougall LI, Stockwell PA, Almomani SN, Weeks RJ, Ludgate JL, Gamage TKJB, Chatterjee A, James JL, Eccles MR, Macaulay EC. The transposable element-derived transcript of LIN28B has a placental origin and is not specific to tumours. Mol Genet Genomics 2023:10.1007/s00438-023-02033-1. [PMID: 37269361 PMCID: PMC10363060 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-023-02033-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements that have evolved as crucial regulators of human development and cancer, functioning as both genes and regulatory elements. When TEs become dysregulated in cancer cells, they can serve as alternate promoters to activate oncogenes, a process known as onco-exaptation. This study aimed to explore the expression and epigenetic regulation of onco-exaptation events in early human developmental tissues. We discovered co-expression of some TEs and oncogenes in human embryonic stem cells and first trimester and term placental tissues. Previous studies identified onco-exaptation events in various cancer types, including an AluJb SINE element-LIN28B interaction in lung cancer cells, and showed that the TE-derived LIN28B transcript is associated with poor patient prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. This study further characterized the AluJb-LIN28B transcript and confirmed that its expression is restricted to the placenta. Targeted DNA methylation analysis revealed differential methylation of the two LIN28B promoters between placenta and healthy somatic tissues, indicating that some TE-oncogene interactions are not cancer-specific but arise from the epigenetic reactivation of developmental TE-derived regulatory events. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that some TE-oncogene interactions are not limited to cancer and may originate from the epigenetic reactivation of TE-derived regulatory events that are involved in early development. These insights broaden our understanding of the role of TEs in gene regulation and suggest the potential importance of targeting TEs in cancer therapy beyond their conventional use as cancer-specific markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiemi F Lynch-Sutherland
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Lorissa I McDougall
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter A Stockwell
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Suzan N Almomani
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert J Weeks
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Jackie L Ludgate
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Teena K J B Gamage
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanna L James
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael R Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erin C Macaulay
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
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36
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Grandchamp A, Kühl L, Lebherz M, Brüggemann K, Parsch J, Bornberg-Bauer E. Population genomics reveals mechanisms and dynamics of de novo expressed open reading frame emergence in Drosophila melanogaster. Genome Res 2023; 33:872-890. [PMID: 37442576 PMCID: PMC10519401 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277482.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Novel genes are essential for evolutionary innovations and differ substantially even between closely related species. Recently, multiple studies across many taxa showed that some novel genes arise de novo, that is, from previously noncoding DNA. To characterize the underlying mutations that allowed de novo gene emergence and their order of occurrence, homologous regions must be detected within noncoding sequences in closely related sister genomes. So far, most studies do not detect noncoding homologs of de novo genes because of incomplete assemblies and annotations, and long evolutionary distances separating genomes. Here, we overcome these issues by searching for de novo expressed open reading frames (neORFs), the not-yet fixed precursors of de novo genes that emerged within a single species. We sequenced and assembled genomes with long-read technology and the corresponding transcriptomes from inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster, derived from seven geographically diverse populations. We found line-specific neORFs in abundance but few neORFs shared by lines, suggesting a rapid turnover. Gain and loss of transcription is more frequent than the creation of ORFs, for example, by forming new start and stop codons. Consequently, the gain of ORFs becomes rate limiting and is frequently the initial step in neORFs emergence. Furthermore, transposable elements (TEs) are major drivers for intragenomic duplications of neORFs, yet TE insertions are less important for the emergence of neORFs. However, highly mutable genomic regions around TEs provide new features that enable gene birth. In conclusion, neORFs have a high birth-death rate, are rapidly purged, but surviving neORFs spread neutrally through populations and within genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grandchamp
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Lucas Kühl
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Marie Lebherz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Kathrin Brüggemann
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - John Parsch
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Department of Protein Evolution, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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37
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Singh M, Kondrashkina AM, Widmann TJ, Cortes JL, Bansal V, Wang J, Römer C, Garcia-Canadas M, Garcia-Perez JL, Hurst LD, Izsvák Z. A new human embryonic cell type associated with activity of young transposable elements allows definition of the inner cell mass. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002162. [PMID: 37339119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
There remains much that we do not understand about the earliest stages of human development. On a gross level, there is evidence for apoptosis, but the nature of the affected cell types is unknown. Perhaps most importantly, the inner cell mass (ICM), from which the foetus is derived and hence of interest in reproductive health and regenerative medicine, has proven hard to define. Here, we provide a multi-method analysis of the early human embryo to resolve these issues. Single-cell analysis (on multiple independent datasets), supported by embryo visualisation, uncovers a common previously uncharacterised class of cells lacking commitment markers that segregates after embryonic gene activation (EGA) and shortly after undergo apoptosis. The discovery of this cell type allows us to clearly define their viable ontogenetic sisters, these being the cells of the ICM. While ICM is characterised by the activity of an Old non-transposing endogenous retrovirus (HERVH) that acts to suppress Young transposable elements, the new cell type, by contrast, expresses transpositionally competent Young elements and DNA-damage response genes. As the Young elements are RetroElements and the cells are excluded from the developmental process, we dub these REject cells. With these and ICM being characterised by differential mobile element activities, the human embryo may be a "selection arena" in which one group of cells selectively die, while other less damaged cells persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manvendra Singh
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Thomas J Widmann
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose L Cortes
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Vikas Bansal
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jichang Wang
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Römer
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Garcia-Canadas
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose L Garcia-Perez
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
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38
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Kang H, Hasselbeck S, Taškova K, Wang N, Oosten LNV, Mrowka R, Utikal J, Andrade-Navarro MA, Wang J, Wölfl S, Cheng X. Development of a next-generation endogenous OCT4 inducer and its anti-aging effect in vivo. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 257:115513. [PMID: 37253308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The identification of small molecules capable of replacing transcription factors has been a longstanding challenge in the generation of human chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Recent studies have shown that ectopic expression of OCT4, one of the master pluripotency regulators, compromised the developmental potential of resulting iPSCs, This highlights the importance of finding endogenous OCT4 inducers for the generation of clinical-grade human iPSCs. Through a cell-based high throughput screen, we have discovered several new OCT4-inducing compounds (O4Is). In this work, we prepared metabolically stable analogues, including O4I4, which activate endogenous OCT4 and associated signaling pathways in various cell lines. By combining these with a transcription factor cocktail consisting of SOX2, KLF4, MYC, and LIN28 (referred to as "CSKML") we achieved to reprogram human fibroblasts into a stable and authentic pluripotent state without the need for exogenous OCT4. In Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila, O4I4 extends lifespan, suggesting the potential application of OCT4-inducing compounds in regenerative medicine and rejuvenation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Kang
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hasselbeck
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Katerina Taškova
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
| | - Nessa Wang
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Luuk N van Oosten
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Ralf Mrowka
- Experimentelle Nephrologie, KIM III, Universitätsklinikum, Jena, Germany
| | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit (G300), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Jichang Wang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Xinlai Cheng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Germany.
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39
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Zhao N, Yin G, Liu C, Zhang W, Shen Y, Wang D, Lin Z, Yang J, Mao J, Guo R, Zhang Y, Wang F, Liu Z, Lu X, Liu L. Critically short telomeres derepress retrotransposons to promote genome instability in embryonic stem cells. Cell Discov 2023; 9:45. [PMID: 37130870 PMCID: PMC10154409 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00538-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, at the ends of chromosomes, protect chromosomes from fusion and preserve genomic stability. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying telomere attrition-induced genome instability remain to be understood. We systematically analyzed the expression of retrotransposons and performed genomic sequencing of different cell and tissue types with telomeres of varying lengths due to telomerase deficiency. We found that critically short telomeres altered retrotransposon activity to promote genomic instability in mouse embryonic stem cells, as evidenced by elevated numbers of single nucleotide variants, indels and copy number variations (CNVs). Transpositions of retrotransposons such as LINE1 resulting from the short telomeres can also be found in these genomes with elevated number of mutations and CNVs. Retrotransposon activation is linked to increased chromatin accessibility, and reduced heterochromatin abundance correlates with short telomeres. Re-elongation of telomeres upon recovery of telomerase partly represses retrotransposons and heterochromatin accumulation. Together, our findings suggest a potential mechanism by which telomeres maintain genomic stability by suppressing chromatin accessibility and retrotransposon activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guoxing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weiyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dan Wang
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenzhen Lin
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Renpeng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
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40
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Lin CW, Ellegood J, Tamada K, Miura I, Konda M, Takeshita K, Atarashi K, Lerch JP, Wakana S, McHugh TJ, Takumi T. An old model with new insights: endogenous retroviruses drive the evolvement toward ASD susceptibility and hijack transcription machinery during development. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1932-1945. [PMID: 36882500 PMCID: PMC10575786 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01999-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR/J) strain is one of the most valid models of idiopathic autism, serving as a potent forward genetics tool to dissect the complexity of autism. We found that a sister strain with an intact corpus callosum, BTBR TF/ArtRbrc (BTBR/R), showed more prominent autism core symptoms but moderate ultrasonic communication/normal hippocampus-dependent memory, which may mimic autism in the high functioning spectrum. Intriguingly, disturbed epigenetic silencing mechanism leads to hyperactive endogenous retrovirus (ERV), a mobile genetic element of ancient retroviral infection, which increases de novo copy number variation (CNV) formation in the two BTBR strains. This feature makes the BTBR strain a still evolving multiple-loci model toward higher ASD susceptibility. Furthermore, active ERV, analogous to virus infection, evades the integrated stress response (ISR) of host defense and hijacks the transcriptional machinery during embryonic development in the BTBR strains. These results suggest dual roles of ERV in the pathogenesis of ASD, driving host genome evolution at a long-term scale and managing cellular pathways in response to viral infection, which has immediate effects on embryonic development. The wild-type Draxin expression in BTBR/R also makes this substrain a more precise model to investigate the core etiology of autism without the interference of impaired forebrain bundles as in BTBR/J.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wen Lin
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Kota Tamada
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ikuo Miura
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Mikiko Konda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kozue Takeshita
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Atarashi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tsurumi, 230-0045, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX39DU, UK
| | - Shigeharu Wakana
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Thomas J McHugh
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Toru Takumi
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo, 650-0047, Kobe, Japan.
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41
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Devaraj A, Singh M, Narayanavari SA, Yong G, Chen J, Wang J, Becker M, Walisko O, Schorn A, Cseresznyés Z, Raskó T, Radscheit K, Selbach M, Ivics Z, Izsvák Z. HMGXB4 Targets Sleeping Beauty Transposition to Germinal Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087283. [PMID: 37108449 PMCID: PMC10138897 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposons are parasitic genetic elements that frequently hijack vital cellular processes of their host. HMGXB4 is a known Wnt signaling-regulating HMG-box protein, previously identified as a host-encoded factor of Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposition. Here, we show that HMGXB4 is predominantly maternally expressed, and marks both germinal progenitor and somatic stem cells. SB piggybacks HMGXB4 to activate transposase expression and target transposition to germinal stem cells, thereby potentiating heritable transposon insertions. The HMGXB4 promoter is located within an active chromatin domain, offering multiple looping possibilities with neighboring genomic regions. HMGXB4 is activated by ERK2/MAPK1, ELK1 transcription factors, coordinating pluripotency and self-renewal pathways, but suppressed by the KRAB-ZNF/TRIM28 epigenetic repression machinery, also known to regulate transposable elements. At the post-translational level, SUMOylation regulates HMGXB4, which modulates binding affinity to its protein interaction partners and controls its transcriptional activator function via nucleolar compartmentalization. When expressed, HMGXB4 can participate in nuclear-remodeling protein complexes and transactivate target gene expression in vertebrates. Our study highlights HMGXB4 as an evolutionarily conserved host-encoded factor that assists Tc1/Mariner transposons to target the germline, which was necessary for their fixation and may explain their abundance in vertebrate genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anantharam Devaraj
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Suneel A Narayanavari
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Guo Yong
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jichang Wang
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mareike Becker
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Walisko
- Division of Hematology, Gene and Cell Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Andrea Schorn
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Zoltán Cseresznyés
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamás Raskó
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kathrin Radscheit
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Selbach
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Zoltán Ivics
- Division of Hematology, Gene and Cell Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
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42
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Zhang J, Shi G, Pang J, Zhu X, Feng Q, Na J, Ma W, Liu D, Songyang Z. Crotonylation of GAPDH regulates human embryonic stem cell endodermal lineage differentiation and metabolic switch. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:63. [PMID: 37013624 PMCID: PMC10071711 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03290-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-translational modifications of proteins are crucial to the regulation of their activity and function. As a newly discovered acylation modification, crotonylation of non-histone proteins remains largely unexplored, particularly in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). METHODS We investigated the role of crotonylation in hESC differentiation by introduce crotonate into the culture medium of GFP tagged LTR7 primed H9 cell and extended pluripotent stem cell lines. RNA-seq assay was used to determine the hESC transcriptional features. Through morphological changes, qPCR of pluripotent and germ layer-specific gene markers and flow cytometry analysis, we determined that the induced crotonylation resulted in hESC differentiating into the endodermal lineage. We performed targeted metabolomic analysis and seahorse metabolic measurement to investigate the metabolism features after crotonate induction. Then high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed the target proteins in hESCs. In addition, the role of crotonylated glycolytic enzymes (GAPDH and ENOA) was evaluated by in vitro crotonylation and enzymatic activity assays. Finally, we used knocked-down hESCs by shRNA, wild GAPDH and GAPDH mutants to explore potential role of GAPDH crotonylation in regulating human embryonic stem cell differentiation and metabolic switch. RESULT We found that induced crotonylation in hESCs resulted in hESCs of different pluripotency states differentiating into the endodermal lineage. Increased protein crotonylation in hESCs was accompanied by transcriptomic shifts and decreased glycolysis. Large-scale crotonylation profiling of non-histone proteins revealed that metabolic enzymes were major targets of inducible crotonylation in hESCs. We further discovered GAPDH as a key glycolytic enzyme regulated by crotonylation during endodermal differentiation from hESCs. CONCLUSIONS Crotonylation of GAPDH decreased its enzymatic activity thereby leading to reduced glycolysis during endodermal differentiation from hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingran Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Guang Shi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Junjie Pang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xing Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qingcai Feng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jie Na
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wenbin Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Verna and Marrs Mclean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhou Songyang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research and SYSU-BCM Joint Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510320, China.
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43
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Yushkova E, Moskalev A. Transposable elements and their role in aging. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101881. [PMID: 36773759 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are an important part of eukaryotic genomes. The role of somatic transposition in aging, carcinogenesis, and other age-related diseases has been determined. This review discusses the fundamental properties of TEs and their complex interactions with cellular processes, which are crucial for understanding the diverse effects of their activity on the genetics and epigenetics of the organism. The interactions of TEs with recombination, replication, repair, and chromosomal regulation; the ability of TEs to maintain a balance between their own activity and repression, the involvement of TEs in the creation of new or alternative genes, the expression of coding/non-coding RNA, and the role in DNA damage and modification of regulatory networks are reviewed. The contribution of the derepressed TEs to age-dependent effects in individual cells/tissues in different organisms was assessed. Conflicting information about TE activity under stress as well as theories of aging mechanisms related to TEs is discussed. On the one hand, transposition activity in response to stressors can lead to organisms acquiring adaptive innovations of great importance for evolution at the population level. On the other hand, the TE expression can cause decreased longevity and stress tolerance at the individual level. The specific features of TE effects on aging processes in germline and soma and the ways of their regulation in cells are highlighted. Recent results considering somatic mutations in normal human and animal tissues are indicated, with the emphasis on their possible functional consequences. In the context of aging, the correlation between somatic TE activation and age-related changes in the number of proteins required for heterochromatin maintenance and longevity regulation was analyzed. One of the original features of this review is a discussion of not only effects based on the TEs insertions and the associated consequences for the germline cell dynamics and somatic genome, but also the differences between transposon- and retrotransposon-mediated structural genome changes and possible phenotypic characteristics associated with aging and various age-related pathologies. Based on the analysis of published data, a hypothesis about the influence of the species-specific features of number, composition, and distribution of TEs on aging dynamics of different animal genomes was formulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Yushkova
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya st., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey Moskalev
- Laboratory of Geroprotective and Radioprotective Technologies, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 Kommunisticheskaya st., 167982 Syktyvkar, Russian Federation; Laboratory of Genetics and Epigenetics of Aging, Russian Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 129226, Russian Federation; Longaevus Technologies, London, UK.
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44
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Hosseiniporgham S, Sechi LA. Anti-HERV-K Drugs and Vaccines, Possible Therapies against Tumors. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040751. [PMID: 37112663 PMCID: PMC10144246 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The footprint of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), specifically HERV-K, has been found in malignancies, such as melanoma, teratocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, lymphoma, and ovary and prostate cancers. HERV-K is characterized as the most biologically active HERV due to possession of open reading frames (ORF) for all Gag, Pol, and Env genes, which enables it to be more infective and obstructive towards specific cell lines and other exogenous viruses, respectively. Some factors might contribute to carcinogenicity and at least one of them has been recognized in various tumors, including overexpression/methylation of long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1), HERV-K Gag, and Env genes themselves plus their transcripts and protein products, and HERV-K reverse transcriptase (RT). Therapies effective for HERV-K-associated tumors mostly target invasive autoimmune responses or growth of tumors through suppression of HERV-K Gag or Env protein and RT. To design new therapeutic options, more studies are needed to better understand whether HERV-K and its products (Gag/Env transcripts and HERV-K proteins/RT) are the initiators of tumor formation or just the disorder’s developers. Accordingly, this review aims to present evidence that highlights the association between HERV-K and tumorigenicity and introduces some of the available or potential therapies against HERV-K-induced tumors.
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45
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Jin L, He J, Feng H, Li S, Liu H, Dong H, Hu M, Huang J, Wu H, Chen J, Qi L, Wu K. Transposable elements activation triggers necroptosis in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:184. [PMID: 36882393 PMCID: PMC9992707 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05705-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Deficiency of the histone H3K9 methyltransferase SETDB1 induces RIPK3-dependent necroptosis in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). However, how necroptosis pathway is activated in this process remains elusive. Here we report that the reactivation of transposable elements (TEs) upon SETDB1 knockout is responsible for the RIPK3 regulation through both cis and trans mechanisms. IAPLTR2_Mm and MMERVK10c-int, both of which are suppressed by SETDB1-dependent H3K9me3, act as enhancer-like cis-regulatory elements and their RIPK3 nearby members enhance RIPK3 expression when SETDB1 is knockout. Moreover, reactivated endogenous retroviruses generate excessive viral mimicry, which promotes necroptosis mainly through Z-DNA-binding protein 1 (ZBP1). These results indicate TEs play an important role in regulating necroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingmei Jin
- Institute of Digestive Disease, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, B24 Yinquan South Road, Qingyuan, 511518, Guang Dong, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.,Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiangping He
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510005, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huijian Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.,Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Sa Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - He Liu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongzhi Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - MingLi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Junju Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Haoyu Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China. .,Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China. .,Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ling Qi
- Institute of Digestive Disease, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, B24 Yinquan South Road, Qingyuan, 511518, Guang Dong, China.
| | - Kaixin Wu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, B24 Yinquan South Road, Qingyuan, 511518, Guang Dong, China. .,Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China. .,Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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46
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Inoue Y, Takeda H. Teratorn and Its Related Elements – a Novel Group of Herpesviruses Widespread in Teleost Genomes. Zoolog Sci 2023; 40:83-90. [PMID: 37042688 DOI: 10.2108/zs220069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Herpesviruses are a large family of DNA viruses infecting vertebrates and invertebrates, and are important pathogens in the field of aquaculture. In general, herpesviruses do not have the ability to integrate into the host genomes since they do not have a chromosomal integration step in their life cycles. Recently, we identified a novel group of herpesviruses, "Teratorn" and its related elements, in the genomes of various teleost fish species. At least some of the Teratorn-like herpesviruses are fused with a piggyBac-like DNA transposon, suggesting that they have acquired the transposon-like intragenomic lifestyle by hijacking the transposon system. In this review, we describe the sequence characteristics of Teratorn-like herpesviruses and phylogenetic relationships with other herpesviruses. Then we discuss the process of transposon-herpesvirus fusion, their life cycle, and the generality of transposon-virus fusion. Teratorn-like herpesviruses provide a piece of concrete evidence that even non-retroviral elements can become intragenomic parasites retaining replication capacity, by acquiring transposition machinery from other sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Inoue
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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47
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Déjosez M, Marin A, Hughes GM, Morales AE, Godoy-Parejo C, Gray JL, Qin Y, Singh AA, Xu H, Juste J, Ibáñez C, White KM, Rosales R, Francoeur NJ, Sebra RP, Alcock D, Volkert TL, Puechmaille SJ, Pastusiak A, Frost SDW, Hiller M, Young RA, Teeling EC, García-Sastre A, Zwaka TP. Bat pluripotent stem cells reveal unusual entanglement between host and viruses. Cell 2023; 186:957-974.e28. [PMID: 36812912 PMCID: PMC10085545 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Bats are distinctive among mammals due to their ability to fly, use laryngeal echolocation, and tolerate viruses. However, there are currently no reliable cellular models for studying bat biology or their response to viral infections. Here, we created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from two species of bats: the wild greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis). The iPSCs from both bat species showed similar characteristics and had a gene expression profile resembling that of cells attacked by viruses. They also had a high number of endogenous viral sequences, particularly retroviruses. These results suggest that bats have evolved mechanisms to tolerate a large load of viral sequences and may have a more intertwined relationship with viruses than previously thought. Further study of bat iPSCs and their differentiated progeny will provide insights into bat biology, virus host relationships, and the molecular basis of bats' special traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Déjosez
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Paratus Sciences, 430 East 29th Street, Suite 600, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Arturo Marin
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Graham M Hughes
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ariadna E Morales
- Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carlos Godoy-Parejo
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA
| | - Jonathan L Gray
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA
| | - Yiren Qin
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA
| | - Arun A Singh
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA
| | - Hui Xu
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA
| | - Javier Juste
- Estación biológica de doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, Seville 41092, Spain; CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, CIBERESP, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Ibáñez
- Estación biológica de doñana (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, Seville 41092, Spain
| | - Kris M White
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Romel Rosales
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Robert P Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Genomics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dominic Alcock
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas L Volkert
- Paratus Sciences, 430 East 29th Street, Suite 600, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Andrzej Pastusiak
- Microsoft Premonition, Microsoft Building 99, 14820 NE 36th Street, Redmond, WA 98052, USA
| | - Simon D W Frost
- Microsoft Premonition, Microsoft Building 99, 14820 NE 36th Street, Redmond, WA 98052, USA; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Michael Hiller
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Richard A Young
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Emma C Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine and the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Thomas P Zwaka
- Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10502, USA; Paratus Sciences, 430 East 29th Street, Suite 600, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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48
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Han D, Liu G, Oh Y, Oh S, Yang S, Mandjikian L, Rani N, Almeida MC, Kosik KS, Jang J. ZBTB12 is a molecular barrier to dedifferentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:632. [PMID: 36759523 PMCID: PMC9911396 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Development is generally viewed as one-way traffic of cell state transition from primitive to developmentally advanced states. However, molecular mechanisms that ensure the unidirectional transition of cell fates remain largely unknown. Through exact transcription start site mapping, we report an evolutionarily conserved BTB domain-containing zinc finger protein, ZBTB12, as a molecular barrier for dedifferentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals that ZBTB12 is essential for three germ layer differentiation by blocking hPSC dedifferentiation. Mechanistically, ZBTB12 fine-tunes the expression of human endogenous retrovirus H (HERVH), a primate-specific retrotransposon, and targets specific transcripts that utilize HERVH as a regulatory element. In particular, the downregulation of HERVH-overlapping long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) by ZBTB12 is necessary for a successful exit from a pluripotent state and lineage derivation. Overall, we identify ZBTB12 as a molecular barrier that safeguards the unidirectional transition of metastable stem cell fates toward developmentally advanced states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasol Han
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Guojing Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Novogene Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yujeong Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Seyoun Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Seungbok Yang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Lori Mandjikian
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Neha Rani
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
| | - Maria C Almeida
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Federal University of ABC, Center for Natural and Human Sciences São Bernardo do Campo, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Jiwon Jang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea.
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49
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Gasparotto E, Burattin FV, Di Gioia V, Panepuccia M, Ranzani V, Marasca F, Bodega B. Transposable Elements Co-Option in Genome Evolution and Gene Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032610. [PMID: 36768929 PMCID: PMC9917352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome is no longer deemed as a fixed and inert item but rather as a moldable matter that is continuously evolving and adapting. Within this frame, Transposable Elements (TEs), ubiquitous, mobile, repetitive elements, are considered an alive portion of the genomes to date, whose functions, although long considered "dark", are now coming to light. Here we will review that, besides the detrimental effects that TE mobilization can induce, TEs have shaped genomes in their current form, promoting genome sizing, genomic rearrangements and shuffling of DNA sequences. Although TEs are mostly represented in the genomes by evolutionarily old, short, degenerated, and sedentary fossils, they have been thoroughly co-opted by the hosts as a prolific and original source of regulatory instruments for the control of gene transcription and genome organization in the nuclear space. For these reasons, the deregulation of TE expression and/or activity is implicated in the onset and progression of several diseases. It is likely that we have just revealed the outermost layers of TE functions. Further studies on this portion of the genome are required to unlock novel regulatory functions that could also be exploited for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Gasparotto
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
- SEMM, European School of Molecular Medicine, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Vittorio Burattin
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Di Gioia
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
- SEMM, European School of Molecular Medicine, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Panepuccia
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Ranzani
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Marasca
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Garcia-Cañadas M, Sanchez-Luque FJ, Sanchez L, Rojas J, Garcia Perez JL. LINE-1 Retrotransposition Assays in Embryonic Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2607:257-309. [PMID: 36449167 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2883-6_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing mobilization of active non-long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons continues to impact the genomes of most mammals, including humans and rodents. Non-LTR retrotransposons mobilize using an intermediary RNA and a copy-and-paste mechanism termed retrotransposition. Non-LTR retrotransposons are subdivided into long and short interspersed elements (LINEs and SINEs, respectively), depending on their size and autonomy; while active class 1 LINEs (LINE-1s or L1s) encode the enzymatic machinery required to mobilize in cis, active SINEs use the enzymatic machinery of active LINE-1s to mobilize in trans. The mobilization mechanism used by LINE-1s/SINEs was exploited to develop ingenious plasmid-based retrotransposition assays in cultured cells, which typically exploit a reporter gene that can only be activated after a round of retrotransposition. Retrotransposition assays, in cis or in trans, are instrumental tools to study the biology of mammalian LINE-1s and SINEs. In fact, these and other biochemical/genetic assays were used to uncover that endogenous mammalian LINE-1s/SINEs naturally retrotranspose during early embryonic development. However, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are typically used as a cellular model in these and other studies interrogating LINE-1/SINE expression/regulation during early embryogenesis. Thus, human and mouse ESCs represent an excellent model to understand how active retrotransposons are regulated and how their activity impacts the germline. Here, we describe robust and quantitative protocols to study human/mouse LINE-1 (in cis) and SINE (in trans) retrotransposition using (human and mice) ESCs. These protocols are designed to study the mobilization of active non-LTR retrotransposons in a cellular physiologically relevant context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Garcia-Cañadas
- Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain.
| | - Francisco J Sanchez-Luque
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine "Lopez-Neyra" (IPBLN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Laura Sanchez
- Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Johana Rojas
- Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose L Garcia Perez
- Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain.
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (IGC)/University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital Campus, Edinburgh, UK.
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