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Senner CE, Dong Z, Prater M, Branco MR, Watson ED. One-carbon metabolism is required for epigenetic stability in the mouse placenta. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1209928. [PMID: 37440923 PMCID: PMC10333575 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1209928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
One-carbon metabolism, including the folate cycle, has a crucial role in fetal development though its molecular function is complex and unclear. The hypomorphic Mtrr gt allele is known to disrupt one-carbon metabolism, and thus methyl group availability, leading to several developmental phenotypes (e.g., neural tube closure defects, fetal growth anomalies). Remarkably, previous studies showed that some of the phenotypes were transgenerationally inherited. Here, we explored the genome-wide epigenetic impact of one-carbon metabolism in placentas associated with fetal growth phenotypes and determined whether specific DNA methylation changes were inherited. Firstly, methylome analysis of Mtrr gt/gt homozygous placentas revealed genome-wide epigenetic instability. Several differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified including at the Cxcl1 gene promoter and at the En2 gene locus, which may have phenotypic implications. Importantly, we discovered hypomethylation and ectopic expression of a subset of ERV elements throughout the genome of Mtrr gt/gt placentas with broad implications for genomic stability. Next, we determined that known spermatozoan DMRs in Mtrr gt/gt males were reprogrammed in the placenta with little evidence of direct or transgenerational germline DMR inheritance. However, some spermatozoan DMRs were associated with placental gene misexpression despite normalisation of DNA methylation, suggesting the inheritance of an alternative epigenetic mechanism. Integration of published wildtype histone ChIP-seq datasets with Mtrr gt/gt spermatozoan methylome and placental transcriptome datasets point towards H3K4me3 deposition at key loci. These data suggest that histone modifications might play a role in epigenetic inheritance in this context. Overall, this study sheds light on the mechanistic complexities of one-carbon metabolism in development and epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Senner
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ziqi Dong
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Malwina Prater
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel R. Branco
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Erica D. Watson
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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52
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Sullivan AE. Epigenetic Control of Cell Potency and Fate Determination during Mammalian Gastrulation. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1143. [PMID: 37372324 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061143] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent embryonic stem cells have a unique and characteristic epigenetic profile, which is critical for differentiation to all embryonic germ lineages. When stem cells exit the pluripotent state and commit to lineage-specific identities during the process of gastrulation in early embryogenesis, extensive epigenetic remodelling mediates both the switch in cellular programme and the loss of potential to adopt alternative lineage programmes. However, it remains to be understood how the stem cell epigenetic profile encodes pluripotency, or how dynamic epigenetic regulation helps to direct cell fate specification. Recent advances in stem cell culture techniques, cellular reprogramming, and single-cell technologies that can quantitatively profile epigenetic marks have led to significant insights into these questions, which are important for understanding both embryonic development and cell fate engineering. This review provides an overview of key concepts and highlights exciting new advances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne E Sullivan
- Quantitative Stem Cell Biology Lab, Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics, School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
- South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
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53
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Chennakesavalu M, Moore K, Chaves G, Veeravalli S, TerHaar R, Wu T, Lyu R, Chlenski A, He C, Piunti A, Applebaum MA. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiling of cell-free DNA identifies bivalent genes that are prognostic of survival in high-risk neuroblastoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.27.538309. [PMID: 37163024 PMCID: PMC10168384 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.27.538309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor in childhood and epigenetic dysregulation is a key driver of this embryonal disease. In cell-free DNA from neuroblastoma patients with high-risk disease, we found increased 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) deposition on Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) target genes, a finding previously described in the context of bivalent genes. As bivalent genes, defined as genes bearing both activating (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) chromatin modifications, have been shown to play an important role in development and cancer, we investigated the potential role of bivalent genes in maintaining a de-differentiated state in neuroblastoma and their potential use as a biomarker. We identified 313 genes that bore bivalent chromatin marks, were enriched for mediators of neuronal differentiation, and were transcriptionally repressed across a panel of heterogenous neuroblastoma cell lines. Through gene set variance analysis, we developed a clinically implementable bivalent signature. In three distinct clinical cohorts, low bivalent signature was significantly and independently associated with worse clinical outcome in high-risk neuroblastoma patients. Thus, low expression of bivalent genes is a biomarker of ultra-high-risk disease and may represent a therapeutic opportunity in neuroblastoma.
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54
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Uribe-Etxebarria V, Pineda JR, García-Gallastegi P, Agliano A, Unda F, Ibarretxe G. Notch and Wnt Signaling Modulation to Enhance DPSC Stemness and Therapeutic Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087389. [PMID: 37108549 PMCID: PMC10138690 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Dental Pulp of permanent human teeth is home to stem cells with remarkable multilineage differentiation ability: human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs). These cells display a very notorious expression of pluripotency core factors, and the ability to give rise to mature cell lineages belonging to the three embryonic layers. For these reasons, several researchers in the field have long considered human DPSCs as pluripotent-like cells. Notably, some signaling pathways such as Notch and Wnt contribute to maintaining the stemness of these cells through a complex network involving metabolic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. The use of recombinant proteins and selective pharmacological modulators of Notch and Wnt pathways, together with serum-free media and appropriate scaffolds that allow the maintenance of the non-differentiated state of hDPSC cultures could be an interesting approach to optimize the potency of these stem cells, without a need for genetic modification. In this review, we describe and integrate findings that shed light on the mechanisms responsible for stemness maintenance of hDPSCs, and how these are regulated by Notch/Wnt activation, drawing some interesting parallelisms with pluripotent stem cells. We summarize previous work on the stem cell field that includes interactions between epigenetics, metabolic regulations, and pluripotency core factor expression in hDPSCs and other stem cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jose Ramon Pineda
- Cell Biology and Histology Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience Fundazioa Leioa, Sede Building, 3rd Floor, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Patricia García-Gallastegi
- Physiology Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Alice Agliano
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Cancer Research UK Cancer Imaging Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW7 3RP, UK
- Department of Materials and Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Fernando Unda
- Cell Biology and Histology Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Gaskon Ibarretxe
- Cell Biology and Histology Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
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55
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Arzate-Mejia RG, Mansuy IM. Remembering through the genome: the role of chromatin states in brain functions and diseases. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:122. [PMID: 37041131 PMCID: PMC10090084 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02415-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin is the physical substrate of the genome that carries the DNA sequence and ensures its proper functions and regulation in the cell nucleus. While a lot is known about the dynamics of chromatin during programmed cellular processes such as development, the role of chromatin in experience-dependent functions remains not well defined. Accumulating evidence suggests that in brain cells, environmental stimuli can trigger long-lasting changes in chromatin structure and tri-dimensional (3D) organization that can influence future transcriptional programs. This review describes recent findings suggesting that chromatin plays an important role in cellular memory, particularly in the maintenance of traces of prior activity in the brain. Inspired by findings in immune and epithelial cells, we discuss the underlying mechanisms and the implications for experience-dependent transcriptional regulation in health and disease. We conclude by presenting a holistic view of chromatin as potential molecular substrate for the integration and assimilation of environmental information that may constitute a conceptual basis for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo G Arzate-Mejia
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ), Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroscience Zürich, University Zürich and ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ), Zurich, Switzerland.
- Center for Neuroscience Zürich, University Zürich and ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland.
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56
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Fukushima HS, Takeda H, Nakamura R. Incomplete erasure of histone marks during epigenetic reprogramming in medaka early development. Genome Res 2023; 33:572-586. [PMID: 37117034 PMCID: PMC10234297 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277577.122] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications undergo drastic erasure and reestablishment after fertilization. This reprogramming is required for proper embryonic development and cell differentiation. In mammals, some histone modifications are not completely reprogrammed and play critical roles in later development. In contrast, in nonmammalian vertebrates, most histone modifications are thought to be more intensively erased and reestablished by the stage of zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, histone modifications that escape reprogramming in nonmammalian vertebrates and their potential functional roles remain unknown. Here, we quantitatively and comprehensively analyzed histone modification dynamics during epigenetic reprogramming in Japanese killifish, medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos. Our data revealed that H3K27ac, H3K27me3, and H3K9me3 escape complete reprogramming, whereas H3K4 methylation is completely erased during cleavage stage. Furthermore, we experimentally showed the functional roles of such retained modifications at early stages: (i) H3K27ac premarks promoters during the cleavage stage, and inhibition of histone acetyltransferases disrupts proper patterning of H3K4 and H3K27 methylation at CpG-dense promoters, but does not affect chromatin accessibility after ZGA; (ii) H3K9me3 is globally erased but specifically retained at telomeric regions, which is required for maintenance of genomic stability during the cleavage stage. These results expand the understanding of diversity and conservation of reprogramming in vertebrates, and unveil previously uncharacterized functions of histone modifications retained during epigenetic reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto S Fukushima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takeda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryohei Nakamura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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57
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Prevalent putative chromatin bivalency and partial resetting of H3K27me3 in plant sperm. Nat Genet 2023; 55:536-537. [PMID: 36973456 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01345-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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58
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Liu C, Yu P, Ren Z, Yao F, Wang L, Hu G, Li P, Zhao Q. Rif1 Regulates Self-Renewal and Impedes Mesendodermal Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023:10.1007/s12015-023-10525-1. [PMID: 36971904 PMCID: PMC10366267 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10525-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
RAP1 interacting factor 1 (Rif1) is highly expressed in mice embryos and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). It plays critical roles in telomere length homeostasis, DNA damage, DNA replication timing and ERV silencing. However, whether Rif1 regulates early differentiation of mESC is still unclear.
Methods
In this study, we generated a Rif1 conditional knockout mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell line based on Cre-loxP system. Western blot, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), RNA high-throughput sequencing (RNA-Seq), chromatin immunoprecipitation followed high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq), chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR), immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation were employed for phenotype and molecular mechanism assessment.
Results
Rif1 plays important roles in self-renewal and pluripotency of mESCs and loss of Rif1 promotes mESC differentiation toward the mesendodermal germ layers. We further show that Rif1 interacts with histone H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2, a subunit of PRC2, and regulates the expression of developmental genes by directly binding to their promoters. Rif1 deficiency reduces the occupancy of EZH2 and H3K27me3 on mesendodermal gene promoters and activates ERK1/2 activities.
Conclusion
Rif1 is a key factor in regulating the pluripotency, self-renewal, and lineage specification of mESCs. Our research provides new insights into the key roles of Rif1 in connecting epigenetic regulations and signaling pathways for cell fate determination and lineage specification of mESCs.
Graphical abstract
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59
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Roth C, Kilpinen H, Kurian MA, Barral S. Histone lysine methyltransferase-related neurodevelopmental disorders: current knowledge and saRNA future therapies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1090046. [PMID: 36923252 PMCID: PMC10009263 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1090046] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders encompass a group of debilitating diseases presenting with motor and cognitive dysfunction, with variable age of onset and disease severity. Advances in genetic diagnostic tools have facilitated the identification of several monogenic chromatin remodeling diseases that cause Neurodevelopmental disorders. Chromatin remodelers play a key role in the neuro-epigenetic landscape and regulation of brain development; it is therefore not surprising that mutations, leading to loss of protein function, result in aberrant neurodevelopment. Heterozygous, usually de novo mutations in histone lysine methyltransferases have been described in patients leading to haploinsufficiency, dysregulated protein levels and impaired protein function. Studies in animal models and patient-derived cell lines, have highlighted the role of histone lysine methyltransferases in the regulation of cell self-renewal, cell fate specification and apoptosis. To date, in depth studies of histone lysine methyltransferases in oncology have provided strong evidence of histone lysine methyltransferase dysregulation as a determinant of cancer progression and drug resistance. As a result, histone lysine methyltransferases have become an important therapeutic target for the treatment of different cancer forms. Despite recent advances, we still lack knowledge about the role of histone lysine methyltransferases in neuronal development. This has hampered both the study and development of precision therapies for histone lysine methyltransferases-related Neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge of the role of histone lysine methyltransferases in neuronal development and disease progression. We will also discuss how RNA-based technologies using small-activating RNAs could potentially provide a novel therapeutic approach for the future treatment of histone lysine methyltransferase haploinsufficiency in these Neurodevelopmental disorders, and how they could be first tested in state-of-the-art patient-derived neuronal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Roth
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Kilpinen
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Manju A. Kurian
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serena Barral
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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60
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Dissecting MENIN in bivalent gene regulation. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:209-210. [PMID: 36635502 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01063-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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61
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Tominaga K, Sakashita E, Kasashima K, Kuroiwa K, Nagao Y, Iwamori N, Endo H. Tip60/KAT5 Histone Acetyltransferase Is Required for Maintenance and Neurogenesis of Embryonic Neural Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032113. [PMID: 36768434 PMCID: PMC9916716 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032113] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation via epigenetic factors in collaboration with tissue-specific transcription factors is curtail for establishing functional organ systems during development. Brain development is tightly regulated by epigenetic factors, which are coordinately activated or inactivated during processes, and their dysregulation is linked to brain abnormalities and intellectual disability. However, the precise mechanism of epigenetic regulation in brain development and neurogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we show that Tip60/KAT5 deletion in neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) in mice results in multiple abnormalities of brain development. Tip60-deficient embryonic brain led to microcephaly, and proliferating cells in the developing brain were reduced by Tip60 deficiency. In addition, neural differentiation and neuronal migration were severely affected in Tip60-deficient brains. Following neurogenesis in developing brains, gliogenesis started from the earlier stage of development in Tip60-deficient brains, indicating that Tip60 is involved in switching from neurogenesis to gliogenesis during brain development. It was also confirmed in vitro that poor neurosphere formation, proliferation defects, neural differentiation defects, and accelerated astrocytic differentiation in mutant NSCs are derived from Tip60-deficient embryonic brains. This study uncovers the critical role of Tip60 in brain development and NSC maintenance and function in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Tominaga
- Division of Structural Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
- Division of Functional Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (N.I.)
| | - Eiji Sakashita
- Division of Functional Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
| | - Katsumi Kasashima
- Division of Functional Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
| | - Kenji Kuroiwa
- Division of Functional Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
| | - Yasumitsu Nagao
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
| | - Naoki Iwamori
- Department of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (N.I.)
| | - Hitoshi Endo
- Division of Functional Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 321-0498, Japan
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Day CA, Hinchcliffe EH, Robinson JP. H3K27me3 in Diffuse Midline Glioma and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Opposing Epigenetic Changes Leading to the Same Poor Outcomes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11213376. [PMID: 36359771 PMCID: PMC9655269 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications modulate gene expression through epigenetic gene regulation. The core histone H3 family members, H3.1, H3.2, and H3.3, play a central role in epigenetics. H3 histones can acquire many post-translational modifications, including the trimethylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3), which represses transcription. Triple methylation of H3K27 is performed by the histone methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2), a component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. Both global increases and decreases in H3K27me3 have been implicated in a wide range of cancer types. Here, we explore how opposing changes in H3K27me3 contribute to cancer by highlighting its role in two vastly different cancer types; (1) a form of glioma known as diffuse midline glioma H3K27-altered and (2) epithelial ovarian cancer. These two cancers vary widely in the age of onset, sex, associated mutations, and cell and organ type. However, both diffuse midline glioma and ovarian cancer have dysregulation of H3K27 methylation, triggering changes to the cancer cell transcriptome. In diffuse midline glioma, the loss of H3K27 methylation is a primary driving factor in tumorigenesis that promotes glial cell stemness and silences tumor suppressor genes. Conversely, hypermethylation of H3K27 occurs in late-stage epithelial ovarian cancer, which promotes tumor vascularization and tumor cell migration. By using each cancer type as a case study, this review emphasizes the importance of H3K27me3 in cancer while demonstrating that the mechanisms of histone H3 modification and subsequent gene expression changes are not a one-size-fits-all across cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. Day
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Edward H. Hinchcliffe
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - James P. Robinson
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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