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Mochizuki K, Sharif J, Shirane K, Uranishi K, Bogutz AB, Janssen SM, Suzuki A, Okuda A, Koseki H, Lorincz MC. Repression of germline genes by PRC1.6 and SETDB1 in the early embryo precedes DNA methylation-mediated silencing. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7020. [PMID: 34857746 PMCID: PMC8639735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Silencing of a subset of germline genes is dependent upon DNA methylation (DNAme) post-implantation. However, these genes are generally hypomethylated in the blastocyst, implicating alternative repressive pathways before implantation. Indeed, in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), an overlapping set of genes, including germline "genome-defence" (GGD) genes, are upregulated following deletion of the H3K9 methyltransferase SETDB1 or subunits of the non-canonical PRC1 complex PRC1.6. Here, we show that in pre-implantation embryos and naïve ESCs (nESCs), hypomethylated promoters of germline genes bound by the PRC1.6 DNA-binding subunits MGA/MAX/E2F6 are enriched for RING1B-dependent H2AK119ub1 and H3K9me3. Accordingly, repression of these genes in nESCs shows a greater dependence on PRC1.6 than DNAme. In contrast, GGD genes are hypermethylated in epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) and their silencing is dependent upon SETDB1, PRC1.6/RING1B and DNAme, with H3K9me3 and DNAme establishment dependent upon MGA binding. Thus, GGD genes are initially repressed by PRC1.6, with DNAme subsequently engaged in post-implantation embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Mochizuki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jafar Sharif
- Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Shirane
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kousuke Uranishi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
| | - Aaron B Bogutz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sanne M Janssen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ayumu Suzuki
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akihiko Okuda
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo ward, Chiba, Japan
| | - Matthew C Lorincz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Loh CH, van Genesen S, Perino M, Bark MR, Veenstra GJC. Loss of PRC2 subunits primes lineage choice during exit of pluripotency. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6985. [PMID: 34848733 PMCID: PMC8632979 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27314-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is crucial for the coordinated expression of genes during early embryonic development, catalyzing histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation. Two distinct PRC2 complexes, PRC2.1 and PRC2.2, contain respectively MTF2 and JARID2 in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). In this study, we explored their roles in lineage specification and commitment, using single-cell transcriptomics and mouse embryoid bodies derived from Mtf2 and Jarid2 null ESCs. We observe that the loss of Mtf2 results in enhanced and faster differentiation towards cell fates from all germ layers, while the Jarid2 null cells are predominantly directed towards early differentiating precursors, with reduced efficiency towards mesendodermal lineages. These effects are caused by derepression of developmental regulators that are poised for activation in pluripotent cells and gain H3K4me3 at their promoters in the absence of PRC2 repression. Upon lineage commitment, the differentiation trajectories are relatively similar to those of wild-type cells. Together, our results uncover a major role for MTF2-containing PRC2.1 in balancing poised lineage-specific gene activation, whereas the contribution of JARID2-containing PRC2 is more selective in nature compared to MTF2. These data explain how PRC2 imposes thresholds for lineage choice during the exit of pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet H. Loh
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Siebe van Genesen
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Matteo Perino
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ,grid.4709.a0000 0004 0495 846XPresent Address: Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magnus R. Bark
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gert Jan C. Veenstra
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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53
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Andergassen D, Smith ZD, Kretzmer H, Rinn JL, Meissner A. Diverse epigenetic mechanisms maintain parental imprints within the embryonic and extraembryonic lineages. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2995-3005.e4. [PMID: 34752748 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting and X chromosome inactivation (XCI) require epigenetic mechanisms to encode allele-specific expression, but how these specific tasks are accomplished at single loci or across chromosomal scales remains incompletely understood. Here, we systematically disrupt essential epigenetic pathways within polymorphic embryos in order to examine canonical and non-canonical genomic imprinting as well as XCI. We find that DNA methylation and Polycomb group repressors are indispensable for autosomal imprinting, albeit at distinct gene sets. Moreover, the extraembryonic ectoderm relies on a broader spectrum of imprinting mechanisms, including non-canonical targeting of maternal endogenous retrovirus (ERV)-driven promoters by the H3K9 methyltransferase G9a. We further identify Polycomb-dependent and -independent gene clusters on the imprinted X chromosome, which appear to reflect distinct domains of Xist-mediated suppression. From our data, we assemble a comprehensive inventory of the epigenetic pathways that maintain parent-specific imprinting in eutherian mammals, including an expanded view of the placental lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Andergassen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich 80802, Germany
| | - Zachary D Smith
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - John L Rinn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder 80303, USA
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin 14195, Germany; Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany.
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54
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Trotman JB, Braceros KCA, Cherney RE, Murvin MM, Calabrese JM. The control of polycomb repressive complexes by long noncoding RNAs. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2021; 12:e1657. [PMID: 33861025 PMCID: PMC8500928 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRCs; PRC1 and PRC2) are conserved histone-modifying enzymes that often function cooperatively to repress gene expression. The PRCs are regulated by long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in complex ways. On the one hand, specific lncRNAs cause the PRCs to engage with chromatin and repress gene expression over genomic regions that can span megabases. On the other hand, the PRCs bind RNA with seemingly little sequence specificity, and at least in the case of PRC2, direct RNA-binding has the effect of inhibiting the enzyme. Thus, some RNAs appear to promote PRC activity, while others may inhibit it. The reasons behind this apparent dichotomy are unclear. The most potent PRC-activating lncRNAs associate with chromatin and are predominantly unspliced or harbor unusually long exons. Emerging data imply that these lncRNAs promote PRC activity through internal RNA sequence elements that arise and disappear rapidly in evolutionary time. These sequence elements may function by interacting with common subsets of RNA-binding proteins that recruit or stabilize PRCs on chromatin. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson B. Trotman
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Keean C. A. Braceros
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Mechanistic, Interdisciplinary Studies of Biological Systems, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel E. Cherney
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - McKenzie M. Murvin
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - J. Mauro Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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55
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Simonini S, Bemer M, Bencivenga S, Gagliardini V, Pires ND, Desvoyes B, van der Graaff E, Gutierrez C, Grossniklaus U. The Polycomb group protein MEDEA controls cell proliferation and embryonic patterning in Arabidopsis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1945-1960.e7. [PMID: 34192526 PMCID: PMC8279741 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Establishing the embryonic body plan of multicellular organisms relies on precisely orchestrated cell divisions coupled with pattern formation, which, in animals, are regulated by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins. The conserved Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) mediates H3K27 trimethylation and comes in different flavors in Arabidopsis. The PRC2 catalytic subunit MEDEA is required for seed development; however, a role for PRC2 in embryonic patterning has been dismissed. Here, we demonstrate that embryos derived from medea eggs abort because MEDEA is required for patterning and cell lineage determination in the early embryo. Similar to PcG proteins in mammals, MEDEA regulates embryonic patterning and growth by controlling cell-cycle progression through repression of CYCD1;1, which encodes a core cell-cycle component. Thus, Arabidopsis embryogenesis is epigenetically regulated by PcG proteins, revealing that the PRC2-dependent modulation of cell-cycle progression was independently recruited to control embryonic cell proliferation and patterning in animals and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Simonini
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marian Bemer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Bencivenga
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Gagliardini
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nuno D Pires
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bénédicte Desvoyes
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eric van der Graaff
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Crisanto Gutierrez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Haggerty C, Kretzmer H, Riemenschneider C, Kumar AS, Mattei AL, Bailly N, Gottfreund J, Giesselmann P, Weigert R, Brändl B, Giehr P, Buschow R, Galonska C, von Meyenn F, Pappalardi MB, McCabe MT, Wittler L, Giesecke-Thiel C, Mielke T, Meierhofer D, Timmermann B, Müller FJ, Walter J, Meissner A. Dnmt1 has de novo activity targeted to transposable elements. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021; 28:594-603. [PMID: 34140676 PMCID: PMC8279952 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00603-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays a critical role during development, particularly in repressing retrotransposons. The mammalian methylation landscape is dependent on the combined activities of the canonical maintenance enzyme Dnmt1 and the de novo Dnmts, 3a and 3b. Here, we demonstrate that Dnmt1 displays de novo methylation activity in vitro and in vivo with specific retrotransposon targeting. We used whole-genome bisulfite and long-read Nanopore sequencing in genetically engineered methylation-depleted mouse embryonic stem cells to provide an in-depth assessment and quantification of this activity. Utilizing additional knockout lines and molecular characterization, we show that the de novo methylation activity of Dnmt1 depends on Uhrf1, and its genomic recruitment overlaps with regions that enrich for Uhrf1, Trim28 and H3K9 trimethylation. Our data demonstrate that Dnmt1 can catalyze DNA methylation in both a de novo and maintenance context, especially at retrotransposons, where this mechanism may provide additional stability for long-term repression and epigenetic propagation throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuck Haggerty
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina Riemenschneider
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Abhishek Sampath Kumar
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra L Mattei
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nina Bailly
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Gottfreund
- Department of Genetics and Epigenetics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Pay Giesselmann
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Raha Weigert
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Björn Brändl
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel, Germany
| | - Pascal Giehr
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - René Buschow
- Microscopy and Cryo-electron Microscopy Service Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina Galonska
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Spatial Transcriptomics, Part of 10x Genomics Inc, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Michael T McCabe
- Epigenetics Research Unit, Oncology R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Lars Wittler
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Giesecke-Thiel
- Flow Cytometry Joint Facilities Scientific Service, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Microscopy and Cryo-electron Microscopy Service Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Joint Facilities Scientific Service, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Sequencing Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Müller
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörn Walter
- Department of Genetics and Epigenetics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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57
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Petracovici A, Bonasio R. Distinct PRC2 subunits regulate maintenance and establishment of Polycomb repression during differentiation. Mol Cell 2021; 81:2625-2639.e5. [PMID: 33887196 PMCID: PMC8217195 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is an essential epigenetic regulator that deposits repressive H3K27me3. PRC2 subunits form two holocomplexes-PRC2.1 and PRC2.2-but the roles of these two PRC2 assemblies during differentiation are unclear. We employed auxin-inducible degradation to deplete PRC2.1 subunit MTF2 or PRC2.2 subunit JARID2 during differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to neural progenitors (NPCs). Depletion of either MTF2 or JARID2 resulted in incomplete differentiation due to defects in gene regulation. Distinct sets of Polycomb target genes were derepressed in the absence of MTF2 or JARID2. MTF2-sensitive genes were marked by H3K27me3 in ESCs and remained silent during differentiation, whereas JARID2-sensitive genes were preferentially active in ESCs and became newly repressed in NPCs. Thus, MTF2 and JARID2 contribute non-redundantly to Polycomb silencing, suggesting that PRC2.1 and PRC2.2 have distinct functions in maintaining and establishing, respectively, Polycomb repression during differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Petracovici
- Graduate Group in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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58
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Feregrino C, Tschopp P. Assessing evolutionary and developmental transcriptome dynamics in homologous cell types. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:1472-1489. [PMID: 34114716 PMCID: PMC9545966 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During development, complex organ patterns emerge through the precise temporal and spatial specification of different cell types. On an evolutionary timescale, these patterns can change, resulting in morphological diversification. It is generally believed that homologous anatomical structures are built—largely—by homologous cell types. However, whether a common evolutionary origin of such cell types is always reflected in the conservation of their intrinsic transcriptional specification programs is less clear. Results Here, we developed a user‐friendly bioinformatics workflow to detect gene co‐expression modules and test for their conservation across developmental stages and species boundaries. Using a paradigm of morphological diversification, the tetrapod limb, and single‐cell RNA‐sequencing data from two distantly related species, chicken and mouse, we assessed the transcriptional dynamics of homologous cell types during embryonic patterning. With mouse limb data as reference, we identified 19 gene co‐expression modules with varying tissue or cell type‐restricted activities. Testing for co‐expression conservation revealed modules with high evolutionary turnover, while others seemed maintained—to different degrees, in module make‐up, density or connectivity—over developmental and evolutionary timescales. Conclusions We present an approach to identify evolutionary and developmental dynamics in gene co‐expression modules during patterning‐relevant stages of homologous cell type specification using single‐cell RNA‐sequencing data. We present an approach to identify evolutionary and developmental dynamics in gene co‐expression modules during patterning‐relevant stages of homologous cell type specification using single‐cell RNA‐sequencing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Feregrino
- DUW Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany. Hannoversche Str. 28, Berlin, Germany
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59
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A single-embryo, single-cell time-resolved model for mouse gastrulation. Cell 2021; 184:2825-2842.e22. [PMID: 33932341 PMCID: PMC8162424 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mouse embryonic development is a canonical model system for studying mammalian cell fate acquisition. Recently, single-cell atlases comprehensively charted embryonic transcriptional landscapes, yet inference of the coordinated dynamics of cells over such atlases remains challenging. Here, we introduce a temporal model for mouse gastrulation, consisting of data from 153 individually sampled embryos spanning 36 h of molecular diversification. Using algorithms and precise timing, we infer differentiation flows and lineage specification dynamics over the embryonic transcriptional manifold. Rapid transcriptional bifurcations characterize the commitment of early specialized node and blood cells. However, for most lineages, we observe combinatorial multi-furcation dynamics rather than hierarchical transcriptional transitions. In the mesoderm, dozens of transcription factors combinatorially regulate multifurcations, as we exemplify using time-matched chimeric embryos of Foxc1/Foxc2 mutants. Our study rejects the notion of differentiation being governed by a series of binary choices, providing an alternative quantitative model for cell fate acquisition.
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60
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Petryk N, Bultmann S, Bartke T, Defossez PA. Staying true to yourself: mechanisms of DNA methylation maintenance in mammals. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:3020-3032. [PMID: 33300031 PMCID: PMC8034647 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is essential to development and cellular physiology in mammals. Faulty DNA methylation is frequently observed in human diseases like cancer and neurological disorders. Molecularly, this epigenetic mark is linked to other chromatin modifications and it regulates key genomic processes, including transcription and splicing. Each round of DNA replication generates two hemi-methylated copies of the genome. These must be converted back to symmetrically methylated DNA before the next S-phase, or the mark will fade away; therefore the maintenance of DNA methylation is essential. Mechanistically, the maintenance of this epigenetic modification takes place during and after DNA replication, and occurs within the very dynamic context of chromatin re-assembly. Here, we review recent discoveries and unresolved questions regarding the mechanisms, dynamics and fidelity of DNA methylation maintenance in mammals. We also discuss how it could be regulated in normal development and misregulated in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Petryk
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate Centre, UMR7216 CNRS, Université de Paris, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Sebastian Bultmann
- Department of Biology II, Human Biology and BioImaging, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Till Bartke
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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61
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Tomoda K, Kime C. Synthetic embryology: Early mammalian embryo modeling systems from cell cultures. Dev Growth Differ 2021; 63:116-126. [PMID: 33540477 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the fields of embryology, developmental biology, stem cell biology, and cell reprogramming, have intersected with synthetic embryo systems (SESs) from cultured cells. Among such SESs, several approaches have engaged early-embryo-like cells, cells with atypical potency, or assembled traditional in vitro stem cell populations with synergy, to advance life discovery systems that may yield emergent knowledge and biotechnical advance. Such models center on the competent generation of blastocyst-like and post-implantation embryo-like forms. Our group, and several others have recently pioneered unique SES strategies covering a broad spectrum of key early embryo-like developmental stages and features to seed an emerging SES field. Herein, we provide a comprehensive perspective of synthetic embryology and the powerful promise that excites us.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichiro Tomoda
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto, Japan.,Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan
| | - Cody Kime
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
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Policarpi C, Dabin J, Hackett JA. Epigenetic editing: Dissecting chromatin function in context. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000316. [PMID: 33724509 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
How epigenetic mechanisms regulate genome output and response to stimuli is a fundamental question in development and disease. Past decades have made tremendous progress in deciphering the regulatory relationships involved by correlating aggregated (epi)genomics profiles with global perturbations. However, the recent development of epigenetic editing technologies now enables researchers to move beyond inferred conclusions, towards explicit causal reasoning, through 'programing' precise chromatin perturbations in single cells. Here, we first discuss the major unresolved questions in the epigenetics field that can be addressed by programable epigenome editing, including the context-dependent function and memory of chromatin states. We then describe the epigenetic editing toolkit focusing on CRISPR-based technologies, and highlight its achievements, drawbacks and promise. Finally, we consider the potential future application of epigenetic editing to the study and treatment of specific disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Policarpi
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Rome, Italy
| | - Juliette Dabin
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Rome, Italy
| | - Jamie A Hackett
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Rome, Italy
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63
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Piunti A, Shilatifard A. The roles of Polycomb repressive complexes in mammalian development and cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:326-345. [PMID: 33723438 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
More than 80 years ago, the first Polycomb-related phenotype was identified in Drosophila melanogaster. Later, a group of diverse genes collectively called Polycomb group (PcG) genes were identified based on common mutant phenotypes. PcG proteins, which are well-conserved in animals, were originally characterized as negative regulators of gene transcription during development and subsequently shown to function in various biological processes; their deregulation is associated with diverse phenotypes in development and in disease, especially cancer. PcG proteins function on chromatin and can form two distinct complexes with different enzymatic activities: Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) is a histone ubiquitin ligase and PRC2 is a histone methyltransferase. Recent studies have revealed the existence of various mutually exclusive PRC1 and PRC2 variants. In this Review, we discuss new concepts concerning the biochemical and molecular functions of these new PcG complex variants, and how their epigenetic activities are involved in mammalian development and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Piunti
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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64
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Veenvliet JV, Bolondi A, Kretzmer H, Haut L, Scholze-Wittler M, Schifferl D, Koch F, Guignard L, Kumar AS, Pustet M, Heimann S, Buschow R, Wittler L, Timmermann B, Meissner A, Herrmann BG. Mouse embryonic stem cells self-organize into trunk-like structures with neural tube and somites. Science 2021; 370:370/6522/eaba4937. [PMID: 33303587 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba4937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Post-implantation embryogenesis is a highly dynamic process comprising multiple lineage decisions and morphogenetic changes that are inaccessible to deep analysis in vivo. We found that pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) form aggregates that upon embedding in an extracellular matrix compound induce the formation of highly organized "trunk-like structures" (TLSs) comprising the neural tube and somites. Comparative single-cell RNA sequencing analysis confirmed that this process is highly analogous to mouse development and follows the same stepwise gene-regulatory program. Tbx6 knockout TLSs developed additional neural tubes mirroring the embryonic mutant phenotype, and chemical modulation could induce excess somite formation. TLSs thus reveal an advanced level of self-organization and provide a powerful platform for investigating post-implantation embryogenesis in a dish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse V Veenvliet
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Adriano Bolondi
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leah Haut
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany.,Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuela Scholze-Wittler
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis Schifferl
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frederic Koch
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Léo Guignard
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Berlin Institute of Health, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Abhishek Sampath Kumar
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Milena Pustet
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon Heimann
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - René Buschow
- Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Wittler
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Sequencing Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard G Herrmann
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany. .,Institute for Medical Genetics, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12203 Berlin, Germany
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65
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Greenberg MVC. Get Out and Stay Out: New Insights Into DNA Methylation Reprogramming in Mammals. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:629068. [PMID: 33490089 PMCID: PMC7817772 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.629068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate genomes are marked by notably high levels of 5-cytosine DNA methylation (5meC). The clearest function of DNA methylation among members of the subphylum is repression of potentially deleterious transposable elements (TEs). However, enrichment in the bodies of protein coding genes and pericentromeric heterochromatin indicate an important role for 5meC in those genomic compartments as well. Moreover, DNA methylation plays an important role in silencing of germline-specific genes. Impaired function of major components of DNA methylation machinery results in lethality in fish, amphibians and mammals. Despite such apparent importance, mammals exhibit a dramatic loss and regain of DNA methylation in early embryogenesis prior to implantation, and then again in the cells specified for the germline. In this minireview we will highlight recent studies that shine light on two major aspects of embryonic DNA methylation reprogramming: (1) The mechanism of DNA methylation loss after fertilization and (2) the protection of discrete loci from ectopic DNA methylation deposition during reestablishment. Finally, we will conclude with some extrapolations for the evolutionary underpinnings of such extraordinary events that seemingly put the genome under unnecessary risk during a particularly vulnerable window of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V C Greenberg
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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66
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Panda A, Zylicz JJ, Pasque V. New Insights into X-Chromosome Reactivation during Reprogramming to Pluripotency. Cells 2020; 9:E2706. [PMID: 33348832 PMCID: PMC7766869 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation between the sexes results in one X chromosome being inactivated during female mammalian development. Chromosome-wide transcriptional silencing from the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in mammalian cells is erased in a process termed X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), which has emerged as a paradigm for studying the reversal of chromatin silencing. XCR is linked with germline development and induction of naive pluripotency in the epiblast, and also takes place upon reprogramming somatic cells to induced pluripotency. XCR depends on silencing of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (Xist) and is linked with the erasure of chromatin silencing. Over the past years, the advent of transcriptomics and epigenomics has provided new insights into the transcriptional and chromatin dynamics with which XCR takes place. However, multiple questions remain unanswered about how chromatin and transcription related processes enable XCR. Here, we review recent work on establishing the transcriptional and chromatin kinetics of XCR, as well as discuss a model by which transcription factors mediate XCR not only via Xist repression, but also by direct targeting of X-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitesh Panda
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Jan J. Zylicz
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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67
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Villaseñor R, Baubec T. Regulatory mechanisms governing chromatin organization and function. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 70:10-17. [PMID: 33276273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nucleosomes, the basic structures used to package genetic information into chromatin, are subject to a diverse array of chemical modifications. A large number of these marks serve as interaction hubs for many nuclear proteins and provide critical structural features for protein recruitment. Dynamic deposition and removal of chromatin modifications by regulatory proteins ensure their correct deposition to the genome, which is essential for DNA replication, transcription, chromatin compaction, or DNA damage repair. The spatiotemporal regulation and maintenance of chromatin marks relies on coordinated activities of writer, eraser, and reader enzymes and often depends on complex multicomponent regulatory circuits. In recent years, the field has made enormous advances in uncovering the mechanisms that regulate chromatin modifications. Here, we discuss well-established and emerging concepts in chromatin biology ranging from cooperativity and multivalent interactions to regulatory feedback loops and increased local concentration of chromatin-modifying enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Villaseñor
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Tuncay Baubec
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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68
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Tafessu A, Banaszynski LA. Establishment and function of chromatin modification at enhancers. Open Biol 2020; 10:200255. [PMID: 33050790 PMCID: PMC7653351 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How a single genome can give rise to distinct cell types remains a fundamental question in biology. Mammals are able to specify and maintain hundreds of cell fates by selectively activating unique subsets of their genome. This is achieved, in part, by enhancers-genetic elements that can increase transcription of both nearby and distal genes. Enhancers can be identified by their unique chromatin signature, including transcription factor binding and the enrichment of specific histone post-translational modifications, histone variants, and chromatin-associated cofactors. How each of these chromatin features contributes to enhancer function remains an area of intense study. In this review, we provide an overview of enhancer-associated chromatin states, and the proteins and enzymes involved in their establishment. We discuss recent insights into the effects of the enhancer chromatin state on ongoing transcription versus their role in the establishment of new transcription programmes, such as those that occur developmentally. Finally, we highlight the role of enhancer chromatin in new conceptual advances in gene regulation such as condensate formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura A. Banaszynski
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Children's Research Institute, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, Dallas, TX 75390-8511, USA
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69
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Abstract
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nature Reviews Genetics, we asked 12 leading researchers to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics. Keeping their particular research area in mind, they take stock of the current state of play and emphasize the work that remains to be done over the next few years so that, ultimately, the benefits of genetic and genomic research can be felt by everyone. To celebrate the first 20 years of Nature Reviews Genetics, we asked 12 leading scientists to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics. Amy L. McGuire is the Leon Jaworski Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. She has received numerous teaching awards at Baylor College of Medicine, was recognized by the Texas Executive Women as a Woman on the Move in 2016 and was invited to give a TedMed talk titled “There is No Genome for the Human Spirit” in 2014. In 2020, she was elected as a Hastings Center Fellow. Her research focuses on ethical and policy issues related to emerging technologies, with a particular focus on genomic research, personalized medicine and the clinical integration of novel neurotechnologies. Stacey Gabriel is the Senior Director of the Genomics Platform at the Broad Institute since 2012 and has led platform development, execution and operation since its founding. She is Chair of Institute Scientists and serves on the institute’s executive leadership team. She is widely recognized as a leader in genomic technology and project execution. She has led the Broad’s contributions to numerous flagship projects in human genetics, including the International HapMap Project, the 1000 Genomes Project, The Cancer Genome Atlas, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Exome Sequencing Project and the TOPMed programme. She is Principal Investigator of the Broad’s All of Us (AoU) Genomics Center and serves on the AoU Program Steering Committee. Sarah A. Tishkoff is the David and Lyn Silfen University Associate Professor in Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, and holds appointments in the School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of an NIH Pioneer Award, a David and Lucile Packard Career Award, a Burroughs/Wellcome Fund Career Award and an American Society of Human Genetics Curt Stern Award. Her work focuses on genomic variation in Africa, human evolutionary history, the genetic basis of adaptation and phenotypic variation in Africa, and the genetic basis of susceptibility to infectious disease in Africa. Ambroise Wonkam is Professor of Medical Genetics, Director of GeneMAP (Genetic Medicine of African Populations Research Centre) and Deputy Dean Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has successfully led numerous NIH- and Wellcome Trust-funded projects over the past decade to investigate clinical variability in sickle cell disease, hearing impairment genetics and the return of individual findings in genetic research in Africa. He won the competitive Clinical Genetics Society International Award for 2014 from the British Society of Genetic Medicine. He is president of the African Society of Human Genetics. Aravinda Chakravarti is Director of the Center for Human Genetics and Genomics, the Muriel G. and George W. Singer Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology, and Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine and the Indian National Science Academy. He has been a key participant in the Human Genome Project, the International HapMap Project and the 1000 Genomes Project. His research attempts to understand the molecular basis of multifactorial disease. He was awarded the 2013 William Allan Award by the American Society of Human Genetics and the 2018 Chen Award by the Human Genome Organization. Eileen E. M. Furlong is Head of the Genome Biology Department at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and a member of the EMBL Directorate. She is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the Academia Europaea, and a European Research Council (ERC) advanced investigator. Her group dissects fundamental principles of how the genome is regulated and how it drives cell fate decisions during embryonic development, including how developmental enhancers are organized and function within the 3D nucleus. Her work combines genetics, (single-cell) genomics, imaging and computational approaches to understand these processes. Her research has advanced the development of genomic methods for use in complex multicellular organisms. Barbara Treutlein is Associate Professor of Quantitative Developmental Biology in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich in Basel, Switzerland. Her group uses and develops single-cell genomics approaches in combination with stem cell-based 2D and 3D culture systems to study how human organs develop and regenerate and how cell fate is regulated. For her work, Barbara has received multiple awards, including the Friedmund Neumann Prize of the Schering Foundation, the Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator of the International Society of Stem Cell Research and the EMBO Young Investigator Award. Alexander Meissner is a scientific member of the Max Planck Society and currently Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany. He heads the Department of Genome Regulation and is a visiting scientist in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. Before his move to the MPI, he was a tenured professor at Harvard University and a senior associate member of the Broad Institute, where he co-directed the epigenomics programme. In 2018, he was elected as an EMBO member. His laboratory uses genomic tools to study developmental and disease biology with a particular focus on epigenetic regulation. Howard Y. Chang is the Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Genomics at Stanford University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is a physician–scientist who has focused on deciphering the hidden information in the non-coding genome. His laboratory is best known for studies of long non-coding RNAs in gene regulation and development of new epigenomic technologies. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Núria López-Bigas is ICREA research Professor at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and Associate Professor at the University Pompeu Fabra. She obtained an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2015 and was elected as an EMBO member in 2016. Her work has been recognized with the prestigious Banc de Sabadell Award for Research in Biomedicine, the Catalan National Award for Young Research Talent and the Career Development Award from the Human Frontier Science Program. Her research focuses on the identification of cancer driver mutations, genes and pathways across tumour types and in understanding the mutational processes that lead to the accumulation of mutations in cancer cells. Eran Segal is Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, heading a multidisciplinary laboratory with extensive experience in machine learning, computational biology and analysis of heterogeneous high-throughput genomic data. His research focuses on the microbiome, nutrition and genetics, and their effect on health and disease and aims to develop personalized medicine based on big data from human cohorts. He has published more than 150 publications and received several awards and honours for his work, including the Overton and the Michael Bruno awards. He was recently elected as an EMBO member and as a member of the Israel Young Academy. Jin-Soo Kim is Director of the Center for Genome Engineering in the Institute for Basic Science in Daejon, South Korea. He has received numerous awards, including the 2017 Asan Award in Medicine, the 2017 Yumin Award in Science and the 2019 Research Excellence Award (Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists). He was featured as one of ten Science Stars of East Asia in Nature (558, 502–510 (2018)) and has been recognized as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics since 2018. His work focuses on developing tools for genome editing in biomedical research.
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Testing the developing epigenome. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:579. [PMID: 32820272 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-00282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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