101
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Liu J, Niu N, Li X, Zhang X, Sood AK. The life cycle of polyploid giant cancer cells and dormancy in cancer: Opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 81:132-144. [PMID: 34670140 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent data suggest that most genotoxic agents in cancer therapy can lead to shock of genome and increase in cell size, which leads whole genome duplication or multiplication, formation of polyploid giant cancer cells, activation of an early embryonic program, and dedifferentiation of somatic cells. This process is achieved via the giant cell life cycle, a recently proposed mechanism for malignant transformation of somatic cells. Increase in both cell size and ploidy allows cells to completely or partially restructures the genome and develop into a blastocyst-like structure, similar to that observed in blastomere-stage embryogenesis. Although blastocyst-like structures with reprogrammed genome can generate resistant or metastatic daughter cells or benign cells of different lineages, they also acquired ability to undergo embryonic diapause, a reversible state of suspended embryonic development in which cells enter dormancy for survival in response to environmental stress. Therapeutic agents can activate this evolutionarily conserved developmental program, and when cells awaken from embryonic diapause, this leads to recurrence or metastasis. Understanding of the key mechanisms that regulate the different stages of the giant cell life cycle offers new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Liu
- Departments of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Departments of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Na Niu
- Departments of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoran Li
- Departments of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Departments of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anil K Sood
- Departments of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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102
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McDonald JI, Diab N, Arthofer E, Hadley M, Kanholm T, Rentia U, Gomez S, Yu A, Grundy EE, Cox O, Topper MJ, Xing X, Strissel PL, Strick R, Wang T, Baylin SB, Chiappinelli KB. Epigenetic Therapies in Ovarian Cancer Alter Repetitive Element Expression in a TP53-Dependent Manner. Cancer Res 2021; 81:5176-5189. [PMID: 34433584 PMCID: PMC8530980 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-4243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian carcinomas are particularly deadly due to intratumoral heterogeneity, resistance to standard-of-care therapies, and poor response to alternative treatments such as immunotherapy. Targeting the ovarian carcinoma epigenome with DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) or histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) increases immune signaling and recruits CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells to fight ovarian carcinoma in murine models. This increased immune activity is caused by increased transcription of repetitive elements (RE) that form double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and trigger an IFN response. To understand which REs are affected by epigenetic therapies in ovarian carcinoma, we assessed the effect of DNMTi and HDACi on ovarian carcinoma cell lines and patient samples. Subfamily-level (TEtranscripts) and individual locus-level (Telescope) analysis of REs showed that DNMTi treatment upregulated more REs than HDACi treatment. Upregulated REs were predominantly LTR and SINE subfamilies, and SINEs exhibited the greatest loss of DNA methylation upon DNMTi treatment. Cell lines with TP53 mutations exhibited significantly fewer upregulated REs with epigenetic therapy than wild-type TP53 cell lines. This observation was validated using isogenic cell lines; the TP53-mutant cell line had significantly higher baseline expression of REs but upregulated fewer upon epigenetic treatment. In addition, p53 activation increased expression of REs in wild-type but not mutant cell lines. These data give a comprehensive, genome-wide picture of RE chromatin and transcription-related changes in ovarian carcinoma after epigenetic treatment and implicate p53 in RE transcriptional regulation. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies the repetitive element targets of epigenetic therapies in ovarian carcinoma and indicates a role for p53 in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- James I McDonald
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Noor Diab
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Elisa Arthofer
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Melissa Hadley
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Tomas Kanholm
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Uzma Rentia
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Stephanie Gomez
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Angela Yu
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Erin E Grundy
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
- The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Olivia Cox
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Michael J Topper
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Xiaoyun Xing
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Pamela L Strissel
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Reiner Strick
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ting Wang
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Stephen B Baylin
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Katherine B Chiappinelli
- The George Washington University Cancer Center (GWCC), Washington, D.C.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
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103
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Morc3 silences endogenous retroviruses by enabling Daxx-mediated histone H3.3 incorporation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5996. [PMID: 34650047 PMCID: PMC8516933 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26288-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) comprise a significant portion of mammalian genomes. Although specific ERV loci feature regulatory roles for host gene expression, most ERV integrations are transcriptionally repressed by Setdb1-mediated H3K9me3 and DNA methylation. However, the protein network which regulates the deposition of these chromatin modifications is still incompletely understood. Here, we perform a genome-wide single guide RNA (sgRNA) screen for genes involved in ERV silencing and identify the GHKL ATPase protein Morc3 as a top-scoring hit. Morc3 knock-out (ko) cells display de-repression, reduced H3K9me3, and increased chromatin accessibility of distinct ERV families. We find that the Morc3 ATPase cycle and Morc3 SUMOylation are important for ERV chromatin regulation. Proteomic analyses reveal that Morc3 mutant proteins fail to interact with the histone H3.3 chaperone Daxx. This interaction depends on Morc3 SUMOylation and Daxx SUMO binding. Notably, in Morc3 ko cells, we observe strongly reduced histone H3.3 on Morc3 binding sites. Thus, our data demonstrate Morc3 as a critical regulator of Daxx-mediated histone H3.3 incorporation to ERV regions. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) compose a significant portion of mammalian genomes; however, how ERVs are regulated is not well known. Here the authors performed a genome-wide sgRNA screen to identify Morc3 as a mediator of ERV silencing. They show Morc3 associates with the H3.3 chaperone Daxx, and that loss of Morc3 leads to reduced H3.3 at ERVs.
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104
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Guo WF, Zhang SW, Zeng T, Akutsu T, Chen L. Network control principles for identifying personalized driver genes in cancer. Brief Bioinform 2021; 21:1641-1662. [PMID: 31711128 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbz089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand tumor heterogeneity in cancer, personalized driver genes (PDGs) need to be identified for unraveling the genotype-phenotype associations corresponding to particular patients. However, most of the existing driver-focus methods mainly pay attention on the cohort information rather than on individual information. Recent developing computational approaches based on network control principles are opening a new way to discover driver genes in cancer, particularly at an individual level. To provide comprehensive perspectives of network control methods on this timely topic, we first considered the cancer progression as a network control problem, in which the expected PDGs are altered genes by oncogene activation signals that can change the individual molecular network from one health state to the other disease state. Then, we reviewed the network reconstruction methods on single samples and introduced novel network control methods on single-sample networks to identify PDGs in cancer. Particularly, we gave a performance assessment of the network structure control-based PDGs identification methods on multiple cancer datasets from TCGA, for which the data and evaluation package also are publicly available. Finally, we discussed future directions for the application of network control methods to identify PDGs in cancer and diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Feng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Information Fusion Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Shao-Wu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Information Fusion Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Tao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Tatsuya Akutsu
- Bioinformatics Center, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Luonan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Information Fusion Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 201210 Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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105
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Zhu X, Fang H, Gladysz K, Barbour JA, Wong JWH. Overexpression of transposable elements is associated with immune evasion and poor outcome in colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer 2021; 157:94-107. [PMID: 34492588 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIM High immune cell infiltration of the tumour microenvironment is generally associated with a good prognosis in solid cancers. However, a subset of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) tumours with high immune cell infiltration have a poor outcome. These tumours have a high level of T cell infiltration and are also characterised by increased expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). As these tumours comprise both microsatellite instability and microsatellite stable subtypes, the mechanism underlying this phenotype is unknown. METHODS Using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we quantified transposable element (TE) expression and developed a TE expression score that is predictive of prognosis and immune infiltration independent of microsatellite instability status and tumour staging in CRC. RESULTS Tumours with the highest TE expression score showed increased immune cell infiltration with upregulation of interferon (IFN) signalling pathways and downstream activation of IFN-simulated genes. As expected, cell lines treated with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor mimicked patient tumours with increased TE expression and IFN signalling. However, surprisingly, unlike high TE expressing CRC, there is little evidence for the activation of JAK-STAT signalling and PD-L1 expression in DNA methyltransferase inhibitor-treated cells. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of CRC samples showed that PD-L1 expression is mainly confined to tumour-associated macrophages and T cells, suggesting that TE mediated IFN signalling is triggering expression of PD-L1 in immune cells rather than in tumour cells. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovers a novel mechanism of TE driven immune evasion and highlights TE expression as an important factor for patient prognosis in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Zhu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hu Fang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Kornelia Gladysz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Jayne A Barbour
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Jason W H Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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106
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Khetan S, Kales S, Kursawe R, Jillette A, Ulirsch JC, Reilly SK, Ucar D, Tewhey R, Stitzel ML. Functional characterization of T2D-associated SNP effects on baseline and ER stress-responsive β cell transcriptional activation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5242. [PMID: 34475398 PMCID: PMC8413311 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25514-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at >250 loci in the human genome to type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. For each locus, identifying the functional variant(s) among multiple SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium is critical to understand molecular mechanisms underlying T2D genetic risk. Using massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA), we test the cis-regulatory effects of SNPs associated with T2D and altered in vivo islet chromatin accessibility in MIN6 β cells under steady state and pathophysiologic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions. We identify 1,982/6,621 (29.9%) SNP-containing elements that activate transcription in MIN6 and 879 SNP alleles that modulate MPRA activity. Multiple T2D-associated SNPs alter the activity of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-containing elements that are strongly induced by ER stress. We identify 220 functional variants at 104 T2D association signals, narrowing 54 signals to a single candidate SNP. Together, this study identifies elements driving β cell steady state and ER stress-responsive transcriptional activation, nominates causal T2D SNPs, and uncovers potential roles for repetitive elements in β cell transcriptional stress response and T2D genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Khetan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Susan Kales
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Romy Kursawe
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Jacob C Ulirsch
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Duygu Ucar
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
- Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Ryan Tewhey
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael L Stitzel
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA.
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107
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Playfoot CJ, Duc J, Sheppard S, Dind S, Coudray A, Planet E, Trono D. Transposable elements and their KZFP controllers are drivers of transcriptional innovation in the developing human brain. Genome Res 2021; 31:1531-1545. [PMID: 34400477 PMCID: PMC8415367 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275133.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) account for more than 50% of the human genome and many have been co-opted throughout evolution to provide regulatory functions for gene expression networks. Several lines of evidence suggest that these networks are fine-tuned by the largest family of TE controllers, the KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KZFPs). One tissue permissive for TE transcriptional activation (termed "transposcription") is the adult human brain, however comprehensive studies on the extent of this process and its potential contribution to human brain development are lacking. To elucidate the spatiotemporal transposcriptome of the developing human brain, we have analyzed two independent RNA-seq data sets encompassing 16 brain regions from eight weeks postconception into adulthood. We reveal a distinct KZFP:TE transcriptional profile defining the late prenatal to early postnatal transition, and the spatiotemporal and cell type-specific activation of TE-derived alternative promoters driving the expression of neurogenesis-associated genes. Long-read sequencing confirmed these TE-driven isoforms as significant contributors to neurogenic transcripts. We also show experimentally that a co-opted antisense L2 element drives temporal protein relocalization away from the endoplasmic reticulum, suggestive of novel TE dependent protein function in primate evolution. This work highlights the widespread dynamic nature of the spatiotemporal KZFP:TE transcriptome and its importance throughout TE mediated genome innovation and neurotypical human brain development. To facilitate interactive exploration of these spatiotemporal gene and TE expression dynamics, we provide the "Brain TExplorer" web application freely accessible for the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Playfoot
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Duc
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shaoline Sheppard
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sagane Dind
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Coudray
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evarist Planet
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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108
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Lam MTY, Duttke SH, Odish MF, Le HD, Hansen EA, Nguyen CT, Trescott S, Kim R, Deota S, Chang MW, Patel A, Hepokoski M, Alotaibi M, Rolfsen M, Perofsky K, Warden AS, Foley J, Ramirez SI, Dan JM, Abbott RK, Crotty S, Crotty Alexander LE, Malhotra A, Panda S, Benner CW, Coufal NG. Profiling Transcription Initiation in Peripheral Leukocytes Reveals Severity-Associated Cis-Regulatory Elements in Critical COVID-19. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.08.24.457187. [PMID: 34462742 PMCID: PMC8404884 DOI: 10.1101/2021.08.24.457187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of transcription factors (TFs) and gene regulatory programs in the immune response to COVID-19 and their relationship to disease outcome is not fully understood. Analysis of genome-wide changes in transcription at both promoter-proximal and distal cis-regulatory DNA elements, collectively termed the 'active cistrome,' offers an unbiased assessment of TF activity identifying key pathways regulated in homeostasis or disease. Here, we profiled the active cistrome from peripheral leukocytes of critically ill COVID-19 patients to identify major regulatory programs and their dynamics during SARS-CoV-2 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We identified TF motifs that track the severity of COVID- 19 lung injury, disease resolution, and outcome. We used unbiased clustering to reveal distinct cistrome subsets delineating the regulation of pathways, cell types, and the combinatorial activity of TFs. We found critical roles for regulatory networks driven by stimulus and lineage determining TFs, showing that STAT and E2F/MYB regulatory programs targeting myeloid cells are activated in patients with poor disease outcomes and associated with single nucleotide genetic variants implicated in COVID-19 susceptibility. Integration with single-cell RNA-seq found that STAT and E2F/MYB activation converged in specific neutrophils subset found in patients with severe disease. Collectively we demonstrate that cistrome analysis facilitates insight into disease mechanisms and provides an unbiased approach to evaluate global changes in transcription factor activity and stratify patient disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tun Yin Lam
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Salk Institute of Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sascha H. Duttke
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mazen F. Odish
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Hiep D. Le
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Salk Institute of Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emily A. Hansen
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Samantha Trescott
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Roy Kim
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Shaunak Deota
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Salk Institute of Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Max W. Chang
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Arjun Patel
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Mark Hepokoski
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Mona Alotaibi
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Mark Rolfsen
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Perofsky
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
- Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
| | - Anna S. Warden
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Sydney I Ramirez
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA
| | - Jennifer M. Dan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA
| | - Robert K Abbott
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHVAD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shane Crotty
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA
| | - Laura E Crotty Alexander
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Satchidananda Panda
- Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Salk Institute of Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W. Benner
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Nicole G. Coufal
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
- Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
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109
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Stockwell PA, Lynch-Sutherland CF, Chatterjee A, Macaulay EC, Eccles MR. RepExpress: A Novel Pipeline for the Quantification and Characterization of Transposable Element Expression from RNA-seq Data. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e206. [PMID: 34387946 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are key regulators of both development and disease; however, their repetitive nature presents substantial computational challenges to their analysis. Due to a lack of computational tools and suitable analysis frameworks, TE expression is often not quantified at the locus level. Therefore, we have developed RepExpress, a novel pipeline that enables locus-level TE quantification and characterization. RepExpress enables the characterization of TE expression in a genomic context, and is the first tool focusing on the identification of tissue-specific TE-derived and TE-regulated genes. RepExpress identifies expressed TEs overlapping with annotated genomic features and enables tissue-specific profiles of TE-derived genes. TEs that are expressed with no overlap with any known genomic features are characterized by the closest downstream genomic feature enabling identification of novel TE-gene regulatory relationships. RepExpress takes standard RNA-seq data as input and performs genomic alignment optimized for TEs. Our novel pipeline quantifies expression of both TEs and genes using featureCounts and Stringtie, respectively. RepExpress then filters expressed repeats and characterizes their genomic context, enabling the identification of TEs that overlap with genes, or that may be influencing gene expression. Here, we describe RepExpress, and provide a step-by-step protocol detailing its workflow. We also discuss other TE analysis tools and their applicability to addressing different biological questions. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: RepExpress workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Stockwell
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erin C Macaulay
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael R Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
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110
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Llinàs-Arias P, Íñiguez-Muñoz S, McCann K, Voorwerk L, Orozco JIJ, Ensenyat-Mendez M, Sesé B, DiNome ML, Marzese DM. Epigenetic Regulation of Immunotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4139. [PMID: 34439290 PMCID: PMC8394958 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by the absence of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression. This malignancy, representing 15-20% of breast cancers, is a clinical challenge due to the lack of targeted treatments, higher intrinsic aggressiveness, and worse outcomes than other breast cancer subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising efficacy for early-stage and advanced TNBC, but this seems limited to a subgroup of patients. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that determine immunotherapy efficiency is essential to identifying which TNBC patients will respond to immunotherapy-based treatments and help to develop new therapeutic strategies. Emerging evidence supports that epigenetic alterations, including aberrant chromatin architecture conformation and the modulation of gene regulatory elements, are critical mechanisms for immune escape. These alterations are particularly interesting since they can be reverted through the inhibition of epigenetic regulators. For that reason, several recent studies suggest that the combination of epigenetic drugs and immunotherapeutic agents can boost anticancer immune responses. In this review, we focused on the contribution of epigenetics to the crosstalk between immune and cancer cells, its relevance on immunotherapy response in TNBC, and the potential benefits of combined treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Llinàs-Arias
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Sandra Íñiguez-Muñoz
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Kelly McCann
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Leonie Voorwerk
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Javier I. J. Orozco
- Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA;
| | - Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Borja Sesé
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Maggie L. DiNome
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA;
| | - Diego M. Marzese
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
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111
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Babarinde IA, Ma G, Li Y, Deng B, Luo Z, Liu H, Abdul MM, Ward C, Chen M, Fu X, Shi L, Duttlinger M, He J, Sun L, Li W, Zhuang Q, Tong G, Frampton J, Cazier JB, Chen J, Jauch R, Esteban MA, Hutchins AP. Transposable element sequence fragments incorporated into coding and noncoding transcripts modulate the transcriptome of human pluripotent stem cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9132-9153. [PMID: 34390351 PMCID: PMC8450112 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) occupy nearly 40% of mammalian genomes and, whilst most are fragmentary and no longer capable of transposition, they can nevertheless contribute to cell function. TEs within genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II can be copied as parts of primary transcripts; however, their full contribution to mature transcript sequences remains unresolved. Here, using long and short read (LR and SR) RNA sequencing data, we show that 26% of coding and 65% of noncoding transcripts in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) contain TE-derived sequences. Different TE families are incorporated into RNAs in unique patterns, with consequences to transcript structure and function. The presence of TE sequences within a transcript is correlated with TE-type specific changes in its subcellular distribution, alterations in steady-state levels and half-life, and differential association with RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs). We identify hPSC-specific incorporation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and LINE:L1 into protein-coding mRNAs, which generate TE sequence-derived peptides. Finally, single cell RNA-seq reveals that hPSCs express ERV-containing transcripts, whilst differentiating subpopulations lack ERVs and express SINE and LINE-containing transcripts. Overall, our comprehensive analysis demonstrates that the incorporation of TE sequences into the RNAs of hPSCs is more widespread and has a greater impact than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac A Babarinde
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Gang Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Boping Deng
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Zhiwei Luo
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Mazid Md Abdul
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Carl Ward
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Minchun Chen
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiuling Fu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Liyang Shi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Martha Duttlinger
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiangping He
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Li Sun
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenjuan Li
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Qiang Zhuang
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guoqing Tong
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jon Frampton
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jean-Baptiste Cazier
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.,Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jiekai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 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 510005, China.,Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ralf Jauch
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Miguel A Esteban
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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112
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Hsu PS, Yu SH, Tsai YT, Chang JY, Tsai LK, Ye CH, Song NY, Yau LC, Lin SP. More than causing (epi)genomic instability: emerging physiological implications of transposable element modulation. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:58. [PMID: 34364371 PMCID: PMC8349491 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00754-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) initially attracted attention because they comprise a major portion of the genomic sequences in plants and animals. TEs may jump around the genome and disrupt both coding genes as well as regulatory sequences to cause disease. Host cells have therefore evolved various epigenetic and functional RNA-mediated mechanisms to mitigate the disruption of genomic integrity by TEs. TE associated sequences therefore acquire the tendencies of attracting various epigenetic modifiers to induce epigenetic alterations that may spread to the neighboring genes. In addition to posting threats for (epi)genome integrity, emerging evidence suggested the physiological importance of endogenous TEs either as cis-acting control elements for controlling gene regulation or as TE-containing functional transcripts that modulate the transcriptome of the host cells. Recent advances in long-reads sequence analysis technologies, bioinformatics and genetic editing tools have enabled the profiling, precise annotation and functional characterization of TEs despite their challenging repetitive nature. The importance of specific TEs in preimplantation embryonic development, germ cell differentiation and meiosis, cell fate determination and in driving species specific differences in mammals will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu-Sheng Hsu
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Han Yu
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tzang Tsai
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Yun Chang
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Kuang Tsai
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hung Ye
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ning-Yu Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lih-Chiao Yau
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shau-Ping Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Center of Systems Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,The Research Center of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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113
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Hermant C, Torres-Padilla ME. TFs for TEs: the transcription factor repertoire of mammalian transposable elements. Genes Dev 2021; 35:22-39. [PMID: 33397727 PMCID: PMC7778262 DOI: 10.1101/gad.344473.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, Hermant and Torres-Padilla summarize and discuss the transcription factors known to be involved in the sequence-specific recognition and transcriptional activation of specific transposable element families or subfamilies. Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements capable of changing position within the genome. Although their mobilization can constitute a threat to genome integrity, nearly half of modern mammalian genomes are composed of remnants of TE insertions. The first critical step for a successful transposition cycle is the generation of a full-length transcript. TEs have evolved cis-regulatory elements enabling them to recruit host-encoded factors driving their own, selfish transcription. TEs are generally transcriptionally silenced in somatic cells, and the mechanisms underlying their repression have been extensively studied. However, during germline formation, preimplantation development, and tumorigenesis, specific TE families are highly expressed. Understanding the molecular players at stake in these contexts is of utmost importance to establish the mechanisms regulating TEs, as well as the importance of their transcription to the biology of the host. Here, we review the transcription factors known to be involved in the sequence-specific recognition and transcriptional activation of specific TE families or subfamilies. We discuss the diversity of TE regulatory elements within mammalian genomes and highlight the importance of TE mobilization in the dispersal of transcription factor-binding sites over the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Hermant
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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114
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RNA m 6A modification orchestrates a LINE-1-host interaction that facilitates retrotransposition and contributes to long gene vulnerability. Cell Res 2021; 31:861-885. [PMID: 34108665 PMCID: PMC8324889 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis underlying the interaction between retrotransposable elements (RTEs) and the human genome remains poorly understood. Here, we profiled N6-methyladenosine (m6A) deposition on nascent RNAs in human cells by developing a new method MINT-Seq, which revealed that many classes of RTE RNAs, particularly intronic LINE-1s (L1s), are strongly methylated. These m6A-marked intronic L1s (MILs) are evolutionarily young, sense-oriented to hosting genes, and are bound by a dozen RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that are putative novel readers of m6A-modified RNAs, including a nuclear matrix protein SAFB. Notably, m6A positively controls the expression of both autonomous L1s and co-transcribed L1 relics, promoting L1 retrotransposition. We showed that MILs preferentially reside in long genes with critical roles in DNA damage repair and sometimes in L1 suppression per se, where they act as transcriptional "roadblocks" to impede the hosting gene expression, revealing a novel host-weakening strategy by the L1s. In counteraction, the host uses the SAFB reader complex to bind m6A-L1s to reduce their levels, and to safeguard hosting gene transcription. Remarkably, our analysis identified thousands of MILs in multiple human fetal tissues, enlisting them as a novel category of cell-type-specific regulatory elements that often compromise transcription of long genes and confer their vulnerability in neurodevelopmental disorders. We propose that this m6A-orchestrated L1-host interaction plays widespread roles in gene regulation, genome integrity, human development and diseases.
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115
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Can Immune Suppression and Epigenome Regulation in Placenta Offer Novel Insights into Cancer Immune Evasion and Immunotherapy Resistance? EPIGENOMES 2021; 5:epigenomes5030016. [PMID: 34968365 PMCID: PMC8594685 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes5030016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the developed world. Cancer progression involves genetic and epigenetic alterations, accompanied by aggressive changes, such as increased immune evasion, onset of metastasis, and drug resistance. Similar to cancer, DNA hypomethylation, immune suppression, and invasive cell behaviours are also observed in the human placenta. Mechanisms that lead to the acquisition of invasive behaviour, immune evasion, and drug and immunotherapy resistance are presently under intense investigations to improve patient outcomes. Here, we review current knowledge regarding the similarities between immune suppression and epigenome regulation, including the expression of repetitive elements (REs), endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) and transposable elements (TEs) in cells of the placenta and in cancer, which are associated with changes in immune regulation and invasiveness. We explore whether immune suppression and epigenome regulation in placenta offers novel insights into immunotherapy resistance in cancer, and we also discuss the implications and the knowledge gaps relevant to these findings, which are rapidly being accrued in these quite disparate research fields. Finally, we discuss potential linkages between TE, ERV and RE activation and expression, regarding mechanisms of immune regulation in placenta and cancer. A greater understanding of the role of immune suppression and associated epigenome regulation in placenta could help to elucidate some comparable mechanisms operating in cancer, and identify potential new therapeutic targets for treating cancer.
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116
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Kan Y, Jiang L, Tang J, Guo Y, Guo F. A systematic view of computational methods for identifying driver genes based on somatic mutation data. Brief Funct Genomics 2021; 20:333-343. [PMID: 34312663 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elab032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal changes of driver genes are serious for human health and biomedical research. Identifying driver genes, exactly from enormous genes with mutations, promotes accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A lot of works about uncovering driver genes have been developed over the past decades. By analyzing previous works, we find that computational methods are more efficient than traditional biological experiments when distinguishing driver genes from massive data. In this study, we summarize eight common computational algorithms only using somatic mutation data. We first group these methods into three categories according to mutation features they apply. Then, we conclude a general process of nominating candidate cancer driver genes. Finally, we evaluate three representative methods on 10 kinds of cancer derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program and five Chinese projects from the International Cancer Genome Consortium. In addition, we compare results of methods with various parameters. Evaluation is performed from four perspectives, including CGC, OG/TSG, Q-value and QQQuantile-Quantileplot. To sum up, we present algorithms using somatic mutation data in order to offer a systematic view of various mutation features and lay the foundation of methods based on integration of mutation information and other types of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxin Kan
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Limin Jiang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jijun Tang
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,School of Computational Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, U.S
| | - Yan Guo
- Comprehensive cancer center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, U.S
| | - Fei Guo
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
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117
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Pasquesi GIM, Perry BW, Vandewege MW, Ruggiero RP, Schield DR, Castoe TA. Vertebrate Lineages Exhibit Diverse Patterns of Transposable Element Regulation and Expression across Tissues. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:506-521. [PMID: 32271917 PMCID: PMC7211425 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise a major fraction of vertebrate genomes, yet little is known about their expression and regulation across tissues, and how this varies across major vertebrate lineages. We present the first comparative analysis integrating TE expression and TE regulatory pathway activity in somatic and gametic tissues for a diverse set of 12 vertebrates. We conduct simultaneous gene and TE expression analyses to characterize patterns of TE expression and TE regulation across vertebrates and examine relationships between these features. We find remarkable variation in the expression of genes involved in TE negative regulation across tissues and species, yet consistently high expression in germline tissues, particularly in testes. Most vertebrates show comparably high levels of TE regulatory pathway activity across gonadal tissues except for mammals, where reduced activity of TE regulatory pathways in ovarian tissues may be the result of lower relative germ cell densities. We also find that all vertebrate lineages examined exhibit remarkably high levels of TE-derived transcripts in somatic and gametic tissues, with recently active TE families showing higher expression in gametic tissues. Although most TE-derived transcripts originate from inactive ancient TE families (and are likely incapable of transposition), such high levels of TE-derived RNA in the cytoplasm may have secondary, unappreciated biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia I M Pasquesi
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington.,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
| | | | | | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington
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118
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DNA methylation and histone variants in aging and cancer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 364:1-110. [PMID: 34507780 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aging-related diseases such as cancer can be traced to the accumulation of molecular disorder including increased DNA mutations and epigenetic drift. We provide a comprehensive review of recent results in mice and humans on modifications of DNA methylation and histone variants during aging and in cancer. Accumulated errors in DNA methylation maintenance lead to global decreases in DNA methylation with relaxed repression of repeated DNA and focal hypermethylation blocking the expression of tumor suppressor genes. Epigenetic clocks based on quantifying levels of DNA methylation at specific genomic sites is proving to be a valuable metric for estimating the biological age of individuals. Histone variants have specialized functions in transcriptional regulation and genome stability. Their concentration tends to increase in aged post-mitotic chromatin, but their effects in cancer are mainly determined by their specialized functions. Our increased understanding of epigenetic regulation and their modifications during aging has motivated interventions to delay or reverse epigenetic modifications using the epigenetic clocks as a rapid readout for efficacity. Similarly, the knowledge of epigenetic modifications in cancer is suggesting new approaches to target these modifications for cancer therapy.
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119
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Steely CJ, Russell KL, Feusier JE, Qiao Y, Tavtigian SV, Marth G, Jorde LB. Mobile element insertions and associated structural variants in longitudinal breast cancer samples. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13020. [PMID: 34158539 PMCID: PMC8219704 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92444-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While mobile elements are largely inactive in healthy somatic tissues, increased activity has been found in cancer tissues, with significant variation among different cancer types. In addition to insertion events, mobile elements have also been found to mediate many structural variation events in the genome. Here, to better understand the timing and impact of mobile element insertions and associated structural variants in cancer, we examined their activity in longitudinal samples of four metastatic breast cancer patients. We identified 11 mobile element insertions or associated structural variants and found that the majority of these occurred early in tumor progression. Most of the variants impact intergenic regions; however, we identified a translocation interrupting MAP2K4 involving Alu elements and a deletion in YTHDF2 involving mobile elements that likely inactivate reported tumor suppressor genes. The high variant allele fraction of the translocation, the loss of the other copy of MAP2K4, the recurrent loss-of-function mutations found in this gene in other cancers, and the important function of MAP2K4 indicate that this translocation is potentially a driver mutation. Overall, using a unique longitudinal dataset, we find that most variants are likely passenger mutations in the four patients we examined, but some variants impact tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody J Steely
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| | - Kristi L Russell
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Julie E Feusier
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Yi Qiao
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Sean V Tavtigian
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Gabor Marth
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Lynn B Jorde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 N. 2030 E. Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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120
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Comprehensive identification of transposable element insertions using multiple sequencing technologies. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3836. [PMID: 34158502 PMCID: PMC8219666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24041-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) help shape the structure and function of the human genome. When inserted into some locations, TEs may disrupt gene regulation and cause diseases. Here, we present xTea (x-Transposable element analyzer), a tool for identifying TE insertions in whole-genome sequencing data. Whereas existing methods are mostly designed for short-read data, xTea can be applied to both short-read and long-read data. Our analysis shows that xTea outperforms other short read-based methods for both germline and somatic TE insertion discovery. With long-read data, we created a catalogue of polymorphic insertions with full assembly and annotation of insertional sequences for various types of retroelements, including pseudogenes and endogenous retroviruses. Notably, we find that individual genomes have an average of nine groups of full-length L1s in centromeres, suggesting that centromeres and other highly repetitive regions such as telomeres are a significant yet unexplored source of active L1s. xTea is available at https://github.com/parklab/xTea .
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121
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Nishiyama A, Nakanishi M. Navigating the DNA methylation landscape of cancer. Trends Genet 2021; 37:1012-1027. [PMID: 34120771 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 92.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a chemical modification that defines cell type and lineage through the control of gene expression and genome stability. Disruption of DNA methylation control mechanisms causes a variety of diseases, including cancer. Cancer cells are characterized by aberrant DNA methylation (i.e., genome-wide hypomethylation and site-specific hypermethylation), mainly targeting CpG islands in gene expression regulatory elements. In particular, the early findings that a variety of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are targets of DNA hypermethylation in cancer led to the proposal of a model in which aberrant DNA methylation promotes cellular oncogenesis through TSGs silencing. However, recent genome-wide analyses have revealed that this classical model needs to be reconsidered. In this review, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms of DNA methylation abnormalities in cancer as well as their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuya Nishiyama
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
| | - Makoto Nakanishi
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
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122
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Liu J. Giant cells: Linking McClintock's heredity to early embryogenesis and tumor origin throughout millennia of evolution on Earth. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 81:176-192. [PMID: 34116161 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The "life code" theory postulates that egg cells, which are giant, are the first cells in reproduction and that damaged or aged giant somatic cells are the first cells in tumorigenesis. However, the hereditary basis for giant cells remains undefined. Here I propose that stress-induced genomic reorganization proposed by Nobel Laureate Barbara McClintock may represent the underlying heredity for giant cells, referred to as McClintock's heredity. Increase in cell size may serve as a response to environmental stress via switching proliferative mitosis to intranuclear replication for reproduction. Intranuclear replication activates McClintock's heredity to reset the genome following fertilization for reproduction or restructures the somatic genome for neoplastic transformation via formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs). The genome-based McClintock heredity functions together with gene-based Mendel's heredity to regulate the genomic stability at two different stages of life cycle or tumorigenesis. Thus, giant cells link McClintock's heredity to both early embryogenesis and tumor origin. Cycling change in cell size together with ploidy number switch may represent the most fundamental mechanism on how both germ and soma for coping with environmental stresses for the survival across the tree of life which evolved over millions of years on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Liu
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, United States.
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123
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Jiang JC, Rothnagel JA, Upton KR. Widespread Exaptation of L1 Transposons for Transcription Factor Binding in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5625. [PMID: 34070697 PMCID: PMC8199441 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
L1 transposons occupy 17% of the human genome and are widely exapted for the regulation of human genes, particularly in breast cancer, where we have previously shown abundant cancer-specific transcription factor (TF) binding sites within the L1PA2 subfamily. In the current study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of TF binding activities in primate-specific L1 subfamilies and identified pervasive exaptation events amongst these evolutionarily related L1 transposons. By motif scanning, we predicted diverse and abundant TF binding potentials within the L1 transposons. We confirmed substantial TF binding activities in the L1 subfamilies using TF binding sites consolidated from an extensive collection of publicly available ChIP-seq datasets. Young L1 subfamilies (L1HS, L1PA2 and L1PA3) contributed abundant TF binding sites in MCF7 cells, primarily via their 5' UTR. This is expected as the L1 5' UTR hosts cis-regulatory elements that are crucial for L1 replication and mobilisation. Interestingly, the ancient L1 subfamilies, where 5' truncation was common, displayed comparable TF binding capacity through their 3' ends, suggesting an alternative exaptation mechanism in L1 transposons that was previously unnoticed. Overall, primate-specific L1 transposons were extensively exapted for TF binding in MCF7 breast cancer cells and are likely prominent genetic players modulating breast cancer transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyle R. Upton
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.-C.J.); (J.A.R.)
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124
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Zhu Y, Lesch A, Li X, Lin TE, Gasilova N, Jović M, Pick HM, Ho PC, Girault HH. Rapid Noninvasive Skin Monitoring by Surface Mass Recording and Data Learning. JACS AU 2021; 1:598-611. [PMID: 34056635 PMCID: PMC8154208 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.0c00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Skin problems are often overlooked due to a lack of robust and patient-friendly monitoring tools. Herein, we report a rapid, noninvasive, and high-throughput analytical chemical methodology, aiming at real-time monitoring of skin conditions and early detection of skin disorders. Within this methodology, adhesive sampling and laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry are coordinated to record skin surface molecular mass in minutes. Automated result interpretation is achieved by data learning, using similarity scoring and machine learning algorithms. Feasibility of the methodology has been demonstrated after testing a total of 117 healthy, benign-disordered, or malignant-disordered skins. Remarkably, skin malignancy, using melanoma as a proof of concept, was detected with 100% accuracy already at early stages when the lesions were submillimeter-sized, far beyond the detection limit of most existing noninvasive diagnosis tools. Moreover, the malignancy development over time has also been monitored successfully, showing the potential to predict skin disorder progression. Capable of detecting skin alterations at the molecular level in a nonsurgical and time-saving manner, this analytical chemistry platform is promising to build personalized skin care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdi Zhu
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Lesch
- Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari", Universita degli Studi di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, Université de Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Université de Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Tzu-En Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 30010 Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Natalia Gasilova
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Milica Jović
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Horst Matthias Pick
- Environmental Engineering Institute, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ping-Chih Ho
- Department of Fundamental Oncology, Université de Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Université de Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Hubert H Girault
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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125
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Common DNA methylation dynamics in endometriod adenocarcinoma and glioblastoma suggest universal epigenomic alterations in tumorigenesis. Commun Biol 2021; 4:607. [PMID: 34021236 PMCID: PMC8140130 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trends in altered DNA methylation have been defined across human cancers, revealing global loss of methylation (hypomethylation) and focal gain of methylation (hypermethylation) as frequent cancer hallmarks. Although many cancers share these trends, little is known about the specific differences in DNA methylation changes across cancer types, particularly outside of promoters. Here, we present a comprehensive comparison of DNA methylation changes between two distinct cancers, endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), to elucidate common rules of methylation dysregulation and changes unique to cancers derived from specific cells. Both cancers exhibit significant changes in methylation over regulatory elements. Notably, hypermethylated enhancers within EAC samples contain several transcription factor binding site clusters with enriched disease ontology terms highlighting uterine function, while hypermethylated enhancers in GBM are found to overlap active enhancer marks in adult brain. These findings suggest that loss of original cellular identity may be a shared step in tumorigenesis.
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126
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Mangiavacchi A, Liu P, Della Valle F, Orlando V. New insights into the functional role of retrotransposon dynamics in mammalian somatic cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5245-5256. [PMID: 33990851 PMCID: PMC8257530 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03851-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Retrotransposons are genetic elements present across all eukaryotic genomes. While their role in evolution is considered as a potentially beneficial natural source of genetic variation, their activity is classically considered detrimental due to their potentially harmful effects on genome stability. However, studies are increasingly shedding light on the regulatory function and beneficial role of somatic retroelement reactivation in non-pathological contexts. Here, we review recent findings unveiling the regulatory potential of retrotransposons, including their role in noncoding RNA transcription, as modulators of mammalian transcriptional and epigenome landscapes. We also discuss technical challenges in deciphering the multifaceted activity of retrotransposable elements, highlighting an unforeseen central role of this neglected portion of the genome both in early development and in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Mangiavacchi
- Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Peng Liu
- Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Francesco Della Valle
- Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Valerio Orlando
- Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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127
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Wu Y, Wu X, Li S. Retrotransposons: Jump to Cancer? Trends Cancer 2021; 7:577-579. [PMID: 33992534 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.04.004] [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: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Retrotransposons have been known as major sources of genomic instability that trigger and promote cancer development. In a recent study, Gu et al. revealed that MPP8 deficiency impeded tumor development through reactivation long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposons in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), suggesting a tumor-suppressive role for retrotransposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjun Wu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaohua Wu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shengli Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China.
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128
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Jansz N, Faulkner GJ. Endogenous retroviruses in the origins and treatment of cancer. Genome Biol 2021; 22:147. [PMID: 33971937 PMCID: PMC8108463 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02357-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are emerging as promising therapeutic targets in cancer. As remnants of ancient retroviral infections, ERV-derived regulatory elements coordinate expression from gene networks, including those underpinning embryogenesis and immune cell function. ERV activation can promote an interferon response, a phenomenon termed viral mimicry. Although ERV expression is associated with cancer, and provisionally with autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, ERV-mediated inflammation is being explored as a way to sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. Here we review ERV co-option in development and innate immunity, the aberrant contribution of ERVs to tumorigenesis, and the wider biomedical potential of therapies directed at ERVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Jansz
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia. .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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129
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Integrated transcription factor profiling with transcriptome analysis identifies L1PA2 transposons as global regulatory modulators in a breast cancer model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8083. [PMID: 33850167 PMCID: PMC8044218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86395-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While transposons are generally silenced in somatic tissues, many transposons escape epigenetic repression in epithelial cancers, become transcriptionally active and contribute to the regulation of human gene expression. We have developed a bioinformatic pipeline for the integrated analysis of transcription factor binding and transcriptomic data to identify transposon-derived promoters that are activated in specific diseases and developmental states. We applied this pipeline to a breast cancer model, and found that the L1PA2 transposon subfamily contributes abundant regulatory sequences to co-ordinated transcriptional regulation in breast cancer. Transcription factor profiling demonstrates that over 27% of L1PA2 transposons harbour co-localised binding sites of functionally interacting, cancer-associated transcription factors in MCF7 cells, a cell line used to model breast cancer. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that L1PA2 transposons also contribute transcription start sites to up-regulated transcripts in MCF7 cells, including some transcripts with established oncogenic properties. In addition, we verified the utility of our pipeline on other transposon subfamilies, as well as on leukemia and lung carcinoma cell lines. We demonstrate that the normally quiescent regulatory activities of transposons can be activated and alter the cancer transcriptome. In particular, the L1PA2 subfamily contributes abundant regulatory sequences, and likely plays a global role in modulating breast cancer transcriptional regulation. Understanding the regulatory impact of L1PA2 on breast cancer genomes provides additional insights into cancer genome regulation, and may provide novel biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.
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130
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Pan Y, Kadash-Edmondson KE, Wang R, Phillips J, Liu S, Ribas A, Aplenc R, Witte ON, Xing Y. RNA Dysregulation: An Expanding Source of Cancer Immunotherapy Targets. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:268-282. [PMID: 33711255 PMCID: PMC8761020 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer transcriptomes frequently exhibit RNA dysregulation. As the resulting aberrant transcripts may be translated into cancer-specific proteins, there is growing interest in exploiting RNA dysregulation as a source of tumor antigens (TAs) and thus novel immunotherapy targets. Recent advances in high-throughput technologies and rapid accumulation of multiomic cancer profiling data in public repositories have provided opportunities to systematically characterize RNA dysregulation in cancer and identify antigen targets for immunotherapy. However, given the complexity of cancer transcriptomes and proteomes, important conceptual and technological challenges exist. Here, we highlight the expanding repertoire of TAs arising from RNA dysregulation and introduce multiomic and big data strategies for identifying optimal immunotherapy targets. We discuss extant barriers for translating these targets into effective therapies as well as the implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Pan
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn E Kadash-Edmondson
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert Wang
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Phillips
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Richard Aplenc
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Owen N Witte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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131
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Zhang XO, Pratt H, Weng Z. Investigating the Potential Roles of SINEs in the Human Genome. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2021; 22:199-218. [PMID: 33792357 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-111620-100736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are nonautonomous retrotransposons that occupy approximately 13% of the human genome. They are transcribed by RNA polymerase III and can be retrotranscribed and inserted back into the genome with the help of other autonomous retroelements. Because they are preferentially located close to or within gene-rich regions, they can regulate gene expression by various mechanisms that act at both the DNA and the RNA levels. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the involvement of SINEs in different types of gene regulation and discuss the potential regulatory functions of SINEs that are in close proximity to genes, Pol III-transcribed SINE RNAs, and embedded SINE sequences within Pol II-transcribed genes in the human genome. These discoveries illustrate how the human genome has exapted some SINEs into functional regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ou Zhang
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA; .,Current affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Henry Pratt
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
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132
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Glinsky GV. Genomics-Guided Drawing of Molecular and Pathophysiological Components of Malignant Regulatory Signatures Reveals a Pivotal Role in Human Diseases of Stem Cell-Associated Retroviral Sequences and Functionally-Active hESC Enhancers. Front Oncol 2021; 11:638363. [PMID: 33869024 PMCID: PMC8044830 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.638363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Repetitive DNA sequences (repeats) colonized two-third of human genome and a majority of repeats comprised of transposable genetic elements (TE). Evolutionary distinct categories of TE represent nucleic acid sequences that are repeatedly copied from and pasted into chromosomes at multiple genomic locations and acquired a multitude of regulatory functions. Here, genomics-guided maps of stemness regulatory signatures were drawn to dissect the contribution of TE to clinical manifestations of malignant phenotypes of human cancers. From patients’ and physicians’ perspectives, the clinical definition of a tumor’s malignant phenotype could be restricted to the early diagnosis of sub-types of malignancies with the increased risk of existing therapy failure and high likelihood of death from cancer. It is the viewpoint from which the understanding of stemness and malignant regulatory signatures is considered in this contribution. Genomics-guided analyses of experimental and clinical observations revealed the pivotal role of human stem cell-associated retroviral sequences (SCARS) in the origin and pathophysiology of clinically-lethal malignancies. SCARS were defined as the evolutionary- and biologically-related family of genomic regulatory sequences, the principal physiological function of which is to create and maintain the stemness phenotype during human preimplantation embryogenesis. For cell differentiation to occur, SCARS expression must be silenced and SCARS activity remains repressed in most terminally-differentiated human cells which are destined to perform specialized functions in the human body. Epigenetic reprogramming, de-repression, and sustained activity of SCARS results in various differentiation-defective phenotypes. One of the most prominent tissue- and organ-specific clinical manifestations of sustained SCARS activities is diagnosed as a pathological condition defined by a consensus of morphological, molecular, and genetic examinations as the malignant growth. Here, contemporary evidence are acquired, analyzed, and reported defining both novel diagnostic tools and druggable molecular targets readily amenable for diagnosis and efficient therapeutic management of clinically-lethal malignancies. These diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are based on monitoring of high-fidelity molecular signals of continuing SCARS activities in conjunction with genomic regulatory networks of thousands’ functionally-active embryonic enhancers affecting down-stream phenotype-altering genetic loci. Collectively, reported herein observations support a model of SCARS-activation triggered singular source code facilitating the intracellular propagation and intercellular (systemic) dissemination of disease states in the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennadi V Glinsky
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Functional & Translational Genomics, OncoSCAR, Inc., Portland, OR, United States
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133
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Kordella C, Lamprianidou E, Kotsianidis I. Mechanisms of Action of Hypomethylating Agents: Endogenous Retroelements at the Epicenter. Front Oncol 2021; 11:650473. [PMID: 33768008 PMCID: PMC7985079 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.650473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal DNA methylation patterns are thought to drive the pathobiology of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Sixteen years after their initial approval, the hypomethylating agents (HMAs), 5-azacytidine (AZA) and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, remain the mainstay of treatment for HR-MDS and AML. However, a connection of the hypomethylating or additional effects of HMAs with clinical responses remains yet to be shown, and the mode of action of HMAs remains obscure. Given the relatively short-lived responses and the inevitable development of resistance in HMAs, a thorough understanding of the antineoplastic mechanisms employed by HMAs holds critical importance. Recent data in cancer cell lines demonstrate that reactivation of endogenous retroelements (EREs) and induction of a cell-intrinsic antiviral response triggered by RNA neotranscripts may underlie the antitumor activity of HMAs. However, data on primary CD34+ cells derived from patients with HR-MDS failed to confirm a link between HMA-mediated ERE modulation and clinical response. Though difficult to reconcile the apparent discrepancy, it is possible that HMAs mediate their effects in more advanced levels of differentiation where cells become responsive to interferon, whereas, inter-individual variations in the process of RNA editing and, in particular, in the ADAR1/OAS/RNase L pathway may also confound the associations of clinical response with the induction of viral mimicry. Further ex vivo studies along with clinical correlations in well-annotated patient cohorts are warranted to decipher the role of ERE derepression in the antineoplastic mechanisms of HMAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chryssoula Kordella
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Lamprianidou
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioannis Kotsianidis
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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134
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Liang D, Zhao P, Si J, Fang L, Pairo-Castineira E, Hu X, Xu Q, Hou Y, Gong Y, Liang Z, Tian B, Mao H, Yindee M, Faruque MO, Kongvongxay S, Khamphoumee S, Liu GE, Wu DD, Barker JSF, Han J, Zhang Y. Genomic Analysis Revealed a Convergent Evolution of LINE-1 in Coat Color: A Case Study in Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:1122-1136. [PMID: 33212507 PMCID: PMC7947781 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Visible pigmentation phenotypes can be used to explore the regulation of gene expression and the evolution of coat color patterns in animals. Here, we performed whole-genome and RNA sequencing and applied genome-wide association study, comparative population genomics and biological experiments to show that the 2,809-bp-long LINE-1 insertion in the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene is the causative mutation for the white coat phenotype in swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). This LINE-1 insertion (3' truncated and containing only 5' UTR) functions as a strong proximal promoter that leads to a 10-fold increase in the transcription of ASIP in white buffalo skin. The 165 bp of 5' UTR transcribed from the LINE-1 is spliced into the first coding exon of ASIP, resulting in a chimeric transcript. The increased expression of ASIP prevents melanocyte maturation, leading to the absence of pigment in white buffalo skin and hairs. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the white buffalo-specific ASIP allele originated from a recent genetic transposition event in swamp buffalo. Interestingly, as a similar LINE-1 insertion has been identified in the cattle ASIP gene, we discuss the convergent mechanism of coat color evolution in the Bovini tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Pengju Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingfang Si
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Erola Pairo-Castineira
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoxiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of AgroBiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Xu
- College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Yali Hou
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Gong
- Guizhou Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Management Station, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhengwen Liang
- Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Fenggang County, Zunyi, China
| | - Bing Tian
- Animal Disease Prevention and Control Station of Zunyi City, Zunyi, China
| | - Huaming Mao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Marnoch Yindee
- Akkhararatchakumari Veterinary College (AVC), Walailak University, Nakorn Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Md Omar Faruque
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Siton Kongvongxay
- Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Souksamlane Khamphoumee
- Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - James Stuart F Barker
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Jianlin Han
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
- CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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135
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He J, Babarinde IA, Sun L, Xu S, Chen R, Shi J, Wei Y, Li Y, Ma G, Zhuang Q, Hutchins AP, Chen J. Identifying transposable element expression dynamics and heterogeneity during development at the single-cell level with a processing pipeline scTE. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1456. [PMID: 33674594 PMCID: PMC7935913 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21808-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) make up a majority of a typical eukaryote’s genome, and contribute to cell heterogeneity in unclear ways. Single-cell sequencing technologies are powerful tools to explore cells, however analysis is typically gene-centric and TE expression has not been addressed. Here, we develop a single-cell TE processing pipeline, scTE, and report the expression of TEs in single cells in a range of biological contexts. Specific TE types are expressed in subpopulations of embryonic stem cells and are dynamically regulated during pluripotency reprogramming, differentiation, and embryogenesis. Unexpectedly, TEs are expressed in somatic cells, including human disease-specific TEs that are undetectable in bulk analyses. Finally, we apply scTE to single-cell ATAC-seq data, and demonstrate that scTE can discriminate cell type using chromatin accessibly of TEs alone. Overall, our results classify the dynamic patterns of TEs in single cells and their contributions to cell heterogeneity. How transposable elements (TE) contribute to cell fate changes is unclear. Here, the authors generate a pipeline to quantify TE expression from single cell data. They show the dynamic expression of TEs from gastrulation to somatic cell reprogramming and human disease
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangping He
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Isaac A Babarinde
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li Sun
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuyang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruhai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junjie Shi
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanjie Wei
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gang Ma
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Zhuang
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jiekai Chen
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China. .,Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. .,Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
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136
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Sun L, Fu X, Ma G, Hutchins AP. Chromatin and Epigenetic Rearrangements in Embryonic Stem Cell Fate Transitions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:637309. [PMID: 33681220 PMCID: PMC7930395 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.637309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A major event in embryonic development is the rearrangement of epigenetic information as the somatic genome is reprogrammed for a new round of organismal development. Epigenetic data are held in chemical modifications on DNA and histones, and there are dramatic and dynamic changes in these marks during embryogenesis. However, the mechanisms behind this intricate process and how it is regulating and responding to embryonic development remain unclear. As embryos develop from totipotency to pluripotency, they pass through several distinct stages that can be captured permanently or transiently in vitro. Pluripotent naïve cells resemble the early epiblast, primed cells resemble the late epiblast, and blastomere-like cells have been isolated, although fully totipotent cells remain elusive. Experiments using these in vitro model systems have led to insights into chromatin changes in embryonic development, which has informed exploration of pre-implantation embryos. Intriguingly, human and mouse cells rely on different signaling and epigenetic pathways, and it remains a mystery why this variation exists. In this review, we will summarize the chromatin rearrangements in early embryonic development, drawing from genomic data from in vitro cell lines, and human and mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andrew P. Hutchins
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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137
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Golkaram M, Salmans ML, Kaplan S, Vijayaraghavan R, Martins M, Khan N, Garbutt C, Wise A, Yao J, Casimiro S, Abreu C, Macedo D, Costa AL, Alvim C, Mansinho A, Filipe P, Marques da Costa P, Fernandes A, Borralho P, Ferreira C, Aldeia F, Malaquias J, Godsey J, So A, Pawlowski T, Costa L, Zhang S, Liu L. HERVs establish a distinct molecular subtype in stage II/III colorectal cancer with poor outcome. NPJ Genom Med 2021; 6:13. [PMID: 33589643 PMCID: PMC7884730 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-021-00177-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. The extreme heterogeneity in survival rate is driving the need for new prognostic biomarkers. Human endogenous retroviruses (hERVs) have been suggested to influence tumor progression, oncogenesis and elicit an immune response. We examined multiple next-generation sequencing (NGS)-derived biomarkers in 114 CRC patients with paired whole-exome and whole-transcriptome sequencing (WES and WTS, respectively). First, we demonstrate that the median expression of hERVs can serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis, relapse, and resistance to chemotherapy in stage II and III CRC. We show that hERV expression and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (TILs) synergistically stratify overall and relapse-free survival (OS and RFS): the median OS of the CD8-/hERV+ subgroup was 29.8 months compared with 37.5 months for other subgroups (HR = 4.4, log-rank P < 0.001). Combing NGS-based biomarkers (hERV/CD8 status) with clinicopathological factors provided a better prediction of patient survival compared to clinicopathological factors alone. Moreover, we explored the association between genomic and transcriptomic features of tumors with high hERV expression and establish this subtype as distinct from previously described consensus molecular subtypes of CRC. Overall, our results underscore a previously unknown role for hERVs in leading to a more aggressive subtype of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marta Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Sandra Casimiro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Abreu
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniela Macedo
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Lúcia Costa
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cecília Alvim
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - André Mansinho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Filipe
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Pedro Marques da Costa
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Afonso Fernandes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Borralho
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristina Ferreira
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernando Aldeia
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Malaquias
- Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Alex So
- Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Luis Costa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | | | - Li Liu
- Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
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138
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Bagla S, Regling KA, Wakeling EN, Gadgeel M, Buck S, Zaidi AU, Flore LA, Chicka M, Schiffer CA, Chitlur MB, Ravindranath Y. Distinctive phenotypes in two children with novel germline RUNX1 mutations - one with myeloid malignancy and increased fetal hemoglobin. Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2021; 38:65-79. [PMID: 32990483 DOI: 10.1080/08880018.2020.1814463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
RUNX1 associated familial platelet disorder (FPD) is a rare autosomal dominant hematologic disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia and/or altered platelet function. There is an increased propensity to develop myeloid malignancy (MM) - acute myeloid leukemia, myeloproliferative neoplasms or myelodysplastic syndrome often in association with secondary somatic variants in other genes. To date, 23 FPD-MM pediatric cases have been reported worldwide. Here, we present two new kindreds with novel RUNX1 pathogenic variants in which children are probands. The first family is a daughter/mother diad, sharing a heterozygous frameshift variant in RUNX1 gene (c.501delT p.Ser167Argfs*9). The daughter, age 13 years, presented with features resembling juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia - severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, high white cell count with blast cells, monocytosis, increased nucleated red cells and had somatic mutations with high allele burden in CUX1, PHF6, and SH2B3 genes. She also had increased fetal hemoglobin and increased LIN28B expression. The mother, who had a long history of hypoplastic anemia, had different somatic mutations- a non-coding mutation in CUX1 but none in PHF6 or SH2B3. Her fetal hemoglobin and LIN28B expression were normal. In the second kindred, the proband, now 4 years old with thrombocytopenia alone, was investigated at 3 months of age for persistent neonatal thrombocytopenia with large platelets. Molecular testing identified a heterozygous intragenic deletion in RUNX1 encompassing exon 5. His father is known to have increased bruising for several years but is unavailable for testing. These two cases illustrate the significance of secondary mutations in the development and progression of RUNX1-FPD to MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Bagla
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Katherine A Regling
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Erin N Wakeling
- DMC University Laboratories, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Manisha Gadgeel
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Steven Buck
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Ahmar U Zaidi
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Leigh A Flore
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Division of Genetic, Genomic and Metabolic Disorders, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Charles A Schiffer
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Meera B Chitlur
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Yaddanapudi Ravindranath
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University-School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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139
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Hennessey RC, Brown KM. Cancer regulatory variation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 66:41-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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140
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de Oliveira DS, Rosa MT, Vieira C, Loreto ELS. Oxidative and radiation stress induces transposable element transcription in Drosophila melanogaster. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:628-638. [PMID: 33484011 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that stressors are capable of activating transposable elements (TEs). Currently, there is a hypothesis that stress activation of TEs may be involved in adaptive evolution, favouring the increase in genetic variability when the population is under adverse conditions. However, TE activation under stress is still poorly understood. In the present study, we estimated the fraction of differentially expressed TEs (DETEs) under ionizing radiation (144, 360 and 864 Gy) and oxidative stress (dioxin, formaldehyde and toluene) treatments. The stress intensity of each treatment was estimated by measuring the number of differentially expressed genes, and we show that several TEs families are activated by stress whereas others are repressed. The proportion of DETEs was positively related to stress intensity. However, even under the strongest stress, only a small fraction of TE families were activated (9.28%) and 17.72% were repressed. Considering all treatments together, the activated proportion was 19.83%. Nevertheless, as several TEs are incomplete or degenerated, only 10.55% of D. melanogaster mobilome is, at same time, activated by the stressors and able to transpose or at least code a protein. Thus, our study points out that although stress activates TEs, it is not a generalized activation process, and for some families, the stress induces repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Siqueira de Oliveira
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, 1- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marcos Trindade Rosa
- PPG Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Cristina Vieira
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, 1- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elgion L S Loreto
- Dep de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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141
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Grundy EE, Diab N, Chiappinelli KB. Transposable element regulation and expression in cancer. FEBS J 2021; 289:1160-1179. [PMID: 33471418 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 45% of the human genome is composed of transposable elements (TEs). Expression of these elements is tightly regulated during normal development. TEs may be expressed at high levels in embryonic stem cells but are epigenetically silenced in terminally differentiated cells. As part of the global 'epigenetic dysregulation' that cells undergo during transformation from normal to cancer, TEs can lose epigenetic silencing and become transcribed, and, in some cases, active. Here, we summarize recent advances detailing the consequences of TE activation in cancer and describe how these understudied residents of our genome can both aid tumorigenesis and potentially be harnessed for anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Grundy
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,The GW Cancer Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,The Institute for Biomedical Sciences at The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Noor Diab
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,The GW Cancer Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Katherine B Chiappinelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.,The GW Cancer Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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142
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Shao W, Wang T. Transcript assembly improves expression quantification of transposable elements in single-cell RNA-seq data. Genome Res 2021; 31:88-100. [PMID: 33355230 PMCID: PMC7849386 DOI: 10.1101/gr.265173.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are an integral part of the host transcriptome. TE-containing noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) show considerable tissue specificity and play important roles during development, including stem cell maintenance and cell differentiation. Recent advances in single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) revolutionized cell type-specific gene expression analysis. However, effective scRNA-seq quantification tools tailored for TEs are lacking, limiting our ability to dissect TE expression dynamics at single-cell resolution. To address this issue, we established a TE expression quantification pipeline that is compatible with scRNA-seq data generated across multiple technology platforms. We constructed TE-containing ncRNA references using bulk RNA-seq data and showed that quantifying TE expression at the transcript level effectively reduces noise. As proof of principle, we applied this strategy to mouse embryonic stem cells and successfully captured the expression profile of endogenous retroviruses in single cells. We further expanded our analysis to scRNA-seq data from early stages of mouse embryogenesis. Our results illustrated the dynamic TE expression at preimplantation stages and revealed 146 TE-containing ncRNA transcripts with substantial tissue specificity during gastrulation and early organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqing Shao
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
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143
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Oleksiewicz U, Machnik M. Causes, effects, and clinical implications of perturbed patterns within the cancer epigenome. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 83:15-35. [PMID: 33359485 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Somatic mutations accumulating over a patient's lifetime are well-defined causative factors that fuel carcinogenesis. It is now clear, however, that epigenomic signature is also largely perturbed in many malignancies. These alterations support the transcriptional program crucial for the acquisition and maintenance of cancer hallmarks. Epigenetic instability may arise due to the genetic mutations or transcriptional deregulation of the proteins implicated in epigenetic signaling. Moreover, external stimulation and physiological aging may also participate in this phenomenon. The epigenomic signature is frequently associated with a cell of origin, as well as with tumor stage and differentiation, which all reflect its high heterogeneity across and within various tumors. Here, we will overview the current understanding of the causes and effects of the altered and heterogeneous epigenomic landscape in cancer. We will focus mainly on DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications as the key regulatory epigenetic signaling marks. In addition, we will describe how this knowledge is translated into the clinic. We will particularly concentrate on the applicability of epigenetic alterations as biomarkers for improved diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction. Finally, we will also review current developments regarding epi-drug usage in clinical and experimental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula Oleksiewicz
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland; Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Marta Machnik
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland; Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland
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144
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Ewing AD, Smits N, Sanchez-Luque FJ, Faivre J, Brennan PM, Richardson SR, Cheetham SW, Faulkner GJ. Nanopore Sequencing Enables Comprehensive Transposable Element Epigenomic Profiling. Mol Cell 2020; 80:915-928.e5. [PMID: 33186547 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) drive genome evolution and are a notable source of pathogenesis, including cancer. While CpG methylation regulates TE activity, the locus-specific methylation landscape of mobile human TEs has to date proven largely inaccessible. Here, we apply new computational tools and long-read nanopore sequencing to directly infer CpG methylation of novel and extant TE insertions in hippocampus, heart, and liver, as well as paired tumor and non-tumor liver. As opposed to an indiscriminate stochastic process, we find pronounced demethylation of young long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons in cancer, often distinct to the adjacent genome and other TEs. SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposons, including their internal tandem repeat-associated CpG island, are near-universally methylated. We encounter allele-specific TE methylation and demethylation of aberrantly expressed young LINE-1s in normal tissues. Finally, we recover the complete sequences of tumor-specific LINE-1 insertions and their retrotransposition hallmarks, demonstrating how long-read sequencing can simultaneously survey the epigenome and detect somatic TE mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Ewing
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Nathan Smits
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Francisco J Sanchez-Luque
- GENYO, Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, PTS Granada 18016, Spain; MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Jamila Faivre
- INSERM, U1193, Paul-Brousse University Hospital, Hepatobiliary Centre, Villejuif 94800, France
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Translational Neurosurgery, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Sandra R Richardson
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Seth W Cheetham
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
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145
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Feng Y, Pauklin S. Revisiting 3D chromatin architecture in cancer development and progression. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10632-10647. [PMID: 32941624 PMCID: PMC7641747 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer development and progression are demarcated by transcriptional dysregulation, which is largely attributed to aberrant chromatin architecture. Recent transformative technologies have enabled researchers to examine the genome organization at an unprecedented dimension and precision. In particular, increasing evidence supports the essential roles of 3D chromatin architecture in transcriptional homeostasis and proposes its alterations as prominent causes of human cancer. In this article, we will discuss the recent findings on enhancers, enhancer-promoter interaction, chromatin topology, phase separation and explore their potential mechanisms in shaping transcriptional dysregulation in cancer progression. In addition, we will propose our views on how to employ state-of-the-art technologies to decode the unanswered questions in this field. Overall, this article motivates the study of 3D chromatin architecture in cancer, which allows for a better understanding of its pathogenesis and develop novel approaches for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliang Feng
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, U.K
| | - Siim Pauklin
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, U.K
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146
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Chen F, Zhang W, Xie D, Gao T, Dong Z, Lu X. Histone chaperone FACT represses retrotransposon MERVL and MERVL-derived cryptic promoters. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10211-10225. [PMID: 32894293 PMCID: PMC7544220 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) were usually silenced by various histone modifications on histone H3 variants and respective histone chaperones in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it is still unknown whether chaperones of other histones could repress ERVs. Here, we show that H2A/H2B histone chaperone FACT plays a critical role in silencing ERVs and ERV-derived cryptic promoters in ESCs. Loss of FACT component Ssrp1 activated MERVL whereas the re-introduction of Ssrp1 rescued the phenotype. Additionally, Ssrp1 interacted with MERVL and suppressed cryptic transcription of MERVL-fused genes. Remarkably, Ssrp1 interacted with and recruited H2B deubiquitinase Usp7 to Ssrp1 target genes. Suppression of Usp7 caused similar phenotypes as loss of Ssrp1. Furthermore, Usp7 acted by deubiquitinating H2Bub and thereby repressed the expression of MERVL-fused genes. Taken together, our study uncovers a unique mechanism by which FACT complex silences ERVs and ERV-derived cryptic promoters in ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300307, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
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147
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Ito J, Kimura I, Soper A, Coudray A, Koyanagi Y, Nakaoka H, Inoue I, Turelli P, Trono D, Sato K. Endogenous retroviruses drive KRAB zinc-finger protein family expression for tumor suppression. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/43/eabc3020. [PMID: 33087347 PMCID: PMC7577720 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc3020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression aberration is a hallmark of cancers, but the mechanisms underlying such aberrations remain unclear. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genomic repetitive elements that potentially function as enhancers. Since numerous HERVs are epigenetically activated in tumors, their activation could cause global gene expression aberrations in tumors. Here, we show that HERV activation in tumors leads to the up-regulation of hundreds of transcriptional suppressors, namely, Krüppel-associated box domain-containing zinc-finger family proteins (KZFPs). KZFP genes are preferentially encoded nearby the activated HERVs in tumors and transcriptionally regulated by these adjacent HERVs. Increased HERV and KZFP expression in tumors was associated with better disease conditions. Increased KZFP expression in cancer cells altered the expression of genes related to the cell cycle and cell-matrix adhesion and suppressed cellular growth, migration, and invasion abilities. Our data suggest that HERV activation in tumors drives the synchronized elevation of KZFP expression, presumably leading to tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Ito
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Infectious Disease Control, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1088639, Japan
| | - Izumi Kimura
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Infectious Disease Control, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1088639, Japan
| | - Andrew Soper
- Laboratory of Systems Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan
| | - Alexandre Coudray
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yoshio Koyanagi
- Laboratory of Systems Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068507, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Nakaoka
- Division of Human Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 4118540, Japan
| | - Ituro Inoue
- Division of Human Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 4118540, Japan
| | - Priscilla Turelli
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kei Sato
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Infectious Disease Control, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1088639, Japan.
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 3320012, Japan
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148
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Miao B, Fu S, Lyu C, Gontarz P, Wang T, Zhang B. Tissue-specific usage of transposable element-derived promoters in mouse development. Genome Biol 2020; 21:255. [PMID: 32988383 PMCID: PMC7520981 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02164-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements (TEs) are a significant component of eukaryotic genomes and play essential roles in genome evolution. Mounting evidence indicates that TEs are highly transcribed in early embryo development and contribute to distinct biological functions and tissue morphology. RESULTS We examine the epigenetic dynamics of mouse TEs during the development of five tissues: intestine, liver, lung, stomach, and kidney. We found that TEs are associated with over 20% of open chromatin regions during development. Close to half of these accessible TEs are only activated in a single tissue and a specific developmental stage. Most accessible TEs are rodent-specific. Across these five tissues, 453 accessible TEs are found to create the transcription start sites of downstream genes in mouse, including 117 protein-coding genes and 144 lincRNA genes, 93.7% of which are mouse-specific. Species-specific TE-derived transcription start sites are found to drive the expression of tissue-specific genes and change their tissue-specific expression patterns during evolution. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that TE insertions increase the regulatory potential of the genome, and some TEs have been domesticated to become a crucial component of gene and regulate tissue-specific expression during mouse tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benpeng Miao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
- Department of Genetics, Edison Family Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Shuhua Fu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Paul Gontarz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Edison Family Center for Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63108, USA.
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149
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Epigenetic Regulation of the Non-Coding Genome: Opportunities for Immuno-Oncology. EPIGENOMES 2020; 4:epigenomes4030022. [PMID: 34968293 PMCID: PMC8594693 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes4030022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of the non-coding genome to disease and its therapeutic potential have been largely unexplored. Recently, several epigenetic drugs developed for cancer treatment have been described to mediate therapeutic effects through the reactivation of the expression of transposable elements in cancer cells. This event activates innate immunity-related pathways and promotes the generation of neoantigens in tumor cells, improving the efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments. This review focuses on the regulation of transposable elements by epigenetic inhibitors and its implications for immuno-oncology.
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150
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Cullen H, Schorn AJ. Endogenous Retroviruses Walk a Fine Line between Priming and Silencing. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080792. [PMID: 32718022 PMCID: PMC7472051 DOI: 10.3390/v12080792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in mammals are closely related to infectious retroviruses and utilize host tRNAs as a primer for reverse transcription and replication, a hallmark of long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements. Their dependency on tRNA makes these elements vulnerable to targeting by small RNAs derived from the 3′-end of mature tRNAs (3′-tRFs), which are highly expressed during epigenetic reprogramming and potentially protect many tissues in eukaryotes. Here, we review some key functions of ERV reprogramming during mouse and human development and discuss how small RNA-mediated silencing maintains genome stability when ERVs are temporarily released from heterochromatin repression. In particular, we take a closer look at the tRNA primer binding sites (PBS) of two highly active ERV families in mice and their sequence variation that is shaped by the conflict of successful tRNA priming for replication versus evasion of silencing by 3′-tRFs.
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