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Lea G, Hanna CW. Loss of DNA methylation disrupts syncytiotrophoblast development: Proposed consequences of aberrant germline gene activation. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300140. [PMID: 37994176 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a repressive epigenetic modification that is essential for development and its disruption is widely implicated in disease. Yet, remarkably, ablation of DNA methylation in transgenic mouse models has limited impact on transcriptional states. Across multiple tissues and developmental contexts, the predominant transcriptional signature upon loss of DNA methylation is the de-repression of a subset of germline genes, normally expressed in gametogenesis. We recently reported loss of de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3B resulted in up-regulation of germline genes and impaired syncytiotrophoblast formation in the murine placenta. This defect led to embryonic lethality. We hypothesize that de-repression of germline genes in the Dnmt3b knockout underpins aspects of the placental phenotype by interfering with normal developmental processes. Specifically, we discuss molecular mechanisms by which aberrant expression of the piRNA pathway, meiotic proteins or germline transcriptional regulators may disrupt syncytiotrophoblast development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Lea
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Courtney W Hanna
- Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Keniry A, Blewitt ME. Chromatin-mediated silencing on the inactive X chromosome. Development 2023; 150:dev201742. [PMID: 37991053 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, the second X chromosome in females is silenced to enable dosage compensation between XX females and XY males. This essential process involves the formation of a dense chromatin state on the inactive X (Xi) chromosome. There is a wealth of information about the hallmarks of Xi chromatin and the contribution each makes to silencing, leaving the tantalising possibility of learning from this knowledge to potentially remove silencing to treat X-linked diseases in females. Here, we discuss the role of each chromatin feature in the establishment and maintenance of the silent state, which is of crucial relevance for such a goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Keniry
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Marnie E Blewitt
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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3
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Mattimoe T, Payer B. The compleX balancing act of controlling X-chromosome dosage and how it impacts mammalian germline development. Biochem J 2023; 480:521-537. [PMID: 37096944 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220450] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
In female mammals, the two X chromosomes are subject to epigenetic gene regulation in order to balance X-linked gene dosage with autosomes and in relation to males, which have one X and one Y chromosome. This is achieved by an intricate interplay of several processes; X-chromosome inactivation and reactivation elicit global epigenetic regulation of expression from one X chromosome in a stage-specific manner, whilst the process of X-chromosome upregulation responds to this by fine-tuning transcription levels of the second X. The germline is unique in its function of transmitting both the genetic and epigenetic information from one generation to the next, and remodelling of the X chromosome is one of the key steps in setting the stage for successful development. Here, we provide an overview of the complex dynamics of X-chromosome dosage control during embryonic and germ cell development, and aim to decipher its potential role for normal germline competency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Mattimoe
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernhard Payer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Ma J, Zhang L, Huang Y, Shen F, Wu H, Yang Z, Hou R, Song Z, Yue B, Zhang X. Epigenomic profiling indicates a role for DNA methylation in the postnatal liver and pancreas development of giant pandas. Genomics 2022; 114:110342. [PMID: 35306168 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Giant pandas are unique within Carnivora with a strict bamboo diet. Here, the epigenomic profiles of giant panda liver and pancreas tissues collected from three important feeding stages were investigated using BS-seq. Few differences in DNA methylation profiles were exhibited between no feeding and suckling groups in both tissues. However, we observed a tendency toward a global loss of DNA methylation in the gene-body and promoter region of metabolism-related genes from newborn to adult. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the changes in methylation levels within gene promoters and gene expression. The majority of genes related to nutrition metabolism had lost DNA methylation with increased mRNA expression in adult giant pandas. The few galactose metabolism and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism related genes that were hypomethylated and highly-expressed at early stages of giant panda development may meet the nutritional requirement of this species' highly altricial neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinnan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- The Sichuan Key Laboratory for Conservation Biology of Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
| | - Yan Huang
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 98 Tongjiang Road, Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan 611800, China
| | - Fujun Shen
- The Sichuan Key Laboratory for Conservation Biology of Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
| | - Honglin Wu
- China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 98 Tongjiang Road, Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan 611800, China
| | - Zhisong Yang
- Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, 1375 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
| | - Rong Hou
- The Sichuan Key Laboratory for Conservation Biology of Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
| | - Zhaobin Song
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Bisong Yue
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Xiuyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, No.24 South Section 1, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China.
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5
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BAF complex-mediated chromatin relaxation is required for establishment of X chromosome inactivation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1658. [PMID: 35351876 PMCID: PMC8964718 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29333-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of epigenetic silencing, while fundamentally important, is not yet completely understood. Here we report a replenishable female mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) system, Xmas, that allows rapid assessment of X chromosome inactivation (XCI), the epigenetic silencing mechanism of one of the two X chromosomes that enables dosage compensation in female mammals. Through a targeted genetic screen in differentiating Xmas mESCs, we reveal that the BAF complex is required to create nucleosome-depleted regions at promoters on the inactive X chromosome during the earliest stages of establishment of XCI. Without this action gene silencing fails. Xmas mESCs provide a tractable model for screen-based approaches that enable the discovery of unknown facets of the female-specific process of XCI and epigenetic silencing more broadly. Female embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are the ideal model to study X chromosome inactivation (XCI) establishment; however, these cells are challenging to keep in culture. Here the authors create fluorescent ‘Xmas’ reporter mice as a renewable source of ESCs and show nucleosome remodelers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 create a nucleosome-free promoter region prior to the establishment of silencing.
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Genetic Studies on Mammalian DNA Methyltransferases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1389:111-136. [PMID: 36350508 PMCID: PMC9815518 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11454-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cytosine methylation at the C5-position-generating 5-methylcytosine (5mC)-is a DNA modification found in many eukaryotic organisms, including fungi, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, albeit its levels vary greatly in different organisms. In mammals, cytosine methylation occurs predominantly in the context of CpG dinucleotides, with the majority (60-80%) of CpG sites in their genomes being methylated. DNA methylation plays crucial roles in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression and is essential for mammalian development. Aberrant changes in DNA methylation and genetic alterations in enzymes and regulators involved in DNA methylation are associated with various human diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders. In mammals, DNA methylation is mediated by two families of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts), namely Dnmt1 and Dnmt3 proteins. Over the last three decades, genetic manipulations of these enzymes, as well as their regulators, in mice have greatly contributed to our understanding of the biological functions of DNA methylation in mammals. In this chapter, we discuss genetic studies on mammalian Dnmts, focusing on their roles in embryogenesis, cellular differentiation, genomic imprinting, and human diseases.
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Trotman JB, Braceros KCA, Cherney RE, Murvin MM, Calabrese JM. The control of polycomb repressive complexes by long noncoding RNAs. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2021; 12:e1657. [PMID: 33861025 PMCID: PMC8500928 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRCs; PRC1 and PRC2) are conserved histone-modifying enzymes that often function cooperatively to repress gene expression. The PRCs are regulated by long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in complex ways. On the one hand, specific lncRNAs cause the PRCs to engage with chromatin and repress gene expression over genomic regions that can span megabases. On the other hand, the PRCs bind RNA with seemingly little sequence specificity, and at least in the case of PRC2, direct RNA-binding has the effect of inhibiting the enzyme. Thus, some RNAs appear to promote PRC activity, while others may inhibit it. The reasons behind this apparent dichotomy are unclear. The most potent PRC-activating lncRNAs associate with chromatin and are predominantly unspliced or harbor unusually long exons. Emerging data imply that these lncRNAs promote PRC activity through internal RNA sequence elements that arise and disappear rapidly in evolutionary time. These sequence elements may function by interacting with common subsets of RNA-binding proteins that recruit or stabilize PRCs on chromatin. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson B. Trotman
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Keean C. A. Braceros
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Mechanistic, Interdisciplinary Studies of Biological Systems, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel E. Cherney
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - McKenzie M. Murvin
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - J. Mauro Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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8
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Sarıgöl Kılıç Z, Çal T, Ündeğer Bucurgat Ü. Evaluation of the Methylation and Acetylation Profiles of Dinitroaniline Herbicides and Resveratrol on the V79 Cell Line. Turk J Pharm Sci 2020; 17:631-637. [PMID: 33389953 DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2019.68725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Herbicides are among the most widely used pesticide compounds for plant growth control worldwide. Risk assessment of the dinitroaniline-derived herbicides pendimethalin and trifluralin is important for foodborne or other means of exposure. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the methylation and acetylation profiles of pendimethalin and trifluralin, which we have high levels of exposure to in various ways. Furthermore, we also determined the protective effect of resveratrol, an antioxidant compound, against the possible toxic effects of these pesticides. Materials and Methods The effects of pendimethalin and trifluralin alone (25, 50, 100 μM) and in combination with resveratrol (100 μM) on DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1) 1, 3a, and 3b; and histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1 and HDAC3 gene expression were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results According to the results, pendimethalin caused a significant decrease in DNMT1, 3a, 3b and HDAC expressions at all concentrations, whereas HDAC1 and 3 expression was increased at the concentration of 25 μM, when applied together with resveratrol. There were no changes in DNMT1 or 3b expression levels. Unlike pendimethalin, trifluralin increased DNMT1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. While DNMT3a and DNMT3b expression levels increased significantly, HDAC1 and 3 expression levels did not change significantly. The expression levels of HDAC1 and HDAC3 increased at all concentrations of trifluralin combination with resveratrol. Moreover, DNMT levels increased at the concentrations of 50 and 100 μM. Conclusion Epigenetic gene expression results showed that pendimethalin and trifluralin might cause tissue function loss and chromosome damage as a result of direct effects on cell viability by causing expression level changes in all studied genes. It can also be concluded that the changes that occur in gene expression may induce tumor development. Further studies are needed to elucidate the possible toxicity mechanisms of these herbicides, considering the relationship between epigenetic changes and various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tuğbagül Çal
- Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ülkü Ündeğer Bucurgat
- Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
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9
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Panda A, Zylicz JJ, Pasque V. New Insights into X-Chromosome Reactivation during Reprogramming to Pluripotency. Cells 2020; 9:E2706. [PMID: 33348832 PMCID: PMC7766869 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation between the sexes results in one X chromosome being inactivated during female mammalian development. Chromosome-wide transcriptional silencing from the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in mammalian cells is erased in a process termed X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), which has emerged as a paradigm for studying the reversal of chromatin silencing. XCR is linked with germline development and induction of naive pluripotency in the epiblast, and also takes place upon reprogramming somatic cells to induced pluripotency. XCR depends on silencing of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (Xist) and is linked with the erasure of chromatin silencing. Over the past years, the advent of transcriptomics and epigenomics has provided new insights into the transcriptional and chromatin dynamics with which XCR takes place. However, multiple questions remain unanswered about how chromatin and transcription related processes enable XCR. Here, we review recent work on establishing the transcriptional and chromatin kinetics of XCR, as well as discuss a model by which transcription factors mediate XCR not only via Xist repression, but also by direct targeting of X-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitesh Panda
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Jan J. Zylicz
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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10
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Wang P, Yamabe N, Hong CJ, Bai HW, Zhu BT. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, a coffee polyphenol, inhibits DNA methylation in vitro and in vivo. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173464. [PMID: 32781171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation represents an important epigenetic regulation of the genome. Earlier studies have suggested that dietary phenolic compounds including those contained in coffee, tea and soy products may modulate the level of DNA methylation. In this study, we first characterize the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and other dietary phenolic compounds on DNA methylation in vitro. The IC50 values of CAPE, daidzein, isorhamnetin and genistein are 7.6, 6.9, 6.2, and 4.3 μM, respectively, in an in-vitro enzymatic assay system. Computational analysis indicates that CAPE, daidzein, isorhamnetin and genistein can bind inside the DNA substrate-binding site in human DNMT1 with a favorable binding energy. In an animal study, we find that maternal CAPE treatment shifts the coat color distribution of the 21-day-old Avy/a offspring towards the yellow phenotype, indicating that CAPE inhibits the methylation of the agouti gene promoter sequence in vivo. The results from this study may shed light on the potential epigenetic effect in the offspring resulting from maternal intake of certain coffee phenolics during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China.
| | - Noriko Yamabe
- College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Can-Jian Hong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China
| | - Hyoung-Woo Bai
- Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do, 580-185, Republic of Korea
| | - Bao Ting Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
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11
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Żylicz JJ, Heard E. Molecular Mechanisms of Facultative Heterochromatin Formation: An X-Chromosome Perspective. Annu Rev Biochem 2020; 89:255-282. [PMID: 32259458 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-062917-012655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Facultative heterochromatin (fHC) concerns the developmentally regulated heterochromatinization of different regions of the genome and, in the case of the mammalian X chromosome and imprinted loci, of only one allele of a homologous pair. The formation of fHC participates in the timely repression of genes, by resisting strong trans activators. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of fHC in mammals using a mouse model. We focus on X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) as a paradigm for fHC but also relate it to genomic imprinting and homeobox (Hox) gene cluster repression. A vital role for noncoding transcription and/or transcripts emerges as the general principle of triggering XCI and canonical imprinting. However, other types of fHC are established through an unknown mechanism, independent of noncoding transcription (Hox clusters and noncanonical imprinting). We also extensively discuss polycomb-group repressive complexes (PRCs), which frequently play a vital role in fHC maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan J Żylicz
- Mammalian Developmental Epigenetics Group, Institut Curie, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, PSL University, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EL, United Kingdom
| | - Edith Heard
- Directors' Research, EMBL Heidelberg, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany;
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12
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Strehle M, Guttman M. Xist drives spatial compartmentalization of DNA and protein to orchestrate initiation and maintenance of X inactivation. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 64:139-147. [PMID: 32535328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the process whereby one of the X chromosomes in female mammalian cells is silenced to equalize X-linked gene expression with males. XCI depends on the long noncoding RNA Xist, which coats the inactive X chromosome in cis and triggers a cascade of events that ultimately lead to chromosome-wide transcriptional silencing that is stable for the lifetime of an organism. In recent years, the discovery of proteins that interact with Xist have led to new insights into how the initiation of XCI occurs. Nevertheless, there are still various unknowns about the mechanisms by which Xist orchestrates and maintains stable X-linked silencing. Here, we review recent work elucidating the role of Xist and its protein partners in mediating chromosome-wide transcriptional repression, as well as discuss a model by which Xist may compartmentalize proteins across the inactive X chromosome to enable both the initiation and maintenance of XCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie Strehle
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mitchell Guttman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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13
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Chen Z, Zhang Y. Maternal H3K27me3-dependent autosomal and X chromosome imprinting. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:555-571. [PMID: 32514155 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) are classic epigenetic phenomena that involve transcriptional silencing of one parental allele. Germline-derived differential DNA methylation is the best-studied epigenetic mark that initiates imprinting, but evidence indicates that other mechanisms exist. Recent studies have revealed that maternal trimethylation of H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3) mediates autosomal maternal allele-specific gene silencing and has an important role in imprinted XCI through repression of maternal Xist. Furthermore, loss of H3K27me3-mediated imprinting contributes to the developmental defects observed in cloned embryos. This novel maternal H3K27me3-mediated non-canonical imprinting mechanism further emphasizes the important role of parental chromatin in development and could provide the basis for improving the efficiency of embryo cloning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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The influence of DNA methylation on monoallelic expression. Essays Biochem 2020; 63:663-676. [PMID: 31782494 PMCID: PMC6923323 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20190034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Monoallelic gene expression occurs in diploid cells when only one of the two alleles of a gene is active. There are three main classes of genes that display monoallelic expression in mammalian genomes: (1) imprinted genes that are monoallelically expressed in a parent-of-origin dependent manner; (2) X-linked genes that undergo random X-chromosome inactivation in female cells; (3) random monoallelically expressed single and clustered genes located on autosomes. The heritability of monoallelic expression patterns during cell divisions implies that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the cellular memory of these expression states. Among these, methylation of CpG sites on DNA is one of the best described modification to explain somatic inheritance. Here, we discuss the relevance of DNA methylation for the establishment and maintenance of monoallelic expression patterns among these three groups of genes, and how this is intrinsically linked to development and cellular states.
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15
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Chen Z, Yin Q, Inoue A, Zhang C, Zhang Y. Allelic H3K27me3 to allelic DNA methylation switch maintains noncanonical imprinting in extraembryonic cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaay7246. [PMID: 32064321 PMCID: PMC6989337 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay7246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Faithful maintenance of genomic imprinting is essential for mammalian development. While germline DNA methylation-dependent (canonical) imprinting is relatively stable during development, the recently found oocyte-derived H3K27me3-mediated noncanonical imprinting is mostly transient in early embryos, with some genes important for placental development maintaining imprinted expression in the extraembryonic lineage. How these noncanonical imprinted genes maintain their extraembryonic-specific imprinting is unknown. Here, we report that maintenance of noncanonical imprinting requires maternal allele-specific de novo DNA methylation [i.e., somatic differentially methylated regions (DMRs)] at implantation. The somatic DMRs are located at the gene promoters, with paternal allele-specific H3K4me3 established during preimplantation development. Genetic manipulation revealed that both maternal EED and zygotic DNMT3A/3B are required for establishing somatic DMRs and maintaining noncanonical imprinting. Thus, our study not only reveals the mechanism underlying noncanonical imprinting maintenance but also sheds light on how histone modifications in oocytes may shape somatic DMRs in postimplantation embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qiangzong Yin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Azusa Inoue
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chunxia Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Corresponding author.
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16
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Martín-Del-Campo R, Bárcenas-Ibarra A, Lund G, Rodríguez-Ríos D, Yong-Villalobos L, García-Hernández J, García-Gasca A. Mercury Concentration, DNA Methylation, and Mitochondrial DNA Damage in Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Embryos With Schistosomus Reflexus Syndrome. Vet Pathol 2019; 56:940-949. [PMID: 31434549 DOI: 10.1177/0300985819868649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomus reflexus syndrome (SR) is a rare and lethal congenital malformation that has been reported in the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Mexico. Although the etiology remains unclear, it is presumed to be genetic. Since embryonic development in sea turtles largely depends on environmental conditions, we investigated whether sea turtle total mercury content participates in the etiology of SR. Given that several toxins are known to affect both DNA methylation and/or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, we also probed for associations of these parameters to SR and mercury exposure. We measured the levels of each variable in malformed olive ridley sea turtle embryos (either with SR or other non-SR malformations) and embryos without malformations. Malformed embryos (with or without SR) showed higher mercury concentrations compared to normal embryos, while only embryos with SR showed higher levels of methylation compared to embryos without malformations and those with other malformations. Furthermore, we uncovered a positive correlation between mercury concentrations and DNA methylation in SR embryos. With respect to mtDNA copy number, no differences were detected across experimental groups. Because of sample size limitations, this study is an initial attempt to understand the association of environmental toxins (such as mercury) and epigenetic alterations (DNA methylation) in the etiology of SR in sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Martín-Del-Campo
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - Annelisse Bárcenas-Ibarra
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - Gertrud Lund
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV (GL, DRR), Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Dalia Rodríguez-Ríos
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV (GL, DRR), Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Lenin Yong-Villalobos
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (Langebio)/Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, CINVESTAV, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Jaqueline García-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Ciencias Ambientales, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Alejandra García-Gasca
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
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17
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Khamlichi AA, Feil R. Parallels between Mammalian Mechanisms of Monoallelic Gene Expression. Trends Genet 2018; 34:954-971. [PMID: 30217559 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Different types of monoallelic gene expression are present in mammals, some of which are highly flexible, whereas others are more rigid. These include allelic exclusion at antigen receptor loci, the expression of olfactory receptor genes, genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and random monoallelic expression (MAE). Although these processes play diverse biological roles, and arose through different selective pressures, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms show striking resemblances. Regulatory transcriptional events are important in all systems, particularly in the specification of MAE. Combined with comparative studies between species, this suggests that the different MAE systems found in mammals may have evolved from analogous ancestral processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Amine Khamlichi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University (UPS), 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France.
| | - Robert Feil
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), CNRS and the University of Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France.
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18
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Deobagkar D. Epigenetics with special reference to the human X chromosome inactivation and the enigma of Drosophila DNA methylation. J Genet 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-018-0937-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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19
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Rajpathak SN, Deobagkar DD. Aneuploidy: an important model system to understand salient aspects of functional genomics. Brief Funct Genomics 2018; 17:181-190. [PMID: 29228117 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elx041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintaining a balance in gene dosage and protein activity is essential to sustain normal cellular functions. Males and females have a wide range of genetic as well as epigenetic differences, where X-linked gene dosage is an essential regulatory factor. Basic understanding of gene dosage maintenance has emerged from the studies carried out using mouse models with FCG (four core genotype) and chromosomal aneuploidy as well as from mono-chromosomal hybrid cells. In mammals, aneuploidy often leads to embryonic lethality particularly in early development with major developmental and structural abnormalities. Thus, in-depth analysis of the causes and consequences of gene dosage alterations is needed to unravel its effects on basic cellular and developmental functions as well as in understanding its medical implications. Cells isolated from individuals with naturally occurring chromosomal aneuploidy can be considered as true representatives, as these cells have stable chromosomal alterations/gene dosage imbalance, which have occurred by modulation of the basic molecular machinery. Therefore, innovative use of these natural aneuploidy cells/organisms with recent molecular and high-throughput techniques will provide an understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in gene dosage balance and the related consequences for functional genomics.
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20
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Studying X chromosome inactivation in the single-cell genomic era. Biochem Soc Trans 2018; 46:577-586. [PMID: 29678955 DOI: 10.1042/bst20170346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell genomics is set to revolutionise our understanding of how epigenetic silencing works; by studying specific epigenetic marks or chromatin conformations in single cells, it is possible to ask whether they cause transcriptional silencing or are instead a consequence of the silent state. Here, we review what single-cell genomics has revealed about X chromosome inactivation, perhaps the best characterised mammalian epigenetic process, highlighting the novel findings and important differences between mouse and human X inactivation uncovered through these studies. We consider what fundamental questions these techniques are set to answer in coming years and propose that X chromosome inactivation is an ideal model to study gene silencing by single-cell genomics as technical limitations are minimised through the co-analysis of hundreds of genes.
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21
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Contribution of epigenetic landscapes and transcription factors to X-chromosome reactivation in the inner cell mass. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1297. [PMID: 29101321 PMCID: PMC5670228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01415-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation is established during early development. In mice, transcriptional repression of the paternal X-chromosome (Xp) and enrichment in epigenetic marks such as H3K27me3 is achieved by the early blastocyst stage. X-chromosome inactivation is then reversed in the inner cell mass. The mechanisms underlying Xp reactivation remain enigmatic. Using in vivo single-cell approaches (allele-specific RNAseq, nascent RNA-fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence), we show here that different genes are reactivated at different stages, with more slowly reactivated genes tending to be enriched in H3meK27. We further show that in UTX H3K27 histone demethylase mutant embryos, these genes are even more slowly reactivated, suggesting that these genes carry an epigenetic memory that may be actively lost. On the other hand, expression of rapidly reactivated genes may be driven by transcription factors. Thus, some X-linked genes have minimal epigenetic memory in the inner cell mass, whereas others may require active erasure of chromatin marks. X-chromosome inactivation is reversed in the mouse inner cell mass (ICM) through a mechanism that is not fully understood. Here, the authors investigate this process and characterize the contributions of the epigenetic landscape and transcription factors in X-linked gene reactivation dynamics.
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22
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Postlmayr A, Wutz A. Insights into the Establishment of Chromatin States in Pluripotent Cells from Studies of X Inactivation. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:1521-1531. [PMID: 28315662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal development entails the sequential and coordinated specialization of cells. During cell differentiation, transcription factors, cell signaling pathways, and chromatin-associated protein complexes cooperate in regulating the expression of a large number of genes. Here, we review the present understanding of the establishment of chromatin states by focusing on X chromosome inactivation (XCI) as a model for facultative heterochromatin formation in female embryonic cells. The inactive X chromosome is large enough to be investigated by biochemical and microscopy techniques. In addition, the ability to compare the inactivated chromatin to the active X in male cells enables us to differentiate events specific to gene silencing during XCI from gene regulatory effects from changing pathways in the same cell. Findings in XCI are useful as blueprints for investigation of the action of epigenetic pathways in differentiation and lineage commitment. We summarize recent studies that have identified factors that are critical for chromosome-wide gene repression in XCI, and we discuss their implications for epigenetic regulation in pluripotent cells of the early embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Postlmayr
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland; Life Science Zurich Graduate School, Molecular Life Sciences Program, University of Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anton Wutz
- Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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23
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Jansz N, Chen K, Murphy JM, Blewitt ME. The Epigenetic Regulator SMCHD1 in Development and Disease. Trends Genet 2017; 33:233-243. [PMID: 28222895 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It has very recently become clear that the epigenetic modifier SMCHD1 has a role in two distinct disorders: facioscapulohumoral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Bosma arhinia and micropthalmia (BAMS). In the former there are heterozygous loss-of-function mutations, while both gain- and loss-of-function mutations have been proposed to underlie the latter. These findings have led to much interest in SMCHD1 and how it works at the molecular level. We summarise here current understanding of the mechanism of action of SMCHD1, its role in these diseases, and what has been learnt from study of mouse models null for Smchd1 in the decade since the discovery of SMCHD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Jansz
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne VIC, Australia; The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC, Australia
| | - Kelan Chen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne VIC, Australia; The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC, Australia
| | - James M Murphy
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne VIC, Australia; The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC, Australia
| | - Marnie E Blewitt
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne VIC, Australia; The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC, Australia.
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24
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Yang T, Yildirim E. Epigenetic and LncRNA-Mediated Regulation of X Chromosome Inactivation and Its Impact on Pathogenesis. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40139-017-0120-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Dupont C, Maduro C, Den Braanker H, Boers R, Kurek D, Gribnau J. Characterization of Histone Modifications Associated with Inactive X-Chromosome in Trophoblast Stem Cells, eXtra-Embryonic Endoderm Cells and in In Vitro Derived Undifferentiated and Differentiated Epiblast Like Stem Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167154. [PMID: 27977710 PMCID: PMC5157996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In mouse, X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) can either be imprinted or random. Imprinted XCI (iXCI) is considered unstable and depending on continuous Xist expression, whereas random XCI (rXCI) is stably maintained even in the absence of Xist. Here we have systematically examined epigenetic modifications associated with the inactive X-chromosome (Xi) in Trophoblast Stem cells, eXtra-Embryonic Endoderm Cells, undifferentiated and differentiated Epiblast Like Stem Cells in order to understand intrinsic differences in epigenetic mechanisms involved in silencing of the inactive X-chromosome in lineages presenting iXCI and rXCI. Whereas euchromatic histone modifications are predominantly lost from the Xi territory in all cell types, the accumulation of heterochromatic modifications diverges in between the analysed cell lineages. Particularly, only the Xi of multipotent Trophoblast (iXCI) and Epiblast stem cells (rXCI) display a visible accumulation of Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRCs), in contrast to the Xi in differentiated Epiblast Like Stem Cells and eXtra-embryonic Endoderm cells. Despite this, the histone modifications catalysed by PRCs, ubH2AK119 and H3K27me3, remain the best heterochromatic markers for the Xi in all assessed lineages. Heterochromatic chromatin modifications associated with the Xi are a reflection of the epigenetic landscape of the entire genome of the assessed cell regardless whether XCI is imprinted or random.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathérine Dupont
- Erasmus MC, Department of Developmental Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cheryl Maduro
- Erasmus MC, Department of Developmental Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ruben Boers
- Erasmus MC, Department of Developmental Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dorota Kurek
- Erasmus MC, Department of Developmental Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Gribnau
- Erasmus MC, Department of Developmental Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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26
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Liang D, Wang H, Song W, Xiong X, Zhang X, Hu Z, Guo H, Yang Z, Zhai S, Zhang LH, Ye M, Du Q. The decreased N 6-methyladenine DNA modification in cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 480:120-125. [PMID: 27693785 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.09.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
N6-methyladenine (6 mA) is a recently characterized DNA modification in mammalian genomes, although its biological importance remains to be resolved. Using a highly sensitive HPLC/MS/MS approach, here we report regulation of 6 mA modification in mammalian cells. To these aspects, down-regulation of 6 mA modification was first characterized in human cancer cells and tissues, relative to their normal controls. In contrast to the relative stable 5 mC modification, a dramatic decrease of 6 mA modification was found, showing that 6 mA is the most regulated DNA modification in cancers. In addition to the regulation in cancer cells, a hundreds-fold increase of 6 mA modification was found for in vitro cultured human cells, relative to the in vivo cells. This up-regulation was also confirmed with in vitro cultured mouse cells. Taken together, our study revealed distinct 6 mA modification profiles in the cancer and cultured cells. Considering its distinct regulation from that of 5 mC, our study suggests that 6 mA DNA modification may play a crucial role in cell fate transition of mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Wei Song
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xin Xiong
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xianhua Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhiping Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Huahu Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Zhenjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Suodi Zhai
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Li-He Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Min Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Quan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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27
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Vallot C, Ouimette JF, Rougeulle C. Establishment of X chromosome inactivation and epigenomic features of the inactive X depend on cellular contexts. Bioessays 2016; 38:869-80. [PMID: 27389958 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is an essential epigenetic process that ensures X-linked gene dosage equilibrium between sexes in mammals. XCI is dynamically regulated during development in a manner that is intimately linked to differentiation. Numerous studies, which we review here, have explored the dynamics of X inactivation and reactivation in the context of development, differentiation and diseases, and the phenotypic and molecular link between the inactive status, and the cellular context. Here, we also assess whether XCI is a uniform mechanism in mammals by analyzing epigenetic signatures of the inactive X (Xi) in different species and cellular contexts. It appears that the timing of XCI and the epigenetic signature of the inactive X greatly vary between species. Surprisingly, even within a given species, various Xi configurations are found across cellular states. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying these variations, and how they might influence the fate of the Xi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Vallot
- Sorbonne Paris Cité, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | | | - Claire Rougeulle
- Sorbonne Paris Cité, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
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28
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Keniry A, Gearing LJ, Jansz N, Liu J, Holik AZ, Hickey PF, Kinkel SA, Moore DL, Breslin K, Chen K, Liu R, Phillips C, Pakusch M, Biben C, Sheridan JM, Kile BT, Carmichael C, Ritchie ME, Hilton DJ, Blewitt ME. Setdb1-mediated H3K9 methylation is enriched on the inactive X and plays a role in its epigenetic silencing. Epigenetics Chromatin 2016; 9:16. [PMID: 27195021 PMCID: PMC4870784 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-016-0064-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The presence of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation on the mouse inactive X chromosome has been controversial over the last 15 years, and the functional role of H3K9 methylation in X chromosome inactivation in any species has remained largely unexplored. Results Here we report the first genomic analysis of H3K9 di- and tri-methylation on the inactive X: we find they are enriched at the intergenic, gene poor regions of the inactive X, interspersed between H3K27 tri-methylation domains found in the gene dense regions. Although H3K9 methylation is predominantly non-genic, we find that depletion of H3K9 methylation via depletion of H3K9 methyltransferase Set domain bifurcated 1 (Setdb1) during the establishment of X inactivation, results in failure of silencing for around 150 genes on the inactive X. By contrast, we find a very minor role for Setdb1-mediated H3K9 methylation once X inactivation is fully established. In addition to failed gene silencing, we observed a specific failure to silence X-linked long-terminal repeat class repetitive elements. Conclusions Here we have shown that H3K9 methylation clearly marks the murine inactive X chromosome. The role of this mark is most apparent during the establishment phase of gene silencing, with a more muted effect on maintenance of the silent state. Based on our data, we hypothesise that Setdb1-mediated H3K9 methylation plays a role in epigenetic silencing of the inactive X via silencing of the repeats, which itself facilitates gene silencing through alterations to the conformation of the whole inactive X chromosome. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13072-016-0064-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Keniry
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Linden J Gearing
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Natasha Jansz
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Joy Liu
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Aliaksei Z Holik
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Peter F Hickey
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Sarah A Kinkel
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Darcy L Moore
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Kelsey Breslin
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Kelan Chen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Ruijie Liu
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Catherine Phillips
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Miha Pakusch
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Christine Biben
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Julie M Sheridan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Benjamin T Kile
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Catherine Carmichael
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Matthew E Ritchie
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Douglas J Hilton
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Marnie E Blewitt
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia.,Department of Genetics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
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29
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DNA methylation in hematopoietic development and disease. Exp Hematol 2016; 44:783-790. [PMID: 27178734 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that can have profound and widespread effects on gene expression and on cellular fate and function. Recent work has indicated that DNA methylation plays a critical role in hematopoietic development and hematopoietic disease. DNA methyltransferases and Ten-eleven translocation enzymes are required to add and remove methyl "marks" from DNA, respectively, and both sets of genes have been found necessary for proper formation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells and for differentiation of downstream hematopoietic lineages during development. DNA methylation and demethylation enzymes have also been implicated in hematopoietic disorders such as acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Here, we review some of the recent literature regarding the role of DNA methylation in hematopoietic health and disease.
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Payer B. Developmental regulation of X-chromosome inactivation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:88-99. [PMID: 27112543 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
With the emergence of sex-determination by sex chromosomes, which differ in composition and number between males and females, appeared the need to equalize X-chromosomal gene dosage between the sexes. Mammals have devised the strategy of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), in which one of the two X-chromosomes is rendered transcriptionally silent in females. In the mouse, the best-studied model organism with respect to XCI, this inactivation process occurs in different forms, imprinted and random, interspersed by periods of X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), which is needed to switch between the different modes of XCI. In this review, I describe the recent advances with respect to the developmental control of XCI and XCR and in particular their link to differentiation and pluripotency. Furthermore, I review the mechanisms, which influence the timing and choice, with which one of the two X-chromosomes is chosen for inactivation during random XCI. This has an impact on how females are mosaics with regard to which X-chromosome is active in different cells, which has implications on the severity of diseases caused by X-linked mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Payer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Dr. Aiguader, 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain.
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Pinter SF. A Tale of Two Cities: How Xist and its partners localize to and silence the bicompartmental X. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:19-34. [PMID: 27072488 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomal dosage compensation in mammals takes the form of X chromosome inactivation (XCI), driven by the non-coding RNA Xist. In contrast to dosage compensation systems of flies and worms, mammalian XCI has to restrict its function to the Xist-producing X chromosome, while leaving autosomes and active X untouched. The mechanisms behind the long-range yet cis-specific localization and silencing activities of Xist have long been enigmatic, but genomics, proteomics, super-resolution microscopy, and innovative genetic approaches have produced significant new insights in recent years. In this review, I summarize and integrate these findings with a particular focus on the redundant yet mutually reinforcing pathways that enable long-term transcriptional repression throughout the soma. This includes an exploration of concurrent epigenetic changes acting in parallel within two distinct compartments of the inactive X. I also examine how Polycomb repressive complexes 1 and 2 and macroH2A may bridge XCI establishment and maintenance. XCI is a remarkable phenomenon that operates across multiple scales, combining changes in nuclear architecture, chromosome topology, chromatin compaction, and nucleosome/nucleotide-level epigenetic cues. Learning how these pathways act in concert likely holds the answer to the riddle posed by Cattanach's and other autosomal translocations: What makes the X especially receptive to XCI?
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan F Pinter
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030-6403, USA.
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Lam P, Cheung F, Tan HY, Wang N, Yuen MF, Feng Y. Hepatoprotective Effects of Chinese Medicinal Herbs: A Focus on Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidative Activities. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:465. [PMID: 27043533 PMCID: PMC4848921 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17040465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is intimately connected to inflammation, which is the innate defense system of the body for removing harmful stimuli and participates in the hepatic wound-healing response. Sustained inflammation and the corresponding regenerative wound-healing response can induce the development of fibrosis, cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. Oxidative stress is associated with the activation of inflammatory pathways, while chronic inflammation is found associated with some human cancers. Inflammation and cancer may be connected by the effect of the inflammation-fibrosis-cancer (IFC) axis. Chinese medicinal herbs display abilities in protecting the liver compared to conventional therapies, as many herbal medicines have been shown as effective anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agents. We review the relationship between oxidative stress and inflammation, the development of hepatic diseases, and the hepatoprotective effects of Chinese medicinal herbs via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative mechanisms. Moreover, several Chinese medicinal herbs and composite formulae, which have been commonly used for preventing and treating hepatic diseases, including Andrographis Herba, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus, Coptidis Rhizoma, curcumin, xiao-cha-hu-tang and shi-quan-da-bu-tang, were selected for reviewing their hepatoprotective effects with focus on their anti-oxidative and ant-inflammatory activities. This review aims to provide new insight into how Chinese medicinal herbs work in therapeutic strategies for liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puiyan Lam
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Fan Cheung
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Hor Yue Tan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Man Fung Yuen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Queen Mary Hospital and Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Yibin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Prudhomme J, Morey C. Epigenesis and plasticity of mouse trophoblast stem cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:757-74. [PMID: 26542801 PMCID: PMC11108370 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2086-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The critical role of the placenta in supporting a healthy pregnancy is mostly ensured by the extraembryonic trophoblast lineage that acts as the interface between the maternal and the foetal compartments. The diverse trophoblast cell subtypes that form the placenta originate from a single layer of stem cells that emerge from the embryo when the earliest cell fate decisions are occurring. Recent studies show that these trophoblast stem cells exhibit extensive plasticity as they are capable of differentiating down multiple pathways and are easily converted into embryonic stem cells in vitro. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of the mechanisms and control of the epigenesis of mouse trophoblast stem cells through a comparison with the corresponding mechanisms in pluripotent embryonic stem cells. To illustrate some of the more striking manifestations of the epigenetic plasticity of mouse trophoblast stem cells, we discuss them within the context of two paradigms of epigenetic regulation of gene expression: the imprinted gene expression of specific loci and the process of X-chromosome inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Prudhomme
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Céline Morey
- CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate, 75013, Paris, France.
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Zhang M, Wang CC, Yang C, Meng H, Agbagwa IO, Wang LX, Wang Y, Yan S, Ren S, Sun Y, Pei G, Liu X, Liu J, Jin L, Li H, Sun Y. Epigenetic Pattern on the Human Y Chromosome Is Evolutionarily Conserved. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146402. [PMID: 26760298 PMCID: PMC4711989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays an important role for mammalian development. However, it is unclear whether the DNA methylation pattern is evolutionarily conserved. The Y chromosome serves as a powerful tool for the study of human evolution because it is transferred between males. In this study, based on deep-rooted pedigrees and the latest Y chromosome phylogenetic tree, we performed epigenetic pattern analysis of the Y chromosome from 72 donors. By comparing their respective DNA methylation level, we found that the DNA methylation pattern on the Y chromosome was stable among family members and haplogroups. Interestingly, two haplogroup-specific methylation sites were found, which were both genotype-dependent. Moreover, the African and Asian samples also had similar DNA methylation pattern with a remote divergence time. Our findings indicated that the DNA methylation pattern on the Y chromosome was conservative during human male history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, China Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chuan-Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Caiyun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, China Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hao Meng
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, China Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ikechukwu O. Agbagwa
- Department of Plant Science & Biotechnology, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
| | - Ling-Xiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yingzhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shi Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shancheng Ren
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yinghao Sun
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Gang Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, China Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- * E-mail: (YLS); (HL); (LJ)
| | - Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- * E-mail: (YLS); (HL); (LJ)
| | - Yingli Sun
- Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, China Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- * E-mail: (YLS); (HL); (LJ)
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Dan J, Chen T. Genetic Studies on Mammalian DNA Methyltransferases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 945:123-150. [PMID: 27826837 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-43624-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytosine methylation at the C5-position, generating 5-methylcytosine (5mC), is a DNA modification found in many eukaryotic organisms, including fungi, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, albeit its levels vary greatly in different organisms. In mammals, cytosine methylation occurs predominantly in the context of CpG dinucleotides, with the majority (60-80 %) of CpG sites in their genomes being methylated. DNA methylation plays crucial roles in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression and is essential for mammalian development. Aberrant changes in DNA methylation levels and patterns are associated with various human diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders. DNA methylation is mediated by three active DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts), namely, Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b, in mammals. Over the last two decades, genetic manipulations of these enzymes, as well as their regulators, in mice have greatly contributed to our understanding of the biological functions of DNA methylation in mammals. In this chapter, we discuss genetic studies on mammalian Dnmts, focusing on their roles in embryogenesis, cellular differentiation, genomic imprinting, and X-chromosome inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiameng Dan
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, TX, 78957, USA
- Center for Cancer Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, TX, 78957, USA
| | - Taiping Chen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, TX, 78957, USA.
- Center for Cancer Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, TX, 78957, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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DNA methylation Landscape of body size variation in sheep. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13950. [PMID: 26472088 PMCID: PMC4607979 DOI: 10.1038/srep13950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sub-populations of Chinese Mongolian sheep exhibit significant variance in body mass. In the present study, we sequenced the whole genome DNA methylation in these breeds to detect whether DNA methylation plays a role in determining the body mass of sheep by Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation – sequencing method. A high quality methylation map of Chinese Mongolian sheep was obtained in this study. We identified 399 different methylated regions located in 93 human orthologs, which were previously reported as body size related genes in human genome-wide association studies. We tested three regions in LTBP1, and DNA methylation of two CpG sites showed significant correlation with its RNA expression. Additionally, a particular set of differentially methylated windows enriched in the “development process” (GO: 0032502) was identified as potential candidates for association with body mass variation. Next, we validated small part of these windows in 5 genes; DNA methylation of SMAD1, TSC1 and AKT1 showed significant difference across breeds, and six CpG were significantly correlated with RNA expression. Interestingly, two CpG sites showed significant correlation with TSC1 protein expression. This study provides a thorough understanding of body size variation in sheep from an epigenetic perspective.
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Minkovsky A, Sahakyan A, Bonora G, Damoiseaux R, Dimitrova E, Rubbi L, Pellegrini M, Radu CG, Plath K. A high-throughput screen of inactive X chromosome reactivation identifies the enhancement of DNA demethylation by 5-aza-2'-dC upon inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. Epigenetics Chromatin 2015; 8:42. [PMID: 26468331 PMCID: PMC4604769 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-015-0034-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is important for the maintenance of the silent state of genes on the inactive X chromosome (Xi). Here, we screened for siRNAs and chemicals that reactivate an Xi-linked reporter in the presence of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-2'-dC), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase 1, at a concentration that, on its own, is not sufficient for Xi-reactivation. RESULTS We found that inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) induced expression of the reporter. RNR inhibition potentiated the effect of 5-aza-2'-dC by enhancing its DNA incorporation, thereby decreasing DNA methylation levels genome-wide. Since both 5-aza-2'-dC and RNR-inhibitors are used in the treatment of hematological malignancies, we treated myeloid leukemia cell lines with 5-aza-2'-dC and the RNR-inhibitor hydroxyurea, and observed synergistic inhibition of cell growth and a decrease in genome-wide DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our study identifies a drug combination that enhances DNA demethylation by altering nucleotide metabolism. This demonstrates that Xi-reactivation assays can be used to optimize the epigenetic activity of drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Minkovsky
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, BSRB 390D, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Anna Sahakyan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, BSRB 390D, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Giancarlo Bonora
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, BSRB 390D, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Robert Damoiseaux
- Department of Molecular and Medicinal Chemistry and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Elizabeth Dimitrova
- Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Liudmilla Rubbi
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Caius G Radu
- Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
| | - Kathrin Plath
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, BSRB 390D, Los Angeles, 90095 USA
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Massah S, Beischlag TV, Prefontaine GG. Epigenetic events regulating monoallelic gene expression. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 50:337-58. [PMID: 26155735 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2015.1064350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, generally it is assumed that the genes inherited from each parent are expressed to similar levels. However, it is now apparent that in non-sex chromosomes, 6-10% of genes are selected for monoallelic expression. Monoallelic expression or allelic exclusion is established either in an imprinted (parent-of-origin) or a stochastic manner. The stochastic model explains random selection while the imprinted model describes parent-of-origin specific selection of alleles for expression. Allelic exclusion occurs during X chromosome inactivation, parent-of-origin expression of imprinted genes and stochastic monoallelic expression of cell surface molecules, clustered protocadherin (PCDH) genes. Mis-regulation or loss of allelic exclusion contributes to developmental diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms are fundamental players that determine this type of expression despite a homogenous genetic background. DNA methylation and histone modifications are two mediators of the epigenetic phenomena. The majority of DNA methylation is found on cytosines of the CpG dinucleotide in mammals. Several covalent modifications of histones change the electrostatic forces between DNA and histones modifying gene expression. Long-range chromatin interactions organize chromatin into transcriptionally permissive and prohibitive regions leading to simultaneous regulation of gene expression and repression. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are also players in regulating gene expression. Together, these epigenetic mechanisms fine-tune gene expression levels essential for normal development and survival. In this review, first we discuss what is known about monoallelic gene expression. Then, we focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate expression of three monoallelically expressed gene classes: the X-linked genes, selected imprinted genes and PCDH genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Massah
- a The Faculty of Health Sciences , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , BC , Canada
| | - Timothy V Beischlag
- a The Faculty of Health Sciences , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , BC , Canada
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Dixon-McDougall T, Brown C. The making of a Barr body: the mosaic of factors that eXIST on the mammalian inactive X chromosome. Biochem Cell Biol 2015; 94:56-70. [PMID: 26283003 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2015-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), nearly an entire X chromosome is permanently silenced and converted into a Barr body, providing dosage compensation for eutherians between the sexes. XCI is facilitated by the upregulation of the long non-coding RNA gene, XIST, which coats its chromosome of origin, recruits heterochromatin factors, and silences gene expression. During XCI, at least two distinct types of heterochromatin are established, and in this review we discuss the enrichment of facultative heterochromatin marks such as H3K27me3, H2AK119ub, and macroH2A as well as pericentric heterochromatin marks such as HP1, H3K9me3, and H4K20me3. The extremely stable maintenance of silencing is a product of reinforcing interactions within and between these domains. This paper "Xplores" the current knowledge of the pathways involved in XCI, how the pathways interact, and the gaps in our understanding that need to be filled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dixon-McDougall
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Carolyn Brown
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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40
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Chromatin-Mediated Reversible Silencing of Sense-Antisense Gene Pairs in Embryonic Stem Cells Is Consolidated upon Differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:2436-47. [PMID: 25963662 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00029-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide gene expression studies have indicated that the eukaryotic genome contains many gene pairs showing overlapping sense and antisense transcription. Regulation of these coding and/or noncoding gene pairs involves intricate regulatory mechanisms. In the present study, we utilized an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged reporter plasmid cis linked to a doxycycline-inducible antisense promoter, generating antisense transcription that fully overlaps EGFP, to study the mechanism and dynamics of gene silencing after induction of noncoding antisense transcription in undifferentiated and differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We found that EGFP silencing is reversible in ESCs but is locked into a stable state upon ESC differentiation. Reversible silencing in ESCs is chromatin dependent and is associated with accumulation of trimethylated lysine 36 on histone H3 (H3K36me3) at the EGFP promoter region. In differentiating ESCs, antisense transcription-induced accumulation of H3K36me3 was associated with an increase in CpG methylation at the EGFP promoter. Repression of the sense promoter was affected by small-molecule inhibitors which interfere with DNA methylation and histone demethylation pathways. Our results indicate a general mechanism for silencing of fully overlapping sense-antisense gene pairs involving antisense transcription-induced accumulation of H3K36me3 at the sense promoter, resulting in reversible silencing of the sense partner, which is stabilized during ESC differentiation by CpG methylation.
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41
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Greer EL, Blanco MA, Gu L, Sendinc E, Liu J, Aristizábal-Corrales D, Hsu CH, Aravind L, He C, Shi Y. DNA Methylation on N6-Adenine in C. elegans. Cell 2015; 161:868-78. [PMID: 25936839 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 457] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In mammalian cells, DNA methylation on the fifth position of cytosine (5mC) plays an important role as an epigenetic mark. However, DNA methylation was considered to be absent in C. elegans because of the lack of detectable 5mC, as well as homologs of the cytosine DNA methyltransferases. Here, using multiple approaches, we demonstrate the presence of adenine N(6)-methylation (6mA) in C. elegans DNA. We further demonstrate that this modification increases trans-generationally in a paradigm of epigenetic inheritance. Importantly, we identify a DNA demethylase, NMAD-1, and a potential DNA methyltransferase, DAMT-1, which regulate 6mA levels and crosstalk between methylations of histone H3K4 and adenines and control the epigenetic inheritance of phenotypes associated with the loss of the H3K4me2 demethylase spr-5. Together, these data identify a DNA modification in C. elegans and raise the exciting possibility that 6mA may be a carrier of heritable epigenetic information in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lieberman Greer
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mario Andres Blanco
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lei Gu
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erdem Sendinc
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianzhao Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - David Aristizábal-Corrales
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chih-Hung Hsu
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - L Aravind
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 208943, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yang Shi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Yara S, Lavoie JC, Levy E. Oxidative stress and DNA methylation regulation in the metabolic syndrome. Epigenomics 2015; 7:283-300. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.14.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is implicated in tissue-specific gene expression and genomic imprinting. It is modulated by environmental factors, especially nutrition. Modified DNA methylation patterns may contribute to health problems and susceptibility to complex diseases. Current advances have suggested that the metabolic syndrome (MS) is a programmable disease, which is characterized by epigenetic modifications of vital genes when exposed to oxidative stress. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to critically review the central context of MS while presenting the most recent knowledge related to epigenetic alterations that are promoted by oxidative stress. Potential pro-oxidant mechanisms that orchestrate changes in methylation profiling and are related to obesity, diabetes and hypertension are discussed. It is anticipated that the identification and understanding of the role of DNA methylation marks could be used to uncover early predictors and define drugs or diet-related treatments able to delay or reverse epigenetic changes, thereby combating MS burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Yara
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Centre, Université de Montréal, CHU-Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3T 1C5
| | - Jean-Claude Lavoie
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Centre, Université de Montréal, CHU-Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3T 1C5
- Departments of Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1C5
| | - Emile Levy
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Centre, Université de Montréal, CHU-Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3T 1C5
- Departments of Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1C5
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Richard JLC, Ogawa Y. Understanding the Complex Circuitry of lncRNAs at the X-inactivation Center and Its Implications in Disease Conditions. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2015; 394:1-27. [PMID: 25982976 DOI: 10.1007/82_2015_443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Balanced gene expression is a high priority in order to maintain optimal functioning since alterations and variations could result in acute consequences. X chromosome inactivation (X-inactivation) is one such strategy utilized by mammalian species to silence the extra X chromosome in females to uphold a similar level of expression between the two sexes. A functionally versatile class of molecules called long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as key regulators of gene expression and plays important roles during development. An lncRNA that is indispensable for X-inactivation is X-inactive specific transcript (Xist), which induces a repressive epigenetic landscape and creates the inactive X chromosome (Xi). With recent advents in the field of X-inactivation, novel positive and negative lncRNA regulators of Xist such as Jpx and Tsix, respectively, have broadened the regulatory network of X-inactivation. Xist expression failure or dysregulation has been implicated in producing developmental anomalies and disease states. Subsequently, reactivation of the Xi at a later stage of development has also been associated with certain tumors. With the recent influx of information about lncRNA biology and advancements in methods to probe lncRNA, we can now attempt to understand this complex network of Xist regulation in development and disease. It has become clear that the presence of an extra set of genes could be fatal for the organism. Only by understanding the precise ways in which lncRNAs function can treatments be developed to bring aberrations under control. This chapter summarizes our current understanding and knowledge with regard to how lncRNAs are orchestrated at the X-inactivation center (Xic), with a special focus on how genetic diseases come about as a consequence of lncRNA dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Lalith Charles Richard
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yuya Ogawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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Mao J, Zhao MT, Whitworth KM, Spate LD, Walters EM, O'Gorman C, Lee K, Samuel MS, Murphy CN, Wells K, Rivera RM, Prather RS. Oxamflatin treatment enhances cloned porcine embryo development and nuclear reprogramming. Cell Reprogram 2014; 17:28-40. [PMID: 25548976 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2014.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Faulty epigenetic reprogramming of somatic nuclei is thought to be the main reason for low cloning efficiency by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), such as Scriptaid, improve developmental competence of SCNT embryos in several species. Another HDACi, Oxamflatin, is about 100 times more potent than Scriptaid in the ability to inhibit nuclear-specific HDACs. The present study determined the effects of Oxamflatin treatment on embryo development, DNA methylation, and gene expression. Oxamflatin treatment enhanced blastocyst formation of SCNT embryos in vitro. Embryo transfer produced more pigs born and fewer mummies from the Oxamflatin-treated group compared to the Scriptaid-treated positive control. Oxamflatin also decreased DNA methylation of POU5F1 regulatory elements and centromeric repeat elements in day-7 blastocysts. When compared to in vitro-fertilized (IVF) embryos, the methylation status of POU5F1, NANOG, and centromeric repeat was similar in the cloned embryos, indicating these genes were successfully reprogrammed. However, compared to the lack of methylation of XIST in day-7 IVF embryos, a higher methylation level in day-7 cloned embryos was observed, implying that X chromosomes were activated in day-7 IVF blastocysts, but were not fully activated in cloned embryos, i.e., reprogramming of XIST was delayed. A time-course analysis of XIST DNA methylation on day-13, -15, -17, and -19 in vivo embryos revealed that XIST methylation initiated at about day 13 and was not completed by day 19. The methylation of the XIST gene in day-19 control cloned embryos was delayed again when compared to in vivo embryos. However, methylation of XIST in Oxamflatin-treated embryos was comparable with in vivo embryos, which further demonstrated that Oxamflatin could accelerate the delayed reprogramming of XIST gene and thus might improve cloning efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiude Mao
- 1 National Swine Resource and Research Center, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO, 65211
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Murao N, Matsuda T, Noguchi H, Koseki H, Namihira M, Nakashima K. Characterization of Np95 expression in mouse brain from embryo to adult: A novel marker for proliferating neural stem/precursor cells. NEUROGENESIS 2014; 1:e976026. [PMID: 27504471 PMCID: PMC4973607 DOI: 10.4161/23262133.2014.976026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear protein 95 KDa (Np95, also known as UHRF1 or ICBP90) plays an important role in maintaining DNA methylation of newly synthesized DNA strands by recruiting DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) during cell division. In addition, Np95 participates in chromatin remodeling by interacting with histone modification enzymes such as histone deacetylases. However, its expression pattern and function in the brain have not been analyzed extensively. We here investigated the expression pattern of Np95 in the mouse brain, from developmental to adult stages. In the fetal brain, Np95 is abundantly expressed at the midgestational stage, when a large number of neural stem/precursor cells (NS/PCs) exist. Interestingly, Np95 is expressed specifically in NS/PCs but not in differentiated cells such as neurons or glial cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Np95 is preferentially expressed in type 2a cells, which are highly proliferative NS/PCs in the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus. Moreover, the number of Np95-expressing cells increases in response to kainic acid administration or to voluntary running, which are known to enhance the proliferation of adult NS/PCs. These results suggest that Np95 participates in the process of proliferation and differentiation of NS/PCs, and that it should be a useful novel marker for proliferating NS/PCs, facilitating the analysis of the complex behavior of NS/PCs in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Murao
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka, Japan; Laboratory of Gene Regulation Research; Graduate School of Biological Sciences; Nara Institute of Science and Technology; Nara, Japan
| | - Taito Matsuda
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University ; Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Noguchi
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka, Japan; Laboratory of Gene Regulation Research; Graduate School of Biological Sciences; Nara Institute of Science and Technology; Nara, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Developmental Genetics; RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology ; Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masakazu Namihira
- Molecular Neurophysiology Research Group; Biomedical Research Institute; National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology ; Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kinichi Nakashima
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University ; Fukuoka, Japan
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46
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Zhang B, Xing X, Li J, Lowdon RF, Zhou Y, Lin N, Zhang B, Sundaram V, Chiappinelli KB, Hagemann IS, Mutch DG, Goodfellow PJ, Wang T. Comparative DNA methylome analysis of endometrial carcinoma reveals complex and distinct deregulation of cancer promoters and enhancers. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:868. [PMID: 25286960 PMCID: PMC4198682 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant DNA methylation is a hallmark of many cancers. Classically there are two types of endometrial cancer, endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC), or Type I, and uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC), or Type II. However, the whole genome DNA methylation changes in these two classical types of endometrial cancer is still unknown. RESULTS Here we described complete genome-wide DNA methylome maps of EAC, UPSC, and normal endometrium by applying a combined strategy of methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq) and methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion sequencing (MRE-seq). We discovered distinct genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in EAC and UPSC: 27,009 and 15,676 recurrent differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified respectively, compared with normal endometrium. Over 80% of DMRs were in intergenic and intronic regions. The majority of these DMRs were not interrogated on the commonly used Infinium 450K array platform. Large-scale demethylation of chromosome X was detected in UPSC, accompanied by decreased XIST expression. Importantly, we discovered that the majority of the DMRs harbored promoter or enhancer functions and are specifically associated with genes related to uterine development and disease. Among these, abnormal methylation of transposable elements (TEs) may provide a novel mechanism to deregulate normal endometrium-specific enhancers derived from specific TEs. CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation changes are an important signature of endometrial cancer and regulate gene expression by affecting not only proximal promoters but also distal enhancers.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
- Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
- Carcinoma, Papillary/genetics
- Carcinoma, Papillary/metabolism
- Chromosomes, Human, X
- CpG Islands
- DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics
- DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/metabolism
- DNA Methylation
- DNA Transposable Elements/genetics
- Endometrial Neoplasms/genetics
- Endometrial Neoplasms/physiopathology
- Enhancer Elements, Genetic/genetics
- Female
- Humans
- Kruppel-Like Factor 4
- Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics
- MutL Protein Homolog 1
- Nuclear Proteins/genetics
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
- RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics
- Retinal Dehydrogenase/genetics
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Uterine Neoplasms/genetics
- Uterine Neoplasms/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - XiaoYun Xing
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Jing Li
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
- />Shanghai International Joint Cancer Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433 P. R. China
| | - Rebecca F Lowdon
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- />Key Laboratory for Applied Statistics of MOE, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130024 P. R. China
| | - Nan Lin
- />Department of Mathematics and Division of Biostatistics, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Baoxue Zhang
- />Key Laboratory for Applied Statistics of MOE, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130024 P. R. China
| | - Vasavi Sundaram
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Katherine B Chiappinelli
- />Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231 USA
| | - Ian S Hagemann
- />Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - David G Mutch
- />Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63124 USA
| | - Paul J Goodfellow
- />The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Ting Wang
- />Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
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Dubois A, Deuve JL, Navarro P, Merzouk S, Pichard S, Commere PH, Louise A, Arnaud D, Avner P, Morey C. Spontaneous reactivation of clusters of X-linked genes is associated with the plasticity of X-inactivation in mouse trophoblast stem cells. Stem Cells 2014; 32:377-90. [PMID: 24115267 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Random epigenetic silencing of the X-chromosome in somatic tissues of female mammals equalizes the dosage of X-linked genes between the sexes. Unlike this form of X-inactivation that is essentially irreversible, the imprinted inactivation of the paternal X, which characterizes mouse extra-embryonic tissues, appears highly unstable in the trophoblast giant cells of the placenta. Here, we wished to determine whether such instability is already present in placental progenitor cells prior to differentiation toward lineage-specific cell types. To this end, we analyzed the behavior of a GFP transgene on the paternal X both in vivo and in trophoblast stem (TS) cells derived from the trophectoderm of XX(GFP) blastocysts. Using single-cell studies, we show that not only the GFP transgene but also a large number of endogenous genes on the paternal X are subject to orchestrated cycles of reactivation/de novo inactivation in placental progenitor cells. This reversal of silencing is associated with local losses of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation extending over several adjacent genes and with the topological relocation of the hypomethylated loci outside of the nuclear compartment of the inactive X. The "reactivated" state is maintained through several cell divisions. Our study suggests that this type of "metastable epigenetic" states may underlie the plasticity of TS cells and predispose specific genes to relaxed regulation in specific subtypes of placental cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Dubois
- Unité de Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, Paris Cedex 15, France; Epigenetics of Stem Cells, Institut Pasteur, Paris Cedex 15, France
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48
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Genetic and pharmacological reactivation of the mammalian inactive X chromosome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:12591-8. [PMID: 25136103 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413620111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), the random transcriptional silencing of one X chromosome in somatic cells of female mammals, is a mechanism that ensures equal expression of X-linked genes in both sexes. XCI is initiated in cis by the noncoding Xist RNA, which coats the inactive X chromosome (Xi) from which it is produced. However, trans-acting factors that mediate XCI remain largely unknown. Here, we perform a large-scale RNA interference screen to identify trans-acting XCI factors (XCIFs) that comprise regulators of cell signaling and transcription, including the DNA methyltransferase, DNMT1. The expression pattern of the XCIFs explains the selective onset of XCI following differentiation. The XCIFs function, at least in part, by promoting expression and/or localization of Xist to the Xi. Surprisingly, we find that DNMT1, which is generally a transcriptional repressor, is an activator of Xist transcription. Small-molecule inhibitors of two of the XCIFs can reversibly reactivate the Xi, which has implications for treatment of Rett syndrome and other dominant X-linked diseases. A homozygous mouse knockout of one of the XCIFs, stanniocalcin 1 (STC1), has an expected XCI defect but surprisingly is phenotypically normal. Remarkably, X-linked genes are not overexpressed in female Stc1(-/-) mice, revealing the existence of a mechanism(s) that can compensate for a persistent XCI deficiency to regulate X-linked gene expression.
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49
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Merzouk S, Deuve JL, Dubois A, Navarro P, Avner P, Morey C. Lineage-specific regulation of imprinted X inactivation in extraembryonic endoderm stem cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2014; 7:11. [PMID: 25053977 PMCID: PMC4105886 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-7-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Silencing of the paternal X chromosome (Xp), a phenomenon known as imprinted X-chromosome inactivation (I-XCI), characterises, amongst mouse extraembryonic lineages, the primitive endoderm and the extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cells derived from it. Results Using a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation characterisation of histone modifications and single-cell expression studies, we show that whilst the Xp in XEN cells, like the inactive X chromosome in other cell types, globally accumulates the repressive histone mark H3K27me3, a large number of Xp genes locally lack H3K27me3 and escape from I-XCI. In most cases this escape is specific to the XEN cell lineage. Importantly, the degree of escape and the genes concerned remain unchanged upon XEN conversion into visceral endoderm, suggesting stringent control of I-XCI in XEN derivatives. Surprisingly, chemical inhibition of EZH2, a member of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and subsequent loss of H3K27me3 on the Xp, do not drastically perturb the pattern of silencing of Xp genes in XEN cells. Conclusions The observations that we report here suggest that the maintenance of gene expression profiles of the inactive Xp in XEN cells involves a tissue-specific mechanism that acts partly independently of PRC2 catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarra Merzouk
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Pasteur Cell, Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jane Lynda Deuve
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), UMR7622, Institute of Biology of Paris-Seine (IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Agnès Dubois
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory', Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Pablo Navarro
- Present address: Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory', Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Philip Avner
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Dynamics of Epigenetic Regulation, EMBL Monterotondo, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Céline Morey
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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50
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Chaligné R, Heard E. X-chromosome inactivation in development and cancer. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:2514-22. [PMID: 24937141 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation represents an epigenetics paradigm and a powerful model system of facultative heterochromatin formation triggered by a non-coding RNA, Xist, during development. Once established, the inactive state of the Xi is highly stable in somatic cells, thanks to a combination of chromatin associated proteins, DNA methylation and nuclear organization. However, sporadic reactivation of X-linked genes has been reported during ageing and in transformed cells and disappearance of the Barr body is frequently observed in cancer cells. In this review we summarise current knowledge on the epigenetic changes that accompany X inactivation and discuss the extent to which the inactive X chromosome may be epigenetically or genetically perturbed in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Chaligné
- Mammalian Developmental Epigenetics Group, Genetics and Developmental Biology Unit, Institut Curie, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, 75248 Paris, France
| | - Edith Heard
- Mammalian Developmental Epigenetics Group, Genetics and Developmental Biology Unit, Institut Curie, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, 75248 Paris, France.
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