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Chang LH, Noordermeer D. Permeable TAD boundaries and their impact on genome-associated functions. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2400137. [PMID: 39093600 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
TAD boundaries are genomic elements that separate biological processes in neighboring domains by blocking DNA loops that are formed through Cohesin-mediated loop extrusion. Most TAD boundaries consist of arrays of binding sites for the CTCF protein, whose interaction with the Cohesin complex blocks loop extrusion. TAD boundaries are not fully impermeable though and allow a limited amount of inter-TAD loop formation. Based on the reanalysis of Nano-C data, a multicontact Chromosome Conformation Capture assay, we propose a model whereby clustered CTCF binding sites promote the successive stalling of Cohesin and subsequent dissociation from the chromatin. A fraction of Cohesin nonetheless achieves boundary read-through. Due to a constant rate of Cohesin dissociation elsewhere in the genome, the maximum length of inter-TAD loops is restricted though. We speculate that the DNA-encoded organization of stalling sites regulates TAD boundary permeability and discuss implications for enhancer-promoter loop formation and other genomic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hsin Chang
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Precision Cellular Therapeutics, National Institute of Health Research, Oxford, UK
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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2
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Tsang F, Stolper R, Hanifi M, Cornell L, Francis H, Davies B, Higgs D, Kassouf M. The characteristics of CTCF binding sequences contribute to enhancer blocking activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:10180-10193. [PMID: 39106157 PMCID: PMC11417384 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
While the elements encoding enhancers and promoters have been relatively well studied, the full spectrum of insulator elements which bind the CCCTC binding factor (CTCF), is relatively poorly characterized. This is partly due to the genomic context of CTCF sites greatly influencing their roles and activity. Here we have developed an experimental system to determine the ability of minimal, consistently sized, individual CTCF elements to interpose between enhancers and promoters and thereby reduce gene expression during differentiation. Importantly, each element is tested in the identical location thereby minimising the effect of genomic context. We found no correlation between the ability of CTCF elements to block enhancer-promoter activity with the degree of evolutionary conservation; their resemblance to the consensus core sequences; or the number of CTCF core motifs harboured in the element. Nevertheless, we have shown that the strongest enhancer-promoter blockers include a previously described bound element lying upstream of the CTCF core motif. In addition, we found other uncharacterised DNaseI footprints located close to the core motif that may affect function. We have developed an assay of CTCF sequences which will enable researchers to sub-classify individual CTCF elements in a uniform and unbiased way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felice H Tsang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Rosa J Stolper
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Muhammad Hanifi
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Lucy J Cornell
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Helena S Francis
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Mira T Kassouf
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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3
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Du AY, Chobirko JD, Zhuo X, Feschotte C, Wang T. Regulatory transposable elements in the encyclopedia of DNA elements. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7594. [PMID: 39217141 PMCID: PMC11366022 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51921-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise ~50% of our genome, but knowledge of how TEs affect genome evolution remains incomplete. Leveraging ENCODE4 data, we provide the most comprehensive study to date of TE contributions to the regulatory genome. We find 236,181 (~25%) human candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) are TE-derived, with over 90% lineage-specific since the human-mouse split, accounting for 8-36% of lineage-specific cCREs. Except for SINEs, cCRE-associated transcription factor (TF) motifs in TEs are derived from ancestral TE sequence more than expected by chance. We show that TEs may adopt similar regulatory activities of elements near their integration site. Since human-mouse divergence, TEs have contributed 3-56% of TF binding site turnover events across 30 examined TFs. Finally, TE-derived cCREs are similar to non-TE cCREs in terms of MPRA activity and GWAS variant enrichment. Overall, our results substantiate the notion that TEs have played an important role in shaping the human regulatory genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Y Du
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jason D Chobirko
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Zhuo
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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4
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Battaglia C, Michieletto D. Loops are geometric catalysts for DNA integration. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8184-8192. [PMID: 38864388 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The insertion of DNA elements within genomes underpins both genetic diversity and disease when unregulated. Most of DNA insertions are not random and the physical mechanisms underlying the integration site selection are poorly understood. Here, we perform Molecular Dynamics simulations to study the insertion of DNA elements, such as viral DNA or transposons, into naked DNA or chromatin substrates. More specifically, we explore the role of loops within the polymeric substrate and discover that they act as 'geometric catalysts' for DNA integration by reducing the energy barrier for substrate deformation. Additionally, we discover that the 1D pattern and 3D conformation of loops have a marked effect on the distribution of integration sites. Finally, we show that loops may compete with nucleosomes to attract DNA integrations. These results may be tested in vitro and they may help to understand patterns of DNA insertions with implications in genome evolution and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleis Battaglia
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
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5
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Morrissey A, Shi J, James DQ, Mahony S. Accurate allocation of multimapped reads enables regulatory element analysis at repeats. Genome Res 2024; 34:937-951. [PMID: 38986578 PMCID: PMC11293539 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278638.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) and other repetitive regions have been shown to contain gene regulatory elements, including transcription factor binding sites. However, regulatory elements harbored by repeats have proven difficult to characterize using short-read sequencing assays such as ChIP-seq or ATAC-seq. Most regulatory genomics analysis pipelines discard "multimapped" reads that align equally well to multiple genomic locations. Because multimapped reads arise predominantly from repeats, current analysis pipelines fail to detect a substantial portion of regulatory events that occur in repetitive regions. To address this shortcoming, we developed Allo, a new approach to allocate multimapped reads in an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly manner. Allo combines probabilistic mapping of multimapped reads with a convolutional neural network that recognizes the read distribution features of potential peaks, offering enhanced accuracy in multimapping read assignment. Allo also provides read-level output in the form of a corrected alignment file, making it compatible with existing regulatory genomics analysis pipelines and downstream peak-finders. In a demonstration application on CTCF ChIP-seq data, we show that Allo results in the discovery of thousands of new CTCF peaks. Many of these peaks contain the expected cognate motif and/or serve as TAD boundaries. We additionally apply Allo to a diverse collection of ENCODE ChIP-seq data sets, resulting in multiple previously unidentified interactions between transcription factors and repetitive element families. Finally, we show that Allo may be particularly beneficial in identifying ChIP-seq peaks at centromeres, near segmentally duplicated genes, and in younger TEs, enabling new regulatory analyses in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Morrissey
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Jeffrey Shi
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Daniela Q James
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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6
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Hu S, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Bai J, Xu C. A continuum of zinc finger transcription factor retention on native chromatin underlies dynamic genome organization. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:799-824. [PMID: 38745107 PMCID: PMC11220090 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00038-5] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor (TF) residence on chromatin translates into quantitative transcriptional or structural outcomes on genome. Commonly used formaldehyde crosslinking fixes TF-DNA interactions cumulatively and compromises the measured occupancy level. Here we mapped the occupancy level of global or individual zinc finger TFs like CTCF and MAZ, in the form of highly resolved footprints, on native chromatin. By incorporating reinforcing perturbation conditions, we established S-score, a quantitative metric to proxy the continuum of CTCF or MAZ retention across different motifs on native chromatin. The native chromatin-retained CTCF sites harbor sequence features within CTCF motifs better explained by S-score than the metrics obtained from other crosslinking or native assays. CTCF retention on native chromatin correlates with local SUMOylation level, and anti-correlates with transcriptional activity. The S-score successfully delineates the otherwise-masked differential stability of chromatin structures mediated by CTCF, or by MAZ independent of CTCF. Overall, our study established a paradigm continuum of TF retention across binding sites on native chromatin, explaining the dynamic genome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siling Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangying Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qifan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenhuan Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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7
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Rosales Larios MF, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. Genome Biol 2024; 25:156. [PMID: 38872220 PMCID: PMC11170920 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. CpG islands (CGIs) have recently been shown to influence enhancer activity, and here we test how their turnover across species contributes to enhancer evolution. RESULTS We integrate maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and find that CGI content in enhancers is strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs show widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs are strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs show concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily V Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Zoetis, Inc, 333 Portage St, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Genome Biology and Epigenetics, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - James P Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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8
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Rimoldi M, Wang N, Zhang J, Villar D, Odom DT, Taipale J, Flicek P, Roller M. DNA methylation patterns of transcription factor binding regions characterize their functional and evolutionary contexts. Genome Biol 2024; 25:146. [PMID: 38844976 PMCID: PMC11155190 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification which has numerous roles in modulating genome function. Its levels are spatially correlated across the genome, typically high in repressed regions but low in transcription factor (TF) binding sites and active regulatory regions. However, the mechanisms establishing genome-wide and TF binding site methylation patterns are still unclear. RESULTS Here we use a comparative approach to investigate the association of DNA methylation to TF binding evolution in mammals. Specifically, we experimentally profile DNA methylation and combine this with published occupancy profiles of five distinct TFs (CTCF, CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, FOXA1) in the liver of five mammalian species (human, macaque, mouse, rat, dog). TF binding sites are lowly methylated, but they often also have intermediate methylation levels. Furthermore, biding sites are influenced by the methylation status of CpGs in their wider binding regions even when CpGs are absent from the core binding motif. Employing a classification and clustering approach, we extract distinct and species-conserved patterns of DNA methylation levels at TF binding regions. CEBPA, HNF4A, ONECUT1, and FOXA1 share the same methylation patterns, while CTCF's differ. These patterns characterize alternative functions and chromatin landscapes of TF-bound regions. Leveraging our phylogenetic framework, we find DNA methylation gain upon evolutionary loss of TF occupancy, indicating coordinated evolution. Furthermore, each methylation pattern has its own evolutionary trajectory reflecting its genomic contexts. CONCLUSIONS Our epigenomic analyses indicate a role for DNA methylation in TF binding changes across species including that specific DNA methylation profiles characterize TF binding and are associated with their regulatory activity, chromatin contexts, and evolutionary trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Rimoldi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Jilin Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
| | - Diego Villar
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present Address Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Duncan T Odom
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Robinson Way, Cambridge, 0RE, CB2, UK
- Present address Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Functional Genomics and Systems Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE, 141 83, Sweden
- Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Paul Flicek
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Maša Roller
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK.
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Iurlaro M, Masoni F, Flyamer IM, Wirbelauer C, Iskar M, Burger L, Giorgetti L, Schübeler D. Systematic assessment of ISWI subunits shows that NURF creates local accessibility for CTCF. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1203-1212. [PMID: 38816647 PMCID: PMC11176080 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01767-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Catalytic activity of the imitation switch (ISWI) family of remodelers is critical for nucleosomal organization and DNA binding of certain transcription factors, including the insulator protein CTCF. Here we define the contribution of individual subcomplexes by deriving a panel of isogenic mouse stem cell lines, each lacking one of six ISWI accessory subunits. Individual deletions of subunits of either CERF, RSF, ACF, WICH or NoRC subcomplexes only moderately affect the chromatin landscape, while removal of the NURF-specific subunit BPTF leads to a strong reduction in chromatin accessibility and SNF2H ATPase localization around CTCF sites. This affects adjacent nucleosome occupancy and CTCF binding. At a group of sites with reduced chromatin accessibility, CTCF binding persists but cohesin occupancy is reduced, resulting in decreased insulation. These results suggest that CTCF binding can be separated from its function as an insulator in nuclear organization and identify a specific role for NURF in mediating SNF2H localization and chromatin opening at bound CTCF sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Iurlaro
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Disease Area Oncology, Novartis Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Masoni
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ilya M Flyamer
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Murat Iskar
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Burger
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Luca Giorgetti
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Schübeler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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10
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Lee KH, Kim J, Kim JH. 3D epigenomics and 3D epigenopathies. BMB Rep 2024; 57:216-231. [PMID: 38627948 PMCID: PMC11139681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes are intricately compacted to form sophisticated 3-dimensional structures within the tiny nucleus, so called 3D genome folding. Despite their shapes reminiscent of an entangled yarn, the rapid development of molecular and next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) has revealed that mammalian genomes are highly organized in a hierarchical order that delicately affects transcription activities. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that 3D genome folding is implicated in diseases, giving us a clue on how to identify novel therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will study what 3D genome folding means in epigenetics, what types of 3D genome structures there are, how they are formed, and how the technologies have developed to explore them. We will also discuss the pathological implications of 3D genome folding. Finally, we will discuss how to leverage 3D genome folding and engineering for future studies. [BMB Reports 2024; 57(5): 216-231].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Hwan Lee
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jungyu Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ji Hun Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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11
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Raimer Young HM, Hou PC, Bartosik AR, Atkin ND, Wang L, Wang Z, Ratan A, Zang C, Wang YH. DNA fragility at topologically associated domain boundaries is promoted by alternative DNA secondary structure and topoisomerase II activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3837-3855. [PMID: 38452213 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites are hotspots of genome instability. Although many factors have been associated with CTCF binding site fragility, no study has integrated all fragility-related factors to understand the mechanism(s) of how they work together. Using an unbiased, genome-wide approach, we found that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are enriched at strong, but not weak, CTCF binding sites in five human cell types. Energetically favorable alternative DNA secondary structures underlie strong CTCF binding sites. These structures coincided with the location of topoisomerase II (TOP2) cleavage complex, suggesting that DNA secondary structure acts as a recognition sequence for TOP2 binding and cleavage at CTCF binding sites. Furthermore, CTCF knockdown significantly increased DSBs at strong CTCF binding sites and at CTCF sites that are located at topologically associated domain (TAD) boundaries. TAD boundary-associated CTCF sites that lost CTCF upon knockdown displayed increased DSBs when compared to the gained sites, and those lost sites are overrepresented with G-quadruplexes, suggesting that the structures act as boundary insulators in the absence of CTCF, and contribute to increased DSBs. These results model how alternative DNA secondary structures facilitate recruitment of TOP2 to CTCF binding sites, providing mechanistic insight into DNA fragility at CTCF binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Raimer Young
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Pei-Chi Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Anna R Bartosik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Naomi D Atkin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Lixin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Zhenjia Wang
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
| | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Chongzhi Zang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Yuh-Hwa Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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12
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Oomen ME, Torres-Padilla ME. Jump-starting life: balancing transposable element co-option and genome integrity in the developing mammalian embryo. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1721-1733. [PMID: 38528171 PMCID: PMC11015026 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00118-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Remnants of transposable elements (TEs) are widely expressed throughout mammalian embryo development. Originally infesting our genomes as selfish elements and acting as a source of genome instability, several of these elements have been co-opted as part of a complex system of genome regulation. Many TEs have lost transposition ability and their transcriptional potential has been tampered as a result of interactions with the host throughout evolutionary time. It has been proposed that TEs have been ultimately repurposed to function as gene regulatory hubs scattered throughout our genomes. In the early embryo in particular, TEs find a perfect environment of naïve chromatin to escape transcriptional repression by the host. As a consequence, it is thought that hosts found ways to co-opt TE sequences to regulate large-scale changes in chromatin and transcription state of their genomes. In this review, we discuss several examples of TEs expressed during embryo development, their potential for co-option in genome regulation and the evolutionary pressures on TEs and on our genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlies E Oomen
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, München, Germany.
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13
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Lee M, Ahmad SF, Xu J. Regulation and function of transposable elements in cancer genomes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:157. [PMID: 38556602 PMCID: PMC10982106 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05195-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Over half of human genomic DNA is composed of repetitive sequences generated throughout evolution by prolific mobile genetic parasites called transposable elements (TEs). Long disregarded as "junk" or "selfish" DNA, TEs are increasingly recognized as formative elements in genome evolution, wired intimately into the structure and function of the human genome. Advances in sequencing technologies and computational methods have ushered in an era of unprecedented insight into how TE activity impacts human biology in health and disease. Here we discuss the current views on how TEs have shaped the regulatory landscape of the human genome, how TE activity is implicated in human cancers, and how recent findings motivate novel strategies to leverage TE activity for improved cancer therapy. Given the crucial role of methodological advances in TE biology, we pair our conceptual discussions with an in-depth review of the inherent technical challenges in studying repeats, specifically related to structural variation, expression analyses, and chromatin regulation. Lastly, we provide a catalog of existing and emerging assays and bioinformatic software that altogether are enabling the most sophisticated and comprehensive investigations yet into the regulation and function of interspersed repeats in cancer genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place - MS 345, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Pathology, Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place - MS 345, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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14
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Wang W, Gao R, Yang D, Ma M, Zang R, Wang X, Chen C, Kou X, Zhao Y, Chen J, Liu X, Lu J, Xu B, Liu J, Huang Y, Chen C, Wang H, Gao S, Zhang Y, Gao Y. ADNP modulates SINE B2-derived CTCF-binding sites during blastocyst formation in mice. Genes Dev 2024; 38:168-188. [PMID: 38479840 PMCID: PMC10982698 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351189.123] [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: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
CTCF is crucial for chromatin structure and transcription regulation in early embryonic development. However, the kinetics of CTCF chromatin occupation in preimplantation embryos have remained unclear. In this study, we used CUT&RUN technology to investigate CTCF occupancy in mouse preimplantation development. Our findings revealed that CTCF begins binding to the genome prior to zygotic genome activation (ZGA), with a preference for CTCF-anchored chromatin loops. Although the majority of CTCF occupancy is consistently maintained, we identified a specific set of binding sites enriched in the mouse-specific short interspersed element (SINE) family B2 that are restricted to the cleavage stages. Notably, we discovered that the neuroprotective protein ADNP counteracts the stable association of CTCF at SINE B2-derived CTCF-binding sites. Knockout of Adnp in the zygote led to impaired CTCF binding signal recovery, failed deposition of H3K9me3, and transcriptional derepression of SINE B2 during the morula-to-blastocyst transition, which further led to unfaithful cell differentiation in embryos around implantation. Our analysis highlights an ADNP-dependent restriction of CTCF binding during cell differentiation in preimplantation embryos. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the functional importance of transposable elements (TEs) in promoting genetic innovation and actively shaping the early embryo developmental process specific to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Rui Gao
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Dongxu Yang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Mingli Ma
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ruge Zang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiangxiu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Modern Life Science Experiment Teaching Center at Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Chuan Chen
- Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Xiaochen Kou
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanhong Zhao
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jiayu Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Xuelian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiaxu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ben Xu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Juntao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanxin Huang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chaoqun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shaorong Gao
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yawei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai 200120, China
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15
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Pathak RU, Phanindhar K, Mishra RK. Transposable elements as scaffold/matrix attachment regions: shaping organization and functions in genomes. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1326933. [PMID: 38455359 PMCID: PMC10918478 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1326933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The hierarchical structure of eukaryotic genomes has regulatory layers, one of them being epigenetic "indexing" of the genome that leads to cell-type-specific patterns of gene expression. By establishing loops and defining chromatin domains, cells can achieve coordinated control over multi-locus segments of the genome. This is thought to be achieved using scaffold/matrix attachment regions (S/MARs) that establish structural and functional loops and topologically associating domains (TADs) that define a self-interacting region of the genome. Large-scale genome-wide mapping of S/MARs has begun to uncover these aspects of genome organization. A recent genome-wide study showed the association of transposable elements (TEs) with a significant fraction of S/MARs, suggesting that the multitude of TE-derived repeats constitute a class of anchorage sites of chromatin loops to nuclear architecture. In this study, we provide an insight that TE-driven dispersal of S/MARs has the potential to restructure the chromosomes by creating novel loops and domains. The combination of TEs and S/MARs, as elements that can hop through the genome along with regulatory capabilities, may provide an active mechanism of genome evolution leading to the emergence of novel features in biological systems. The significance is that a genome-wide study mapping developmental S/MARs reveals an intriguing link between these elements and TEs. This article highlights the potential of the TE-S/MAR combination to drive evolution by restructuring and shaping the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rakesh K. Mishra
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, Bengaluru, India
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16
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Packiaraj J, Thakur J. DNA satellite and chromatin organization at mouse centromeres and pericentromeres. Genome Biol 2024; 25:52. [PMID: 38378611 PMCID: PMC10880262 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03184-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Centromeres are essential for faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. However, the organization of satellite DNA and chromatin at mouse centromeres and pericentromeres is poorly understood due to the challenges of assembling repetitive genomic regions. RESULTS Using recently available PacBio long-read sequencing data from the C57BL/6 strain, we find that contrary to the previous reports of their homogeneous nature, both centromeric minor satellites and pericentromeric major satellites exhibit a high degree of variation in sequence and organization within and between arrays. While most arrays are continuous, a significant fraction is interspersed with non-satellite sequences, including transposable elements. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), we find that the occupancy of CENP-A and H3K9me3 chromatin at centromeric and pericentric regions, respectively, is associated with increased sequence enrichment and homogeneity at these regions. The transposable elements at centromeric regions are not part of functional centromeres as they lack significant CENP-A enrichment. Furthermore, both CENP-A and H3K9me3 nucleosomes occupy minor and major satellites spanning centromeric-pericentric junctions and a low yet significant amount of CENP-A spreads locally at centromere junctions on both pericentric and telocentric sides. Finally, while H3K9me3 nucleosomes display a well-phased organization on major satellite arrays, CENP-A nucleosomes on minor satellite arrays are poorly phased. Interestingly, the homogeneous class of major satellites also phase CENP-A and H3K27me3 nucleosomes, indicating that the nucleosome phasing is an inherent property of homogeneous major satellites. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that mouse centromeres and pericentromeres display a high diversity in satellite sequence, organization, and chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenika Packiaraj
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jitendra Thakur
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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17
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Kawase M, Ichiyanagi K. Mouse retrotransposons: sequence structure, evolutionary age, genomic distribution and function. Genes Genet Syst 2024; 98:337-351. [PMID: 37989301 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.23-00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are transposable elements that are transposed via transcription and reverse transcription. Their copies have accumulated in the genome of mammals, occupying approximately 40% of mammalian genomic mass. These copies are often involved in numerous phenomena, such as chromatin spatial organization, gene expression, development and disease, and have been recognized as a driving force in evolution. Different organisms have gained specific retrotransposon subfamilies and retrotransposed copies, such as hundreds of Mus-specific subfamilies with diverse sequences and genomic locations. Despite this complexity, basic information is still necessary for present-day genomic and epigenomic studies. Herein, we describe the characteristics of each subfamily of Mus-specific retrotransposons in terms of sequence structure, phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary age, and preference for A or B compartments of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kawase
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University
| | - Kenji Ichiyanagi
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University
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18
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Liang Y, Qu X, Shah NM, Wang T. Towards targeting transposable elements for cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:123-140. [PMID: 38228901 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00653-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) represent almost half of the human genome. Historically deemed 'junk DNA', recent technological advancements have stimulated a wave of research into the functional impact of TEs on gene-regulatory networks in evolution and development, as well as in diseases including cancer. The genetic and epigenetic evolution of cancer involves the exploitation of TEs, whereby TEs contribute directly to cancer-specific gene activities. This Review provides a perspective on the role of TEs in cancer as being a 'double-edged sword', both promoting cancer evolution and representing a vulnerability that could be exploited in cancer therapy. We discuss how TEs affect transcriptome regulation and other cellular processes in cancer. We highlight the potential of TEs as therapeutic targets for cancer. We also summarize technical hurdles in the characterization of TEs with genomic assays. Last, we outline open questions and exciting future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghao Liang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xuan Qu
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nakul M Shah
- Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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19
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Zhang M, Huang H, Li J, Wu Q. ZNF143 deletion alters enhancer/promoter looping and CTCF/cohesin geometry. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113663. [PMID: 38206813 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor ZNF143 contains a central domain of seven zinc fingers in a tandem array and is involved in 3D genome construction. However, the mechanism by which ZNF143 functions in chromatin looping remains unclear. Here, we show that ZNF143 directionally recognizes a diverse range of genomic sites directly within enhancers and promoters and is required for chromatin looping between these sites. In addition, ZNF143 is located between CTCF and cohesin at numerous CTCF sites, and ZNF143 removal narrows the space between CTCF and cohesin. Moreover, genetic deletion of ZNF143, in conjunction with acute CTCF degradation, reveals that ZNF143 and CTCF collaborate to regulate higher-order topological chromatin organization. Finally, CTCF depletion enlarges direct ZNF143 chromatin looping. Thus, ZNF143 is recruited by CTCF to the CTCF sites to regulate CTCF/cohesin configuration and TAD (topologically associating domain) formation, whereas directional recognition of genomic DNA motifs directly by ZNF143 itself regulates promoter activity via chromatin looping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Zhang
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haiyan Huang
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jingwei Li
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China.
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20
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Hall A, Middlehurst B, Cadogan MAM, Reed X, Billingsley KJ, Bubb VJ, Quinn JP. A SINE-VNTR-Alu at the LRIG2 locus is associated with proximal and distal gene expression in CRISPR and population models. Sci Rep 2024; 14:792. [PMID: 38191889 PMCID: PMC10774264 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50307-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposons represent mobile regulatory elements that have the potential to influence the surrounding genome when they insert into a locus. Evolutionarily recent mobilisation has resulted in loci in the human genome where a given retrotransposon might be observed to be present or absent, termed a retrotransposon insertion polymorphism (RIP). We previously observed that an SVA RIP ~ 2 kb upstream of LRIG2 on chromosome 1, the 'LRIG2 SVA', was associated with differences in local gene expression and methylation, and that the two were correlated. Here, we have used CRISPR-mediated deletion of the LRIG2 SVA in a cell line model to validate that presence of the retrotransposon is directly affecting local expression and provide evidence that is suggestive of a modest role for the SVA in modulating nearby methylation. Additionally, in leveraging an available Hi-C dataset we observed that the LRIG2 SVA was also involved in long-range chromatin interactions with a cluster of genes ~ 300 kb away, and that expression of these genes was to varying degrees associated with dosage of the SVA in both CRISPR cell line and population models. Altogether, these data support a regulatory role for SVAs in the modulation of gene expression, with the latter potentially involving chromatin looping, consistent with the model that RIPs may contribute to interpersonal differences in transcriptional networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Hall
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK
| | - Ben Middlehurst
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK
| | - Max A M Cadogan
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK
| | - Xylena Reed
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kimberley J Billingsley
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Vivien J Bubb
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK
| | - John P Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BE, UK.
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21
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Bacigalupa ZA, Landis MD, Rathmell JC. Nutrient inputs and social metabolic control of T cell fate. Cell Metab 2024; 36:10-20. [PMID: 38118440 PMCID: PMC10872404 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Cells in multicellular organisms experience diverse neighbors, signals, and evolving physical environments that drive functional and metabolic demands. To maintain proper development and homeostasis while avoiding inappropriate cell proliferation or death, individual cells interact with their neighbors via "social" cues to share and partition available nutrients. Metabolic signals also contribute to cell fate by providing biochemical links between cell-extrinsic signals and available resources. In addition to metabolic checkpoints that sense nutrients and directly supply molecular intermediates for biosynthetic pathways, many metabolites directly signal or provide the basis for post-translational modifications of target proteins and chromatin. In this review, we survey the landscape of T cell nutrient sensing and metabolic signaling that supports proper immunity while avoiding immunodeficiency or autoimmunity. The integration of cell-extrinsic microenvironmental cues with cell-intrinsic metabolic signaling provides a social metabolic control model to integrate cell signaling, metabolism, and fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A Bacigalupa
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Madelyn D Landis
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Rathmell
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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22
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Lismer A, Shao X, Dumargne MC, Lafleur C, Lambrot R, Chan D, Toft G, Bonde JP, MacFarlane AJ, Bornman R, Aneck-Hahn N, Patrick S, Bailey JM, de Jager C, Dumeaux V, Trasler JM, Kimmins S. The Association between Long-Term DDT or DDE Exposures and an Altered Sperm Epigenome-a Cross-Sectional Study of Greenlandic Inuit and South African VhaVenda Men. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:17008. [PMID: 38294233 PMCID: PMC10829569 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The organochlorine dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is banned worldwide owing to its negative health effects. It is exceptionally used as an insecticide for malaria control. Exposure occurs in regions where DDT is applied, as well as in the Arctic, where its endocrine disrupting metabolite, p , p ' -dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p , p ' -DDE) accumulates in marine mammals and fish. DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposures are linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer, and neurodevelopmental delays. Of particular concern is the potential of DDT use to impact the health of generations to come via the heritable sperm epigenome. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to assess the sperm epigenome in relation to p , p ' -DDE serum levels between geographically diverse populations. METHODS In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, we recruited 247 VhaVenda South African men and selected 50 paired blood serum and semen samples, and 47 Greenlandic Inuit blood and semen paired samples were selected from a total of 193 samples from the biobank of the INUENDO cohort, an EU Fifth Framework Programme Research and Development project. Sample selection was based on obtaining a range of p , p ' -DDE serum levels (mean = 870.734 ± 134.030 ng / mL ). We assessed the sperm epigenome in relation to serum p , p ' -DDE levels using MethylC-Capture-sequencing (MCC-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). We identified genomic regions with altered DNA methylation (DNAme) and differential enrichment of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in sperm. RESULTS Differences in DNAme and H3K4me3 enrichment were identified at transposable elements and regulatory regions involved in fertility, disease, development, and neurofunction. A subset of regions with sperm DNAme and H3K4me3 that differed between exposure groups was predicted to persist in the preimplantation embryo and to be associated with embryonic gene expression. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposure impacts the sperm epigenome in a dose-response-like manner and may negatively impact the health of future generations through epigenetic mechanisms. Confounding factors, such as other environmental exposures, genetic diversity, and selection bias, cannot be ruled out. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xiaojian Shao
- Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie-Charlotte Dumargne
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christine Lafleur
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Romain Lambrot
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Donovan Chan
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amanda J. MacFarlane
- Agriculture Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Texas A&M University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Riana Bornman
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Natalie Aneck-Hahn
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sean Patrick
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Janice M. Bailey
- Research Centre on Reproduction and Intergenerational Health, Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christiaan de Jager
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Vanessa Dumeaux
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacquetta M. Trasler
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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23
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Selvakumar P, Siddharthan R. Position-specific evolution in transcription factor binding sites, and a fast likelihood calculation for the F81 model. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231088. [PMID: 38269075 PMCID: PMC10805598 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factor binding sites (TFBS), like other DNA sequence, evolve via mutation and selection relating to their function. Models of nucleotide evolution describe DNA evolution via single-nucleotide mutation. A stationary vector of such a model is the long-term distribution of nucleotides, unchanging under the model. Neutrally evolving sites may have uniform stationary vectors, but one expects that sites within a TFBS instead have stationary vectors reflective of the fitness of various nucleotides at those positions. We introduce 'position-specific stationary vectors' (PSSVs), the collection of stationary vectors at each site in a TFBS locus, analogous to the position weight matrix (PWM) commonly used to describe TFBS. We infer PSSVs for human TFs using two evolutionary models (Felsenstein 1981 and Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano 1985). We find that PSSVs reflect the nucleotide distribution from PWMs, but with reduced specificity. We infer ancestral nucleotide distributions at individual positions and calculate 'conditional PSSVs' conditioned on specific choices of majority ancestral nucleotide. We find that certain ancestral nucleotides exert a strong evolutionary pressure on neighbouring sequence while others have a negligible effect. Finally, we present a fast likelihood calculation for the F81 model on moderate-sized trees that makes this approach feasible for large-scale studies along these lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavitra Selvakumar
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Rahul Siddharthan
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
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24
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Jessberger G, Várnai C, Stocsits RR, Tang W, Stary G, Peters JM. Cohesin and CTCF do not assemble TADs in Xenopus sperm and male pronuclei. Genome Res 2023; 33:2094-2107. [PMID: 38129077 PMCID: PMC10760524 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277865.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Paternal genomes are compacted during spermiogenesis and decompacted following fertilization. These processes are fundamental for inheritance but incompletely understood. We analyzed these processes in the frog Xenopus laevis, whose sperm can be assembled into functional pronuclei in egg extracts in vitro. In such extracts, cohesin extrudes DNA into loops, but in vivo cohesin only assembles topologically associating domains (TADs) at the mid-blastula transition (MBT). Why cohesin assembles TADs only at this stage is unknown. We first analyzed genome architecture in frog sperm and compared it to human and mouse. Our results indicate that sperm genome organization is conserved between frogs and humans and occurs without formation of TADs. TADs can be detected in mouse sperm samples, as reported, but these structures might originate from somatic chromatin contaminations. We therefore discuss the possibility that the absence of TADs might be a general feature of vertebrate sperm. To analyze sperm genome remodeling upon fertilization, we reconstituted male pronuclei in Xenopus egg extracts. In pronuclei, chromatin compartmentalization increases, but cohesin does not accumulate at CTCF sites and assemble TADs. However, if pronuclei are formed in the presence of exogenous CTCF, CTCF binds to its consensus sites, and cohesin accumulates at these and forms short-range chromatin loops, which are preferentially anchored at CTCF's N terminus. These results indicate that TADs are only assembled at MBT because before this stage CTCF sites are not occupied and cohesin only forms short-range chromatin loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Jessberger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Csilla Várnai
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2SY, United Kingdom
| | - Roman R Stocsits
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wen Tang
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Stary
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan-Michael Peters
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria;
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25
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Okhovat M, VanCampen J, Nevonen KA, Harshman L, Li W, Layman CE, Ward S, Herrera J, Wells J, Sheng RR, Mao Y, Ndjamen B, Lima AC, Vigh-Conrad KA, Stendahl AM, Yang R, Fedorov L, Matthews IR, Easow SA, Chan DK, Jan TA, Eichler EE, Rugonyi S, Conrad DF, Ahituv N, Carbone L. TAD evolutionary and functional characterization reveals diversity in mammalian TAD boundary properties and function. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8111. [PMID: 38062027 PMCID: PMC10703881 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Topological associating domains (TADs) are self-interacting genomic units crucial for shaping gene regulation patterns. Despite their importance, the extent of their evolutionary conservation and its functional implications remain largely unknown. In this study, we generate Hi-C and ChIP-seq data and compare TAD organization across four primate and four rodent species and characterize the genetic and epigenetic properties of TAD boundaries in correspondence to their evolutionary conservation. We find 14% of all human TAD boundaries to be shared among all eight species (ultraconserved), while 15% are human-specific. Ultraconserved TAD boundaries have stronger insulation strength, CTCF binding, and enrichment of older retrotransposons compared to species-specific boundaries. CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of an ultraconserved boundary in a mouse model lead to tissue-specific gene expression changes and morphological phenotypes. Deletion of a human-specific boundary near the autism-related AUTS2 gene results in the upregulation of this gene in neurons. Overall, our study provides pertinent TAD boundary evolutionary conservation annotations and showcases the functional importance of TAD evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Okhovat
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Jake VanCampen
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kimberly A Nevonen
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lana Harshman
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Weiyu Li
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cora E Layman
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Samantha Ward
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jarod Herrera
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jackson Wells
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rory R Sheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yafei Mao
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Blaise Ndjamen
- Histology and Light Microscopy Core Facility, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ana C Lima
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | | | - Alexandra M Stendahl
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Ran Yang
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Lev Fedorov
- OHSU Transgenic Mouse Models Core Lab, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ian R Matthews
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah A Easow
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dylan K Chan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Taha A Jan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Department of Medicine, Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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26
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Metzger DCH, Porter I, Mobley B, Sandkam BA, Fong LJM, Anderson AP, Mank JE. Transposon wave remodeled the epigenomic landscape in the rapid evolution of X-Chromosome dosage compensation. Genome Res 2023; 33:1917-1931. [PMID: 37989601 PMCID: PMC10760456 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278127.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosome dosage compensation is a model to understand the coordinated evolution of transcription; however, the advanced age of the sex chromosomes in model systems makes it difficult to study how the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying chromosome-wide dosage compensation can evolve. The sex chromosomes of Poecilia picta have undergone recent and rapid divergence, resulting in widespread gene loss on the male Y, coupled with complete X Chromosome dosage compensation, the first case reported in a fish. The recent de novo origin of dosage compensation presents a unique opportunity to understand the genetic and evolutionary basis of coordinated chromosomal gene regulation. By combining a new chromosome-level assembly of P. picta with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA-seq data, we determine that the YY1 transcription factor (YY1) DNA binding motif is associated with male-specific hypomethylated regions on the X, but not the autosomes. These YY1 motifs are the result of a recent and rapid repetitive element expansion on the P. picta X Chromosome, which is absent in closely related species that lack dosage compensation. Taken together, our results present compelling support that a disruptive wave of repetitive element insertions carrying YY1 motifs resulted in the remodeling of the X Chromosome epigenomic landscape and the rapid de novo origin of a dosage compensation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C H Metzger
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada;
| | - Imogen Porter
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Brendan Mobley
- Biology Department, Reed College, Portland, Oregon 97202, USA
| | - Benjamin A Sandkam
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Lydia J M Fong
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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27
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Zemke NR, Armand EJ, Wang W, Lee S, Zhou J, Li YE, Liu H, Tian W, Nery JR, Castanon RG, Bartlett A, Osteen JK, Li D, Zhuo X, Xu V, Chang L, Dong K, Indralingam HS, Rink JA, Xie Y, Miller M, Krienen FM, Zhang Q, Taskin N, Ting J, Feng G, McCarroll SA, Callaway EM, Wang T, Lein ES, Behrens MM, Ecker JR, Ren B. Conserved and divergent gene regulatory programs of the mammalian neocortex. Nature 2023; 624:390-402. [PMID: 38092918 PMCID: PMC10719095 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06819-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Divergence of cis-regulatory elements drives species-specific traits1, but how this manifests in the evolution of the neocortex at the molecular and cellular level remains unclear. Here we investigated the gene regulatory programs in the primary motor cortex of human, macaque, marmoset and mouse using single-cell multiomics assays, generating gene expression, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylome and chromosomal conformation profiles from a total of over 200,000 cells. From these data, we show evidence that divergence of transcription factor expression corresponds to species-specific epigenome landscapes. We find that conserved and divergent gene regulatory features are reflected in the evolution of the three-dimensional genome. Transposable elements contribute to nearly 80% of the human-specific candidate cis-regulatory elements in cortical cells. Through machine learning, we develop sequence-based predictors of candidate cis-regulatory elements in different species and demonstrate that the genomic regulatory syntax is highly preserved from rodents to primates. Finally, we show that epigenetic conservation combined with sequence similarity helps to uncover functional cis-regulatory elements and enhances our ability to interpret genetic variants contributing to neurological disease and traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan R Zemke
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ethan J Armand
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wenliang Wang
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Seoyeon Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jingtian Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yang Eric Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hanqing Liu
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wei Tian
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph R Nery
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rosa G Castanon
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Bartlett
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Julia K Osteen
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daofeng Li
- Department of Genetics, The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Zhuo
- Department of Genetics, The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vincent Xu
- Department of Genetics, The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Keyi Dong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hannah S Indralingam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan A Rink
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael Miller
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fenna M Krienen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Qiangge Zhang
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naz Taskin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Guoping Feng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ed S Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M Margarita Behrens
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joseph R Ecker
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Bing Ren
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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28
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Lai F, Li L, Hu X, Liu B, Zhu Z, Liu L, Fan Q, Tian H, Xu K, Lu X, Li Q, Feng K, Wang L, Lin Z, Deng H, Li J, Xie W. NR5A2 connects zygotic genome activation to the first lineage segregation in totipotent embryos. Cell Res 2023; 33:952-966. [PMID: 37935903 PMCID: PMC10709309 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-023-00887-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) marks the beginning of the embryonic program for a totipotent embryo, which gives rise to the inner cell mass (ICM) where pluripotent epiblast arises, and extraembryonic trophectoderm. However, how ZGA is connected to the first lineage segregation in mammalian embryos remains elusive. Here, we investigated the role of nuclear receptor (NR) transcription factors (TFs), whose motifs are highly enriched and accessible from the 2-cell (2C) to 8-cell (8C) stages in mouse embryos. We found that NR5A2, an NR TF strongly induced upon ZGA, was required for this connection. Upon Nr5a2 knockdown or knockout, embryos developed beyond 2C normally with the zygotic genome largely activated. However, 4-8C-specific gene activation was substantially impaired and Nr5a2-deficient embryos subsequently arrested at the morula stage. Genome-wide chromatin binding analysis showed that NR5A2-bound cis-regulatory elements in both 2C and 8C embryos are strongly enriched for B1 elements where its binding motif is embedded. NR5A2 was not required for the global opening of its binding sites in 2C embryos but was essential to the opening of its 8C-specific binding sites. These 8C-specific, but not 2C-specific, binding sites are enriched near genes involved in blastocyst and stem cell regulation, and are often bound by master pluripotency TFs in blastocysts and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Importantly, NR5A2 regulated key pluripotency genes Nanog and Pou5f1/Oct4, and primitive endoderm regulatory genes including Gata6 among many early ICM genes, as well as key trophectoderm regulatory genes including Tead4 and Gata3 at the 8C stage. By contrast, master pluripotency TFs NANOG, SOX2, and OCT4 targeted both early and late ICM genes in mouse ESCs. Taken together, these data identify NR5A2 as a key regulator in totipotent embryos that bridges ZGA to the first lineage segregation during mouse early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangnong Lai
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lijia Li
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bofeng Liu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziqi Zhu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Fan
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huabin Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xukun Lu
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kong Feng
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zili Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Peeters SB, Posynick BJ, Brown CJ. Out of the Silence: Insights into How Genes Escape X-Chromosome Inactivation. EPIGENOMES 2023; 7:29. [PMID: 38131901 PMCID: PMC10742877 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7040029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The silencing of all but one X chromosome in mammalian cells is a remarkable epigenetic process leading to near dosage equivalence in X-linked gene products between the sexes. However, equally remarkable is the ability of a subset of genes to continue to be expressed from the otherwise inactive X chromosome-in some cases constitutively, while other genes are variable between individuals, tissues or cells. In this review we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the approaches that have been used to identify escapees. The identity of escapees provides important clues to mechanisms underlying escape from XCI, an arena of study now moving from correlation to functional studies. As most escapees show greater expression in females, the not-so-inactive X chromosome is a substantial contributor to sex differences in humans, and we highlight some examples of such impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carolyn J. Brown
- Molecular Epigenetics Group, Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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30
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Tam PLF, Leung D. The Molecular Impacts of Retrotransposons in Development and Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16418. [PMID: 38003607 PMCID: PMC10671454 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216418] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are invasive genetic elements that constitute substantial portions of mammalian genomes. They have the potential to influence nearby gene expression through their cis-regulatory sequences, reverse transcription machinery, and the ability to mold higher-order chromatin structures. Due to their multifaceted functions, it is crucial for host fitness to maintain strict regulation of these parasitic sequences to ensure proper growth and development. This review explores how subsets of retrotransposons have undergone evolutionary exaptation to enhance the complexity of mammalian genomes. It also highlights the significance of regulating these elements, drawing on recent studies conducted in human and murine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Lut Fei Tam
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Danny Leung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Center for Epigenomics Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
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31
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Gunsalus LM, Keiser MJ, Pollard KS. In silico discovery of repetitive elements as key sequence determinants of 3D genome folding. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100410. [PMID: 37868032 PMCID: PMC10589630 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Natural and experimental genetic variants can modify DNA loops and insulating boundaries to tune transcription, but it is unknown how sequence perturbations affect chromatin organization genome wide. We developed a deep-learning strategy to quantify the effect of any insertion, deletion, or substitution on chromatin contacts and systematically scored millions of synthetic variants. While most genetic manipulations have little impact, regions with CTCF motifs and active transcription are highly sensitive, as expected. Our unbiased screen and subsequent targeted experiments also point to noncoding RNA genes and several families of repetitive elements as CTCF-motif-free DNA sequences with particularly large effects on nearby chromatin interactions, sometimes exceeding the effects of CTCF sites and explaining interactions that lack CTCF. We anticipate that our disruption tracks may be of broad interest and utility as a measure of 3D genome sensitivity, and our computational strategies may serve as a template for biological inquiry with deep learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Gunsalus
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael J. Keiser
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S. Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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32
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Lawson HA, Liang Y, Wang T. Transposable elements in mammalian chromatin organization. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:712-723. [PMID: 37286742 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00609-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA elements that comprise almost 50% of mammalian genomic sequence. TEs are capable of making additional copies of themselves that integrate into new positions in host genomes. This unique property has had an important impact on mammalian genome evolution and on the regulation of gene expression because TE-derived sequences can function as cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers, promoters and silencers. Now, advances in our ability to identify and characterize TEs have revealed that TE-derived sequences also regulate gene expression by both maintaining and shaping 3D genome architecture. Studies are revealing how TEs contribute raw sequence that can give rise to the structures that shape chromatin organization, and thus gene expression, allowing for species-specific genome innovation and evolutionary novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Lawson
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Yonghao Liang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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33
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Fröhlich A, Hughes LS, Middlehurst B, Pfaff AL, Bubb VJ, Koks S, Quinn JP. CRISPR deletion of a SINE-VNTR- Alu (SVA_67) retrotransposon demonstrates its ability to differentially modulate gene expression at the MAPT locus. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1273036. [PMID: 37840928 PMCID: PMC10570551 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1273036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposons are hominid-specific elements which have been shown to play important roles in processes such as chromatin structure remodelling and regulation of gene expression demonstrating that these repetitive elements exert regulatory functions. We have previously shown that the presence or absence of a specific SVA element, termed SVA_67, was associated with differential expression of several genes at the MAPT locus, a locus associated with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and frontotemporal dementia. However, we were not able to demonstrate that causation of differential gene expression was directed by the SVA due to lack of functional validation. Methods We performed CRISPR to delete SVA_67 in the HEK293 cell line. Quantification of target gene expression was performed using qPCR to assess the effects on expression in response to the deletion of SVA_67. Differences between CRISPR edit and control cell lines were analysed using two-tailed t-test with a minimum 95% confidence interval to determine statistical significance. Results In this study, we provide data highlighting the SVA-specific effect on differential gene expression. We demonstrate that the hemizygous deletion of the endogenous SVA_67 in CRISPR edited cell lines was associated with differential expression of several genes at the MAPT locus associated with neurodegenerative diseases including KANSL1, MAPT and LRRC37A. Discussion This data is consistent with our previous bioinformatic work of differential gene expression analysis using transcriptomic data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. As SVAs have regulatory influences on gene expression, and insertion polymorphisms contribute to interpersonal differences in expression patterns, these results highlight the potential contribution of these elements to complex diseases with potentially many genetic components, such as PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fröhlich
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Lauren S. Hughes
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Middlehurst
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail L. Pfaff
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Vivien J. Bubb
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sulev Koks
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - John P. Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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34
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Li Y, Fan H, Qin W, Wang Y, Chen S, Bao W, Sun MA. Regulation of the three-dimensional chromatin organization by transposable elements in pig spleen. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4580-4588. [PMID: 37790243 PMCID: PMC10542605 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Like other mammalian species, the pig genome is abundant with transposable elements (TEs). The importance of TEs for three-dimensional (3D) chromatin organization has been observed in species like human and mouse, yet current understanding about pig TEs is absent. Here, we investigated the contribution of TEs for the 3D chromatin organization in three pig tissues, focusing on spleen which is crucial for both adaptive and innate immunity. We identified dozens of TE families overrepresented with CTCF binding sites, including LTR22_SS, LTR15_SS and LTR16_SSc which are pig-specific families of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Interestingly, LTR22_SS elements harbor a CTCF motif and create hundreds of CTCF binding sites that are associated with adaptive immunity. We further applied Hi-C to profile the 3D chromatin structure in spleen and found that TE-derived CTCF binding sites correlate with chromatin insulation and frequently overlap TAD borders and loop anchors. Notably, one LTR22_SS-derived CTCF binding site demarcate a TAD boundary upstream of XCL1, which is a spleen-enriched chemokine gene important for lymphocyte trafficking and inflammation. Overall, this study represents a first step toward understanding the function of TEs on 3D chromatin organization regulation in pigs and expands our understanding about the functional importance of TEs in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhuo Li
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hairui Fan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiyun Qin
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yejun Wang
- Youth Innovation Team of Medical Bioinformatics, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenbin Bao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming-an Sun
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
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35
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Packiaraj J, Thakur J. DNA satellite and chromatin organization at house mouse centromeres and pericentromeres. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.18.549612. [PMID: 37503200 PMCID: PMC10370071 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Centromeres are essential for faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. However, the organization of satellite DNA and chromatin at mouse centromeres and pericentromeres is poorly understood due to the challenges of sequencing and assembling repetitive genomic regions. Using recently available PacBio long-read sequencing data from the C57BL/6 strain and chromatin profiling, we found that contrary to the previous reports of their highly homogeneous nature, centromeric and pericentromeric satellites display varied sequences and organization. We find that both centromeric minor satellites and pericentromeric major satellites exhibited sequence variations within and between arrays. While most arrays are continuous, a significant fraction is interspersed with non-satellite sequences, including transposable elements. Additionally, we investigated CENP-A and H3K9me3 chromatin organization at centromeres and pericentromeres using Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq). We found that the occupancy of CENP-A and H3K9me3 chromatin at centromeric and pericentric regions, respectively, is associated with increased sequence abundance and homogeneity at these regions. Furthermore, the transposable elements at centromeric regions are not part of functional centromeres as they lack CENP-A enrichment. Finally, we found that while H3K9me3 nucleosomes display a well-phased organization on major satellite arrays, CENP-A nucleosomes on minor satellite arrays lack phased organization. Interestingly, the homogeneous class of major satellites phase CENP-A and H3K27me3 nucleosomes as well, indicating that the nucleosome phasing is an inherent property of homogeneous major satellites. Overall, our findings reveal that house mouse centromeres and pericentromeres, which were previously thought to be highly homogenous, display significant diversity in satellite sequence, organization, and chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenika Packiaraj
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Jitendra Thakur
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30322
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36
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Carotti E, Carducci F, Barucca M, Canapa A, Biscotti MA. Transposable Elements: Epigenetic Silencing Mechanisms or Modulating Tools for Vertebrate Adaptations? Two Sides of the Same Coin. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11591. [PMID: 37511347 PMCID: PMC10380595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements constitute one of the main components of eukaryotic genomes. In vertebrates, they differ in content, typology, and family diversity and played a crucial role in the evolution of this taxon. However, due to their transposition ability, TEs can be responsible for genome instability, and thus silencing mechanisms were evolved to allow the coexistence between TEs and eukaryotic host-coding genes. Several papers are highlighting in TEs the presence of regulatory elements involved in regulating nearby genes in a tissue-specific fashion. This suggests that TEs are not sequences merely to silence; rather, they can be domesticated for the regulation of host-coding gene expression, permitting species adaptation and resilience as well as ensuring human health. This review presents the main silencing mechanisms acting in vertebrates and the importance of exploiting these mechanisms for TE control to rewire gene expression networks, challenging the general view of TEs as threatening elements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Federica Carducci
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (E.C.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (M.A.B.)
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37
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Kaucka M. Cis-regulatory landscapes in the evolution and development of the mammalian skull. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220079. [PMID: 37183897 PMCID: PMC10184250 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive morphological variation found in mammals reflects the wide spectrum of their ecological adaptations. The highest morphological diversity is present in the craniofacial region, where geometry is mainly dictated by the bony skull. Mammalian craniofacial development represents complex multistep processes governed by numerous conserved genes that require precise spatio-temporal control. A central question in contemporary evolutionary biology is how a defined set of conserved genes can orchestrate formation of fundamentally different structures, and therefore how morphological variability arises. In principle, differential gene expression patterns during development are the source of morphological variation. With the emergence of multicellular organisms, precise regulation of gene expression in time and space is attributed to cis-regulatory elements. These elements contribute to higher-order chromatin structure and together with trans-acting factors control transcriptional landscapes that underlie intricate morphogenetic processes. Consequently, divergence in cis-regulation is believed to rewire existing gene regulatory networks and form the core of morphological evolution. This review outlines the fundamental principles of the genetic code and genomic regulation interplay during development. Recent work that deepened our comprehension of cis-regulatory element origin, divergence and function is presented here to illustrate the state-of-the-art research that uncovered the principles of morphological novelty. This article is part of the theme issue 'The mammalian skull: development, structure and function'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Kaucka
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
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38
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Pal D, Patel M, Boulet F, Sundarraj J, Grant OA, Branco MR, Basu S, Santos SDM, Zabet NR, Scaffidi P, Pradeepa MM. H4K16ac activates the transcription of transposable elements and contributes to their cis-regulatory function. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:935-947. [PMID: 37308596 PMCID: PMC10352135 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian genomes harbor abundant transposable elements (TEs) and their remnants, with numerous epigenetic repression mechanisms enacted to silence TE transcription. However, TEs are upregulated during early development, neuronal lineage, and cancers, although the epigenetic factors contributing to the transcription of TEs have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that the male-specific lethal (MSL)-complex-mediated histone H4 acetylation at lysine 16 (H4K16ac) is enriched at TEs in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and cancer cells. This in turn activates transcription of subsets of full-length long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE1s, L1s) and endogenous retrovirus (ERV) long terminal repeats (LTRs). Furthermore, we show that the H4K16ac-marked L1 and LTR subfamilies display enhancer-like functions and are enriched in genomic locations with chromatin features associated with active enhancers. Importantly, such regions often reside at boundaries of topologically associated domains and loop with genes. CRISPR-based epigenetic perturbation and genetic deletion of L1s reveal that H4K16ac-marked L1s and LTRs regulate the expression of genes in cis. Overall, TEs enriched with H4K16ac contribute to the cis-regulatory landscape at specific genomic locations by maintaining an active chromatin landscape at TEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debosree Pal
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Manthan Patel
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Fanny Boulet
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jayakumar Sundarraj
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Olivia A Grant
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Miguel R Branco
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Srinjan Basu
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Nicolae Radu Zabet
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Paola Scaffidi
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Madapura M Pradeepa
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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39
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Peeters S, Leung T, Fornes O, Farkas R, Wasserman W, Brown C. Refining the genomic determinants underlying escape from X-chromosome inactivation. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad052. [PMID: 37260510 PMCID: PMC10227363 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) epigenetically silences one X chromosome in every cell in female mammals. Although the majority of X-linked genes are silenced, in humans 20% or more are able to escape inactivation and continue to be expressed. Such escape genes are important contributors to sex differences in gene expression, and may impact the phenotypes of X aneuploidies; yet the mechanisms regulating escape from XCI are not understood. We have performed an enrichment analysis of transcription factor binding on the X chromosome, providing new evidence for enriched factors at the transcription start sites of escape genes. The top escape-enriched transcription factors were detected at the RPS4X promoter, a well-described human escape gene previously demonstrated to escape from XCI in a transgenic mouse model. Using a cell line model system that allows for targeted integration and inactivation of transgenes on the mouse X chromosome, we further assessed combinations of RPS4X promoter and genic elements for their ability to drive escape from XCI. We identified a small transgenic construct of only 6 kb capable of robust escape from XCI, establishing that gene-proximal elements are sufficient to permit escape, and highlighting the additive effect of multiple elements that work together in a context-specific fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Peeters
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tiffany Leung
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Oriol Fornes
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachelle A Farkas
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wyeth W Wasserman
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at British Columbia Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Carolyn J Brown
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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40
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Larios MFR, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.540063. [PMID: 37214934 PMCID: PMC10197647 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.540063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. Here we show that turnover of CpG islands (CGIs), which contribute to enhancer activation, is broadly associated with changes in enhancer activity across mammals, including humans. We integrated maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and found that CGI content in enhancers was strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs showed widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs were strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species we examined. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs showed concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A. Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | - Emily V. Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
- Present address: Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | - Kristina M. Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - James P. Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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41
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Del Moral-Morales A, Salgado-Albarrán M, Sánchez-Pérez Y, Wenke NK, Baumbach J, Soto-Reyes E. CTCF and Its Multi-Partner Network for Chromatin Regulation. Cells 2023; 12:1357. [PMID: 37408191 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Architectural proteins are essential epigenetic regulators that play a critical role in organizing chromatin and controlling gene expression. CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is a key architectural protein responsible for maintaining the intricate 3D structure of chromatin. Because of its multivalent properties and plasticity to bind various sequences, CTCF is similar to a Swiss knife for genome organization. Despite the importance of this protein, its mechanisms of action are not fully elucidated. It has been hypothesized that its versatility is achieved through interaction with multiple partners, forming a complex network that regulates chromatin folding within the nucleus. In this review, we delve into CTCF's interactions with other molecules involved in epigenetic processes, particularly histone and DNA demethylases, as well as several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are able to recruit CTCF. Our review highlights the importance of CTCF partners to shed light on chromatin regulation and pave the way for future exploration of the mechanisms that enable the finely-tuned role of CTCF as a master regulator of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Del Moral-Morales
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marisol Salgado-Albarrán
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yesennia Sánchez-Pérez
- Subdirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Nina Kerstin Wenke
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Baumbach
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Computational BioMedicine Lab., University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Ernesto Soto-Reyes
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
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42
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Horton I, Kelly CJ, Dziulko A, Simpson DM, Chuong EB. Mouse B2 SINE elements function as IFN-inducible enhancers. eLife 2023; 12:e82617. [PMID: 37158599 PMCID: PMC10229128 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory networks underlying innate immunity continually face selective pressures to adapt to new and evolving pathogens. Transposable elements (TEs) can affect immune gene expression as a source of inducible regulatory elements, but the significance of these elements in facilitating evolutionary diversification of innate immunity remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the mouse epigenomic response to type II interferon (IFN) signaling and discovered that elements from a subfamily of B2 SINE (B2_Mm2) contain STAT1 binding sites and function as IFN-inducible enhancers. CRISPR deletion experiments in mouse cells demonstrated that a B2_Mm2 element has been co-opted as an enhancer driving IFN-inducible expression of Dicer1. The rodent-specific B2 SINE family is highly abundant in the mouse genome and elements have been previously characterized to exhibit promoter, insulator, and non-coding RNA activity. Our work establishes a new role for B2 elements as inducible enhancer elements that influence mouse immunity, and exemplifies how lineage-specific TEs can facilitate evolutionary turnover and divergence of innate immune regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Horton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Conor J Kelly
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Adam Dziulko
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - David M Simpson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
| | - Edward B Chuong
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado BoulderBoulderUnited States
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43
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Zhuo X, Hsu S, Purushotham D, Kuntala PK, Harrison JK, Du AY, Chen S, Li D, Wang T. Comparing genomic and epigenomic features across species using the WashU Comparative Epigenome Browser. Genome Res 2023; 33:824-835. [PMID: 37156621 PMCID: PMC10317122 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277550.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Genome browsers have become an intuitive and critical tool to visualize and analyze genomic features and data. Conventional genome browsers display data/annotations on a single reference genome/assembly; there are also genomic alignment viewer/browsers that help users visualize alignment, mismatch, and rearrangement between syntenic regions. However, there is a growing need for a comparative epigenome browser that can display genomic and epigenomic data sets across different species and enable users to compare them between syntenic regions. Here, we present the WashU Comparative Epigenome Browser. It allows users to load functional genomic data sets/annotations mapped to different genomes and display them over syntenic regions simultaneously. The browser also displays genetic differences between the genomes from single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) to structural variants (SVs) to visualize the association between epigenomic differences and genetic differences. Instead of anchoring all data sets to the reference genome coordinates, it creates independent coordinates of different genome assemblies to faithfully present features and data mapped to different genomes. It uses a simple, intuitive genome-align track to illustrate the syntenic relationship between different species. It extends the widely used WashU Epigenome Browser infrastructure and can be expanded to support multiple species. This new browser function will greatly facilitate comparative genomic/epigenomic research, as well as support the recent growing needs to directly compare and benchmark the T2T CHM13 assembly and other human genome assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhuo
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Silas Hsu
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Deepak Purushotham
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Prashant Kumar Kuntala
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Jessica K Harrison
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Alan Y Du
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Samuel Chen
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Daofeng Li
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA;
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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44
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Christmas MJ, Kaplow IM, Genereux DP, Dong MX, Hughes GM, Li X, Sullivan PF, Hindle AG, Andrews G, Armstrong JC, Bianchi M, Breit AM, Diekhans M, Fanter C, Foley NM, Goodman DB, Goodman L, Keough KC, Kirilenko B, Kowalczyk A, Lawless C, Lind AL, Meadows JRS, Moreira LR, Redlich RW, Ryan L, Swofford R, Valenzuela A, Wagner F, Wallerman O, Brown AR, Damas J, Fan K, Gatesy J, Grimshaw J, Johnson J, Kozyrev SV, Lawler AJ, Marinescu VD, Morrill KM, Osmanski A, Paulat NS, Phan BN, Reilly SK, Schäffer DE, Steiner C, Supple MA, Wilder AP, Wirthlin ME, Xue JR, Birren BW, Gazal S, Hubley RM, Koepfli KP, Marques-Bonet T, Meyer WK, Nweeia M, Sabeti PC, Shapiro B, Smit AFA, Springer MS, Teeling EC, Weng Z, Hiller M, Levesque DL, Lewin HA, Murphy WJ, Navarro A, Paten B, Pollard KS, Ray DA, Ruf I, Ryder OA, Pfenning AR, Lindblad-Toh K, Karlsson EK. Evolutionary constraint and innovation across hundreds of placental mammals. Science 2023; 380:eabn3943. [PMID: 37104599 PMCID: PMC10250106 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn3943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Zoonomia is the largest comparative genomics resource for mammals produced to date. By aligning genomes for 240 species, we identify bases that, when mutated, are likely to affect fitness and alter disease risk. At least 332 million bases (~10.7%) in the human genome are unusually conserved across species (evolutionarily constrained) relative to neutrally evolving repeats, and 4552 ultraconserved elements are nearly perfectly conserved. Of 101 million significantly constrained single bases, 80% are outside protein-coding exons and half have no functional annotations in the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) resource. Changes in genes and regulatory elements are associated with exceptional mammalian traits, such as hibernation, that could inform therapeutic development. Earth's vast and imperiled biodiversity offers distinctive power for identifying genetic variants that affect genome function and organismal phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Christmas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irene M. Kaplow
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Michael X. Dong
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Graham M. Hughes
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Xue Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Patrick F. Sullivan
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina Medical School, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Allyson G. Hindle
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Gregory Andrews
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Joel C. Armstrong
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Matteo Bianchi
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana M. Breit
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Mark Diekhans
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Cornelia Fanter
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Nicole M. Foley
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Daniel B. Goodman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | - Kathleen C. Keough
- Fauna Bio, Inc., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bogdan Kirilenko
- Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Amanda Kowalczyk
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Colleen Lawless
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Abigail L. Lind
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jennifer R. S. Meadows
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lucas R. Moreira
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Ruby W. Redlich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Louise Ryan
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Ross Swofford
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alejandro Valenzuela
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Franziska Wagner
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, 01109 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ola Wallerman
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ashley R. Brown
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Joana Damas
- The Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kaili Fan
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - John Gatesy
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Jenna Grimshaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Jeremy Johnson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sergey V. Kozyrev
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alyssa J. Lawler
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Voichita D. Marinescu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kathleen M. Morrill
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Austin Osmanski
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Nicole S. Paulat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - BaDoi N. Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Steven K. Reilly
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Daniel E. Schäffer
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Cynthia Steiner
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Megan A. Supple
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Aryn P. Wilder
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Morgan E. Wirthlin
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James R. Xue
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Bruce W. Birren
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Steven Gazal
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | | | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wynn K. Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Martin Nweeia
- Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2R1, Canada
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20002, USA
- Narwhal Genome Initiative, Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | | | - Mark S. Springer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Emma C. Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Michael Hiller
- Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Harris A. Lewin
- The Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- John Muir Institute for the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - William J. Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benedict Paten
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Katherine S. Pollard
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David A. Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Irina Ruf
- Division of Messel Research and Mammalogy, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oliver A. Ryder
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
- Department of Evolution, Behavior and Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92039, USA
| | - Andreas R. Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 32 Uppsala, Sweden
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Elinor K. Karlsson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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45
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Andrews G, Fan K, Pratt HE, Phalke N, Karlsson EK, Lindblad-Toh K, Gazal S, Moore JE, Weng Z, Andrews G, Armstrong JC, Bianchi M, Birren BW, Bredemeyer KR, Breit AM, Christmas MJ, Clawson H, Damas J, Di Palma F, Diekhans M, Dong MX, Eizirik E, Fan K, Fanter C, Foley NM, Forsberg-Nilsson K, Garcia CJ, Gatesy J, Gazal S, Genereux DP, Goodman L, Grimshaw J, Halsey MK, Harris AJ, Hickey G, Hiller M, Hindle AG, Hubley RM, Hughes GM, Johnson J, Juan D, Kaplow IM, Karlsson EK, Keough KC, Kirilenko B, Koepfli KP, Korstian JM, Kowalczyk A, Kozyrev SV, Lawler AJ, Lawless C, Lehmann T, Levesque DL, Lewin HA, Li X, Lind A, Lindblad-Toh K, Mackay-Smith A, Marinescu VD, Marques-Bonet T, Mason VC, Meadows JRS, Meyer WK, Moore JE, Moreira LR, Moreno-Santillan DD, Morrill KM, Muntané G, Murphy WJ, Navarro A, Nweeia M, Ortmann S, Osmanski A, Paten B, Paulat NS, Pfenning AR, Phan BN, Pollard KS, Pratt HE, Ray DA, Reilly SK, Rosen JR, Ruf I, Ryan L, Ryder OA, Sabeti PC, Schäffer DE, Serres A, Shapiro B, Smit AFA, Springer M, Srinivasan C, Steiner C, Storer JM, Sullivan KAM, Sullivan PF, Sundström E, Supple MA, Swofford R, Talbot JE, Teeling E, Turner-Maier J, Valenzuela A, Wagner F, Wallerman O, Wang C, Wang J, Weng Z, Wilder AP, Wirthlin ME, Xue JR, Zhang X. Mammalian evolution of human cis-regulatory elements and transcription factor binding sites. Science 2023; 380:eabn7930. [PMID: 37104580 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn7930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the regulatory landscape of the human genome is a long-standing objective of modern biology. Using the reference-free alignment across 241 mammalian genomes produced by the Zoonomia Consortium, we charted evolutionary trajectories for 0.92 million human candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) and 15.6 million human transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs). We identified 439,461 cCREs and 2,024,062 TFBSs under evolutionary constraint. Genes near constrained elements perform fundamental cellular processes, whereas genes near primate-specific elements are involved in environmental interaction, including odor perception and immune response. About 20% of TFBSs are transposable element-derived and exhibit intricate patterns of gains and losses during primate evolution whereas sequence variants associated with complex traits are enriched in constrained TFBSs. Our annotations illuminate the regulatory functions of the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Andrews
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kaili Fan
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Henry E Pratt
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Nishigandha Phalke
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Steven Gazal
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jill E Moore
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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Rajderkar S, Barozzi I, Zhu Y, Hu R, Zhang Y, Li B, Alcaina Caro A, Fukuda-Yuzawa Y, Kelman G, Akeza A, Blow MJ, Pham Q, Harrington AN, Godoy J, Meky EM, von Maydell K, Hunter RD, Akiyama JA, Novak CS, Plajzer-Frick I, Afzal V, Tran S, Lopez-Rios J, Talkowski ME, Lloyd KCK, Ren B, Dickel DE, Visel A, Pennacchio LA. Topologically associating domain boundaries are required for normal genome function. Commun Biol 2023; 6:435. [PMID: 37081156 PMCID: PMC10119121 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04819-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Topologically associating domain (TAD) boundaries partition the genome into distinct regulatory territories. Anecdotal evidence suggests that their disruption may interfere with normal gene expression and cause disease phenotypes1-3, but the overall extent to which this occurs remains unknown. Here we demonstrate that targeted deletions of TAD boundaries cause a range of disruptions to normal in vivo genome function and organismal development. We used CRISPR genome editing in mice to individually delete eight TAD boundaries (11-80 kb in size) from the genome. All deletions examined resulted in detectable molecular or organismal phenotypes, which included altered chromatin interactions or gene expression, reduced viability, and anatomical phenotypes. We observed changes in local 3D chromatin architecture in 7 of 8 (88%) cases, including the merging of TADs and altered contact frequencies within TADs adjacent to the deleted boundary. For 5 of 8 (63%) loci examined, boundary deletions were associated with increased embryonic lethality or other developmental phenotypes. For example, a TAD boundary deletion near Smad3/Smad6 caused complete embryonic lethality, while a deletion near Tbx5/Lhx5 resulted in a severe lung malformation. Our findings demonstrate the importance of TAD boundary sequences for in vivo genome function and reinforce the critical need to carefully consider the potential pathogenicity of noncoding deletions affecting TAD boundaries in clinical genetics screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudha Rajderkar
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Iros Barozzi
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Rong Hu
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yanxiao Zhang
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bin Li
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ana Alcaina Caro
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide Junta de Andalucía, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Yoko Fukuda-Yuzawa
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Institute of Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Guy Kelman
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- The Jerusalem Center for Personalized Computational Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adyam Akeza
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Matthew J Blow
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Quan Pham
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Anne N Harrington
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Janeth Godoy
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Eman M Meky
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kianna von Maydell
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Riana D Hunter
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer A Akiyama
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Catherine S Novak
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ingrid Plajzer-Frick
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Veena Afzal
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stella Tran
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Javier Lopez-Rios
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide Junta de Andalucía, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Disorders, Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - K C Kent Lloyd
- Mouse Biology Program, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Institute of Genome Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Diane E Dickel
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Axel Visel
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA.
| | - Len A Pennacchio
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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Zemke NR, Armand EJ, Wang W, Lee S, Zhou J, Li YE, Liu H, Tian W, Nery JR, Castanon RG, Bartlett A, Osteen JK, Li D, Zhuo X, Xu V, Miller M, Krienen FM, Zhang Q, Taskin N, Ting J, Feng G, McCarroll SA, Callaway EM, Wang T, Behrens MM, Lein ES, Ecker JR, Ren B. Comparative single cell epigenomic analysis of gene regulatory programs in the rodent and primate neocortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.08.536119. [PMID: 37066152 PMCID: PMC10104177 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.08.536119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Sequence divergence of cis- regulatory elements drives species-specific traits, but how this manifests in the evolution of the neocortex at the molecular and cellular level remains to be elucidated. We investigated the gene regulatory programs in the primary motor cortex of human, macaque, marmoset, and mouse with single-cell multiomics assays, generating gene expression, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylome, and chromosomal conformation profiles from a total of over 180,000 cells. For each modality, we determined species-specific, divergent, and conserved gene expression and epigenetic features at multiple levels. We find that cell type-specific gene expression evolves more rapidly than broadly expressed genes and that epigenetic status at distal candidate cis -regulatory elements (cCREs) evolves faster than promoters. Strikingly, transposable elements (TEs) contribute to nearly 80% of the human-specific cCREs in cortical cells. Through machine learning, we develop sequence-based predictors of cCREs in different species and demonstrate that the genomic regulatory syntax is highly preserved from rodents to primates. Lastly, we show that epigenetic conservation combined with sequence similarity helps uncover functional cis -regulatory elements and enhances our ability to interpret genetic variants contributing to neurological disease and traits.
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Okhovat M, VanCampen J, Lima AC, Nevonen KA, Layman CE, Ward S, Herrera J, Stendahl AM, Yang R, Harshman L, Li W, Sheng RR, Mao Y, Fedorov L, Ndjamen B, Vigh-Conrad KA, Matthews IR, Easow SA, Chan DK, Jan TA, Eichler EE, Rugonyi S, Conrad DF, Ahituv N, Carbone L. TAD Evolutionary and functional characterization reveals diversity in mammalian TAD boundary properties and function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531534. [PMID: 36945527 PMCID: PMC10028908 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Topological associating domains (TADs) are self-interacting genomic units crucial for shaping gene regulation patterns. Despite their importance, the extent of their evolutionary conservation and its functional implications remain largely unknown. In this study, we generate Hi-C and ChIP-seq data and compare TAD organization across four primate and four rodent species, and characterize the genetic and epigenetic properties of TAD boundaries in correspondence to their evolutionary conservation. We find that only 14% of all human TAD boundaries are shared among all eight species (ultraconserved), while 15% are human-specific. Ultraconserved TAD boundaries have stronger insulation strength, CTCF binding, and enrichment of older retrotransposons, compared to species-specific boundaries. CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of two ultraconserved boundaries in mouse models leads to tissue-specific gene expression changes and morphological phenotypes. Deletion of a human-specific boundary near the autism-related AUTS2 gene results in upregulation of this gene in neurons. Overall, our study provides pertinent TAD boundary evolutionary conservation annotations, and showcase the functional importance of TAD evolution.
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Herbert A, Pavlov F, Konovalov D, Poptsova M. Conserved microRNAs and Flipons Shape Gene Expression during Development by Altering Promoter Conformations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054884. [PMID: 36902315 PMCID: PMC10003719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The classical view of gene regulation draws from prokaryotic models, where responses to environmental changes involve operons regulated by sequence-specific protein interactions with DNA, although it is now known that operons are also modulated by small RNAs. In eukaryotes, pathways based on microRNAs (miR) regulate the readout of genomic information from transcripts, while alternative nucleic acid structures encoded by flipons influence the readout of genetic programs from DNA. Here, we provide evidence that miR- and flipon-based mechanisms are deeply connected. We analyze the connection between flipon conformation and the 211 highly conserved human miR that are shared with other placental and other bilateral species. The direct interaction between conserved miR (c-miR) and flipons is supported by sequence alignments and the engagement of argonaute proteins by experimentally validated flipons as well as their enrichment in promoters of coding transcripts important in multicellular development, cell surface glycosylation and glutamatergic synapse specification with significant enrichments at false discovery rates as low as 10-116. We also identify a second subset of c-miR that targets flipons essential for retrotransposon replication, exploiting that vulnerability to limit their spread. We propose that miR can act in a combinatorial manner to regulate the readout of genetic information by specifying when and where flipons form non-B DNA (NoB) conformations, providing the interactions of the conserved hsa-miR-324-3p with RELA and the conserved hsa-miR-744 with ARHGAP5 genes as examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Herbert
- InsideOutBio, 42 8th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Fedor Pavlov
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitrii Konovalov
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Poptsova
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, 101000 Moscow, Russia
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50
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Lari A, Glaunsinger BA. Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 ORF45 Stimulates B2 Retrotransposon and Pre-tRNA Activation in a Manner Dependent on Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Signaling. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0017223. [PMID: 36752632 PMCID: PMC10100704 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00172-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII) transcribes a variety of noncoding RNAs, including tRNA (tRNA) and the B2 family of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs). B2 SINEs are noncoding retrotransposons that possess tRNA-like promoters and are normally silenced in healthy somatic tissue. Infection with the murine gammaherpesvirus MHV68 induces transcription of both SINEs and tRNAs, in part through the activity of the viral protein kinase ORF36. Here, we identify the conserved MHV68 tegument protein ORF45 as an additional activator of these RNAPIII loci. MHV68 ORF45 and ORF36 form a complex, resulting in an additive induction RNAPIII and increased ORF45 expression. ORF45-induced RNAPIII transcription is dependent on its activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which in turn increases the abundance of the RNAPIII transcription factor Brf1. Other viral and nonviral activators of MAPK/ERK signaling also increase the levels of Brf1 protein, B2 SINE RNA, and tRNA, suggesting that this is a common strategy to increase RNAPIII activity. IMPORTANCE Gammaherpesviral infection alters the gene expression landscape of a host cell, including through the induction of noncoding RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII). Among these are a class of repetitive genes known as retrotransposons, which are normally silenced elements and can copy and spread throughout the genome, and transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which are fundamental components of protein translation machinery. How these loci are activated during infection is not well understood. Here, we identify ORF45 from the model murine gammaherpesvirus MHV68 as a novel activator of RNAPIII transcription. To do so, it engages the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, which is a central regulator of cellular response to environmental stimuli. Activation of this pathway leads to the upregulation of a key factor required for RNAPIII activity, Brf1. These findings expand our understanding of the regulation and dysregulation of RNAPIII transcription and highlight how viral cooption of key signaling pathways can impact host gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azra Lari
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Britt A. Glaunsinger
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
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