1
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Rekaik H, Duboule D. A CTCF-dependent mechanism underlies the Hox timer: relation to a segmented body plan. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102160. [PMID: 38377879 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
During gastrulation, Hox genes are activated in a time-sequence that follows the order of the genes along their clusters. This property, which is observed in all animals that develop following a progressive rostral-to-caudal morphogenesis, is associated with changes in the chromatin structure and epigenetic profiles of Hox clusters, suggesting a process at least partly based on sequential gene accessibility. Here, we discuss recent work on this issue, as well as a possible mechanism based on the surprising conservation in both the distribution and orientation of CTCF sites inside vertebrate Hox clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hocine Rekaik
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France. https://twitter.com/@hocine_Rekaik
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.
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2
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Mañes-García J, Marco-Ferreres R, Beccari L. Shaping gene expression and its evolution by chromatin architecture and enhancer activity. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:406-437. [PMID: 38729683 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.001] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the intricate genetic programs governing embryonic development. The expression of developmental genes relies on the combined activity of several cis-regulatory elements (CREs), such as enhancers and silencers, which can be located at long linear distances from the genes that they regulate and that interact with them through establishment of chromatin loops. Mutations affecting their activity or interaction with their target genes can lead to developmental disorders and are thought to have importantly contributed to the evolution of the animal body plan. The income of next-generation-sequencing approaches has allowed identifying over a million of sequences with putative regulatory potential in the human genome. Characterizing their function and establishing gene-CREs maps is essential to decode the logic governing developmental gene expression and is one of the major challenges of the post-genomic era. Chromatin 3D organization plays an essential role in determining how CREs specifically contact their target genes while avoiding deleterious off-target interactions. Our understanding of these aspects has greatly advanced with the income of chromatin conformation capture techniques and fluorescence microscopy approaches to visualize the organization of DNA elements in the nucleus. Here we will summarize relevant aspects of how the interplay between CRE activity and chromatin 3D organization regulates developmental gene expression and how it relates to pathological conditions and the evolution of animal body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leonardo Beccari
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Afzal Z, Lange JJ, Nolte C, McKinney S, Wood C, Paulson A, De Kumar B, Unruh J, Slaughter BD, Krumlauf R. Shared retinoic acid responsive enhancers coordinately regulate nascent transcription of Hoxb coding and non-coding RNAs in the developing mouse neural tube. Development 2023; 150:dev201259. [PMID: 37102683 PMCID: PMC10233718 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201259] [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: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Signaling pathways regulate the patterns of Hox gene expression that underlie their functions in the specification of axial identity. Little is known about the properties of cis-regulatory elements and underlying transcriptional mechanisms that integrate graded signaling inputs to coordinately control Hox expression. Here, we optimized a single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) technique with probes spanning introns to evaluate how three shared retinoic acid response element (RARE)-dependent enhancers in the Hoxb cluster regulate patterns of nascent transcription in vivo at the level of single cells in wild-type and mutant embryos. We predominately detect nascent transcription of only a single Hoxb gene in each cell, with no evidence for simultaneous co-transcriptional coupling of all or specific subsets of genes. Single and/or compound RARE mutations indicate that each enhancer differentially impacts global and local patterns of nascent transcription, suggesting that selectivity and competitive interactions between these enhancers is important to robustly maintain the proper levels and patterns of nascent Hoxb transcription. This implies that rapid and dynamic regulatory interactions potentiate transcription of genes through combined inputs from these enhancers in coordinating the retinoic acid response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Afzal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christopher Wood
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Ariel Paulson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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4
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Hintermann A, Guerreiro I, Lopez-Delisle L, Bolt CC, Gitto S, Duboule D, Beccari L. Developmental and evolutionary comparative analysis of a regulatory landscape in mouse and chicken. Development 2022; 149:275867. [PMID: 35770682 PMCID: PMC9307994 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Modifications in gene regulation are driving forces in the evolution of organisms. Part of these changes involve cis-regulatory elements (CREs), which contact their target genes through higher-order chromatin structures. However, how such architectures and variations in CREs contribute to transcriptional evolvability remains elusive. We use Hoxd genes as a paradigm for the emergence of regulatory innovations, as many relevant enhancers are located in a regulatory landscape highly conserved in amniotes. Here, we analysed their regulation in murine vibrissae and chicken feather primordia, two skin appendages expressing different Hoxd gene subsets, and compared the regulation of these genes in these appendages with that in the elongation of the posterior trunk. In the two former structures, distinct subsets of Hoxd genes are contacted by different lineage-specific enhancers, probably as a result of using an ancestral chromatin topology as an evolutionary playground, whereas the gene regulation that occurs in the mouse and chicken embryonic trunk partially relies on conserved CREs. A high proportion of these non-coding sequences active in the trunk have functionally diverged between species, suggesting that transcriptional robustness is maintained, despite considerable divergence in enhancer sequences. Summary: Analyses of the relationships between chromatin architecture and regulatory activities at the HoxD locus show that ancestral transcription patterns can be maintained while new regulations evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Hintermann
- University of Geneva 1 Department of Genetics and Evolution , , 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva , Switzerland
| | - Isabel Guerreiro
- University of Geneva 1 Department of Genetics and Evolution , , 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva , Switzerland
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (EPFL ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Federal School of Technology (EPFL) 2 , 1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chase Bolt
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (EPFL ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Federal School of Technology (EPFL) 2 , 1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- University of Geneva 1 Department of Genetics and Evolution , , 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva , Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- University of Geneva 1 Department of Genetics and Evolution , , 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva , Switzerland
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (EPFL ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Federal School of Technology (EPFL) 2 , 1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
- Collège de France 3 , 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris , France
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- University of Geneva 1 Department of Genetics and Evolution , , 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva , Switzerland
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5
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Juni RP, ’t Hart KC, Houtkooper RH, Boon R. Long non‐coding RNAs in cardiometabolic disorders. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1367-1387. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rio P. Juni
- Department of Physiology Amsterdam University Medical Centers Amsterdam Cardiovascular Science Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Kelly C. ’t Hart
- Department of Physiology Amsterdam University Medical Centers Amsterdam Cardiovascular Science Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases Amsterdam University Medical Centers; Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Science, University of Amsterdam Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Riekelt H. Houtkooper
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases Amsterdam University Medical Centers; Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Science, University of Amsterdam Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Reinier Boon
- Department of Physiology Amsterdam University Medical Centers Amsterdam Cardiovascular Science Frankfurt am Main Germany
- Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration Centre for Molecular Medicine Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research DZHK Partner site Frankfurt Rhein/Main Frankfurt am Main Germany
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6
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Transcriptional Regulation and Implications for Controlling Hox Gene Expression. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10010004. [PMID: 35076545 PMCID: PMC8788451 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hox genes play key roles in axial patterning and regulating the regional identity of cells and tissues in a wide variety of animals from invertebrates to vertebrates. Nested domains of Hox expression generate a combinatorial code that provides a molecular framework for specifying the properties of tissues along the A–P axis. Hence, it is important to understand the regulatory mechanisms that coordinately control the precise patterns of the transcription of clustered Hox genes required for their roles in development. New insights are emerging about the dynamics and molecular mechanisms governing transcriptional regulation, and there is interest in understanding how these may play a role in contributing to the regulation of the expression of the clustered Hox genes. In this review, we summarize some of the recent findings, ideas and emerging mechanisms underlying the regulation of transcription in general and consider how they may be relevant to understanding the transcriptional regulation of Hox genes.
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7
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Willemin A, Lopez-Delisle L, Bolt CC, Gadolini ML, Duboule D, Rodriguez-Carballo E. Induction of a chromatin boundary in vivo upon insertion of a TAD border. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009691. [PMID: 34292939 PMCID: PMC8330945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes are partitioned into sub-megabase to megabase-sized units of preferential interactions called topologically associating domains or TADs, which are likely important for the proper implementation of gene regulatory processes. These domains provide structural scaffolds for distant cis regulatory elements to interact with their target genes within the three-dimensional nuclear space and architectural proteins such as CTCF as well as the cohesin complex participate in the formation of the boundaries between them. However, the importance of the genomic context in providing a given DNA sequence the capacity to act as a boundary element remains to be fully investigated. To address this question, we randomly relocated a topological boundary functionally associated with the mouse HoxD gene cluster and show that it can indeed act similarly outside its initial genomic context. In particular, the relocated DNA segment recruited the required architectural proteins and induced a significant depletion of contacts between genomic regions located across the integration site. The host chromatin landscape was re-organized, with the splitting of the TAD wherein the boundary had integrated. These results provide evidence that topological boundaries can function independently of their site of origin, under physiological conditions during mouse development. During development, enhancer sequences tightly regulate the spatio-temporal expression of target genes often located hundreds of kilobases away. This complex process is made possible by the folding of chromatin into domains, which are separated from one another by specific genomic regions referred to as boundaries. In order to understand whether such boundary sequences require their particular genomic contexts to achieve their isolating effect, we analyzed the impact of introducing one such boundary, taken from the HoxD locus, into a distinct topological domain. We show that this ectopic boundary splits the host domain into two sub-domains and affects the expression levels of a neighboring gene. We conclude that this sequence can work independently from its genomic context and thus carries all the information necessary to act as a boundary element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Willemin
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chase Bolt
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Laure Gadolini
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Collège de France, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (DD); (ER-C)
| | - Eddie Rodriguez-Carballo
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (DD); (ER-C)
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8
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Zhu C, Gong H, Luo P, Dong L, Zhang G, Shi X, Rong W. Oral Administration of Penicillin or Streptomycin May Alter Serum Serotonin Level and Intestinal Motility via Different Mechanisms. Front Physiol 2021; 11:605982. [PMID: 33424630 PMCID: PMC7785965 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.605982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Aims Enterochromaffin cells (EC cells) constitute the largest population of enteroendocrine cells and release serotonin (5-HT) in response to mechanical and chemical cues of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). How EC cells respond to altered microbiota such as due to antibiotic treatments remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that the pacemaker channel HCN2 might contribute to the regulation of EC cells functions and their responses to antibiotics-induced changes in intestinal flora. Methods Mice were given either penicillin or streptomycin or both in drinking water for 10 consecutive days. The changes in the profile of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum following penicillin or streptomycin treatments were tested by GC-MS. Serum 5-HT content, whole intestinal transit time, fecal water content, cecum weight and expression of HCN2 and TPH1 in cecal mucosa were measured. Ivabradine (a HCN channels blocker) was used to explore the role of HCN2 in penicillin-induced changes in 5-HT availability and intestinal motility. Results HCN2 immunofluorescence was detected on intestinal EC cells. Both penicillin and streptomycin caused significant reduction in total SCFAs in the cecum, with the penicillin-treated group showing greater reductions in butyrate, isobutyrate and isovalerate levels than the streptomycin group. The expression of HCN2 was increased in the mice treated with penicillin, whereas TPH1 expression was increased in the mice treated with streptomycin. Mice treated with antibiotics all had larger and heavier cecum, elevated serum 5-HT level and increased fecal water content. Besides, mice treated with penicillin had prolonged intestinal transit time. Intraperitoneal injection of Ivabradine attenuated the effect of penicillin on serum 5-HT level, cecum size and weight, intestinal motility, and fecal water content. Conclusion Disruptions of the intestinal flora structure due to oral administration of penicillin may significantly increase serum 5-HT level and inhibit intestinal motility, at least partially through up-regulating the expression of HCN2. Oral administration of streptomycin may alter 5-HT availability by up-regulating TPH1 expression thus increasing synthesis of 5-HT. Alterations of intestinal flora composition due to exposure to different antibiotics may regulate 5-HT availability and intestinal motility through different mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihong Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huashan Gong
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Luo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Dong
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohua Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueyin Shi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weifang Rong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Rodríguez-Carballo E, Lopez-Delisle L, Willemin A, Beccari L, Gitto S, Mascrez B, Duboule D. Chromatin topology and the timing of enhancer function at the HoxD locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31231-31241. [PMID: 33229569 PMCID: PMC7733857 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015083117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The HoxD gene cluster is critical for proper limb formation in tetrapods. In the emerging limb buds, different subgroups of Hoxd genes respond first to a proximal regulatory signal, then to a distal signal that organizes digits. These two regulations are exclusive from one another and emanate from two distinct topologically associating domains (TADs) flanking HoxD, both containing a range of appropriate enhancer sequences. The telomeric TAD (T-DOM) contains several enhancers active in presumptive forearm cells and is divided into two sub-TADs separated by a CTCF-rich boundary, which defines two regulatory submodules. To understand the importance of this particular regulatory topology to control Hoxd gene transcription in time and space, we either deleted or inverted this sub-TAD boundary, eliminated the CTCF binding sites, or inverted the entire T-DOM to exchange the respective positions of the two sub-TADs. The effects of such perturbations on the transcriptional regulation of Hoxd genes illustrate the requirement of this regulatory topology for the precise timing of gene activation. However, the spatial distribution of transcripts was eventually resumed, showing that the presence of enhancer sequences, rather than either their exact topology or a particular chromatin architecture, is the key factor. We also show that the affinity of enhancers to find their natural target genes can overcome the presence of both a strong TAD border and an unfavorable orientation of CTCF sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andréa Willemin
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bénédicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
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10
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Mammalian-specific ectodermal enhancers control the expression of Hoxc genes in developing nails and hair follicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30509-30519. [PMID: 33199643 PMCID: PMC7720164 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011078117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate Hox genes are critical for the establishment of structures during the development of the main body axis. Subsequently, they play important roles either in organizing secondary axial structures such as the appendages, or during homeostasis in postnatal stages and adulthood. Here, we set up to analyze their elusive function in the ectodermal compartment, using the mouse limb bud as a model. We report that the HoxC gene cluster was co-opted to be transcribed in the distal limb ectoderm, where it is activated following the rule of temporal colinearity. These ectodermal cells subsequently produce various keratinized organs such as nails or claws. Accordingly, deletion of the HoxC cluster led to mice lacking nails (anonychia), a condition stronger than the previously reported loss of function of Hoxc13, which is the causative gene of the ectodermal dysplasia 9 (ECTD9) in human patients. We further identified two mammalian-specific ectodermal enhancers located upstream of the HoxC gene cluster, which together regulate Hoxc gene expression in the hair and nail ectodermal organs. Deletion of these regulatory elements alone or in combination revealed a strong quantitative component in the regulation of Hoxc genes in the ectoderm, suggesting that these two enhancers may have evolved along with the mammalian taxon to provide the level of HOXC proteins necessary for the full development of hair and nail.
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11
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Gonçalves CS, Le Boiteux E, Arnaud P, Costa BM. HOX gene cluster (de)regulation in brain: from neurodevelopment to malignant glial tumours. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:3797-3821. [PMID: 32239260 PMCID: PMC11105007 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03508-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
HOX genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved homeodomain transcription factors that are crucial both during development and adult life. In humans, 39 HOX genes are arranged in four clusters (HOXA, B, C, and D) in chromosomes 7, 17, 12, and 2, respectively. During embryonic development, particular epigenetic states accompany their expression along the anterior-posterior body axis. This tightly regulated temporal-spatial expression pattern reflects their relative chromosomal localization, and is critical for normal embryonic brain development when HOX genes are mainly expressed in the hindbrain and mostly absent in the forebrain region. Epigenetic marks, mostly polycomb-associated, are dynamically regulated at HOX loci and regulatory regions to ensure the finely tuned HOX activation and repression, highlighting a crucial epigenetic plasticity necessary for homeostatic development. HOX genes are essentially absent in healthy adult brain, whereas they are detected in malignant brain tumours, namely gliomas, where HOX genes display critical roles by regulating several hallmarks of cancer. Here, we review the major mechanisms involved in HOX genes (de)regulation in the brain, from embryonic to adult stages, in physiological and oncologic conditions. We focus particularly on the emerging causes of HOX gene deregulation in glioma, as well as on their functional and clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline S Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Elisa Le Boiteux
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM-iGReD, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Philippe Arnaud
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM-iGReD, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno M Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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12
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Gentile C, Kmita M. Polycomb Repressive Complexes in Hox Gene Regulation: Silencing and Beyond: The Functional Dynamics of Polycomb Repressive Complexes in Hox Gene Regulation. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900249. [PMID: 32743818 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The coordinated expression of the Hox gene family encoding transcription factors is critical for proper embryonic development and patterning. Major efforts have thus been dedicated to understanding mechanisms controlling Hox expression. In addition to the temporal and spatial sequential activation of Hox genes, proper embryonic development requires that Hox genes get differentially silenced in a cell-type specific manner as development proceeds. Factors contributing to Hox silencing include the polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs), which control gene expression through epigenetic modifications. This review focuses on PRC-dependent regulation of the Hox genes and is aimed at integrating the growing complexity of PRC functional properties in the context of Hox regulation. In particular, mechanisms underlying PRC binding dynamics as well as a series of studies that have revealed the impact of PRC on the 3D organization of the genome is discussed, which has a significant role on Hox regulation during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gentile
- Genetics and Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Marie Kmita
- Genetics and Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H2W 1R7, Canada.,Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada
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13
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Nakato R, Wada Y, Nakaki R, Nagae G, Katou Y, Tsutsumi S, Nakajima N, Fukuhara H, Iguchi A, Kohro T, Kanki Y, Saito Y, Kobayashi M, Izumi-Taguchi A, Osato N, Tatsuno K, Kamio A, Hayashi-Takanaka Y, Wada H, Ohta S, Aikawa M, Nakajima H, Nakamura M, McGee RC, Heppner KW, Kawakatsu T, Genno M, Yanase H, Kume H, Senbonmatsu T, Homma Y, Nishimura S, Mitsuyama T, Aburatani H, Kimura H, Shirahige K. Comprehensive epigenome characterization reveals diverse transcriptional regulation across human vascular endothelial cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:77. [PMID: 31856914 PMCID: PMC6921469 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Endothelial cells (ECs) make up the innermost layer throughout the entire vasculature. Their phenotypes and physiological functions are initially regulated by developmental signals and extracellular stimuli. The underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the diverse phenotypes of ECs from different organs are not well understood. Results To characterize the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape in the vascular system, we cataloged gene expression and active histone marks in nine types of human ECs (generating 148 genome-wide datasets) and carried out a comprehensive analysis with chromatin interaction data. We developed a robust procedure for comparative epigenome analysis that circumvents variations at the level of the individual and technical noise derived from sample preparation under various conditions. Through this approach, we identified 3765 EC-specific enhancers, some of which were associated with disease-associated genetic variations. We also identified various candidate marker genes for each EC type. We found that the nine EC types can be divided into two subgroups, corresponding to those with upper-body origins and lower-body origins, based on their epigenomic landscape. Epigenomic variations were highly correlated with gene expression patterns, but also provided unique information. Most of the deferentially expressed genes and enhancers were cooperatively enriched in more than one EC type, suggesting that the distinct combinations of multiple genes play key roles in the diverse phenotypes across EC types. Notably, many homeobox genes were differentially expressed across EC types, and their expression was correlated with the relative position of each organ in the body. This reflects the developmental origins of ECs and their roles in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and wound healing. Conclusions This comprehensive analysis of epigenome characterization of EC types reveals diverse transcriptional regulation across human vascular systems. These datasets provide a valuable resource for understanding the vascular system and associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichiro Nakato
- Laboratory of Computational Genomics, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.,Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan
| | - Youichiro Wada
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan. .,Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Ryo Nakaki
- Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Genta Nagae
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Yuki Katou
- Laboratory of Genome Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Shuichi Tsutsumi
- Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Natsu Nakajima
- Laboratory of Computational Genomics, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fukuhara
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iguchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Takahide Kohro
- Department of Clinical Informatics, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Kanki
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Yutaka Saito
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.,Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
| | - Mika Kobayashi
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | | | - Naoki Osato
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kenji Tatsuno
- Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Asuka Kamio
- Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Yoko Hayashi-Takanaka
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Hiromi Wada
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.,Brain Attack Center, Ohta Memorial Hospital, Fukuyama, 720-0825, Japan
| | - Shinzo Ohta
- Brain Attack Center, Ohta Memorial Hospital, Fukuyama, 720-0825, Japan
| | - Masanori Aikawa
- The Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology and the Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiovascular Division and Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Nakajima
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Masaki Nakamura
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | | | | | - Tatsuo Kawakatsu
- Bio-Medical Department, Kurabo Industries Ltd., Neyagawa, Osaka, 572-0823, Japan
| | - Michiru Genno
- Bio-Medical Department, Kurabo Industries Ltd., Neyagawa, Osaka, 572-0823, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yanase
- Bio-Medical Department, Kurabo Industries Ltd., Neyagawa, Osaka, 572-0823, Japan
| | - Haruki Kume
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Takaaki Senbonmatsu
- Department of Cardiology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Yukio Homma
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Nishimura
- Department of Cardiology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Toutai Mitsuyama
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Aburatani
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.,Genome Science Division, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan. .,Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan. .,Laboratory of Functional Nuclear Imaging, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Katsuhiko Shirahige
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED-CREST), AMED, 1-7-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan. .,Laboratory of Genome Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
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14
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Rodríguez-Carballo E, Lopez-Delisle L, Yakushiji-Kaminatsui N, Ullate-Agote A, Duboule D. Impact of genome architecture on the functional activation and repression of Hox regulatory landscapes. BMC Biol 2019; 17:55. [PMID: 31299961 PMCID: PMC6626364 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0677-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatial organization of the mammalian genome relies upon the formation of chromatin domains of various scales. At the level of gene regulation in cis, collections of enhancer sequences define large regulatory landscapes that usually match with the presence of topologically associating domains (TADs). These domains often contain ranges of enhancers displaying similar or related tissue specificity, suggesting that in some cases, such domains may act as coherent regulatory units, with a global on or off state. By using the HoxD gene cluster, which specifies the topology of the developing limbs via highly orchestrated regulation of gene expression, as a paradigm, we investigated how the arrangement of regulatory domains determines their activity and function. RESULTS Proximal and distal cells in the developing limb express different levels of Hoxd genes, regulated by flanking 3' and 5' TADs, respectively. We characterized the effect of large genomic rearrangements affecting these two TADs, including their fusion into a single chromatin domain. We show that, within a single hybrid TAD, the activation of both proximal and distal limb enhancers globally occurred as when both TADs are intact. However, the activity of the 3' TAD in distal cells is generally increased in the fused TAD, when compared to wild type where it is silenced. Also, target gene activity in distal cells depends on whether or not these genes had previously responded to proximal enhancers, which determines the presence or absence of H3K27me3 marks. We also show that the polycomb repressive complex 2 is mainly recruited at the Hox gene cluster and can extend its coverage to far-cis regulatory sequences as long as confined to the neighboring TAD structure. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that antagonistic limb proximal and distal enhancers can exert their specific effects when positioned into the same TAD and in the absence of their genuine target genes. We also conclude that removing these target genes reduced the coverage of a regulatory landscape by chromatin marks associated with silencing, which correlates with its prolonged activity in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie Rodríguez-Carballo
- Laboratory of Developmental Genomics, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nayuta Yakushiji-Kaminatsui
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Present Address: Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohoma, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Asier Ullate-Agote
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- Laboratory of Developmental Genomics, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Collège de France, 75005, Paris, France.
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15
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Gentile C, Berlivet S, Mayran A, Paquette D, Guerard-Millet F, Bajon E, Dostie J, Kmita M. PRC2-Associated Chromatin Contacts in the Developing Limb Reveal a Possible Mechanism for the Atypical Role of PRC2 in HoxA Gene Expression. Dev Cell 2019; 50:184-196.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Abstract
Vertebrate Hox genes are clustered. This organization has a functional relevance, as the transcription of each gene in time and space depends upon its relative position within the gene cluster. Hox clusters display a high organization, and all genes are transcribed from the same DNA strand. Here, we investigate the importance of this uniform transcriptional polarity by engineering alleles where one or several transcription units are inverted, with or without a CTCF site. We observe that inversions are likely detrimental to the proper implementation of this genetic system. We propose that the enhanced organization of Hox clusters in vertebrates evolved in conjunction with the emergence of global gene regulation to optimize a coordinated response of selected subsets of target genes. In many animal species with a bilateral symmetry, Hox genes are clustered either at one or at several genomic loci. This organization has a functional relevance, as the transcriptional control applied to each gene depends upon its relative position within the gene cluster. It was previously noted that vertebrate Hox clusters display a much higher level of genomic organization than their invertebrate counterparts. The former are always more compact than the latter, they are generally devoid of repeats and of interspersed genes, and all genes are transcribed by the same DNA strand, suggesting that particular factors constrained these clusters toward a tighter structure during the evolution of the vertebrate lineage. Here, we investigate the importance of uniform transcriptional orientation by engineering several alleles within the HoxD cluster, such as to invert one or several transcription units, with or without a neighboring CTCF site. We observe that the association between the tight structure of mammalian Hox clusters and their regulation makes inversions likely detrimental to the proper implementation of this complex genetic system. We propose that the consolidation of Hox clusters in vertebrates, including transcriptional polarity, evolved in conjunction with the emergence of global gene regulation via the flanking regulatory landscapes, to optimize a coordinated response of selected subsets of target genes in cis.
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17
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Man HSJ, Marsden PA. LncRNAs and epigenetic regulation of vascular endothelium: genome positioning system and regulators of chromatin modifiers. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2019; 45:72-80. [PMID: 31125866 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the cell type-specific expression of endothelial-enriched genes. A major question has been how chromatin modifiers without inherent sequence specificity can be targeted to genomic coordinates. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as candidates for specifying genomic positioning for chromatin modifiers. However, lncRNAs function by a number of mechanisms in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Recent studies indicate the existence of endothelial-enriched lncRNAs. This review discusses lncRNA regulation in endothelial cells with a focus on four recently described nuclear-enriched lncRNAs: MANTIS, LEENE, STEEL, and GATA6-AS. This emerging work on these lncRNAs contributes to our understanding of epigenetic regulation in the vascular endothelium with links to important themes in endothelial biology, including angiogenesis and shear stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hon-Sum Jeffrey Man
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philip A Marsden
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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18
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Nolte C, De Kumar B, Krumlauf R. Hox genes: Downstream "effectors" of retinoic acid signaling in vertebrate embryogenesis. Genesis 2019; 57:e23306. [PMID: 31111645 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
One of the major regulatory challenges of animal development is to precisely coordinate in space and time the formation, specification, and patterning of cells that underlie elaboration of the basic body plan. How does the vertebrate plan for the nervous and hematopoietic systems, heart, limbs, digestive, and reproductive organs derive from seemingly similar population of cells? These systems are initially established and patterned along the anteroposterior axis (AP) by opposing signaling gradients that lead to the activation of gene regulatory networks involved in axial specification, including the Hox genes. The retinoid signaling pathway is one of the key signaling gradients coupled to the establishment of axial patterning. The nested domains of Hox gene expression, which provide a combinatorial code for axial patterning, arise in part through a differential response to retinoic acid (RA) diffusing from anabolic centers established within the embryo during development. Hence, Hox genes are important direct effectors of retinoid signaling in embryogenesis. This review focuses on describing current knowledge on the complex mechanisms and regulatory processes, which govern the response of Hox genes to RA in several tissue contexts including the nervous system during vertebrate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
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19
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Paralogous HOX13 Genes in Human Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11050699. [PMID: 31137568 PMCID: PMC6562813 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11050699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox genes (HOX in humans), an evolutionary preserved gene family, are key determinants of embryonic development and cell memory gene program. Hox genes are organized in four clusters on four chromosomal loci aligned in 13 paralogous groups based on sequence homology (Hox gene network). During development Hox genes are transcribed, according to the rule of “spatio-temporal collinearity”, with early regulators of anterior body regions located at the 3’ end of each Hox cluster and the later regulators of posterior body regions placed at the distal 5’ end. The onset of 3’ Hox gene activation is determined by Wingless-type MMTV integration site family (Wnt) signaling, whereas 5’ Hox activation is due to paralogous group 13 genes, which act as posterior-inhibitors of more anterior Hox proteins (posterior prevalence). Deregulation of HOX genes is associated with developmental abnormalities and different human diseases. Paralogous HOX13 genes (HOX A13, HOX B13, HOX C13 and HOX D13) also play a relevant role in tumor development and progression. In this review, we will discuss the role of paralogous HOX13 genes regarding their regulatory mechanisms during carcinogenesis and tumor progression and their use as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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20
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Reassessing the Role of Hox Genes during Vertebrate Development and Evolution. Trends Genet 2018; 34:209-217. [PMID: 29269261 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Since their discovery Hox genes have been at the core of the established models explaining the development and evolution of the vertebrate body plan as well as its paired appendages. Recent work brought new light to their role in the patterning processes along the main body axis. These studies show that Hox genes do not control the basic layout of the vertebrate body plan but carry out region-specific patterning instructions loaded on the derivatives of axial progenitors by Hox-independent processes. Furthermore, the finding that Hox clusters are embedded in functional chromatin domains, which critically impacts their expression, has significantly altered our understanding of the mechanisms of Hox gene regulation. This new conceptual framework has broadened our understanding of both limb development and the evolution of vertebrate paired appendages.
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21
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A novel long non-coding RNA, lncKBTBD10, involved in bovine skeletal muscle myogenesis. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2018; 55:25-35. [PMID: 30465303 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-018-0306-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating skeletal muscle myogenesis, a highly coordinated multistep biological process. However, most studies of lncRNAs have focused on humans, mouse, and other model animals. In this study, we identified a novel lncRNA, named lncKBTBD10, located in the nucleus and involved in the proliferation and differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells. Prediction of coding potential and in vitro translation system illustrated that lncKBTBD10 has no encoding capability. With the process of myogenic differentiation, the expression of lncKBTBD10 gradually increased. To elucidate the functions of lncKBTBD10 during myogenesis, the gain/loss-of-function experiments were performed. Results showed that the proliferation and differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells were all suppressed whether lncKBTBD10 was knocked down or over-expressed. Furthermore, we found that lncKBTBD10 may affect its proximity gene KBTBD10 to involve in myogenesis. Results indicated that the protein level of KBTBD10 was all diminished after induced differentiation for 2 d in differentiation medium (DM2) whether lncKBTBD10 was knocked down or over-expressed. It may support why the altering of lncKBTBD10 can suppress the proliferation and differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells. In short, our study elucidated that lncKBTBD10 could induce a decrease of KBTBD10 protein and further to affect bovine skeletal muscle myogenesis. The novel identified lncKBTBD10 may provide a reference for lncRNAs involved in myogenesis of bovine skeletal muscle.
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22
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Botti G, De Chiara A, Di Bonito M, Cerrone M, Malzone MG, Collina F, Cantile M. Noncoding RNAs within the
HOX
gene network in tumor pathogenesis and progression. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:395-413. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Botti
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Anna De Chiara
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Maurizio Di Bonito
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Margherita Cerrone
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Malzone
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Francesca Collina
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
| | - Monica Cantile
- Department of Support for Oncological Pathways Diagnostic Area, Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione “G. Pascale” Napoli Italy
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23
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Amaral PP, Leonardi T, Han N, Viré E, Gascoigne DK, Arias-Carrasco R, Büscher M, Pandolfini L, Zhang A, Pluchino S, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Nakaya HI, Hemberg M, Shiekhattar R, Enright AJ, Kouzarides T. Genomic positional conservation identifies topological anchor point RNAs linked to developmental loci. Genome Biol 2018; 19:32. [PMID: 29540241 PMCID: PMC5853149 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian genome is transcribed into large numbers of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), but the definition of functional lncRNA groups has proven difficult, partly due to their low sequence conservation and lack of identified shared properties. Here we consider promoter conservation and positional conservation as indicators of functional commonality. RESULTS We identify 665 conserved lncRNA promoters in mouse and human that are preserved in genomic position relative to orthologous coding genes. These positionally conserved lncRNA genes are primarily associated with developmental transcription factor loci with which they are coexpressed in a tissue-specific manner. Over half of positionally conserved RNAs in this set are linked to chromatin organization structures, overlapping binding sites for the CTCF chromatin organiser and located at chromatin loop anchor points and borders of topologically associating domains (TADs). We define these RNAs as topological anchor point RNAs (tapRNAs). Characterization of these noncoding RNAs and their associated coding genes shows that they are functionally connected: they regulate each other's expression and influence the metastatic phenotype of cancer cells in vitro in a similar fashion. Furthermore, we find that tapRNAs contain conserved sequence domains that are enriched in motifs for zinc finger domain-containing RNA-binding proteins and transcription factors, whose binding sites are found mutated in cancers. CONCLUSIONS This work leverages positional conservation to identify lncRNAs with potential importance in genome organization, development and disease. The evidence that many developmental transcription factors are physically and functionally connected to lncRNAs represents an exciting stepping-stone to further our understanding of genome regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo P. Amaral
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Tommaso Leonardi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Namshik Han
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
- Present address: The Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Emmanuelle Viré
- Present address: MRC Prion Unit, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square House, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Dennis K. Gascoigne
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Raúl Arias-Carrasco
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Magdalena Büscher
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Luca Pandolfini
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Anda Zhang
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Stefano Pluchino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Helder I. Nakaya
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 580, São Paulo, 05508 Brazil
| | - Martin Hemberg
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Ramin Shiekhattar
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Anton J. Enright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP UK
| | - Tony Kouzarides
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
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24
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Saha P, Verma S, Pathak RU, Mishra RK. Long Noncoding RNAs in Mammalian Development and Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1008:155-198. [PMID: 28815540 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5203-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Following analysis of sequenced genomes and transcriptome of many eukaryotes, it is evident that virtually all protein-coding genes have already been discovered. These advances have highlighted an intriguing paradox whereby the relative amount of protein-coding sequences remain constant but nonprotein-coding sequences increase consistently in parallel to increasing evolutionary complexity. It is established that differences between species map to nonprotein-coding regions of the genome that surprisingly is transcribed extensively. These transcripts regulate epigenetic processes and constitute an important layer of regulatory information essential for organismal development and play a causative role in diseases. The noncoding RNA-directed regulatory circuit controls complex characteristics. Sequence variations in noncoding RNAs influence evolution, quantitative traits, and disease susceptibility. This chapter presents an account on a class of such noncoding transcripts that are longer than 200 nucleotides (long noncoding RNA-lncRNA) in mammalian development and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parna Saha
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Shreekant Verma
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Rashmi U Pathak
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
| | - Rakesh K Mishra
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
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25
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Abstract
Collinear regulation of Hox genes in space and time has been an outstanding question ever since the initial work of Ed Lewis in 1978. Here we discuss recent advances in our understanding of this phenomenon in relation to novel concepts associated with large-scale regulation and chromatin structure during the development of both axial and limb patterns. We further discuss how this sequential transcriptional activation marks embryonic stem cell-like axial progenitors in mammals and, consequently, how a temporal genetic system is further translated into spatial coordinates via the fate of these progenitors. In this context, we argue the benefit and necessity of implementing this unique mechanism as well as the difficulty in evolving an alternative strategy to deliver this critical positional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Deschamps
- Hubrecht Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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26
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Rodríguez-Carballo E, Lopez-Delisle L, Zhan Y, Fabre PJ, Beccari L, El-Idrissi I, Huynh THN, Ozadam H, Dekker J, Duboule D. The HoxD cluster is a dynamic and resilient TAD boundary controlling the segregation of antagonistic regulatory landscapes. Genes Dev 2017; 31:2264-2281. [PMID: 29273679 PMCID: PMC5769770 DOI: 10.1101/gad.307769.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian HoxD cluster lies between two topologically associating domains (TADs) matching distinct enhancer-rich regulatory landscapes. During limb development, the telomeric TAD controls the early transcription of Hoxd genes in forearm cells, whereas the centromeric TAD subsequently regulates more posterior Hoxd genes in digit cells. Therefore, the TAD boundary prevents the terminal Hoxd13 gene from responding to forearm enhancers, thereby allowing proper limb patterning. To assess the nature and function of this CTCF-rich DNA region in embryos, we compared chromatin interaction profiles between proximal and distal limb bud cells isolated from mutant stocks where various parts of this boundary region were removed. The resulting progressive release in boundary effect triggered inter-TAD contacts, favored by the activity of the newly accessed enhancers. However, the boundary was highly resilient, and only a 400-kb deletion, including the whole-gene cluster, was eventually able to merge the neighboring TADs into a single structure. In this unified TAD, both proximal and distal limb enhancers nevertheless continued to work independently over a targeted transgenic reporter construct. We propose that the whole HoxD cluster is a dynamic TAD border and that the exact boundary position varies depending on both the transcriptional status and the developmental context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ye Zhan
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Pierre J Fabre
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Imane El-Idrissi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thi Hanh Nguyen Huynh
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Ozadam
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Job Dekker
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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27
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Abstract
During embryonic development, Hox genes participate in the building of a functional digestive system in metazoans, and genetic conditions involving these genes lead to important, sometimes lethal, growth retardation. Recently, this phenotype was obtained after deletion of Haglr, the Hoxd antisense growth-associated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) located between Hoxd1 and Hoxd3 In this study, we have analyzed the function of Hoxd genes in delayed growth trajectories by looking at several nested targeted deficiencies of the mouse HoxD cluster. Mutant pups were severely stunted during the suckling period, but many recovered after weaning. After comparing seven distinct HoxD alleles, including CRISPR/Cas9 deletions involving Haglr, we identified Hoxd3 as the critical component for the gut to maintain milk-digestive competence. This essential function could be abrogated by the dominant-negative effect of HOXD10 as shown by a genetic rescue approach, thus further illustrating the importance of posterior prevalence in Hox gene function. A role for the lncRNA Haglr in the control of postnatal growth could not be corroborated.
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28
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Darbellay F, Duboule D. Topological Domains, Metagenes, and the Emergence of Pleiotropic Regulations at Hox Loci. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 116:299-314. [PMID: 26970625 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hox gene clusters of jaw vertebrates display a tight genomic organization, which has no equivalent in any other bilateria genomes sequenced thus far. It was previously argued that such a topological consolidation toward a condensed, metagenic structure was due to the accumulation of long-range regulations flanking Hox loci, a phenomenon made possible by the successive genome duplications that occurred at the root of the vertebrate lineage, similar to gene neofunctionalization but applied to a coordinated multigenic system. Here, we propose that the emergence of such large vertebrate regulatory landscapes containing a range of global enhancers was greatly facilitated by the presence of topologically associating domains (TADs). These chromatin domains, mostly constitutive, may have been used as genomic niches where novel regulations could evolve due to both the preexistence of a structural backbone poised to integrate novel regulatory inputs, and a highly adaptive transcriptional readout. We propose a scenario for the coevolution of such TADs and the emergence of pleiotropy at ancestral vertebrate Hox loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Darbellay
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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29
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Guo Y, Wang J, Zhu M, Zeng R, Xu Z, Li G, Zuo B. Identification of MyoD-Responsive Transcripts Reveals a Novel Long Non-coding RNA (lncRNA-AK143003) that Negatively Regulates Myoblast Differentiation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2828. [PMID: 28588232 PMCID: PMC5460278 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03071-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Myogenic differentiation factor (MyoD) is a master transcription factor in muscle development and differentiation. Although several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) linked to MyoD have been found to influence muscle development, the functions of many lncRNAs have not been explored. Here we utilized lncRNA and mRNA microarray analysis to identify potential lncRNAs regulated by MyoD in muscle cells. A total of 997 differentially expressed lncRNAs (335 up-regulated and 662 down-regulated) and 1,817 differentially expressed mRNAs (148 up-regulated and 1,669 down-regulated) were identified after MyoD knockdown in C2C12 cells. Functional predictions suggested that most lncRNAs are involved in the biological pathways related to muscle differentiation and cell cycle with co-expressed genes. To gain further insight into the MyoD-mediated lncRNA expression in muscle differentiation, tissue expression profiles and MyoD overexpression were performed, and we found one of the candidate lncRNAs-AK143003 was significantly regulated by MyoD. Further analyses showed its noncoding ability and cytoplasmic localisation. Silencing of AK143003 stimulated the accumulation of myogenic marker genes, whereas AK143003 overexpression led to their decreased synthesis. This study identified a multitude of MyoD-mediated lncRNAs for further investigation and identified a novel lncRNA, lnc-AK143003, which plays a role in controlling muscle differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Guo
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Jingnan Wang
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Mingfei Zhu
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Rui Zeng
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Zaiyan Xu
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Guoliang Li
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China
| | - Bo Zuo
- 0000 0004 1790 4137grid.35155.37Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture & Key Laboratory of Agriculture Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei P.R. China ,grid.35155.370000 0004 1790 4137The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070 China
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30
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Pradeepa MM, McKenna F, Taylor GCA, Bengani H, Grimes GR, Wood AJ, Bhatia S, Bickmore WA. Psip1/p52 regulates posterior Hoxa genes through activation of lncRNA Hottip. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006677. [PMID: 28384324 PMCID: PMC5383017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in various biological functions including the regulation of gene expression, however, the functionality of lncRNAs is not clearly understood and conflicting conclusions have often been reached when comparing different methods to investigate them. Moreover, little is known about the upstream regulation of lncRNAs. Here we show that the short isoform (p52) of a transcriptional co-activator-PC4 and SF2 interacting protein (Psip1), which is known to be involved in linking transcription to RNA processing, specifically regulates the expression of the lncRNA Hottip-located at the 5' end of the Hoxa locus. Using both knockdown and knockout approaches we show that Hottip expression is required for activation of the 5' Hoxa genes (Hoxa13 and Hoxa10/11) and for retaining Mll1 at the 5' end of Hoxa. Moreover, we demonstrate that artificially inducing Hottip expression is sufficient to activate the 5' Hoxa genes and that Hottip RNA binds to the 5' end of Hoxa. By engineering premature transcription termination, we show that it is the Hottip lncRNA molecule itself, not just Hottip transcription that is required to maintains active expression of posterior Hox genes. Our data show a direct role for a lncRNA molecule in regulating the expression of developmentally-regulated mRNA genes in cis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madapura M. Pradeepa
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- School of biological sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Fionnuala McKenna
- School of biological sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian C. A. Taylor
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant Bengani
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Graeme R. Grimes
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Wood
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Shipra Bhatia
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy A. Bickmore
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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31
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Guay CL, McQuade ST, Nam J. Single embryo-resolution quantitative analysis of reporters permits multiplex spatial cis -regulatory analysis. Dev Biol 2017; 422:92-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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32
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Neijts R, Amin S, van Rooijen C, Deschamps J. Cdx is crucial for the timing mechanism driving colinear Hox activation and defines a trunk segment in the Hox cluster topology. Dev Biol 2016; 422:146-154. [PMID: 28041967 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cdx and Hox transcription factors are important regulators of axial patterning and are required for tissue generation along the vertebrate body axis. Cdx genes have been demonstrated to act upstream of Hox genes in midgestation embryos. Here, we investigate the role of Cdx transcription factors in the gradual colinear activation of the Hox clusters. We found that Hox temporally colinear expression is severely affected in epiblast stem cells derived from Cdx null embryos. We demonstrate that after initiation of 3' Hox gene transcription, Cdx activity is crucial for H3K27ac deposition and for accessibility of cis-regulatory elements around the central - or 'trunk' - Hox genes. We thereby identify a Cdx-responsive segment of HoxA, immediately 5' to the recently defined regulatory domain orchestrating initial transcription of the first Hox gene. We propose that this partition of HoxA into a Wnt-driven 3' part and the newly found Cdx-dependent middle segment of the cluster, forms a structural fundament of Hox colinearity of expression. Subsequently to initial Wnt-induced activation of 3' Hox genes, Cdx transcription factors would act as crucial effectors for activating central Hox genes, until the last gene of the cluster arrests the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Neijts
- Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, and UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Shilu Amin
- Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, and UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carina van Rooijen
- Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, and UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline Deschamps
- Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, and UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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33
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Control of Hoxd gene transcription in the mammary bud by hijacking a preexisting regulatory landscape. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E7720-E7729. [PMID: 27856734 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617141113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate Hox genes encode transcription factors operating during the development of multiple organs and structures. However, the evolutionary mechanism underlying this remarkable pleiotropy remains to be fully understood. Here, we show that Hoxd8 and Hoxd9, two genes of the HoxD complex, are transcribed during mammary bud (MB) development. However, unlike in other developmental contexts, their coexpression does not rely on the same regulatory mechanism. Hoxd8 is regulated by the combined activity of closely located sequences and the most distant telomeric gene desert. On the other hand, Hoxd9 is controlled by an enhancer-rich region that is also located within the telomeric gene desert but has no impact on Hoxd8 transcription, thus constituting an exception to the global regulatory logic systematically observed at this locus. The latter DNA region is also involved in Hoxd gene regulation in other contexts and strongly interacts with Hoxd9 in all tissues analyzed thus far, indicating that its regulatory activity was already operational before the appearance of mammary glands. Within this DNA region and neighboring a strong limb enhancer, we identified a short sequence conserved in therian mammals and capable of enhancer activity in the MBs. We propose that Hoxd gene regulation in embryonic MBs evolved by hijacking a preexisting regulatory landscape that was already at work before the emergence of mammals in structures such as the limbs or the intestinal tract.
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34
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Guerreiro I, Gitto S, Novoa A, Codourey J, Nguyen Huynh TH, Gonzalez F, Milinkovitch MC, Mallo M, Duboule D. Reorganisation of Hoxd regulatory landscapes during the evolution of a snake-like body plan. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27476854 PMCID: PMC4969037 DOI: 10.7554/elife.16087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Within land vertebrate species, snakes display extreme variations in their body plan, characterized by the absence of limbs and an elongated morphology. Such a particular interpretation of the basic vertebrate body architecture has often been associated with changes in the function or regulation of Hox genes. Here, we use an interspecies comparative approach to investigate different regulatory aspects at the snake HoxD locus. We report that, unlike in other vertebrates, snake mesoderm-specific enhancers are mostly located within the HoxD cluster itself rather than outside. In addition, despite both the absence of limbs and an altered Hoxd gene regulation in external genitalia, the limb-associated bimodal HoxD chromatin structure is maintained at the snake locus. Finally, we show that snake and mouse orthologous enhancer sequences can display distinct expression specificities. These results show that vertebrate morphological evolution likely involved extensive reorganisation at Hox loci, yet within a generally conserved regulatory framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Guerreiro
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ana Novoa
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Julien Codourey
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Federico Gonzalez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Moises Mallo
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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35
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Schmitz SU, Grote P, Herrmann BG. Mechanisms of long noncoding RNA function in development and disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:2491-509. [PMID: 27007508 PMCID: PMC4894931 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2174-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 752] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Since decades it has been known that non-protein-coding RNAs have important cellular functions. Deep sequencing recently facilitated the discovery of thousands of novel transcripts, now classified as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in many vertebrate and invertebrate species. LncRNAs are involved in a wide range of cellular mechanisms, from almost all aspects of gene expression to protein translation and stability. Recent findings implicate lncRNAs as key players of cellular differentiation, cell lineage choice, organogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Moreover, lncRNAs are involved in pathological conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, and therefore provide novel biomarkers and pharmaceutical targets. Here we discuss examples illustrating the versatility of lncRNAs in gene control, development and differentiation, as well as in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra U Schmitz
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestr. 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Phillip Grote
- Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Center for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bernhard G Herrmann
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestr. 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute for Medical Genetics, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charite-University Medicine Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
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36
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Beccari L, Yakushiji-Kaminatsui N, Woltering JM, Necsulea A, Lonfat N, Rodríguez-Carballo E, Mascrez B, Yamamoto S, Kuroiwa A, Duboule D. A role for HOX13 proteins in the regulatory switch between TADs at the HoxD locus. Genes Dev 2016; 30:1172-86. [PMID: 27198226 PMCID: PMC4888838 DOI: 10.1101/gad.281055.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
During vertebrate limb development, Hoxd genes are regulated following a bimodal strategy involving two topologically associating domains (TADs) located on either side of the gene cluster. These regulatory landscapes alternatively control different subsets of Hoxd targets, first into the arm and subsequently into the digits. We studied the transition between these two global regulations, a switch that correlates with the positioning of the wrist, which articulates these two main limb segments. We show that the HOX13 proteins themselves help switch off the telomeric TAD, likely through a global repressive mechanism. At the same time, they directly interact with distal enhancers to sustain the activity of the centromeric TAD, thus explaining both the sequential and exclusive operating processes of these two regulatory domains. We propose a model in which the activation of Hox13 gene expression in distal limb cells both interrupts the proximal Hox gene regulation and re-enforces the distal regulation. In the absence of HOX13 proteins, a proximal limb structure grows without any sign of wrist articulation, likely related to an ancestral fish-like condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | | | - Joost M Woltering
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Anamaria Necsulea
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Lonfat
- School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Benedicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Shiori Yamamoto
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kuroiwa
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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37
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Visualizing the HoxD Gene Cluster at the Nanoscale Level. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2016; 80:9-16. [PMID: 26767994 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2015.80.027177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Transcription of HoxD cluster genes in limbs is coordinated by two topologically associating domains (TADs), neighboring the cluster and containing various enhancers. Here, we use a combination of microscopy approaches and chromosome conformation capture to assess the structural changes occurring in this global architecture in various functional states. We observed that despite their spatial juxtaposition, the TADs are consistently kept as distinct three-dimensional units. Hox genes located at their boundary can show significant spatial segregation over long distances, suggesting that physical elongation of the HoxD cluster occurs. The use of superresolution imaging (STORM [stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy]) revealed that the gene cluster can be in an either compact or elongated shape. The latter configuration is observed in transcriptionally active tissue and in embryonic stem cells, consistent with chromosome conformation capture results. Such morphological changes at HoxD in developing digits seem to be associated with its position at the boundary between two TADs and support the idea that chromatin dynamics is important in the establishment of transcriptional activity.
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38
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De Kumar B, Krumlauf R. HOXs and lincRNAs: Two sides of the same coin. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501402. [PMID: 27034976 PMCID: PMC4805430 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The clustered Hox genes play fundamental roles in regulation of axial patterning and elaboration of the basic body plan in animal development. There are common features in the organization and regulatory landscape of Hox clusters associated with their highly conserved functional roles. The presence of transcribed noncoding sequences embedded within the vertebrate Hox clusters is providing insight into a new layer of regulatory information associated with Hox genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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39
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Verdin H, Fernández-Miñán A, Benito-Sanz S, Janssens S, Callewaert B, De Waele K, De Schepper J, François I, Menten B, Heath KE, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, De Baere E. Profiling of conserved non-coding elements upstream of SHOX and functional characterisation of the SHOX cis-regulatory landscape. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17667. [PMID: 26631348 PMCID: PMC4668379 DOI: 10.1038/srep17667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic defects such as copy number variations (CNVs) in non-coding regions containing conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) outside the transcription unit of their target gene, can underlie genetic disease. An example of this is the short stature homeobox (SHOX) gene, regulated by seven CNEs located downstream and upstream of SHOX, with proven enhancer capacity in chicken limbs. CNVs of the downstream CNEs have been reported in many idiopathic short stature (ISS) cases, however, only recently have a few CNVs of the upstream enhancers been identified. Here, we set out to provide insight into: (i) the cis-regulatory role of these upstream CNEs in human cells, (ii) the prevalence of upstream CNVs in ISS, and (iii) the chromatin architecture of the SHOX cis-regulatory landscape in chicken and human cells. Firstly, luciferase assays in human U2OS cells, and 4C-seq both in chicken limb buds and human U2OS cells, demonstrated cis-regulatory enhancer capacities of the upstream CNEs. Secondly, CNVs of these upstream CNEs were found in three of 501 ISS patients. Finally, our 4C-seq interaction map of the SHOX region reveals a cis-regulatory domain spanning more than 1 Mb and harbouring putative new cis-regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Verdin
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ana Fernández-Miñán
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sara Benito-Sanz
- Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Janssens
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Jean De Schepper
- Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Inge François
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karen E Heath
- Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Elfride De Baere
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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40
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Remeseiro S, Hörnblad A, Spitz F. Gene regulation during development in the light of topologically associating domains. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 5:169-85. [PMID: 26558551 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, complex transcriptional programs govern the precision of gene expression. Many key developmental genes are regulated via cis-regulatory elements that are located far away in the linear genome. How sequences located hundreds of kilobases away from a promoter can influence its activity has been the subject of numerous speculations, which all underline the importance of the 3D-organization of the genome. The recent advent of chromosome conformation capture techniques has put into focus the subdivision of the genome into topologically associating domains (TADs). TADs may influence regulatory activities on multiple levels. The relative invariance of TAD limits across cell types suggests that they may form fixed structural domains that could facilitate and/or confine long-range regulatory interactions. However, most recent studies suggest that interactions within TADs are more variable and dynamic than initially described. Hence, different models are emerging regarding how TADs shape the complex 3D conformations, and thereafter influence the networks of cis-interactions that govern gene expression during development. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Remeseiro
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Hörnblad
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Spitz
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
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41
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Nanoscale spatial organization of the HoxD gene cluster in distinct transcriptional states. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:13964-9. [PMID: 26504220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1517972112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin condensation plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Recently, it was shown that the transcriptional activation of Hoxd genes during vertebrate digit development involves modifications in 3D interactions within and around the HoxD gene cluster. This reorganization follows a global transition from one set of regulatory contacts to another, between two topologically associating domains (TADs) located on either side of the HoxD locus. Here, we use 3D DNA FISH to assess the spatial organization of chromatin at and around the HoxD gene cluster and report that although the two TADs are tightly associated, they appear as spatially distinct units. We measured the relative position of genes within the cluster and found that they segregate over long distances, suggesting that a physical elongation of the HoxD cluster can occur. We analyzed this possibility by super-resolution imaging (STORM) and found that tissues with distinct transcriptional activity exhibit differing degrees of elongation. We also observed that the morphological change of the HoxD cluster in developing digits is associated with its position at the boundary between the two TADs. Such variations in the fine-scale architecture of the gene cluster suggest causal links among its spatial configuration, transcriptional activation, and the flanking chromatin context.
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42
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Structure, function and evolution of topologically associating domains (TADs) at HOX loci. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:2869-76. [PMID: 25913784 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes encode transcription factors necessary for patterning the major developing anterior to posterior embryonic axis. In addition, during vertebrate evolution, various subsets of this gene family were co-opted along with the emergence of novel body structures, such as the limbs or the external genitalia. The morphogenesis of these axial structures thus relies in part upon the precisely controlled transcription of specific Hox genes, a mechanism involving multiple long-range enhancers. Recently, it was reported that such regulatory mechanisms were largely shared between different developing tissues, though with some specificities, suggesting the recruitment of ancestral regulatory modalities from one tissue to another. The analysis of chromatin architectures at HoxD and HoxA loci revealed the existence of two flanking topologically associating domains (TADs), precisely encompassing the adjacent regulatory landscapes. Here, we discuss the function of these TADs in the control of Hox gene regulation and we speculate about their capacity to serve as structural frameworks for the emergence of novel enhancers. In this view, TADs may have been used as genomic niches to evolve pleiotropic regulations found at many developmental loci.
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43
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Markenscoff-Papadimitriou E, Allen WE, Colquitt BM, Goh T, Murphy KK, Monahan K, Mosley CP, Ahituv N, Lomvardas S. Enhancer interaction networks as a means for singular olfactory receptor expression. Cell 2014; 159:543-57. [PMID: 25417106 PMCID: PMC4243057 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptional activation of one out of ?2800 olfactory receptor (OR) alleles is a poorly understood process. Here, we identify a plethora of putative OR enhancers and study their in vivo activity in olfactory neurons. Distinguished by an unusual epigenetic signature, candidate OR enhancers are characterized by extensive interchromosomal interactions associated with OR transcription and share a similar pattern of transcription factor footprints. In particular, we establish the role of the transcription factor Bptf as a facilitator of both enhancer interactions and OR transcription. Our observations agree with the model whereby OR transcription occurs in the context of multiple interacting enhancers. Disruption of these interchromosomal interactions results in weak and multigenic OR expression, suggesting that the rare coincidence of numerous enhancers over a stochastically chosen OR may account for the singularity and robustness in OR transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William E Allen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Bradley M Colquitt
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tracie Goh
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Karl K Murphy
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kevin Monahan
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Colleen P Mosley
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stavros Lomvardas
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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44
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Bassett AR, Akhtar A, Barlow DP, Bird AP, Brockdorff N, Duboule D, Ephrussi A, Ferguson-Smith AC, Gingeras TR, Haerty W, Higgs DR, Miska EA, Ponting CP. Considerations when investigating lncRNA function in vivo. eLife 2014; 3:e03058. [PMID: 25124674 PMCID: PMC4132285 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a small number of the vast array of animal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have known effects on cellular processes examined in vitro, the extent of their contributions to normal cell processes throughout development, differentiation and disease for the most part remains less clear. Phenotypes arising from deletion of an entire genomic locus cannot be unequivocally attributed either to the loss of the lncRNA per se or to the associated loss of other overlapping DNA regulatory elements. The distinction between cis- or trans-effects is also often problematic. We discuss the advantages and challenges associated with the current techniques for studying the in vivo function of lncRNAs in the light of different models of lncRNA molecular mechanism, and reflect on the design of experiments to mutate lncRNA loci. These considerations should assist in the further investigation of these transcriptional products of the genome. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03058.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Bassett
- Andrew R Bassett is in the MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Asifa Akhtar
- Asifa Akhtar is in the Department of Chromatin Regulation, Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie und Epigenetik, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Denise P Barlow
- Denise P Barlow is in the CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrian P Bird
- Adrian P Bird is in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Brockdorff
- Neil Brockdorff is in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Duboule
- Denis Duboule is in the School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Genetics and Evolution, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anne Ephrussi
- Anne Ephrussi is in the Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne C Ferguson-Smith
- Anne C Ferguson-Smith is in the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas R Gingeras
- Thomas R Gingeras is in the Functional Genomics Group, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States
| | - Wilfried Haerty
- Wilfried Haerty is in the MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- Douglas R Higgs is in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A Miska
- Eric A Miska is in the Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chris P Ponting
- Chris P Ponting is in the MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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45
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Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pervasively expressed in mammals, although their functions during development remain poorly understood. In this issue of Cell Reports, Delpretti et al. and Li et al. suggest essential roles for lncRNAs in coordinating Hox gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Dasen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, NYU Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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46
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Hox gene regulation and timing in embryogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 34:76-84. [PMID: 24930771 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes are critical regulators of embryonic development in bilaterian animals. They exhibit a unique mode of transcriptional regulation where the position of the genes along the chromosome corresponds to the time and place of their expression during development. The sequential temporal activation of these genes in the primitive streak helps determining their subsequent pattern of expression along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo, yet the precise correspondence between these two collinear processes is not fully understood. In addition, vertebrate Hox genes evolved similar modes of regulation along secondary body axes, such as the developing limbs. We review the current understanding of the mechanisms operating during activation, maintenance and silencing of Hox gene expression in these various contexts, and discuss the evolutionary significance of their genomic organization.
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47
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Schwarzer W, Spitz F. The architecture of gene expression: integrating dispersed cis-regulatory modules into coherent regulatory domains. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2014; 27:74-82. [PMID: 24907448 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2014.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Specificity and precision of expression are essential for the genes that regulate developmental processes. The specialized cis-acting modules, such as enhancers, that define gene expression patterns can be distributed across large regions, raising questions about the nature of the mechanisms that underline their action. Recent data has exposed the structural 3D context in which these long-range enhancers are operating. Here, we present how these studies shed new light on principles driving long-distance regulatory relationships. We discuss the molecular mechanisms that enable and accompany the action of long-range acting elements and the integration of multiple distributed regulatory inputs into the coherent and specific regulatory programs that are key to embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wibke Schwarzer
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Spitz
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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48
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Noordermeer D, Leleu M, Schorderet P, Joye E, Chabaud F, Duboule D. Temporal dynamics and developmental memory of 3D chromatin architecture at Hox gene loci. eLife 2014; 3:e02557. [PMID: 24843030 PMCID: PMC4017647 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hox genes are essential regulators of embryonic development. Their step-wise transcriptional activation follows their genomic topology and the various states of activation are subsequently memorized into domains of progressively overlapping gene products. We have analyzed the 3D chromatin organization of Hox clusters during their early activation in vivo, using high-resolution circular chromosome conformation capture. Initially, Hox clusters are organized as single chromatin compartments containing all genes and bivalent chromatin marks. Transcriptional activation is associated with a dynamic bi-modal 3D organization, whereby the genes switch autonomously from an inactive to an active compartment. These local 3D dynamics occur within a framework of constitutive interactions within the surrounding Topological Associated Domains, indicating that this regulation process is mostly cluster intrinsic. The step-wise progression in time is fixed at various body levels and thus can account for the chromatin architectures previously described at a later stage for different anterior to posterior levels.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02557.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Noordermeer
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marion Leleu
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Schorderet
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Molecular Biology, Harvard University, Boston, United States
| | - Elisabeth Joye
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Chabaud
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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49
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Symmons O, Uslu VV, Tsujimura T, Ruf S, Nassari S, Schwarzer W, Ettwiller L, Spitz F. Functional and topological characteristics of mammalian regulatory domains. Genome Res 2014; 24:390-400. [PMID: 24398455 PMCID: PMC3941104 DOI: 10.1101/gr.163519.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Long-range regulatory interactions play an important role in shaping gene-expression programs. However, the genomic features that organize these activities are still poorly characterized. We conducted a large operational analysis to chart the distribution of gene regulatory activities along the mouse genome, using hundreds of insertions of a regulatory sensor. We found that enhancers distribute their activities along broad regions and not in a gene-centric manner, defining large regulatory domains. Remarkably, these domains correlate strongly with the recently described TADs, which partition the genome into distinct self-interacting blocks. Different features, including specific repeats and CTCF-binding sites, correlate with the transition zones separating regulatory domains, and may help to further organize promiscuously distributed regulatory influences within large domains. These findings support a model of genomic organization where TADs confine regulatory activities to specific but large regulatory domains, contributing to the establishment of specific gene expression profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Symmons
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Veli Vural Uslu
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Taro Tsujimura
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandra Ruf
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sonya Nassari
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wibke Schwarzer
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laurence Ettwiller
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, 69111 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Spitz
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Hacisuleyman E, Goff LA, Trapnell C, Williams A, Henao-Mejia J, Sun L, McClanahan P, Hendrickson DG, Sauvageau M, Kelley DR, Morse M, Engreitz J, Lander ES, Guttman M, Lodish HF, Flavell R, Raj A, Rinn JL. Topological organization of multichromosomal regions by the long intergenic noncoding RNA Firre. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2014; 21:198-206. [PMID: 24463464 PMCID: PMC3950333 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 465] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA, including long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), is known to be an abundant and important structural component of the nuclear matrix. However, the molecular identities, functional roles and localization dynamics of lncRNAs that influence nuclear architecture remain poorly understood. Here, we describe one lncRNA, Firre, that interacts with the nuclear-matrix factor hnRNPU through a 156-bp repeating sequence and localizes across an ~5-Mb domain on the X chromosome. We further observed Firre localization across five distinct trans-chromosomal loci, which reside in spatial proximity to the Firre genomic locus on the X chromosome. Both genetic deletion of the Firre locus and knockdown of hnRNPU resulted in loss of colocalization of these trans-chromosomal interacting loci. Thus, our data suggest a model in which lncRNAs such as Firre can interface with and modulate nuclear architecture across chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezgi Hacisuleyman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Loyal A. Goff
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam Williams
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jorge Henao-Mejia
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lei Sun
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick McClanahan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David G. Hendrickson
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martin Sauvageau
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David R. Kelley
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Morse
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jesse Engreitz
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric S. Lander
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mitch Guttman
- Department of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Harvey F. Lodish
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Richard Flavell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John L. Rinn
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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