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Xu L, Chen XJ, Yan Q, Lei XT, Liu HL, Xu JP, Shang WT, Huang JL, Chen ZT, Tan XL, Lin HJ, Fu XH, Zheng LS, Lan P, Huang Y. Zinc finger protein 180 induces an apoptotic phenotype by activating METTL14 transcriptional activity in colorectal cancer. Oncol Rep 2024; 52:125. [PMID: 39054954 PMCID: PMC11294910 DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger protein 180 (ZNF180) is a multifunctional protein that interacts with nucleic acids and regulates various cellular processes; however, the function of ZNF180 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. The present study investigated the role and function of ZNF180 in CRC, and aimed to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism. The results revealed that ZNF180 was downregulated in CRC tissues and was associated with a good prognosis in patients with CRC. Additionally, the expression of ZNF180 was downregulated by methylation in CRC. In vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that ZNF180 overexpression was functionally associated with the inhibition of cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. Mechanistically, chromatin immunoprecipitation‑PCR and luciferase assays demonstrated that ZNF180 markedly regulated the transcriptional activity of methyltransferase 14, N6‑adenosine‑methyltransferase non‑catalytic subunit (METTL14) by directly binding to and activating its promoter region. Simultaneous overexpression of ZNF180 and knockdown of METTL14 indicated that the reduction of METTL14 could suppress the effects of ZNF180 on the induction of apoptosis. Clinically, the present study observed a significant positive correlation between ZNF180 and METTL14 expression levels, and low expression of ZNF180 and METTL14 predicted a poor prognosis in CRC. Overall, these findings revealed a novel mechanism by which the ZNF180/METTL14 axis may modulate apoptosis and cell proliferation in CRC. This evidence suggests that this axis may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Xu
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Xi-Jie Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Qian Yan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- Department of General Surgery (Colorectal Surgery), The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Tao Lei
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Ling Liu
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Jing-Ping Xu
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Te Shang
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Jing-Lin Huang
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Ting Chen
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Li Tan
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Han-Jie Lin
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Hui Fu
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Li-Sheng Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Ping Lan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- Department of General Surgery (Colorectal Surgery), The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
- Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, P.R. China
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2
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Waite JB, Boytz R, Traeger AR, Lind TM, Lumbao-Conradson K, Torigoe SE. A suboptimal OCT4-SOX2 binding site facilitates the naïve-state specific function of a Klf4 enhancer. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0311120. [PMID: 39348365 PMCID: PMC11441684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311120] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancers have critical functions in the precise, spatiotemporal control of transcription during development. It is thought that enhancer grammar, or the characteristics and arrangements of transcription factor binding sites, underlie the specific functions of developmental enhancers. In this study, we sought to identify grammatical constraints that direct enhancer activity in the naïve state of pluripotency, focusing on the enhancers for the naïve-state specific gene, Klf4. Using a combination of biochemical tests, reporter assays, and endogenous mutations in mouse embryonic stem cells, we have studied the binding sites for the transcription factors OCT4 and SOX2. We have found that the three Klf4 enhancers contain suboptimal OCT4-SOX2 composite binding sites. Substitution with a high-affinity OCT4-SOX2 binding site in Klf4 enhancer E2 rescued enhancer function and Klf4 expression upon loss of the ESRRB and STAT3 binding sites. We also observed that the low-affinity of the OCT4-SOX2 binding site is crucial to drive the naïve-state specific activities of Klf4 enhancer E2. Altogether, our work suggests that the affinity of OCT4-SOX2 binding sites could facilitate enhancer functions in specific states of pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack B Waite
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - RuthMabel Boytz
- Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Alexis R Traeger
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Torrey M Lind
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Koya Lumbao-Conradson
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Sharon E Torigoe
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Biology Department, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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3
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Das S, Rai SN. Predicting the Effect of miRNA on Gene Regulation to Foster Translational Multi-Omics Research-A Review on the Role of Super-Enhancers. Noncoding RNA 2024; 10:45. [PMID: 39195574 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna10040045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene regulation is crucial for cellular function and homeostasis. It involves diverse mechanisms controlling the production of specific gene products and contributing to tissue-specific variations in gene expression. The dysregulation of genes leads to disease, emphasizing the need to understand these mechanisms. Computational methods have jointly studied transcription factors (TFs), microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) to investigate gene regulatory networks. However, there remains a knowledge gap in comprehending gene regulatory networks. On the other hand, super-enhancers (SEs) have been implicated in miRNA biogenesis and function in recent experimental studies, in addition to their pivotal roles in cell identity and disease progression. However, statistical/computational methodologies harnessing the potential of SEs in deciphering gene regulation networks remain notably absent. However, to understand the effect of miRNA on mRNA, existing statistical/computational methods could be updated, or novel methods could be developed by accounting for SEs in the model. In this review, we categorize existing computational methods that utilize TF and miRNA data to understand gene regulatory networks into three broad areas and explore the challenges of integrating enhancers/SEs. The three areas include unraveling indirect regulatory networks, identifying network motifs, and enriching pathway identification by dissecting gene regulators. We hypothesize that addressing these challenges will enhance our understanding of gene regulation, aiding in the identification of therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers. We believe that constructing statistical/computational models that dissect the role of SEs in predicting the effect of miRNA on gene regulation is crucial for tackling these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmistha Das
- Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Cancer Data Science Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Biostatistics, Health Informatics and Data Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Shesh N Rai
- Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Cancer Data Science Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Biostatistics, Health Informatics and Data Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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4
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Titus KR, Simandi Z, Chandrashekar H, Paquet D, Phillips-Cremins JE. Cell-type-specific loops linked to RNA polymerase II elongation in human neural differentiation. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100606. [PMID: 38991604 PMCID: PMC11406193 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
DNA is folded into higher-order structures that shape and are shaped by genome function. The role of long-range loops in the establishment of new gene expression patterns during cell fate transitions remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the link between cell-specific loops and RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) during neural lineage commitment. We find thousands of loops decommissioned or gained de novo upon differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and post-mitotic neurons. During hiPSC-to-NPC and NPC-to-neuron transitions, genes changing from RNA Pol II initiation to elongation are >4-fold more likely to anchor cell-specific loops than repressed genes. Elongated genes exhibit significant mRNA upregulation when connected in cell-specific promoter-enhancer loops but not invariant promoter-enhancer loops or promoter-promoter loops or when unlooped. Genes transitioning from repression to RNA Pol II initiation exhibit a slight mRNA increase independent of loop status. Our data link cell-specific loops and robust RNA Pol II-mediated elongation during neural cell fate transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn R Titus
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zoltan Simandi
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Harshini Chandrashekar
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dominik Paquet
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Jennifer E Phillips-Cremins
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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5
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Yao L, Xie P, Guan J, Chung CR, Huang Y, Pang Y, Wu H, Chiang YC, Lee TY. CapsEnhancer: An Effective Computational Framework for Identifying Enhancers Based on Chaos Game Representation and Capsule Network. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:5725-5736. [PMID: 38946113 PMCID: PMC11267569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are a class of noncoding DNA, serving as crucial regulatory elements in governing gene expression by binding to transcription factors. The identification of enhancers holds paramount importance in the field of biology. However, traditional experimental methods for enhancer identification demand substantial human and material resources. Consequently, there is a growing interest in employing computational methods for enhancer prediction. In this study, we propose a two-stage framework based on deep learning, termed CapsEnhancer, for the identification of enhancers and their strengths. CapsEnhancer utilizes chaos game representation to encode DNA sequences into unique images and employs a capsule network to extract local and global features from sequence "images". Experimental results demonstrate that CapsEnhancer achieves state-of-the-art performance in both stages. In the first and second stages, the accuracy surpasses the previous best methods by 8 and 3.5%, reaching accuracies of 94.5 and 95%, respectively. Notably, this study represents the pioneering application of computer vision methods to enhancer identification tasks. Our work not only contributes novel insights to enhancer identification but also provides a fresh perspective for other biological sequence analysis tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lantian Yao
- Kobilka
Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- School
of Science and Engineering, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Peilin Xie
- Kobilka
Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jiahui Guan
- School
of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Chia-Ru Chung
- Department
of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 320317, Taiwan
| | - Yixian Huang
- School
of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Yuxuan Pang
- Division
of Health Medical Intelligence, Human Genome Center, The Institute
of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Huacong Wu
- School
of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Ying-Chih Chiang
- Kobilka
Institute of Innovative Drug Discovery, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- School
of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Tzong-Yi Lee
- Institute
of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National
Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300093, Taiwan
- Center
for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300093, Taiwan
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6
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Rosales Larios MF, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. Genome Biol 2024; 25:156. [PMID: 38872220 PMCID: PMC11170920 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. CpG islands (CGIs) have recently been shown to influence enhancer activity, and here we test how their turnover across species contributes to enhancer evolution. RESULTS We integrate maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and find that CGI content in enhancers is strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs show widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs are strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs show concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily V Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Zoetis, Inc, 333 Portage St, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Genome Biology and Epigenetics, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - James P Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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7
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Falo-Sanjuan J, Diaz-Tirado Y, Turner MA, Davis J, Medrano C, Haines J, McKenna J, Eisen MB, Garcia HG. Targeted mutagenesis of specific genomic DNA sequences in animals for the in vivo generation of variant libraries. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.598328. [PMID: 38915503 PMCID: PMC11195090 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.598328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how the number, placement and affinity of transcription factor binding sites dictates gene regulatory programs remains a major unsolved challenge in biology, particularly in the context of multicellular organisms. To uncover these rules, it is first necessary to find the binding sites within a regulatory region with high precision, and then to systematically modulate this binding site arrangement while simultaneously measuring the effect of this modulation on output gene expression. Massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs), where the gene expression stemming from 10,000s of in vitro-generated regulatory sequences is measured, have made this feat possible in high-throughput in single cells in culture. However, because of lack of technologies to incorporate DNA libraries, MPRAs are limited in whole organisms. To enable MPRAs in multicellular organisms, we generated tools to create a high degree of mutagenesis in specific genomic loci in vivo using base editing. Targeting GFP integrated in genome of Drosophila cell culture and whole animals as a case study, we show that the base editor AIDevoCDA1 stemming from sea lamprey fused to nCas9 is highly mutagenic. Surprisingly, longer gRNAs increase mutation efficiency and expand the mutating window, which can allow the introduction of mutations in previously untargetable sequences. Finally, we demonstrate arrays of >20 gRNAs that can efficiently introduce mutations along a 200bp sequence, making it a promising tool to test enhancer function in vivo in a high throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Falo-Sanjuan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yuliana Diaz-Tirado
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Meghan A. Turner
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Julian Davis
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Claudia Medrano
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jenna Haines
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joey McKenna
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael B. Eisen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hernan G. Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences-QB3, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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8
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Struhl K. Non-canonical functions of enhancers: regulation of RNA polymerase III transcription, DNA replication, and V(D)J recombination. Trends Genet 2024; 40:471-479. [PMID: 38643034 PMCID: PMC11152991 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.04.001] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are the key regulators of other DNA-based processes by virtue of their unique ability to generate nucleosome-depleted regions in a highly regulated manner. Enhancers regulate cell-type-specific transcription of tRNA genes by RNA polymerase III (Pol III). They are also responsible for the binding of the origin replication complex (ORC) to DNA replication origins, thereby regulating origin utilization, replication timing, and replication-dependent chromosome breaks. Additionally, enhancers regulate V(D)J recombination by increasing access of the recombination-activating gene (RAG) recombinase to target sites and by generating non-coding enhancer RNAs and localized regions of trimethylated histone H3-K4 recognized by the RAG2 PHD domain. Thus, enhancers represent the first step in decoding the genome, and hence they regulate biological processes that, unlike RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription, do not have dedicated regulatory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Struhl
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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9
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Gahan JM, Helfrich LW, Wetzel LA, Bhanu NV, Yuan ZF, Garcia BA, Klose R, Booth DS. Chromatin profiling identifies putative dual roles for H3K27me3 in regulating transposons and cell type-specific genes in choanoflagellates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.28.596151. [PMID: 38854040 PMCID: PMC11160669 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.28.596151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Gene expression is tightly controlled during animal development to allow the formation of specialized cell types. Our understanding of how animals evolved this exquisite regulatory control remains elusive, but evidence suggests that changes in chromatin-based mechanisms may have contributed. To investigate this possibility, here we examine chromatin-based gene regulatory features in the closest relatives of animals, choanoflagellates. Using Salpingoeca rosetta as a model system, we examined chromatin accessibility and histone modifications at the genome scale and compared these features to gene expression. We first observed that accessible regions of chromatin are primarily associated with gene promoters and found no evidence of distal gene regulatory elements resembling the enhancers that animals deploy to regulate developmental gene expression. Remarkably, a histone modification deposited by polycomb repressive complex 2, histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), appeared to function similarly in S. rosetta to its role in animals, because this modification decorated genes with cell type-specific expression. Additionally, H3K27me3 marked transposons, retaining what appears to be an ancestral role in regulating these elements. We further uncovered a putative new bivalent chromatin state at cell type-specific genes that consists of H3K27me3 and histone H3 lysine 4 mono-methylation (H3K4me1). Together, our discoveries support the scenario that gene-associated histone modification states that underpin development emerged before the evolution of animal multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Gahan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Present Address: Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Lily W. Helfrich
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute / University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Present Address: Benchling
| | - Laura A. Wetzel
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute / University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Present Address: BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc
| | - Natarajan V. Bhanu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Zuo-Fei Yuan
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rob Klose
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David S. Booth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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10
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Gu Y, Wei K, Wang J. Phase separation and transcriptional regulation in cancer development. J Biomed Res 2024; 38:307-321. [PMID: 39113127 PMCID: PMC11300516 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.37.20230214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation, a novel biochemical phenomenon, has been increasingly studied for its medical applications. It underlies the formation of membrane-less organelles and is involved in many cellular and biological processes. During transcriptional regulation, dynamic condensates are formed through interactions between transcriptional elements, such as transcription factors, coactivators, and mediators. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation, but the precise mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis often remain to be elucidated. Emerging evidence has linked abnormal transcriptional condensates to several diseases, especially cancer, implying that phase separation plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Condensates formed by phase separation may have an effect on gene transcription in tumors. In the present review, we focus on the correlation between phase separation and transcriptional regulation, as well as how this phenomenon contributes to cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
| | - Ke Wei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
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11
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He J, Huo X, Pei G, Jia Z, Yan Y, Yu J, Qu H, Xie Y, Yuan J, Zheng Y, Hu Y, Shi M, You K, Li T, Ma T, Zhang MQ, Ding S, Li P, Li Y. Dual-role transcription factors stabilize intermediate expression levels. Cell 2024; 187:2746-2766.e25. [PMID: 38631355 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Precise control of gene expression levels is essential for normal cell functions, yet how they are defined and tightly maintained, particularly at intermediate levels, remains elusive. Here, using a series of newly developed sequencing, imaging, and functional assays, we uncover a class of transcription factors with dual roles as activators and repressors, referred to as condensate-forming level-regulating dual-action transcription factors (TFs). They reduce high expression but increase low expression to achieve stable intermediate levels. Dual-action TFs directly exert activating and repressing functions via condensate-forming domains that compartmentalize core transcriptional unit selectively. Clinically relevant mutations in these domains, which are linked to a range of developmental disorders, impair condensate selectivity and dual-action TF activity. These results collectively address a fundamental question in expression regulation and demonstrate the potential of level-regulating dual-action TFs as powerful effectors for engineering controlled expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinnan He
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiangru Huo
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Gaofeng Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zeran Jia
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yiming Yan
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiawei Yu
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haozhi Qu
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yunxin Xie
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Junsong Yuan
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuan Zheng
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yanyan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Minglei Shi
- Bioinformatics Division, National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kaiqiang You
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Tianhua Ma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Michael Q Zhang
- Bioinformatics Division, National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Systems Biology, The University of Texas, Dallas, TX 75080-3021, USA
| | - Sheng Ding
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pilong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yinqing Li
- The IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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12
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Sabarís G, Ortíz DM, Laiker I, Mayansky I, Naik S, Cavalli G, Stern DL, Preger-Ben Noon E, Frankel N. The Density of Regulatory Information Is a Major Determinant of Evolutionary Constraint on Noncoding DNA in Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae004. [PMID: 38364113 PMCID: PMC10871701 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary analyses have estimated that ∼60% of nucleotides in intergenic regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome are functionally relevant, suggesting that regulatory information may be encoded more densely in intergenic regions than has been revealed by most functional dissections of regulatory DNA. Here, we approached this issue through a functional dissection of the regulatory region of the gene shavenbaby (svb). Most of the ∼90 kb of this large regulatory region is highly conserved in the genus Drosophila, though characterized enhancers occupy a small fraction of this region. By analyzing the regulation of svb in different contexts of Drosophila development, we found that the regulatory information that drives svb expression in the abdominal pupal epidermis is organized in a different way than the elements that drive svb expression in the embryonic epidermis. While in the embryonic epidermis svb is activated by compact enhancers separated by large inactive DNA regions, svb expression in the pupal epidermis is driven by regulatory information distributed over broader regions of svb cis-regulatory DNA. In the same vein, we observed that other developmental genes also display a dense distribution of putative regulatory elements in their regulatory regions. Furthermore, we found that a large percentage of conserved noncoding DNA of the Drosophila genome is contained within regions of open chromatin. These results suggest that part of the evolutionary constraint on noncoding DNA of Drosophila is explained by the density of regulatory information, which may be greater than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Sabarís
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniela M Ortíz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Ian Laiker
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Mayansky
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Sujay Naik
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Giacomo Cavalli
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ella Preger-Ben Noon
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Nicolás Frankel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
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13
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de Almeida BP, Schaub C, Pagani M, Secchia S, Furlong EEM, Stark A. Targeted design of synthetic enhancers for selected tissues in the Drosophila embryo. Nature 2024; 626:207-211. [PMID: 38086418 PMCID: PMC10830412 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06905-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers control gene expression and have crucial roles in development and homeostasis1-3. However, the targeted de novo design of enhancers with tissue-specific activities has remained challenging. Here we combine deep learning and transfer learning to design tissue-specific enhancers for five tissues in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo: the central nervous system, epidermis, gut, muscle and brain. We first train convolutional neural networks using genome-wide single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) datasets and then fine-tune the convolutional neural networks with smaller-scale data from in vivo enhancer activity assays, yielding models with 13% to 76% positive predictive value according to cross-validation. We designed and experimentally assessed 40 synthetic enhancers (8 per tissue) in vivo, of which 31 (78%) were active and 27 (68%) functioned in the target tissue (100% for central nervous system and muscle). The strategy of combining genome-wide and small-scale functional datasets by transfer learning is generally applicable and should enable the design of tissue-, cell type- and cell state-specific enhancers in any system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo P de Almeida
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- InstaDeep, Paris, France
| | - Christoph Schaub
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Pagani
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefano Secchia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eileen E M Furlong
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Uebbing S, Kocher AA, Baumgartner M, Ji Y, Bai S, Xing X, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. Evolutionary innovation in conserved regulatory elements across the mammalian tree of life. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578197. [PMID: 38352419 PMCID: PMC10862883 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancers orchestrate cell type- and time point-specific gene expression programs. Evolution of enhancer sequences can alter target gene expression without causing detrimental misexpression in other contexts. It has long been thought that this modularity allows evolutionary changes in enhancers to escape pleiotropic constraints, which is especially important for evolutionary constrained developmental patterning genes. However, there is still little data supporting this hypothesis. Here we identified signatures of accelerated evolution in conserved enhancer elements across the mammalian phylogeny. We found that pleiotropic genes involved in gene regulatory and developmental processes were enriched for accelerated sequence evolution within their enhancer elements. These genes were associated with an excess number of enhancers compared to other genes, and due to this they exhibit a substantial degree of sequence acceleration over all their enhancers combined. We provide evidence that sequence acceleration is associated with turnover of regulatory function. We studied one acceleration event in depth and found that its sequence evolution led to the emergence of a new enhancer activity domain that may be involved in the evolution of digit reduction in hoofed mammals. Our results provide tangible evidence that enhancer evolution has been a frequent contributor to modifications involving constrained developmental signaling genes in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Genome Biology and Epigenetics, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Acadia A Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Present address: Division of Molecular Genetics, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yu Ji
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Suxia Bai
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Xiaojun Xing
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Timothy Nottoli
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
| | - James P Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven CT, USA
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15
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Gomez Ramos B, Ohnmacht J, de Lange N, Valceschini E, Ginolhac A, Catillon M, Ferrante D, Rakovic A, Halder R, Massart F, Arena G, Antony P, Bolognin S, Klein C, Krause R, Schulz MH, Sauter T, Krüger R, Sinkkonen L. Multiomics analysis identifies novel facilitators of human dopaminergic neuron differentiation. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:254-285. [PMID: 38177910 PMCID: PMC10897179 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-023-00024-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDANs) control voluntary movement, cognition, and reward behavior under physiological conditions and are implicated in human diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Many transcription factors (TFs) controlling human mDAN differentiation during development have been described, but much of the regulatory landscape remains undefined. Using a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) human iPSC reporter line, we here generate time series transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles of purified mDANs during differentiation. Integrative analysis predicts novel regulators of mDAN differentiation and super-enhancers are used to identify key TFs. We find LBX1, NHLH1 and NR2F1/2 to promote mDAN differentiation and show that overexpression of either LBX1 or NHLH1 can also improve mDAN specification. A more detailed investigation of TF targets reveals that NHLH1 promotes the induction of neuronal miR-124, LBX1 regulates cholesterol biosynthesis, and NR2F1/2 controls neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Gomez Ramos
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Jochen Ohnmacht
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Nikola de Lange
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Elena Valceschini
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Aurélien Ginolhac
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Marie Catillon
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Daniele Ferrante
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Aleksandar Rakovic
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rashi Halder
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - François Massart
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Giuseppe Arena
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Paul Antony
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Silvia Bolognin
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, 23538, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Roland Krause
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Marcel H Schulz
- Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner site Rhein-Main, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Sauter
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Rejko Krüger
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), L-1210, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), L-1445, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Lasse Sinkkonen
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine (DLSM), University of Luxembourg, L-4362, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
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16
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Li M, Ni QY, Yu SY. Integration of single-cell transcriptomics and epigenetic analysis reveals enhancer-controlled TIMP1 as a regulator of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer. Genes Genomics 2024; 46:121-133. [PMID: 38032469 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01474-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent non-apoptotic programmed cell death. However, the regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of enhancer-controlled genes in ferroptosis in CRC. METHODS Dimensionality reduction and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identification were conducted using Seurat algorithm based on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the GSE200997 dataset. Ferroptosis-related pathway enrichment analysis was performed using the FerrDb V2 database. Enhancers were identified using HOMER algorithm based on H3K27ac ChIP-seq data from the GSE166254 dataset. Kaplan-Meier Plotter online tool was used to analyze prognosis and gene expression correlation. Transcription factors were predicted using the transcription factor affinity prediction web tool. The binding of enhancer to transcription factor and H3K27ac enrichment were detected by ChIP-qPCR. RSL3 was used to induce ferroptosis in CRC cells. Gene transcription was detected by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay. RESULTS Nine cell clusters including T cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, mast cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, goblet cells, B cells and dendritic cells were identified in CRC and normal colonic tissue samples. Compared to normal colonic tissue-derived epithelial cells, 1075 DEGs were screened in CRC tissue-derived epithelial cells. Ferroptosis-related pathway enrichment suggested that DEGs were associated with the regulation of ferroptosis. DPEP1, ETV4, CEBPG, TIMP1, DUOX2 and LCN2 were identified as the significantly upregulated genes enriched in the "ferroptosis regulator" term, and their H3K27ac signals were significantly higher in CRC tissues than in normal colonic tissues. Of these, only the expression of TIMP1 predicted a poor prognosis of CRC patients. Transcription factor SPI1 drove TIMP1 transcription by binding to its enhancer. Overexpression of TIMP1 significantly promoted the resistance to ferroptosis induced by RSL3 in CRC cells, which was partially restored by SPI1 knockdown. CONCLUSION Transcription of TIMP1 was driven by transcription factor SPI1 in combination with its enhancer, consequently promoting CRC cells against ferroptosis. The SPI1/TIMP1 axis confers ferroptosis resistance in CRC, and thus has the potential to be the molecular targets for CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, China
| | - Qian-Yang Ni
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, China
| | - Su-Yang Yu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, China.
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17
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Johnson MR, Mallarino R. Genome-Wide Profiling of Cis-regulatory Elements in Mammalian Skin. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2805:127-135. [PMID: 39008178 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3854-5_8] [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: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The modulation of cis-regulatory elements (e.g., enhancers and promoters) is a major mechanism by which gene expression can be controlled in a temporal and spatially restricted manner. However, methods for both identifying these elements and inferring their activity are limited and often require a substantial investment of time, money, and resources. Here, using mammalian skin as a model, we demonstrate a streamlined protocol by which these hurdles can be overcome using a novel chromatin profiling technique (CUT&RUN) to map histone modifications genome-wide. This protocol can be used to map the location and activity of putative cis-regulatory elements, providing mechanistic insight into how differential gene expression is controlled in mammalian tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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18
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Syed S, Lim B. Multi-labeling Live Imaging to Quantify Gene Expression Dynamics During Drosophila Embryonic Development. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2805:137-151. [PMID: 39008179 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3854-5_9] [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: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Transcription in developing metazoans is inherently stochastic, involving transient and dynamic interactions among transcriptional machinery. A fundamental challenge with traditional techniques, including fixed-tissue protein and RNA staining, is the lack of temporal resolution. Quantifying kinetic changes in transcription can elucidate underlying mechanisms of interaction among regulatory modules. In this protocol, we describe the successful implementation of a combination of MS2/MCP and PP7/PCP systems in living Drosophila embryos to further our understanding of transcriptional dynamics during development. Our technique can be extended to visualize transcriptional activities of multiple genes or alleles simultaneously, characterize allele-specific expression of a target gene, and quantitatively analyze RNA polymerase II activity in a single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahla Syed
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bomyi Lim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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19
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Titus KR, Simandi Z, Chandrashekar H, Paquet D, Phillips-Cremins JE. Cell type-specific loops linked to RNA polymerase II elongation in human neural differentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.04.569731. [PMID: 38106199 PMCID: PMC10723365 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.04.569731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
DNA is folded into higher-order structures that shape and are shaped by genome function. The role for long-range loops in the establishment of new gene expression patterns during cell fate transitions remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the link between cell-specific loops and RNA polymerase II (RNAPolII) during neural lineage commitment. We find thousands of loops decommissioned or gained de novo upon differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to neural progenitors (NPCs) and post-mitotic neurons. During hiPSC-to-NPC and NPC-to-neuron transitions, genes changing from RNAPolII initiation to elongation are >4-fold more likely to anchor cell-specific loops than repressed genes. Elongated genes exhibit significant mRNA upregulation when connected in cell-specific promoter-enhancer loops but not invariant promoter-enhancer loops, promoter-promoter loops, or unlooped. Genes transitioning from repression to RNAPolII initiation exhibit slight mRNA increase independent of loop status. Our data link cell-specific loops and robust RNAPolII-mediated elongation during neural cell fate transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn R Titus
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Zoltan Simandi
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Harshini Chandrashekar
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Dominik Paquet
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Ludwig Maximilians Universitat, Munich, Germany
| | - Jennifer E Phillips-Cremins
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
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20
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Jindal GA, Bantle AT, Solvason JJ, Grudzien JL, D'Antonio-Chronowska A, Lim F, Le SH, Song BP, Ragsac MF, Klie A, Larsen RO, Frazer KA, Farley EK. Single-nucleotide variants within heart enhancers increase binding affinity and disrupt heart development. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2206-2216.e5. [PMID: 37848026 PMCID: PMC10720985 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancers direct precise gene expression patterns during development and harbor the majority of variants associated with phenotypic diversity, evolutionary adaptations, and disease. Pinpointing which enhancer variants contribute to changes in gene expression and phenotypes is a major challenge. Here, we find that suboptimal or low-affinity binding sites are necessary for precise gene expression during heart development. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) can optimize the affinity of ETS binding sites, causing gain-of-function (GOF) gene expression, cell migration defects, and phenotypes as severe as extra beating hearts in the marine chordate Ciona robusta. In human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes, a SNV within a human GATA4 enhancer increases ETS binding affinity and causes GOF enhancer activity. The prevalence of suboptimal-affinity sites within enhancers creates a vulnerability whereby affinity-optimizing SNVs can lead to GOF gene expression, changes in cellular identity, and organismal-level phenotypes that could contribute to the evolution of novel traits or diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Granton A Jindal
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexis T Bantle
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joe J Solvason
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jessica L Grudzien
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Fabian Lim
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sophia H Le
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Benjamin P Song
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michelle F Ragsac
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam Klie
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Reid O Larsen
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kelly A Frazer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emma K Farley
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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21
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Tan Y, Yan X, Sun J, Wan J, Li X, Huang Y, Li L, Niu L, Hou C. Genome-wide enhancer identification by massively parallel reporter assay in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:234-250. [PMID: 37387536 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are critical cis-regulatory elements controlling gene expression during cell development and differentiation. However, genome-wide enhancer characterization has been challenging due to the lack of a well-defined relationship between enhancers and genes. Function-based methods are the gold standard for determining the biological function of cis-regulatory elements; however, these methods have not been widely applied to plants. Here, we applied a massively parallel reporter assay on Arabidopsis to measure enhancer activities across the genome. We identified 4327 enhancers with various combinations of epigenetic modifications distinctively different from animal enhancers. Furthermore, we showed that enhancers differ from promoters in their preference for transcription factors. Although some enhancers are not conserved and overlap with transposable elements forming clusters, enhancers are generally conserved across thousand Arabidopsis accessions, suggesting they are selected under evolution pressure and could play critical roles in the regulation of important genes. Moreover, comparison analysis reveals that enhancers identified by different strategies do not overlap, suggesting these methods are complementary in nature. In sum, we systematically investigated the features of enhancers identified by functional assay in A. thaliana, which lays the foundation for further investigation into enhancers' functional mechanisms in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaohao Yan
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jialei Sun
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jing Wan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Health and Precision Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yingzhang Huang
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Longjian Niu
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Health and Precision Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunhui Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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22
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Bragdon MDJ, Patel N, Chuang J, Levien E, Bashor CJ, Khalil AS. Cooperative assembly confers regulatory specificity and long-term genetic circuit stability. Cell 2023; 186:3810-3825.e18. [PMID: 37552983 PMCID: PMC10528910 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
A ubiquitous feature of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation is cooperative self-assembly between transcription factors (TFs) and DNA cis-regulatory motifs. It is thought that this strategy enables specific regulatory connections to be formed in gene networks between otherwise weakly interacting, low-specificity molecular components. Here, using synthetic gene circuits constructed in yeast, we find that high regulatory specificity can emerge from cooperative, multivalent interactions among artificial zinc-finger-based TFs. We show that circuits "wired" using the strategy of cooperative TF assembly are effectively insulated from aberrant misregulation of the host cell genome. As we demonstrate in experiments and mathematical models, this mechanism is sufficient to rescue circuit-driven fitness defects, resulting in genetic and functional stability of circuits in long-term continuous culture. Our naturally inspired approach offers a simple, generalizable means for building high-fidelity, evolutionarily robust gene circuits that can be scaled to a wide range of host organisms and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan D J Bragdon
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nikit Patel
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - James Chuang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ethan Levien
- Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Caleb J Bashor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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23
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Yan M, Tsukasaki M, Muro R, Ando Y, Nakamura K, Komatsu N, Nitta T, Okamura T, Okamoto K, Takayanagi H. Identification of an intronic enhancer regulating RANKL expression in osteocytic cells. Bone Res 2023; 11:43. [PMID: 37563119 PMCID: PMC10415388 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-023-00277-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The bony skeleton is continuously renewed throughout adult life by the bone remodeling process, in which old or damaged bone is removed by osteoclasts via largely unknown mechanisms. Osteocytes regulate bone remodeling by producing the osteoclast differentiation factor RANKL (encoded by the TNFSF11 gene). However, the precise mechanisms underlying RANKL expression in osteocytes are still elusive. Here, we explored the epigenomic landscape of osteocytic cells and identified a hitherto-undescribed osteocytic cell-specific intronic enhancer in the TNFSF11 gene locus. Bioinformatics analyses showed that transcription factors involved in cell death and senescence act on this intronic enhancer region. Single-cell transcriptomic data analysis demonstrated that cell death signaling increased RANKL expression in osteocytic cells. Genetic deletion of the intronic enhancer led to a high-bone-mass phenotype with decreased levels of RANKL in osteocytic cells and osteoclastogenesis in the adult stage, while RANKL expression was not affected in osteoblasts or lymphocytes. These data suggest that osteocytes may utilize a specialized regulatory element to facilitate osteoclast formation at the bone surface to be resorbed by linking signals from cellular senescence/death and RANKL expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglu Yan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Tsukasaki
- Department of Osteoimmunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Ryunosuke Muro
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaro Ando
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Nakamura
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Sensory and Motor System Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Komatsu
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nitta
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Okamura
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okamoto
- Department of Osteoimmunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takayanagi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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24
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Kaucka M. Cis-regulatory landscapes in the evolution and development of the mammalian skull. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220079. [PMID: 37183897 PMCID: PMC10184250 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive morphological variation found in mammals reflects the wide spectrum of their ecological adaptations. The highest morphological diversity is present in the craniofacial region, where geometry is mainly dictated by the bony skull. Mammalian craniofacial development represents complex multistep processes governed by numerous conserved genes that require precise spatio-temporal control. A central question in contemporary evolutionary biology is how a defined set of conserved genes can orchestrate formation of fundamentally different structures, and therefore how morphological variability arises. In principle, differential gene expression patterns during development are the source of morphological variation. With the emergence of multicellular organisms, precise regulation of gene expression in time and space is attributed to cis-regulatory elements. These elements contribute to higher-order chromatin structure and together with trans-acting factors control transcriptional landscapes that underlie intricate morphogenetic processes. Consequently, divergence in cis-regulation is believed to rewire existing gene regulatory networks and form the core of morphological evolution. This review outlines the fundamental principles of the genetic code and genomic regulation interplay during development. Recent work that deepened our comprehension of cis-regulatory element origin, divergence and function is presented here to illustrate the state-of-the-art research that uncovered the principles of morphological novelty. This article is part of the theme issue 'The mammalian skull: development, structure and function'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Kaucka
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
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25
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Phan LT, Oh C, He T, Manavalan B. A comprehensive revisit of the machine-learning tools developed for the identification of enhancers in the human genome. Proteomics 2023; 23:e2200409. [PMID: 37021401 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202200409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are non-coding DNA elements that play a crucial role in enhancing the transcription rate of a specific gene in the genome. Experiments for identifying enhancers can be restricted by their conditions and involve complicated, time-consuming, laborious, and costly steps. To overcome these challenges, computational platforms have been developed to complement experimental methods that enable high-throughput identification of enhancers. Over the last few years, the development of various enhancer computational tools has resulted in significant progress in predicting putative enhancers. Thus, researchers are now able to use a variety of strategies to enhance and advance enhancer study. In this review, an overview of machine learning (ML)-based prediction methods for enhancer identification and related databases has been provided. The existing enhancer-prediction methods have also been reviewed regarding their algorithms, feature selection processes, validation techniques, and software utility. In addition, the advantages and drawbacks of these ML approaches and guidelines for developing bioinformatic tools have been highlighted for a more efficient enhancer prediction. This review will serve as a useful resource for experimentalists in selecting the appropriate ML tool for their study, and for bioinformaticians in developing more accurate and advanced ML-based predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Thi Phan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Changmin Oh
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Tao He
- Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Balachandran Manavalan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
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26
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Brückner DB, Chen H, Barinov L, Zoller B, Gregor T. Stochastic motion and transcriptional dynamics of pairs of distal DNA loci on a compacted chromosome. Science 2023; 380:1357-1362. [PMID: 37384691 PMCID: PMC10439308 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf5568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomes in the eukaryotic nucleus are highly compacted. However, for many functional processes, including transcription initiation, the pairwise motion of distal chromosomal elements such as enhancers and promoters is essential and necessitates dynamic fluidity. Here, we used a live-imaging assay to simultaneously measure the positions of pairs of enhancers and promoters and their transcriptional output while systematically varying the genomic separation between these two DNA loci. Our analysis reveals the coexistence of a compact globular organization and fast subdiffusive dynamics. These combined features cause an anomalous scaling of polymer relaxation times with genomic separation leading to long-ranged correlations. Thus, encounter times of DNA loci are much less dependent on genomic distance than predicted by existing polymer models, with potential consequences for eukaryotic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Brückner
- Institute of Science and Technology, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Hongtao Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Lev Barinov
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin Zoller
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS UMR3738 Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Gregor
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS UMR3738 Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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27
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Ziyani C, Delaneau O, Ribeiro DM. Multimodal single cell analysis infers widespread enhancer co-activity in a lymphoblastoid cell line. Commun Biol 2023; 6:563. [PMID: 37237005 PMCID: PMC10219981 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04954-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding regulatory elements such as enhancers are key in controlling the cell-type specificity and spatio-temporal expression of genes. To drive stable and precise gene transcription robust to genetic variation and environmental stress, genes are often targeted by multiple enhancers with redundant action. However, it is unknown whether enhancers targeting the same gene display simultaneous activity or whether some enhancer combinations are more often co-active than others. Here, we take advantage of recent developments in single cell technology that permit assessing chromatin status (scATAC-seq) and gene expression (scRNA-seq) in the same single cells to correlate gene expression to the activity of multiple enhancers. Measuring activity patterns across 24,844 human lymphoblastoid single cells, we find that the majority of enhancers associated with the same gene display significant correlation in their chromatin profiles. For 6944 expressed genes associated with enhancers, we predict 89,885 significant enhancer-enhancer associations between nearby enhancers. We find that associated enhancers share similar transcription factor binding profiles and that gene essentiality is linked with higher enhancer co-activity. We provide a set of predicted enhancer-enhancer associations based on correlation derived from a single cell line, which can be further investigated for functional relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaymae Ziyani
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Delaneau
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Diogo M Ribeiro
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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28
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Larios MFR, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.09.540063. [PMID: 37214934 PMCID: PMC10197647 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.09.540063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. Here we show that turnover of CpG islands (CGIs), which contribute to enhancer activation, is broadly associated with changes in enhancer activity across mammals, including humans. We integrated maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and found that CGI content in enhancers was strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs showed widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs were strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species we examined. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs showed concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A. Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | - Emily V. Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
- Present address: Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | - Kristina M. Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - James P. Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06510, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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29
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Campos LJ, Arokiaraj CM, Chuapoco MR, Chen X, Goeden N, Gradinaru V, Fox AS. Advances in AAV technology for delivering genetically encoded cargo to the nonhuman primate nervous system. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 4:100086. [PMID: 37397806 PMCID: PMC10313870 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern neuroscience approaches including optogenetics, calcium imaging, and other genetic manipulations have facilitated our ability to dissect specific circuits in rodent models to study their role in neurological disease. These approaches regularly use viral vectors to deliver genetic cargo (e.g., opsins) to specific tissues and genetically-engineered rodents to achieve cell-type specificity. However, the translatability of these rodent models, cross-species validation of identified targets, and translational efficacy of potential therapeutics in larger animal models like nonhuman primates remains difficult due to the lack of efficient primate viral vectors. A refined understanding of the nonhuman primate nervous system promises to deliver insights that can guide the development of treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we outline recent advances in the development of adeno-associated viral vectors for optimized use in nonhuman primates. These tools promise to help open new avenues for study in translational neuroscience and further our understanding of the primate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian J. Campos
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 05616, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Arokiaraj
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Miguel R. Chuapoco
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Xinhong Chen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Nick Goeden
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Capsida Biotherapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320, USA
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 05616, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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30
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Khatoon H, Raza RZ, Saleem S, Batool F, Arshad S, Abrar M, Ali S, Hussain I, Shubin NH, Abbasi AA. Evolutionary relevance of single nucleotide variants within the forebrain exclusive human accelerated enhancer regions. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:13. [PMID: 36991330 PMCID: PMC10053400 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-023-00474-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Human accelerated regions (HARs) are short conserved genomic sequences that have acquired significantly more nucleotide substitutions than expected in the human lineage after divergence from chimpanzees. The fast evolution of HARs may reflect their roles in the origin of human-specific traits. A recent study has reported positively-selected single nucleotide variants (SNVs) within brain-exclusive human accelerated enhancers (BE-HAEs) hs1210 (forebrain), hs563 (hindbrain) and hs304 (midbrain/forebrain). By including data from archaic hominins, these SNVs were shown to be Homo sapiens-specific, residing within transcriptional factors binding sites (TFBSs) for SOX2 (hs1210), RUNX1/3 (hs563), and FOS/JUND (hs304). Although these findings suggest that the predicted modifications in TFBSs may have some role in present-day brain structure, work is required to verify the extent to which these changes translate into functional variation.
Results
To start to fill this gap, we investigate the SOX2 SNV, with both forebrain expression and strong signal of positive selection in humans. We demonstrate that the HMG box of SOX2 binds in vitro with Homo sapiens-specific derived A-allele and ancestral T-allele carrying DNA sites in BE-HAE hs1210. Molecular docking and simulation analysis indicated highly favourable binding of HMG box with derived A-allele containing DNA site when compared to site carrying ancestral T-allele.
Conclusion
These results suggest that adoptive changes in TF affinity within BE-HAE hs1210 and other HAR enhancers in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens might.
have brought about changes in gene expression patterns and have functional consequences on forebrain formation and evolution.
Methods
The present study employ electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations approaches.
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31
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Alamos S, Reimer A, Westrum C, Turner MA, Talledo P, Zhao J, Luu E, Garcia HG. Minimal synthetic enhancers reveal control of the probability of transcriptional engagement and its timing by a morphogen gradient. Cell Syst 2023; 14:220-236.e3. [PMID: 36696901 PMCID: PMC10125799 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
How enhancers interpret morphogen gradients to generate gene expression patterns is a central question in developmental biology. Recent studies have proposed that enhancers can dictate whether, when, and at what rate promoters engage in transcription, but the complexity of endogenous enhancers calls for theoretical models with too many free parameters to quantitatively dissect these regulatory strategies. To overcome this limitation, we established a minimal promoter-proximal synthetic enhancer in embryos of Drosophila melanogaster. Here, a gradient of the Dorsal activator is read by a single Dorsal DNA binding site. Using live imaging to quantify transcriptional activity, we found that a single binding site can regulate whether promoters engage in transcription in a concentration-dependent manner. By modulating the binding-site affinity, we determined that a gene's decision to transcribe and its transcriptional onset time can be explained by a simple model where the promoter traverses multiple kinetic barriers before transcription can ensue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Alamos
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Armando Reimer
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Clay Westrum
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Meghan A Turner
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paul Talledo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jiaxi Zhao
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Emma Luu
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hernan G Garcia
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Institute for Quantitative Biosciences-QB3, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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32
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Chen X, Liu Z, Lou C, Guan Y, Ouyang Q, Xiang Y. Improving cooperativity of transcription activators by oligomerization domains in mammalian cells. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:114-120. [PMID: 36605704 PMCID: PMC9804245 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells. In this study, we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells. Firstly, we demonstrated that two oligomerized domains (CI434 and CI) successfully improved transcription factor cooperativity in bacterial cells but failed to increase cooperativity in mammalian cells, possibly because the additional mammalian activation domain disrupted their oligomerization capability. Therefore, we chose a different type of oligomerized domain (CarHC), whose ability to oligomerize is not dependent on its C-terminal domains, to fuse with a transcription factor (RpaR) and activation domain (VTR3), forming a potential cooperative transcription activator RpaR-CarH-VTR3 for mammalian regulatory systems. Compared with RpaR-VTR3, the cooperativity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3 was significantly improved with higher Hill coefficient and a narrower input range in the inducible switch system in mammalian cells. Moreover, a mathematical model based on statistical mechanics model was developed and the simulation results supported the hypothesis that the tetramer of the CarH domain in mammalian cells was the reason for the cooperative capacity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmao Chen
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ziming Liu
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunbo Lou
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ying Guan
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yanhui Xiang
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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33
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Reiter F, de Almeida BP, Stark A. Enhancers display constrained sequence flexibility and context-specific modulation of motif function. Genome Res 2023; 33:346-358. [PMID: 36941077 PMCID: PMC10078294 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277246.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The information about when and where each gene is to be expressed is mainly encoded in the DNA sequence of enhancers, sequence elements that comprise binding sites (motifs) for different transcription factors (TFs). Most of the research on enhancer sequences has been focused on TF motif presence, whereas the enhancer syntax, that is, the flexibility of important motif positions and how the sequence context modulates the activity of TF motifs, remains poorly understood. Here, we explore the rules of enhancer syntax by a two-pronged approach in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells: we (1) replace important TF motifs by all possible 65,536 eight-nucleotide-long sequences and (2) paste eight important TF motif types into 763 positions within 496 enhancers. These complementary strategies reveal that enhancers display constrained sequence flexibility and the context-specific modulation of motif function. Important motifs can be functionally replaced by hundreds of sequences constituting several distinct motif types, but these are only a fraction of all possible sequences and motif types. Moreover, TF motifs contribute with different intrinsic strengths that are strongly modulated by the enhancer sequence context (the flanking sequence, the presence and diversity of other motif types, and the distance between motifs), such that not all motif types can work in all positions. The context-specific modulation of motif function is also a hallmark of human enhancers, as we demonstrate experimentally. Overall, these two general principles of enhancer sequences are important to understand and predict enhancer function during development, evolution, and in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Reiter
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Campus-Vienna-BioCenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernardo P de Almeida
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Campus-Vienna-BioCenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna BioCenter, Campus-Vienna-BioCenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria;
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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34
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Song BP, Ragsac MF, Tellez K, Jindal GA, Grudzien JL, Le SH, Farley EK. Diverse logics and grammar encode notochord enhancers. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112052. [PMID: 36729834 PMCID: PMC10387507 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The notochord is a defining feature of all chordates. The transcription factors Zic and ETS regulate enhancer activity within the notochord. We conduct high-throughput screens of genomic elements within developing Ciona embryos to understand how Zic and ETS sites encode notochord activity. Our screen discovers an enhancer located near Lama, a gene critical for notochord development. Reversing the orientation of an ETS site within this enhancer abolishes expression, indicating that enhancer grammar is critical for notochord activity. Similarly organized clusters of Zic and ETS sites occur within mouse and human Lama1 introns. Within a Brachyury (Bra) enhancer, FoxA and Bra, in combination with Zic and ETS binding sites, are necessary and sufficient for notochord expression. This binding site logic also occurs within other Ciona and vertebrate Bra enhancers. Collectively, this study uncovers the importance of grammar within notochord enhancers and discovers signatures of enhancer logic and grammar conserved across chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Song
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michelle F Ragsac
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Krissie Tellez
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Granton A Jindal
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jessica L Grudzien
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sophia H Le
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emma K Farley
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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35
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van der Sande M, Frölich S, van Heeringen SJ. Computational approaches to understand transcription regulation in development. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:1-12. [PMID: 36695505 PMCID: PMC9988001 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) serve as useful abstractions to understand transcriptional dynamics in developmental systems. Computational prediction of GRNs has been successfully applied to genome-wide gene expression measurements with the advent of microarrays and RNA-sequencing. However, these inferred networks are inaccurate and mostly based on correlative rather than causative interactions. In this review, we highlight three approaches that significantly impact GRN inference: (1) moving from one genome-wide functional modality, gene expression, to multi-omics, (2) single cell sequencing, to measure cell type-specific signals and predict context-specific GRNs, and (3) neural networks as flexible models. Together, these experimental and computational developments have the potential to significantly impact the quality of inferred GRNs. Ultimately, accurately modeling the regulatory interactions between transcription factors and their target genes will be essential to understand the role of transcription factors in driving developmental gene expression programs and to derive testable hypotheses for validation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simon J. van Heeringen
- Radboud University, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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36
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Mohammed Ismail W, Mazzone A, Ghiraldini FG, Kaur J, Bains M, Munankarmy A, Bagwell MS, Safgren SL, Moore-Weiss J, Buciuc M, Shimp L, Leach KA, Duarte LF, Nagi CS, Carcamo S, Chung CY, Hasson D, Dadgar N, Zhong J, Lee JH, Couch FJ, Revzin A, Ordog T, Bernstein E, Gaspar-Maia A. MacroH2A histone variants modulate enhancer activity to repress oncogenic programs and cellular reprogramming. Commun Biol 2023; 6:215. [PMID: 36823213 PMCID: PMC9950461 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04571-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable efforts have been made to characterize active enhancer elements, which can be annotated by accessible chromatin and H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac). However, apart from poised enhancers that are observed in early stages of development and putative silencers, the functional significance of cis-regulatory elements lacking H3K27ac is poorly understood. Here we show that macroH2A histone variants mark a subset of enhancers in normal and cancer cells, which we coined 'macro-Bound Enhancers', that modulate enhancer activity. We find macroH2A variants localized at enhancer elements that are devoid of H3K27ac in a cell type-specific manner, indicating a role for macroH2A at inactive enhancers to maintain cell identity. In following, reactivation of macro-bound enhancers is associated with oncogenic programs in breast cancer and their repressive role is correlated with the activity of macroH2A2 as a negative regulator of BRD4 chromatin occupancy. Finally, through single cell epigenomic profiling of normal mammary stem cells derived from mice, we show that macroH2A deficiency facilitates increased activity of transcription factors associated with stem cell activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wazim Mohammed Ismail
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amelia Mazzone
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Flavia G Ghiraldini
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jagneet Kaur
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Manvir Bains
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amik Munankarmy
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Monique S Bagwell
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Stephanie L Safgren
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - John Moore-Weiss
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Marina Buciuc
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Lynzie Shimp
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kelsey A Leach
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Luis F Duarte
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chandandeep S Nagi
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Saul Carcamo
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Chi-Yeh Chung
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dan Hasson
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Neda Dadgar
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jian Zhong
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jeong-Heon Lee
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Fergus J Couch
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alexander Revzin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Tamas Ordog
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Emily Bernstein
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandre Gaspar-Maia
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Epigenomics program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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37
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Hamamoto K, Umemura Y, Makino S, Fukaya T. Dynamic interplay between non-coding enhancer transcription and gene activity in development. Nat Commun 2023; 14:826. [PMID: 36805453 PMCID: PMC9941499 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36485-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding transcription at the intergenic regulatory regions is a prevalent feature of metazoan genomes, but its biological function remains uncertain. Here, we devise a live-imaging system that permits simultaneous visualization of gene activity along with intergenic non-coding transcription at single-cell resolution in Drosophila. Quantitative image analysis reveals that elongation of RNA polymerase II across the internal core region of enhancers leads to suppression of transcriptional bursting from linked genes. Super-resolution imaging and genome-editing analysis further demonstrate that enhancer transcription antagonizes molecular crowding of transcription factors, thereby interrupting the formation of a transcription hub at the gene locus. We also show that a certain class of developmental enhancers are structurally optimized to co-activate gene transcription together with non-coding transcription effectively. We suggest that enhancer function is flexibly tunable through the modulation of hub formation via surrounding non-coding transcription during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Hamamoto
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Umemura
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiho Makino
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Fukaya
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. .,Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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38
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Ling L, Mühling B, Jaenichen R, Gompel N. Increased chromatin accessibility promotes the evolution of a transcriptional silencer in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade6529. [PMID: 36800429 PMCID: PMC9937571 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade6529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The loss of discrete morphological traits, the most common evolutionary transition, is typically driven by changes in developmental gene expression. Mutations accumulating in regulatory elements of these genes can disrupt DNA binding sites for transcription factors patterning their spatial expression, or delete entire enhancers. Regulatory elements, however, may be silenced through changes in chromatin accessibility or the emergence of repressive elements. Here, we show that increased chromatin accessibility at the gene yellow, combined with the gain of a repressor site, underlies the loss of a wing spot pigmentation pattern in a Drosophila species. The gain of accessibility of this repressive element is regulated by E93, a transcription factor governing the progress of metamorphosis. This convoluted evolutionary scenario contrasts with the parsimonious mutational paths generally envisioned and often documented for morphological losses. It illustrates how evolutionary changes in chromatin accessibility may directly contribute to morphological diversification.
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39
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Brückner DB, Chen H, Barinov L, Zoller B, Gregor T. Stochastic motion and transcriptional dynamics of pairs of distal DNA loci on a compacted chromosome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.18.524527. [PMID: 36711618 PMCID: PMC9882297 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.18.524527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomes in the eukaryotic nucleus are highly compacted. However, for many functional processes, including transcription initiation, the 3D pair-wise motion of distal chromosomal elements, such as enhancers and promoters, is essential and necessitates dynamic fluidity. Therefore, the interplay of chromosome organization and dynamics is crucial for gene regulation. Here, we use a live imaging assay to simultaneously measure the positions of pairs of enhancers and promoters and their transcriptional output in the developing fly embryo while systematically varying the genomic separation between these two DNA loci. Our analysis reveals a combination of a compact globular organization and fast subdiffusive dynamics. These combined features cause an anomalous scaling of polymer relaxation times with genomic separation and lead to long-ranged correlations compared to existing polymer models. This scaling implies that encounter times of DNA loci are much less dependent on genomic separation than predicted by existing polymer models, with potentially significant consequences for eukaryotic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Brückner
- Institute of Science and Technology, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Hongtao Chen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Lev Barinov
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Benjamin Zoller
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS UMR3738, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Gregor
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS UMR3738, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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40
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Tan Y, Yao L, Gamliel A, Nair SJ, Taylor H, Ohgi K, Aggarwal AK, Rosenfeld MG. Signal-induced enhancer activation requires Ku70 to read topoisomerase1-DNA covalent complexes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:148-158. [PMID: 36747093 PMCID: PMC9935399 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00883-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer activation serves as the main mechanism regulating signal-dependent transcriptional programs, ensuring cellular plasticity, yet central questions persist regarding their mechanism of activation. Here, by successfully mapping topoisomerase I-DNA covalent complexes genome-wide, we find that most, if not all, acutely activated enhancers, including those induced by 17β-estradiol, dihydrotestosterone, tumor necrosis factor alpha and neuronal depolarization, are hotspots for topoisomerase I-DNA covalent complexes, functioning as epigenomic signatures read by the classic DNA damage sensor protein, Ku70. Ku70 in turn nucleates a heterochromatin protein 1 gamma (HP1γ)-mediator subunit Med26 complex to facilitate acute, but not chronic, transcriptional activation programs. Together, our data uncover a broad, unappreciated transcriptional code, required for most, if not all, acute signal-dependent enhancer activation events in both mitotic and postmitotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliang Tan
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Lu Yao
- Familial and Hereditary Cancer Center, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Amir Gamliel
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sreejith J Nair
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Oncology Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Havilah Taylor
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kenny Ohgi
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aneel K Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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41
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Tkatch T, Rysevaite-Kyguoliene K, Sabeckis I, Sabeckiene D, Pauza DH, Baranauskas G. An efficient rAAV vector for protein expression in cortical parvalbumin expressing interneurons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17851. [PMID: 36284123 PMCID: PMC9596399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21867-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are extensively used in both research and clinical applications. Despite significant advances, there is a lack of short promoters able to drive the expression of virus delivered genes in specific classes of neurons. We designed an efficient rAAV vector suitable for the rAAV-mediated gene expression in cortical interneurons, mainly in the parvalbumin expressing cells. The vector includes a short parvalbumin promoter and a specialized poly(A) sequence. The degree of conservation of the parvalbumin gene adjoining non-coding regions was used in both the promoter design and the selection of the poly(A) sequence. The specificity was established by co-localizing the fluorescence of the virus delivered eGFP and the antibody for a neuronal marker. rAAV particles were injected in the visual cortex area V1/V2 of adult rats (2-4 months old). Neurons expressing the virus delivered eGFP were mainly positive for interneuronal markers: 66.5 ± 2.8% for parvalbumin, 14.6 ± 2.4% for somatostatin, 7.1 ± 1.2% for vasoactive intestinal peptide, 2.8 ± 0.6% for cholecystokinin. Meanwhile, only 2.1 ± 0.5% were positive for CaMKII, a marker for principal cells in the cortex. The efficiency of the construct was verified by optogenetic experiments: the expression of the virus delivered ChR2 channels was sufficient to evoke by blue light laser high frequency bursts of action potentials in putative fast spiking neurons. We conclude that our promoter allows highly specific expression of the rAAV delivered cDNAs in cortical interneurons with a strong preference for the parvalbumin positive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Tkatch
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania ,grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Present Address: Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL USA
| | | | - Ignas Sabeckis
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Deimante Sabeckiene
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Dainius H. Pauza
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Anatomy Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Gytis Baranauskas
- grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
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42
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DLoopCaller: A deep learning approach for predicting genome-wide chromatin loops by integrating accessible chromatin landscapes. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010572. [PMID: 36206320 PMCID: PMC9581407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, major advances have been made in various chromosome conformation capture technologies to further satisfy the needs of researchers for high-quality, high-resolution contact interactions. Discriminating the loops from genome-wide contact interactions is crucial for dissecting three-dimensional(3D) genome structure and function. Here, we present a deep learning method to predict genome-wide chromatin loops, called DLoopCaller, by combining accessible chromatin landscapes and raw Hi-C contact maps. Some available orthogonal data ChIA-PET/HiChIP and Capture Hi-C were used to generate positive samples with a wider contact matrix which provides the possibility to find more potential genome-wide chromatin loops. The experimental results demonstrate that DLoopCaller effectively improves the accuracy of predicting genome-wide chromatin loops compared to the state-of-the-art method Peakachu. Moreover, compared to two of most popular loop callers, such as HiCCUPS and Fit-Hi-C, DLoopCaller identifies some unique interactions. We conclude that a combination of chromatin landscapes on the one-dimensional genome contributes to understanding the 3D genome organization, and the identified chromatin loops reveal cell-type specificity and transcription factor motif co-enrichment across different cell lines and species.
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43
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A homotetrameric hemoglobin expressed in alveolar epithelial cells increases blood oxygenation in high-altitude plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). Cell Rep 2022; 41:111446. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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44
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Li Y, Tang Y, Wang L, Li X, Deng L, Deng W, Zheng Y, Wang D, Wei L. Transcription factor Sox3 is required for oogenesis in the teleost fish Nile tilapia. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:2639-2647. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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45
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Nair SJ, Suter T, Wang S, Yang L, Yang F, Rosenfeld MG. Transcriptional enhancers at 40: evolution of a viral DNA element to nuclear architectural structures. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1019-1047. [PMID: 35811173 PMCID: PMC9474616 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation by transcriptional enhancers is the dominant mechanism driving cell type- and signal-specific transcriptional diversity in metazoans. However, over four decades since the original discovery, how enhancers operate in the nuclear space remains largely enigmatic. Recent multidisciplinary efforts combining real-time imaging, genome sequencing, and biophysical strategies provide insightful but conflicting models of enhancer-mediated gene control. Here, we review the discovery and progress in enhancer biology, emphasizing the recent findings that acutely activated enhancers assemble regulatory machinery as mesoscale architectural structures with distinct physical properties. These findings help formulate novel models that explain several mysterious features of the assembly of transcriptional enhancers and the mechanisms of spatial control of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith J Nair
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
| | - Tom Suter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Susan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lu Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Feng Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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46
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Rodriguez K, Do A, Senay-Aras B, Perales M, Alber M, Chen W, Reddy GV. Concentration-dependent transcriptional switching through a collective action of cis-elements. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo6157. [PMID: 35947668 PMCID: PMC9365274 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo6157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression specificity of homeobox transcription factors has remained paradoxical. WUSCHEL activates and represses CLAVATA3 transcription at lower and higher concentrations, respectively. We use computational modeling and experimental analysis to investigate the properties of the cis-regulatory module. We find that intrinsically each cis-element can only activate CLAVATA3 at a higher WUSCHEL concentration. However, together, they repress CLAVATA3 at higher WUSCHEL and activate only at lower WUSCHEL, showing that the concentration-dependent interactions among cis-elements regulate both activation and repression. Biochemical experiments show that two adjacent functional cis-elements bind WUSCHEL with higher affinity and dimerize at relatively lower levels. Moreover, increasing the distance between cis-elements prolongs WUSCHEL monomer binding window, resulting in higher CLAVATA3 activation. Our work showing a constellation of optimally spaced cis-elements of defined affinities determining activation and repression thresholds in regulating CLAVATA3 transcription provides a previously unknown mechanism of cofactor-independent regulation of transcription factor binding in mediating gene expression specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Rodriguez
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Albert Do
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Betul Senay-Aras
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Mariano Perales
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Mark Alber
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Weitao Chen
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - G. Venugopala Reddy
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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47
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Cooper GW, Hong AL. SMARCB1-Deficient Cancers: Novel Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153645. [PMID: 35892904 PMCID: PMC9332782 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Loss of SMARCB1 has been identified as the sole mutation in a number of rare pediatric and adult cancers, most of which have a poor prognosis despite intensive therapies including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Thus, a more robust understanding of the mechanisms driving this set of cancers is vital to improving patient treatment and outcomes. This review outlines recent advances made in our understanding of the function of SMARCB1 and how these advances have been used to discover putative therapeutic vulnerabilities. Abstract SMARCB1 is a critical component of the BAF complex that is responsible for global chromatin remodeling. Loss of SMARCB1 has been implicated in the initiation of cancers such as malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT), atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), and, more recently, renal medullary carcinoma (RMC). These SMARCB1-deficient tumors have remarkably stable genomes, offering unique insights into the epigenetic mechanisms in cancer biology. Given the lack of druggable targets and the high mortality associated with SMARCB1-deficient tumors, a significant research effort has been directed toward understanding the mechanisms of tumor transformation and proliferation. Accumulating evidence suggests that tumorigenicity arises from aberrant enhancer and promoter regulation followed by dysfunctional transcriptional control. In this review, we outline key mechanisms by which loss of SMARCB1 may lead to tumor formation and cover how these mechanisms have been used for the design of targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett W. Cooper
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Andrew L. Hong
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Correspondence:
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48
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Huang G, Luo W, Zhang G, Zheng P, Yao Y, Lyu J, Liu Y, Wei DQ. Enhancer-LSTMAtt: A Bi-LSTM and Attention-Based Deep Learning Method for Enhancer Recognition. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12070995. [PMID: 35883552 PMCID: PMC9313278 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancers are short DNA segments that play a key role in biological processes, such as accelerating transcription of target genes. Since the enhancer resides anywhere in a genome sequence, it is difficult to precisely identify enhancers. We presented a bi-directional long-short term memory (Bi-LSTM) and attention-based deep learning method (Enhancer-LSTMAtt) for enhancer recognition. Enhancer-LSTMAtt is an end-to-end deep learning model that consists mainly of deep residual neural network, Bi-LSTM, and feed-forward attention. We extensively compared the Enhancer-LSTMAtt with 19 state-of-the-art methods by 5-fold cross validation, 10-fold cross validation and independent test. Enhancer-LSTMAtt achieved competitive performances, especially in the independent test. We realized Enhancer-LSTMAtt into a user-friendly web application. Enhancer-LSTMAtt is applicable not only to recognizing enhancers, but also to distinguishing strong enhancer from weak enhancers. Enhancer-LSTMAtt is believed to become a promising tool for identifying enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Huang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang 422000, China; (W.L.); (G.Z.); (P.Z.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Wei Luo
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang 422000, China; (W.L.); (G.Z.); (P.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Guiyang Zhang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang 422000, China; (W.L.); (G.Z.); (P.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Peijie Zheng
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang 422000, China; (W.L.); (G.Z.); (P.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Yuhua Yao
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China;
| | - Jianyi Lyu
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shaoyang University, Shaoyang 422000, China; (W.L.); (G.Z.); (P.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Yuewu Liu
- College of Information and Intelligence, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410083, China;
| | - Dong-Qing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
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49
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Tang L, Zhong Z, Lin Y, Yang Y, Wang J, Martin J, Li M. EPIXplorer: A web server for prediction, analysis and visualization of enhancer-promoter interactions. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:W290-W297. [PMID: 35639508 PMCID: PMC9252822 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long distance enhancers can physically interact with promoters to regulate gene expression through formation of enhancer-promoter (E-P) interactions. Identification of E-P interactions is also important for profound understanding of normal developmental and disease-associated risk variants. Although the state-of-art predictive computation methods facilitate the identification of E-P interactions to a certain extent, currently there is no efficient method that can meet various requirements of usage. Here we developed EPIXplorer, a user-friendly web server for efficient prediction, analysis and visualization of E-P interactions. EPIXplorer integrates 9 robust predictive algorithms, supports multiple types of 3D contact data and multi-omics data as input. The output from EPIXplorer is scored, fully annotated by regulatory elements and risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition, the Visualization and Downstream module provide further functional analysis, all the output files and high-quality images are available for download. Together, EPIXplorer provides a user-friendly interface to predict the E-P interactions in an acceptable time, as well as understand how the genome-wide association study (GWAS) variants influence disease pathology by altering DNA looping between enhancers and the target gene promoters. EPIXplorer is available at https://www.csuligroup.com/EPIXplorer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tang
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Zhizhou Zhong
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yisheng Lin
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yifei Yang
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - James F Martin
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Min Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
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50
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Laiker I, Frankel N. Pleiotropic Enhancers are Ubiquitous Regulatory Elements in the Human Genome. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:evac071. [PMID: 35552697 PMCID: PMC9156028 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancers are regulatory elements of genomes that determine spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression. The human genome contains a vast number of enhancers, which largely outnumber protein-coding genes. Historically, enhancers have been regarded as highly tissue-specific. However, recent evidence has demonstrated that many enhancers are pleiotropic, with activity in multiple developmental contexts. Yet, the extent and impact of pleiotropy remain largely unexplored. In this study we analyzed active enhancers across human organs based on the analysis of both eRNA transcription (FANTOM5 consortium data sets) and chromatin architecture (ENCODE consortium data sets). We show that pleiotropic enhancers are pervasive in the human genome and that most enhancers active in a particular organ are also active in other organs. In addition, our analysis suggests that the proportion of context-specific enhancers of a given organ is explained, at least in part, by the proportion of context-specific genes in that same organ. The notion that such a high proportion of human enhancers can be pleiotropic suggests that small regions of regulatory DNA contain abundant regulatory information and that these regions evolve under important evolutionary constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Laiker
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Frankel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
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