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Zou LS, Cable DM, Barrera-Lopez IA, Zhao T, Murray E, Aryee MJ, Chen F, Irizarry RA. Detection of allele-specific expression in spatial transcriptomics with spASE. Genome Biol 2024; 25:180. [PMID: 38978101 PMCID: PMC11229351 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03317-4] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics technologies permit the study of the spatial distribution of RNA at near-single-cell resolution genome-wide. However, the feasibility of studying spatial allele-specific expression (ASE) from these data remains uncharacterized. Here, we introduce spASE, a computational framework for detecting and estimating spatial ASE. To tackle the challenges presented by cell type mixtures and a low signal to noise ratio, we implement a hierarchical model involving additive mixtures of spatial smoothing splines. We apply our method to allele-resolved Visium and Slide-seq from the mouse cerebellum and hippocampus and report new insight into the landscape of spatial and cell type-specific ASE therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luli S Zou
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dylan M Cable
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Tongtong Zhao
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Evan Murray
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Martin J Aryee
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Rafael A Irizarry
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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2
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Saito S, Saito Y, Sato S, Aoki S, Fujita H, Ito Y, Ono N, Funakoshi T, Kawai T, Suzuki H, Sasaki T, Tanaka T, Inoie M, Hata K, Kataoka K, Kosaki K, Amagai M, Nakabayashi K, Kubo A. Gene-specific somatic epigenetic mosaicism of FDFT1 underlies a non-hereditary localized form of porokeratosis. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:896-912. [PMID: 38653249 PMCID: PMC11080608 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.03.017] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Porokeratosis is a clonal keratinization disorder characterized by solitary, linearly arranged, or generally distributed multiple skin lesions. Previous studies showed that genetic alterations in MVK, PMVK, MVD, or FDPS-genes in the mevalonate pathway-cause hereditary porokeratosis, with skin lesions harboring germline and lesion-specific somatic variants on opposite alleles. Here, we identified non-hereditary porokeratosis associated with epigenetic silencing of FDFT1, another gene in the mevalonate pathway. Skin lesions of the generalized form had germline and lesion-specific somatic variants on opposite alleles in FDFT1, representing FDFT1-associated hereditary porokeratosis identified in this study. Conversely, lesions of the solitary or linearly arranged localized form had somatic bi-allelic promoter hypermethylation or mono-allelic promoter hypermethylation with somatic genetic alterations on opposite alleles in FDFT1, indicating non-hereditary porokeratosis. FDFT1 localization was uniformly diminished within the lesions, and lesion-derived keratinocytes showed cholesterol dependence for cell growth and altered expression of genes related to cell-cycle and epidermal development, confirming that lesions form by clonal expansion of FDFT1-deficient keratinocytes. In some individuals with the localized form, gene-specific promoter hypermethylation of FDFT1 was detected in morphologically normal epidermis adjacent to methylation-related lesions but not distal to these lesions, suggesting that asymptomatic somatic epigenetic mosaicism of FDFT1 predisposes certain skin areas to the disease. Finally, consistent with its genetic etiology, topical statin treatment ameliorated lesions in FDFT1-deficient porokeratosis. In conclusion, we identified bi-allelic genetic and/or epigenetic alterations of FDFT1 as a cause of porokeratosis and shed light on the pathogenesis of skin mosaicism involving clonal expansion of epigenetically altered cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Saito
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yuki Saito
- Department of Gastroenterology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Division of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Showbu Sato
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Satomi Aoki
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Harumi Fujita
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ito
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Noriko Ono
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takeru Funakoshi
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kawai
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Hisato Suzuki
- Center for Medical Genetics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takashi Sasaki
- Center for Supercentenarian Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Tomoyo Tanaka
- R&D department, Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd., Aichi 443-0022, Japan
| | - Masukazu Inoie
- R&D department, Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd., Aichi 443-0022, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Hata
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan; Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kataoka
- Division of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Kosaki
- Center for Medical Genetics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masayuki Amagai
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakabayashi
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan.
| | - Akiharu Kubo
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Related, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
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3
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Hauth A, Panten J, Kneuss E, Picard C, Servant N, Rall I, Pérez-Rico YA, Clerquin L, Servaas N, Villacorta L, Jung F, Luong C, Chang HY, Zaugg JB, Stegle O, Odom DT, Loda A, Heard E. Escape from X inactivation is directly modulated by levels of Xist non-coding RNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.22.581559. [PMID: 38559194 PMCID: PMC10979913 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.22.581559] [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: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In placental females, one copy of the two X chromosomes is largely silenced during a narrow developmental time window, in a process mediated by the non-coding RNA Xist1. Here, we demonstrate that Xist can initiate X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) well beyond early embryogenesis. By modifying its endogenous level, we show that Xist has the capacity to actively silence genes that escape XCI both in neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) and in vivo, in mouse embryos. We also show that Xist plays a direct role in eliminating TAD-like structures associated with clusters of escapee genes on the inactive X chromosome, and that this is dependent on Xist's XCI initiation partner, SPEN2. We further demonstrate that Xist's function in suppressing gene expression of escapees and topological domain formation is reversible for up to seven days post-induction, but that sustained Xist up-regulation leads to progressively irreversible silencing and CpG island DNA methylation of facultative escapees. Thus, the distinctive transcriptional and regulatory topologies of the silenced X chromosome is actively, directly - and reversibly - controlled by Xist RNA throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Hauth
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Jasper Panten
- Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emma Kneuss
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christel Picard
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Present address: Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier University of Montpellier, CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Servant
- Bioinformatics and Computational Systems Biology of Cancer, INSERM U900, Paris 75005, France
| | - Isabell Rall
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Present address: Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuvia A Pérez-Rico
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Clerquin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nila Servaas
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Villacorta
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genomics Core Facility, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ferris Jung
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genomics Core Facility, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christy Luong
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Judith B Zaugg
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, EMBL-University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genome Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Duncan T Odom
- Division of Regulatory Genomics and Cancer Evolution, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Agnese Loda
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Edith Heard
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Directors' Research, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Collège de France, Paris 75005, France
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4
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Sands B, Yun SR, Oshima J, Mendenhall AR. Maternal histone methyltransferases antagonistically regulate monoallelic expression in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576748. [PMID: 38328214 PMCID: PMC10849558 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Undefined epigenetic programs act to probabilistically silence individual autosomal alleles, generating unique individuals, even from genetic clones. This sort of random monoallelic expression can explain variation in traits and diseases that differences in genes and environments cannot. Here, we developed the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study monoallelic expression in whole tissues, and defined a developmental genetic regulation pathway. We found maternal H3K9 histone methyltransferase (HMT) SET-25/SUV39/G9a works with HPL-2/HP1 and LIN-61/L3MBTL2 to randomly silence alleles in the intestinal progenitor E-cell of 8-cell embryos to cause monoallelic expression. SET-25 was antagonized by another maternal H3K9 HMT, MET-2/SETDB1, which works with LIN-65/ATF7ZIP and ARLE-14/ARL14EP to prevent monoallelic expression. The HMT-catalytic SET domains of both MET-2 and SET-25 were required for regulating monoallelic expression. Our data support a model wherein SET-25 and MET-2 regulate histones during development to generate patterns of somatic monoallelic expression that are persistent but not heritable.
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5
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Sewerin S, Aurnhammer C, Skubic C, Blagotinšek Cokan K, Jeruc J, Rozman D, Pfister F, Dittrich K, Mayer B, Schönauer R, Petzold F, Halbritter J. Mechanisms of pathogenicity and the quest for genetic modifiers of kidney disease in branchiootorenal syndrome. Clin Kidney J 2024; 17:sfad260. [PMID: 38213489 PMCID: PMC10783239 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfad260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Backgound Branchiootorenal (BOR) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by pathogenic EYA1 variants and clinically characterized by auricular malformations with hearing loss, branchial arch anomalies, and congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. BOR phenotypes are highly variable and heterogenous. While random monoallelic expression is assumed to explain this phenotypic heterogeneity, the potential role of modifier genes has not yet been explored. Methods Through thorough phenotyping and exome sequencing, we studied one family with disease presentation in at least four generations in both clinical and genetic terms. Functional investigation of the single associated EYA1 variant c.1698+1G>A included splice site analysis and assessment of EYA1 distribution in patient-derived fibroblasts. The candidate modifier gene CYP51A1 was evaluated by histopathological analysis of murine Cyp51+/- and Cyp51-/- kidneys. As the gene encodes the enzyme lanosterol 14α-demethylase, we assessed sterol intermediates in patient blood samples as well. Results The EYA1 variant c.1698+1G>A resulted in functional deletion of the EYA domain by exon skipping. The EYA domain mediates protein-protein interactions between EYA1 and co-regulators of transcription. EYA1 abundance was reduced in the nuclear compartment of patient-derived fibroblasts, suggesting impaired nuclear translocation of these protein complexes. Within the affected family, renal phenotypes spanned from normal kidney function in adulthood to chronic kidney failure in infancy. By analyzing exome sequencing data for variants that potentially play roles as genetic modifiers, we identified a canonical splice site alteration in CYP51A1 as the strongest candidate variant. Conclusion In this study, we demonstrate pathogenicity of EYA1 c.1698+1G>A, propose a mechanism for dysfunction of mutant EYA1, and conjecture CYP51A1 as a potential genetic modifier of renal involvement in BOR syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Sewerin
- Division of Nephrology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Current affiliation: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Cene Skubic
- Institute of Biochemistry, Centre for Functional Genomics and Bio-Chips, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kaja Blagotinšek Cokan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Centre for Functional Genomics and Bio-Chips, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jera Jeruc
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damjana Rozman
- Institute of Biochemistry, Centre for Functional Genomics and Bio-Chips, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Frederick Pfister
- Institute of Pathology, University of Erlangen Medical Center, Erlangen, Germany
- Current affiliation: Humanpathologie Dr. med. Manfred Weiß MVZ GmbH, Erlangen-Tennenlohe, Germany
| | - Katalin Dittrich
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Brigitte Mayer
- Division of Pediatric Nephrology, University of Dresden Medical Center, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ria Schönauer
- Division of Nephrology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Current affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friederike Petzold
- Division of Nephrology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Halbritter
- Division of Nephrology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Current affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Lobanova YV, Zhenilo SV. Genomic Imprinting and Random Monoallelic Expression. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:84-96. [PMID: 38467547 DOI: 10.1134/s000629792401005x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The review discusses the mechanisms of monoallelic expression, such as genomic imprinting, in which gene transcription depends on the parental origin of the allele, and random monoallelic transcription. Data on the regulation of gene activity in the imprinted regions are summarized with a particular focus on the areas controlling imprinting and factors influencing the variability of the imprintome. The prospects of studies of the monoallelic expression are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslava V Lobanova
- Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Svetlana V Zhenilo
- Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
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7
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Sun Y, Wiese M, Hmadi R, Karayol R, Seyfferth J, Martinez Greene JA, Erdogdu NU, Deboutte W, Arrigoni L, Holz H, Renschler G, Hirsch N, Foertsch A, Basilicata MF, Stehle T, Shvedunova M, Bella C, Pessoa Rodrigues C, Schwalb B, Cramer P, Manke T, Akhtar A. MSL2 ensures biallelic gene expression in mammals. Nature 2023; 624:173-181. [PMID: 38030723 PMCID: PMC10700137 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06781-3] [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: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
In diploid organisms, biallelic gene expression enables the production of adequate levels of mRNA1,2. This is essential for haploinsufficient genes, which require biallelic expression for optimal function to prevent the onset of developmental disorders1,3. Whether and how a biallelic or monoallelic state is determined in a cell-type-specific manner at individual loci remains unclear. MSL2 is known for dosage compensation of the male X chromosome in flies. Here we identify a role of MSL2 in regulating allelic expression in mammals. Allele-specific bulk and single-cell analyses in mouse neural progenitor cells revealed that, in addition to the targets showing biallelic downregulation, a class of genes transitions from biallelic to monoallelic expression after MSL2 loss. Many of these genes are haploinsufficient. In the absence of MSL2, one allele remains active, retaining active histone modifications and transcription factor binding, whereas the other allele is silenced, exhibiting loss of promoter-enhancer contacts and the acquisition of DNA methylation. Msl2-knockout mice show perinatal lethality and heterogeneous phenotypes during embryonic development, supporting a role for MSL2 in regulating gene dosage. The role of MSL2 in preserving biallelic expression of specific dosage-sensitive genes sets the stage for further investigation of other factors that are involved in allelic dosage compensation in mammalian cells, with considerable implications for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidan Sun
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Meike Wiese
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Raed Hmadi
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Remzi Karayol
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Janine Seyfferth
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Juan Alfonso Martinez Greene
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Niyazi Umut Erdogdu
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ward Deboutte
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Arrigoni
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Herbert Holz
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gina Renschler
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Naama Hirsch
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Arion Foertsch
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Stehle
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Shvedunova
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Chiara Bella
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Bjoern Schwalb
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Manke
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Asifa Akhtar
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany.
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8
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Mendelevich A, Gupta S, Pakharev A, Teodosiadis A, Mironov AA, Gimelbrant AA. Foreign RNA spike-ins enable accurate allele-specific expression analysis at scale. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:i431-i439. [PMID: 37387154 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Analysis of allele-specific expression is strongly affected by the technical noise present in RNA-seq experiments. Previously, we showed that technical replicates can be used for precise estimates of this noise, and we provided a tool for correction of technical noise in allele-specific expression analysis. This approach is very accurate but costly due to the need for two or more replicates of each library. Here, we develop a spike-in approach which is highly accurate at only a small fraction of the cost. RESULTS We show that a distinct RNA added as a spike-in before library preparation reflects technical noise of the whole library and can be used in large batches of samples. We experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach using combinations of RNA from species distinguishable by alignment, namely, mouse, human, and Caenorhabditis elegans. Our new approach, controlFreq, enables highly accurate and computationally efficient analysis of allele-specific expression in (and between) arbitrarily large studies at an overall cost increase of ∼5%. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Analysis pipeline for this approach is available at GitHub as R package controlFreq (github.com/gimelbrantlab/controlFreq).
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Affiliation(s)
- Asia Mendelevich
- Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, 2211 Elliott Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
| | - Saumya Gupta
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | | | - Athanasios Teodosiadis
- Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, 2211 Elliott Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
| | - Andrey A Mironov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1-73 Vorobiovy Gory, Lab. Bldg B, Moscow 119992, Russia
- Institute of Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 19 Bolshoi Karetny per., Moscow 127994, Russia
| | - Alexander A Gimelbrant
- Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, 2211 Elliott Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, United States
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9
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Klymkowsky MW. Rethinking (again) Hardy-Weinberg and genetic drift in undergraduate biology. Front Genet 2023; 14:1199739. [PMID: 37359366 PMCID: PMC10285527 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1199739] [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] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Designing effective curricula is challenging. Content decisions can impact both learning outcomes and student engagement. As an example consider the place of Hardy-Weinberg equilibria (HWE) and genetic drift calculations in introductory biology courses, as discussed by Masel (2012). Given that population genetics, "a fairly arcane speciality", can be difficult to grasp, there is little justification for introducing introductory students to HWE calculations. It is more useful to introduce them to the behavior of alleles in terms of basic features of biological systems, and that in the absence of selection recessive alleles are no "weaker" or preferentially lost from a population than are dominant alleles. On the other hand, stochastic behaviors, such as genetic drift, are ubiquitous in biological systems and often play functionally significant roles; they can be introduced to introductory students in mechanistic and probabilistic terms. Specifically, genetic drift emerges from the stochastic processes involved in meiotic chromosome segregation and recombination. A focus on stochastic processes may help counteract naive bio-deterministic thinking and can reinforce, for students, the value of thinking quantitatively about biological processes.
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10
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Mendelevich A, Gupta S, Pakharev A, Teodosiadis A, Mironov AA, Gimelbrant AA. Foreign RNA spike-ins enable accurate allele-specific expression analysis at scale. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.11.528027. [PMID: 36798258 PMCID: PMC9934692 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.11.528027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Motivation Analysis of allele-specific expression is strongly affected by the technical noise present in RNA-seq experiments. Previously, we showed that technical replicates can be used for precise estimates of this noise, and we provided a tool for correction of technical noise in allele-specific expression analysis. This approach is very accurate but costly due to the need for two or more replicates of each library. Here, we develop a spike-in approach that is highly accurate at only a small fraction of the cost. Results We show that a distinct RNA added as a spike-in before library preparation reflects technical noise of the whole library and can be used in large batches of samples. We experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach using combinations of RNA from species distinguishable by alignment, namely, mouse, human, and C.elegans . Our new approach, controlFreq , enables highly accurate and computationally efficient analysis of allele-specific expression in (and between) arbitrarily large studies at an overall cost increase of ~ 5%. Availability Analysis pipeline for this approach is available at GitHub as R package controlFreq ( github.com/gimelbrantlab/controlFreq ). Contact agimelbrant@altius.org.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saumya Gupta
- Stem Cell Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Andrey A. Mironov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, Russia,Institute of Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander A. Gimelbrant
- Altius Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed. Contact:
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11
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Heskett MB, Vouzas AE, Smith LG, Yates PA, Boniface C, Bouhassira EE, Spellman PT, Gilbert DM, Thayer MJ. Epigenetic control of chromosome-associated lncRNA genes essential for replication and stability. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6301. [PMID: 36273230 PMCID: PMC9588035 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
ASARs are long noncoding RNA genes that control replication timing of entire human chromosomes in cis. The three known ASAR genes are located on human chromosomes 6 and 15, and are essential for chromosome integrity. To identify ASARs on all human chromosomes we utilize a set of distinctive ASAR characteristics that allow for the identification of hundreds of autosomal loci with epigenetically controlled, allele-restricted behavior in expression and replication timing of coding and noncoding genes, and is distinct from genomic imprinting. Disruption of noncoding RNA genes at five of five tested loci result in chromosome-wide delayed replication and chromosomal instability, validating their ASAR activity. In addition to the three known essential cis-acting chromosomal loci, origins, centromeres, and telomeres, we propose that all mammalian chromosomes also contain "Inactivation/Stability Centers" that display allele-restricted epigenetic regulation of protein coding and noncoding ASAR genes that are essential for replication and stability of each chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Heskett
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Athanasios E Vouzas
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Leslie G Smith
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Phillip A Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Christopher Boniface
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Eric E Bouhassira
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Paul T Spellman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - David M Gilbert
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Mathew J Thayer
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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12
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Balasooriya GI, Spector DL. Allele-specific differential regulation of monoallelically expressed autosomal genes in the cardiac lineage. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5984. [PMID: 36216821 PMCID: PMC9550772 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33722-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Each mammalian autosomal gene is represented by two alleles in diploid cells. To our knowledge, no insights have been made in regard to allele-specific regulatory mechanisms of autosomes. Here we use allele-specific single cell transcriptomic analysis to elucidate the establishment of monoallelic gene expression in the cardiac lineage. We find that monoallelically expressed autosomal genes in mESCs and mouse blastocyst cells are differentially regulated based on the genetic background of the parental alleles. However, the genetic background of the allele does not affect the establishment of monoallelic genes in differentiated cardiomyocytes. Additionally, we observe epigenetic differences between deterministic and random autosomal monoallelic genes. Moreover, we also find a greater contribution of the maternal versus paternal allele to the development and homeostasis of cardiac tissue and in cardiac health, highlighting the importance of maternal influence in male cardiac tissue homeostasis. Our findings emphasize the significance of allele-specific insights into gene regulation in development, homeostasis and disease.
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13
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Kubasova N, Alves-Pereira CF, Gupta S, Vinogradova S, Gimelbrant A, Barreto VM. In Vivo Clonal Analysis Reveals Random Monoallelic Expression in Lymphocytes That Traces Back to Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:827774. [PMID: 36003148 PMCID: PMC9393635 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.827774] [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: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating the epigenetic landscape in the stem cell compartment at the single-cell level is essential to assess the cells’ heterogeneity and predict their fate. Here, using a genome-wide transcriptomics approach in vivo, we evaluated the allelic expression imbalance in the progeny of single hematopoietic cells (HSCs) as a read-out of epigenetic marking. After 4 months of extensive proliferation and differentiation, we found that X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is tightly maintained in all single-HSC derived hematopoietic cells. In contrast, the vast majority of the autosomal genes did not show clonal patterns of random monoallelic expression (RME). However, a persistent allele-specific autosomal transcription in HSCs and their progeny was found in a rare number of cases, none of which has been previously reported. These data show that: 1) XCI and RME in the autosomal chromosomes are driven by different mechanisms; 2) the previously reported high frequency of genes under RME in clones expanded in vitro (up to 15%) is not found in clones undergoing multiple differentiation steps in vivo; 3) prior to differentiation, HSCs have stable patterns of autosomal RME. We propose that most RME patterns in autosomal chromosomes are erased and established de novo during cell lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadiya Kubasova
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, Nova Medical School, CEDOC, Lisbon, Portugal
- Genetagus, Egas Moniz – Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
| | - Clara F. Alves-Pereira
- Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Saumya Gupta
- Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Svetlana Vinogradova
- Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alexander Gimelbrant
- Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Vasco M. Barreto, ; Alexander Gimelbrant,
| | - Vasco M. Barreto
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, Nova Medical School, CEDOC, Lisbon, Portugal
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Costa da Caparica, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Vasco M. Barreto, ; Alexander Gimelbrant,
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14
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Kissiov DU, Ethell A, Chen S, Wolf NK, Zhang C, Dang SM, Jo Y, Madsen KN, Paranjpe I, Lee AY, Chim B, Muljo SA, Raulet DH. Binary outcomes of enhancer activity underlie stable random monoallelic expression. eLife 2022; 11:e74204. [PMID: 35617021 PMCID: PMC9135403 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitotically stable random monoallelic gene expression (RME) is documented for a small percentage of autosomal genes. We developed an in vivo genetic model to study the role of enhancers in RME using high-resolution single-cell analysis of natural killer (NK) cell receptor gene expression and enhancer deletions in the mouse germline. Enhancers of the RME NK receptor genes were accessible and enriched in H3K27ac on silent and active alleles alike in cells sorted according to allelic expression status, suggesting enhancer activation and gene expression status can be decoupled. In genes with multiple enhancers, enhancer deletion reduced gene expression frequency, in one instance converting the universally expressed gene encoding NKG2D into an RME gene, recapitulating all aspects of natural RME including mitotic stability of both the active and silent states. The results support the binary model of enhancer action, and suggest that RME is a consequence of general properties of gene regulation by enhancers rather than an RME-specific epigenetic program. Therefore, many and perhaps all genes may be subject to some degree of RME. Surprisingly, this was borne out by analysis of several genes that define different major hematopoietic lineages, that were previously thought to be universally expressed within those lineages: the genes encoding NKG2D, CD45, CD8α, and Thy-1. We propose that intrinsically probabilistic gene allele regulation is a general property of enhancer-controlled gene expression, with previously documented RME representing an extreme on a broad continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djem U Kissiov
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Alexander Ethell
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Sean Chen
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Natalie K Wolf
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Susanna M Dang
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Yeara Jo
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Katrine N Madsen
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Ishan Paranjpe
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Angus Y Lee
- Cancer Research Laboratory, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Bryan Chim
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Stefan A Muljo
- Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - David H Raulet
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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15
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Gupta S, Lafontaine DL, Vigneau S, Mendelevich A, Vinogradova S, Igarashi KJ, Bortvin A, Alves-Pereira CF, Nag A, Gimelbrant AA. RNA sequencing-based screen for reactivation of silenced alleles of autosomal genes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:6472352. [PMID: 35100361 PMCID: PMC9210281 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian cells, maternal and paternal alleles usually have similar transcriptional activity. Epigenetic mechanisms such as X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) and imprinting were historically viewed as rare exceptions to this rule. Discovery of autosomal monoallelic autosomal expression (MAE) a decade ago revealed an additional allele-specific mode regulating thousands of mammalian genes. Despite MAE prevalence, its mechanistic basis remains unknown. Using an RNA sequencing-based screen for reactivation of silenced alleles, we identified DNA methylation as key mechanism of MAE mitotic maintenance. In contrast with the all-or-nothing allelic choice in XCI, allele-specific expression in MAE loci is tunable, with exact allelic imbalance dependent on the extent of DNA methylation. In a subset of MAE genes, allelic imbalance was insensitive to DNA demethylation, implicating additional mechanisms in MAE maintenance in these loci. Our findings identify a key mechanism of MAE maintenance and provide basis for understanding the biological role of MAE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sebastien Vigneau
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Asia Mendelevich
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia
| | - Svetlana Vinogradova
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
| | - Kyomi J Igarashi
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
| | - Andrew Bortvin
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
| | - Clara F Alves-Pereira
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Anwesha Nag
- Department of Cancer Biology and Center of Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215-5450, USA
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16
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Holoch D, Wassef M, Lövkvist C, Zielinski D, Aflaki S, Lombard B, Héry T, Loew D, Howard M, Margueron R. A cis-acting mechanism mediates transcriptional memory at Polycomb target genes in mammals. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1686-1697. [PMID: 34782763 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00964-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance of gene expression states enables a single genome to maintain distinct cellular identities. How histone modifications contribute to this process remains unclear. Using global chromatin perturbations and local, time-controlled modulation of transcription, we establish the existence of epigenetic memory of transcriptional activation for genes that can be silenced by the Polycomb group. This property emerges during cell differentiation and allows genes to be stably switched after a transient transcriptional stimulus. This transcriptional memory state at Polycomb targets operates in cis; however, rather than relying solely on read-and-write propagation of histone modifications, the memory is also linked to the strength of activating inputs opposing Polycomb proteins, and therefore varies with the cellular context. Our data and computational simulations suggest a model whereby transcriptional memory arises from double-negative feedback between Polycomb-mediated silencing and active transcription. Transcriptional memory at Polycomb targets thus depends not only on histone modifications but also on the gene-regulatory network and underlying identity of a cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Holoch
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Michel Wassef
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Cecilia Lövkvist
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK. .,Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Dina Zielinski
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France.,INSERM U900, Mines ParisTech, Paris, France
| | - Setareh Aflaki
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Bérangère Lombard
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Tiphaine Héry
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Damarys Loew
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Martin Howard
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Raphaël Margueron
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France. .,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France.
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17
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Jang J, Amblard F, Ghim CM. Heterogeneity is not always a source of noise: Stochastic gene expression in regulatory heterozygote. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:044401. [PMID: 34781474 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.044401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Zygosity of diploid genome (i.e., degree to which two parental alleles of a gene have varied genetic sequences) adds another dimension to stochastic gene expression. The allelic imbalance in chromatin accessibility or divergence in regulatory sequences leads to fitness effects but the quantitative aspects thereof are largely left unexplored. We investigate diploid gene expression systems with homozygous (the same) and heterozygous (varied) combination of alleles in cis-regulatory sequences, not in structural gene loci, and characterize the zygosity-associated stochastic fluctuations in protein abundance. An emerging feat of heterozygosity is its counterintuitive capacity for genetic noise control. Especially when the noise is dominantly contributed to by the fluctuations in duty cycle ("reliability") rather than in process speed ("productivity") of gene expression machinery, its interallelic discrepancy acts to reduce the gene expression noise. These findings offer a novel insight into the rich repertoire of balancing selection enriched in the regulatory elements of immune response genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juneil Jang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - François Amblard
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - C-M Ghim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.,Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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18
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Sands B, Yun S, Mendenhall AR. Introns control stochastic allele expression bias. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6527. [PMID: 34764277 PMCID: PMC8585970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26798-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoallelic expression (MAE) or extreme allele bias can account for incomplete penetrance, missing heritability and non-Mendelian diseases. In cancer, MAE is associated with shorter patient survival times and higher tumor grade. Prior studies showed that stochastic MAE is caused by stochastic epigenetic silencing, in a gene and tissue-specific manner. Here, we used C. elegans to study stochastic MAE in vivo. We found allele bias/MAE to be widespread within C. elegans tissues, presenting as a continuum from fully biallelic to MAE. We discovered that the presence of introns within alleles robustly decreases MAE. We determined that introns control MAE at distinct loci, in distinct cell types, with distinct promoters, and within distinct coding sequences, using a 5'-intron position-dependent mechanism. Bioinformatic analysis showed human intronless genes are significantly enriched for MAE. Our experimental evidence demonstrates a role for introns in regulating MAE, possibly explaining why some mutations within introns result in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Sands
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Soo Yun
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Alexander R. Mendenhall
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
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19
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Fu R, Qin P, Zou X, Hu Z, Hong N, Wang Y, Jin W. A Comprehensive Characterization of Monoallelic Expression During Hematopoiesis and Leukemogenesis via Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:702897. [PMID: 34722498 PMCID: PMC8548578 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.702897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) is becoming a powerful tool to investigate monoallelic expression (MAE) in various developmental and pathological processes. However, our knowledge of MAE during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is limited. In this study, we conducted a systematic interrogation of MAEs in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) at single-cell resolution to construct a MAE atlas of BMMCs. We identified 1,020 constitutive MAEs in BMMCs, which included imprinted genes such as MEG8, NAP1L5, and IRAIN. We classified the BMMCs into six cell types and identified 74 cell type specific MAEs including MTSS1, MOB1A, and TCF12. We further identified 114 random MAEs (rMAEs) at single-cell level, with 78.1% single-allele rMAE and 21.9% biallelic mosaic rMAE. Many MAEs identified in BMMCs have not been reported and are potentially hematopoietic specific, supporting MAEs are functional relevance. Comparison of BMMC samples from a leukemia patient with multiple clinical stages showed the fractions of constitutive MAE were correlated with fractions of leukemia cells in BMMCs. Further separation of the BMMCs into leukemia cells and normal cells showed that leukemia cells have much higher constitutive MAE and rMAEs than normal cells. We identified the leukemia cell-specific MAEs and relapsed leukemia cell-specific MAEs, which were enriched in immune-related functions. These results indicate MAE is prevalent and is an important gene regulation mechanism during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. As the first systematical interrogation of constitutive MAEs, cell type specific MAEs, and rMAEs during hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis, the study significantly increased our knowledge about the features and functions of MAEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Fu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,School of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, China
| | - Pengfei Qin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xianghui Zou
- School of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ni Hong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenfei Jin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Heskett MB, Spellman PT, Thayer MJ. Differential Allelic Expression among Long Non-Coding RNAs. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:ncrna7040066. [PMID: 34698262 PMCID: PMC8544735 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7040066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) comprise a diverse group of non-protein-coding RNAs >200 bp in length that are involved in various normal cellular processes and disease states, and can affect coding gene expression through mechanisms in cis or in trans. Since the discovery of the first functional lncRNAs transcribed by RNA Polymerase II, H19 and Xist, many others have been identified and noted for their unusual transcriptional pattern, whereby expression from one chromosome homolog is strongly favored over the other, also known as mono-allelic or differential allelic expression. lncRNAs with differential allelic expression have been observed to play critical roles in developmental gene regulation, chromosome structure, and disease. Here, we will focus on known examples of differential allelic expression of lncRNAs and highlight recent research describing functional lncRNAs expressed from both imprinted and random mono-allelic expression domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B. Heskett
- Department of Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (M.B.H.); (P.T.S.)
| | - Paul T. Spellman
- Department of Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (M.B.H.); (P.T.S.)
| | - Mathew J. Thayer
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Correspondence:
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21
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Barreto VM, Kubasova N, Alves-Pereira CF, Gendrel AV. X-Chromosome Inactivation and Autosomal Random Monoallelic Expression as "Faux Amis". Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:740937. [PMID: 34631717 PMCID: PMC8495168 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.740937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) and random monoallelic expression of autosomal genes (RMAE) are two paradigms of gene expression regulation where, at the single cell level, genes can be expressed from either the maternal or paternal alleles. X-chromosome inactivation takes place in female marsupial and placental mammals, while RMAE has been described in mammals and also other species. Although the outcome of both processes results in random monoallelic expression and mosaicism at the cellular level, there are many important differences. We provide here a brief sketch of the history behind the discovery of XCI and RMAE. Moreover, we review some of the distinctive features of these two phenomena, with respect to when in development they are established, their roles in dosage compensation and cellular phenotypic diversity, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their initiation and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasco M Barreto
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, CEDOC, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nadiya Kubasova
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, CEDOC, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Clara F Alves-Pereira
- Department of Genetics, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anne-Valerie Gendrel
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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22
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Semicoordinated allelic-bursting shape dynamic random monoallelic expression in pregastrulation embryos. iScience 2021; 24:102954. [PMID: 34458702 PMCID: PMC8379509 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, allele-specific single-cell RNA-seq analysis has demonstrated widespread dynamic random monoallelic expression of autosomal genes (aRME) in different cell types. However, the prevalence of dynamic aRME during pregastrulation remains unknown. Here, we show that dynamic aRME is widespread in different lineages of pregastrulation embryos. Additionally, the origin of dynamic aRME remains elusive. It is believed that independent transcriptional bursting from each allele leads to dynamic aRME. Here, we show that allelic burst is not perfectly independent; instead it happens in a semicoordinated fashion. Importantly, we show that semicoordinated allelic bursting of genes, particularly with low burst frequency, leads to frequent asynchronous allelic bursting, thereby contributing to dynamic aRME. Furthermore, we found that coordination of allelic bursting is lineage specific and genes regulating the development have a higher degree of coordination. Altogether, our study provides significant insights into the prevalence and origin of dynamic aRME and their developmental relevance during early development. Dynamic aRME is widespread in different lineages of pregastrulation embryos Semicoordinated bursting of genes with low burst frequency leads to dynamic aRME Degree of coordination of allelic bursting is lineage specific Developmental genes have higher degree of coordination of allelic bursting
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23
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Liang W, Zou X, Li G, Zhou S, Tian C, Schaefke B. Systematic Analysis of Monoallelic Gene Expression and Chromatin Accessibility Across Multiple Tissues in Hybrid Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:717555. [PMID: 34631706 PMCID: PMC8495204 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.717555] [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: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In diploid eukaryotic organisms, both alleles of each autosomal gene are usually assumed to be simultaneously expressed at similar levels. However, some genes can be expressed preferentially or strictly from a single allele, a process known as monoallelic expression. Classic monoallelic expression of X-chromosome-linked genes, olfactory receptor genes and developmentally imprinted genes is the result of epigenetic modifications. Genetic-origin-dependent monoallelic expression, however, is caused by cis-regulatory differences between the alleles. There is a paucity of systematic study to investigate these phenomena across multiple tissues, and the mechanisms underlying such monoallelic expression are not yet fully understood. Here we provide a detailed portrait of monoallelic gene expression across multiple tissues/cell lines in a hybrid mouse cross between the Mus musculus strain C57BL/6J and the Mus spretus strain SPRET/EiJ. We observed pervasive tissue-dependent allele-specific gene expression: in total, 1,839 genes exhibited monoallelic expression in at least one tissue, and 410 genes in at least two tissues. Among these 88 are monoallelic genes with different active alleles between tissues, probably representing genetic-origin-dependent monoallelic expression. We also identified six autosomal monoallelic genes with the active allele being identical in all eight tissues, which are likely novel candidates of imprinted genes. To depict the underlying regulatory mechanisms at the chromatin layer, we performed ATAC-seq in two different cell lines derived from the F1 mouse. Consistent with the global expression pattern, cell-type dependent monoallelic peaks were found, and a higher proportion of C57BL/6J-active peaks were observed in both cell types, implying possible species-specific regulation. Finally, only a small part of monoallelic gene expression could be explained by allelic differences in chromatin organization in promoter regions, suggesting that other distal elements may play important roles in shaping the patterns of allelic gene expression across tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizheng Liang
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xudong Zou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guipeng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shaojie Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chi Tian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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24
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Marion-Poll L, Forêt B, Zielinski D, Massip F, Attia M, Carter AC, Syx L, Chang HY, Gendrel AV, Heard E. Locus specific epigenetic modalities of random allelic expression imbalance. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5330. [PMID: 34504093 PMCID: PMC8429725 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Most autosomal genes are thought to be expressed from both alleles, with some notable exceptions, including imprinted genes and genes showing random monoallelic expression (RME). The extent and nature of RME has been the subject of debate. Here we investigate the expression of several candidate RME genes in F1 hybrid mouse cells before and after differentiation, to define how they become persistently, monoallelically expressed. Clonal monoallelic expression is not present in embryonic stem cells, but we observe high frequencies of monoallelism in neuronal progenitor cells by assessing expression status in more than 200 clones. We uncover unforeseen modes of allelic expression that appear to be gene-specific and epigenetically regulated. This non-canonical allelic regulation has important implications for development and disease, including autosomal dominant disorders and opens up therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Marion-Poll
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France.
- Directors' research, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Forêt
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Dina Zielinski
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U900, Mines ParisTech, Paris, France
| | - Florian Massip
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikael Attia
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Ava C Carter
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laurène Syx
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U900, Mines ParisTech, Paris, France
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anne-Valerie Gendrel
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France.
| | - Edith Heard
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France.
- Directors' research, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Collège de France, Paris, France.
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25
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Gregg C. Starvation and Climate Change—How to Constrain Cancer Cell Epigenetic Diversity and Adaptability to Enhance Treatment Efficacy. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.693781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced metastatic cancer is currently not curable and the major barrier to eliminating the disease in patients is the resistance of subpopulations of tumor cells to drug treatments. These resistant subpopulations can arise stochastically among the billions of tumor cells in a patient or emerge over time during therapy due to adaptive mechanisms and the selective pressures of drug therapies. Epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in tumor cell diversity and adaptability, and are regulated by metabolic pathways. Here, I discuss knowledge from ecology, evolution, infectious disease, species extinction, metabolism and epigenetics to synthesize a roadmap to a clinically feasible approach to help homogenize tumor cells and, in combination with drug treatments, drive their extinction. Specifically, cycles of starvation and hyperthermia could help synchronize tumor cells and constrain epigenetic diversity and adaptability by limiting substrates and impairing the activity of chromatin modifying enzymes. Hyperthermia could also help prevent cancer cells from entering dangerous hibernation-like states. I propose steps to a treatment paradigm to help drive cancer extinction that builds on the successes of fasting, hyperthermia and immunotherapy and is achievable in patients. Finally, I highlight the many unknowns, opportunities for discovery and that stochastic gene and allele level epigenetic mechanisms pose a major barrier to cancer extinction that warrants deeper investigation.
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26
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Shah A, Ratkowski M, Rosa A, Feinstein P, Bozza T. Olfactory expression of trace amine-associated receptors requires cooperative cis-acting enhancers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3797. [PMID: 34145232 PMCID: PMC8213819 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23824-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory sensory neurons express a large family of odorant receptors (ORs) and a small family of trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). While both families are subject to so-called singular expression (expression of one allele of one gene), the mechanisms underlying TAAR gene choice remain obscure. Here, we report the identification of two conserved sequence elements in the mouse TAAR cluster (T-elements) that are required for TAAR gene expression. We observed that cell-type-specific expression of a TAAR-derived transgene required either T-element. Moreover, deleting either element reduced or abolished expression of a subset of TAAR genes, while deleting both elements abolished olfactory expression of all TAARs in cis with the mutation. The T-elements exhibit several features of known OR enhancers but also contain highly conserved, unique sequence motifs. Our data demonstrate that TAAR gene expression requires two cooperative cis-acting enhancers and suggest that ORs and TAARs share similar mechanisms of singular expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Shah
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Madison Ratkowski
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- The Graduate Center Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Feinstein
- The Graduate Center Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Bozza
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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Mendelevich A, Vinogradova S, Gupta S, Mironov AA, Sunyaev SR, Gimelbrant AA. Replicate sequencing libraries are important for quantification of allelic imbalance. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3370. [PMID: 34099647 PMCID: PMC8184992 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23544-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A sensitive approach to quantitative analysis of transcriptional regulation in diploid organisms is analysis of allelic imbalance (AI) in RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data. A near-universal practice in such studies is to prepare and sequence only one library per RNA sample. We present theoretical and experimental evidence that data from a single RNA-seq library is insufficient for reliable quantification of the contribution of technical noise to the observed AI signal; consequently, reliance on one-replicate experimental design can lead to unaccounted-for variation in error rates in allele-specific analysis. We develop a computational approach, Qllelic, that accurately accounts for technical noise by making use of replicate RNA-seq libraries. Testing on new and existing datasets shows that application of Qllelic greatly decreases false positive rate in allele-specific analysis while conserving appropriate signal, and thus greatly improves reproducibility of AI estimates. We explore sources of technical overdispersion in observed AI signal and conclude by discussing design of RNA-seq studies addressing two biologically important questions: quantification of transcriptome-wide AI in one sample, and differential analysis of allele-specific expression between samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asia Mendelevich
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
| | - Svetlana Vinogradova
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Saumya Gupta
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, USA
| | - Andrey A Mironov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Shamil R Sunyaev
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Alexander A Gimelbrant
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, USA.
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28
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Dini P, Kalbfleisch T, Uribe-Salazar JM, Carossino M, Ali HES, Loux SC, Esteller-Vico A, Norris JK, Anand L, Scoggin KE, Rodriguez Lopez CM, Breen J, Bailey E, Daels P, Ball BA. Parental bias in expression and interaction of genes in the equine placenta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2006474118. [PMID: 33853939 PMCID: PMC8072238 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006474118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Most autosomal genes in the placenta show a biallelic expression pattern. However, some genes exhibit allele-specific transcription depending on the parental origin of the chromosomes on which the copy of the gene resides. Parentally expressed genes are involved in the reciprocal interaction between maternal and paternal genes, coordinating the allocation of resources between fetus and mother. One of the main challenges of studying parental-specific allelic expression (allele-specific expression [ASE]) in the placenta is the maternal cellular remnant at the fetomaternal interface. Horses (Equus caballus) have an epitheliochorial placenta in which both the endometrial epithelium and the epithelium of the chorionic villi are juxtaposed with minimal extension into the uterine mucosa, yet there is no information available on the allelic gene expression of equine chorioallantois (CA). In the current study, we present a dataset of 1,336 genes showing ASE in the equine CA (https://pouya-dini.github.io/equine-gene-db/) along with a workflow for analyzing ASE genes. We further identified 254 potentially imprinted genes among the parentally expressed genes in the equine CA and evaluated the expression pattern of these genes throughout gestation. Our gene ontology analysis implies that maternally expressed genes tend to decrease the length of gestation, while paternally expressed genes extend the length of gestation. This study provides fundamental information regarding parental gene expression during equine pregnancy, a species with a negligible amount of maternal cellular remnant in its placenta. This information will provide the basis for a better understanding of the role of parental gene expression in the placenta during gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouya Dini
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
- Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
| | - Theodore Kalbfleisch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Genome Center, Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Mariano Carossino
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Hossam El-Sheikh Ali
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
- Theriogenology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Shavahn C Loux
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Alejandro Esteller-Vico
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Jamie K Norris
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Lakshay Anand
- Environmental Epigenetics and Genetics Group, Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546
| | - Kirsten E Scoggin
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Carlos M Rodriguez Lopez
- Environmental Epigenetics and Genetics Group, Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546
| | - James Breen
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Ernest Bailey
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503
| | - Peter Daels
- Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke 9820, Belgium
| | - Barry A Ball
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503;
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29
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Larsson AJM, Ziegenhain C, Hagemann-Jensen M, Reinius B, Jacob T, Dalessandri T, Hendriks GJ, Kasper M, Sandberg R. Transcriptional bursts explain autosomal random monoallelic expression and affect allelic imbalance. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008772. [PMID: 33690599 PMCID: PMC7978379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional bursts render substantial biological noise in cellular transcriptomes. Here, we investigated the theoretical extent of allelic expression resulting from transcriptional bursting and how it compared to the amount biallelic, monoallelic and allele-biased expression observed in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. We found that transcriptional bursting can explain the allelic expression patterns observed in single cells, including the frequent observations of autosomal monoallelic gene expression. Importantly, we identified that the burst frequency largely determined the fraction of cells with monoallelic expression, whereas the burst size had little effect on monoallelic observations. The high consistency between the bursting model predictions and scRNA-seq observations made it possible to assess the heterogeneity of a group of cells as their deviation in allelic observations from the expected. Finally, both burst frequency and size contributed to allelic imbalance observations and reinforced that studies of allelic imbalance can be confounded from the inherent noise in transcriptional bursting. Altogether, we demonstrate that allele-level transcriptional bursting renders widespread, although predictable, amounts of monoallelic and biallelic expression in single cells and cell populations. Genes are transcribed into RNA and further translated into proteins. The maternal and paternal copy of each gene are typically transcribed independently, and transcription itself occur in discrete stochastic bursts (transcriptional bursts). Pioneering single-cell analysis of RNA across cells revealed abundant fluctuations in the amounts of maternal and paternal RNA in cells, with frequent observations of RNA from only the maternal or paternal gene copy (monoallelic expression). In this study, we investigated to which extent the observed monoallelic expression across single cells can be explained by transcriptional bursting. We demonstrate that the process of transcriptional bursting is sufficient to explain the amount of monoallelic expression, and we further demonstrate that the frequency of bursts mainly determines the frequency of monoallelic observations. Furthermore, we show that transcriptional bursts may lead to false positive observations of monoallelic expression across cell populations. Therefore, stochastic transcription renders large fluctuations in allelic origin of RNA in cells over time, including frequent monoallelic observations when profiling single cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton J. M. Larsson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christoph Ziegenhain
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Björn Reinius
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tina Jacob
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tim Dalessandri
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gert-Jan Hendriks
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kasper
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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30
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Genome-wide analysis of allele-specific expression of genes in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2954. [PMID: 33536552 PMCID: PMC7859220 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82529-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in next generation sequencing technologies have allowed the discovery of widespread autosomal allele-specific expression (aASE) in mammals and plants with potential phenotypic effects. Extensive numbers of genes with allele-specific expression have been described in the diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus in association with adaptation to external cues, as well as in Fistulifera solaris in the context of natural hybridization. However, the role of aASE and its extent in diatoms remain elusive. In this study, we investigate allele-specific expression in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum by the re-analysis of previously published whole genome RNA sequencing data and polymorphism calling. We found that 22% of P. tricornutum genes show moderate bias in allelic expression while 1% show nearly complete monoallelic expression. Biallelic expression associates with genes encoding components of protein metabolism while moderately biased genes associate with functions in catabolism and protein transport. We validated candidate genes by pyrosequencing and found that moderate biases in allelic expression were less stable than monoallelically expressed genes that showed consistent bias upon experimental validations at the population level and in subcloning experiments. Our approach provides the basis for the analysis of aASE in P. tricornutum and could be routinely implemented to test for variations in allele expression under different environmental conditions.
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31
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Oliver EE, Hughes EK, Puckett MK, Chen R, Lowther WT, Howlett AC. Cannabinoid Receptor Interacting Protein 1a (CRIP1a) in Health and Disease. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10121609. [PMID: 33261012 PMCID: PMC7761089 DOI: 10.3390/biom10121609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocannabinoid signaling depends upon the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and intracellular proteins that mediate responses via the C-terminal and other intracellular receptor domains. The CB1 receptor regulates and is regulated by associated G proteins predominantly of the Gi/o subtypes, β-arrestins 1 and 2, and the cannabinoid receptor-interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a). Evidence for a physiological role for CRIP1a is emerging as data regarding the cellular localization and function of CRIP1a are generated. Here we summarize the neuronal distribution and role of CRIP1a in endocannabinoid signaling, as well as discuss investigations linking CRIP1a to development, vision and hearing sensory systems, hippocampus and seizure regulation, and psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. We also examine the genetic and epigenetic association of CRIP1a within a variety of cancer subtypes. This review provides evidence upon which to base future investigations on the function of CRIP1a in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. Oliver
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA; (E.E.O.); (E.K.H.); (M.K.P.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA;
| | - Erin K. Hughes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA; (E.E.O.); (E.K.H.); (M.K.P.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA;
| | - Meaghan K. Puckett
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA; (E.E.O.); (E.K.H.); (M.K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA; (E.E.O.); (E.K.H.); (M.K.P.); (R.C.)
| | - W. Todd Lowther
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA;
| | - Allyn C. Howlett
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 20157, USA; (E.E.O.); (E.K.H.); (M.K.P.); (R.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-336-716-8545
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32
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Chandradoss KR, Chawla B, Dhuppar S, Nayak R, Ramachandran R, Kurukuti S, Mazumder A, Sandhu KS. CTCF-Mediated Genome Architecture Regulates the Dosage of Mitotically Stable Mono-allelic Expression of Autosomal Genes. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108302. [PMID: 33113374 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that guide the clonally stable random mono-allelic expression of autosomal genes remain enigmatic. We show that (1) mono-allelically expressed (MAE) genes are assorted and insulated from bi-allelically expressed (BAE) genes through CTCF-mediated chromatin loops; (2) the cell-type-specific dynamics of mono-allelic expression coincides with the gain and loss of chromatin insulator sites; (3) dosage of MAE genes is more sensitive to the loss of chromatin insulation than that of BAE genes; and (4) inactive alleles of MAE genes are significantly more insulated than active alleles and are de-repressed upon CTCF depletion. This alludes to a topology wherein the inactive alleles of MAE genes are insulated from the spatial interference of transcriptional states from the neighboring bi-allelic domains via CTCF-mediated loops. We propose that CTCF functions as a typical insulator on inactive alleles, but facilitates transcription through enhancer-linking on active allele of MAE genes, indicating widespread allele-specific regulatory roles of CTCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerthivasan Raanin Chandradoss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar 140306, India
| | - Bindia Chawla
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar 140306, India
| | - Shivnarayan Dhuppar
- TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Hyderabad, 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Rakhee Nayak
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Prof. C.R. Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Rajesh Ramachandran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar 140306, India
| | - Sreenivasulu Kurukuti
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Prof. C.R. Rao Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Aprotim Mazumder
- TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Hyderabad, 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Kuljeet Singh Sandhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector 81, SAS Nagar 140306, India.
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33
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Vihinen M. Functional effects of protein variants. Biochimie 2020; 180:104-120. [PMID: 33164889 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Genetic and other variations frequently affect protein functions. Scientific articles can contain confusing descriptions about which function or property is affected, and in many cases the statements are pure speculation without any experimental evidence. To clarify functional effects of protein variations of genetic or non-genetic origin, a systematic conceptualisation and framework are introduced. This framework describes protein functional effects on abundance, activity, specificity and affinity, along with countermeasures, which allow cells, tissues and organisms to tolerate, avoid, repair, attenuate or resist (TARAR) the effects. Effects on abundance discussed include gene dosage, restricted expression, mis-localisation and degradation. Enzymopathies, effects on kinetics, allostery and regulation of protein activity are subtopics for the effects of variants on activity. Variation outcomes on specificity and affinity comprise promiscuity, specificity, affinity and moonlighting. TARAR mechanisms redress variations with active and passive processes including chaperones, redundancy, robustness, canalisation and metabolic and signalling rewiring. A framework for pragmatic protein function analysis and presentation is introduced. All of the mechanisms and effects are described along with representative examples, most often in relation to diseases. In addition, protein function is discussed from evolutionary point of view. Application of the presented framework facilitates unambiguous, detailed and specific description of functional effects and their systematic study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauno Vihinen
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, BMC B13, Lund University, SE-22 184, Lund, Sweden.
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34
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Varrault A, Dubois E, Le Digarcher A, Bouschet T. Quantifying Genomic Imprinting at Tissue and Cell Resolution in the Brain. EPIGENOMES 2020; 4:21. [PMID: 34968292 PMCID: PMC8594728 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes4030021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Imprinted genes are a group of ~150 genes that are preferentially expressed from one parental allele owing to epigenetic marks asymmetrically distributed on inherited maternal and paternal chromosomes. Altered imprinted gene expression causes human brain disorders such as Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes and additional rare brain diseases. Research data principally obtained from the mouse model revealed how imprinted genes act in the normal and pathological brain. However, a better understanding of imprinted gene functions calls for building detailed maps of their parent-of-origin-dependent expression and of associated epigenetic signatures. Here we review current methods for quantifying genomic imprinting at tissue and cell resolutions, with a special emphasis on methods to detect parent-of-origin dependent expression and their applications to the brain. We first focus on bulk RNA-sequencing, the main method to detect parent-of-origin-dependent expression transcriptome-wide. We discuss the benefits and caveats of bulk RNA-sequencing and provide a guideline to use it on F1 hybrid mice. We then review methods for detecting parent-of-origin-dependent expression at cell resolution, including single-cell RNA-seq, genetic reporters, and molecular probes. Finally, we provide an overview of single-cell epigenomics technologies that profile additional features of genomic imprinting, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin conformation and their combination into sc-multimodal omics approaches, which are expected to yield important insights into genomic imprinting in individual brain cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Varrault
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (A.L.D.)
| | - Emeric Dubois
- Montpellier GenomiX (MGX), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094 Montpellier, France;
| | - Anne Le Digarcher
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (A.L.D.)
| | - Tristan Bouschet
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (A.L.D.)
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35
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Li Y, Li T, Tang Y, Zhan Z, Ding L, Song L, Yu T, Yang Y, Ma J, Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Gu S, Xu M, Gao Y, Li Y. The function of a heterozygous p53 mutation in a Li-Fraumeni syndrome patient. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234262. [PMID: 32516327 PMCID: PMC7282642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234262] [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: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
p53 is one of the most extensively studied proteins in cancer research. Mutations in p53 generally abolish normal p53 function, and some mutants can gain new oncogenic functions. However, the mechanisms underlying p53 mutation-driven cancer remains to be elucidated. Our study investigated the function of a heterozygous p53 mutation (p.Asn268Glufs*4) in a Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) patient. We used episomal technology to perform somatic reprogramming, and used molecular and cell biology methods to determine the p53 mutation levels in patient-originated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells at the RNA and protein levels. We found that p53 protein expression was not increased in this patient’s somatic cells compared with those of a healthy control. p53 mutation facilitates the proliferation of tumor cells by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting cell division. It can inhibit the efficiency of somatic reprogramming by inhibiting OCT4 expression during reprogramming stage. Moreover, not all p53 mutant iPS cell lines have mutant p53 RNA sequences. A small percentage of mutant p53 mRNA is present in the somatic cells from the patient and his mother. In summary, this p53 mutation can promote tumor cell proliferation, inhibit somatic reprogramming, and exhibit random p53 allelic expression of heterozygous mutations in the patient and iPS cells which may be one of the reasons why the people with p53 mutations develop cancer at random. This finding suggested that mutant p53 allelic expression should be added to the risk forecasting of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuejia Tang
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiyan Zhan
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixia Ding
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lili Song
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingting Yu
- Molecular Biological Diagnostic Laboratory, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingwen Zhang
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Song Gu
- Department of General Surgery/Surgical Oncology Center, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Xu
- Department of General Surgery/Surgical Oncology Center, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (YG); (MX)
| | - Yijin Gao
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (YG); (MX)
| | - Yanxin Li
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (YL); (YG); (MX)
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36
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The influence of DNA methylation on monoallelic expression. Essays Biochem 2020; 63:663-676. [PMID: 31782494 PMCID: PMC6923323 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20190034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Monoallelic gene expression occurs in diploid cells when only one of the two alleles of a gene is active. There are three main classes of genes that display monoallelic expression in mammalian genomes: (1) imprinted genes that are monoallelically expressed in a parent-of-origin dependent manner; (2) X-linked genes that undergo random X-chromosome inactivation in female cells; (3) random monoallelically expressed single and clustered genes located on autosomes. The heritability of monoallelic expression patterns during cell divisions implies that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the cellular memory of these expression states. Among these, methylation of CpG sites on DNA is one of the best described modification to explain somatic inheritance. Here, we discuss the relevance of DNA methylation for the establishment and maintenance of monoallelic expression patterns among these three groups of genes, and how this is intrinsically linked to development and cellular states.
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Heskett MB, Smith LG, Spellman P, Thayer MJ. Reciprocal monoallelic expression of ASAR lncRNA genes controls replication timing of human chromosome 6. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:724-738. [PMID: 32144193 PMCID: PMC7266157 DOI: 10.1261/rna.073114.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
DNA replication occurs on mammalian chromosomes in a cell-type distinctive temporal order known as the replication timing program. We previously found that disruption of the noncanonical lncRNA genes ASAR6 and ASAR15 results in delayed replication timing and delayed mitotic chromosome condensation of human chromosomes 6 and 15, respectively. ASAR6 and ASAR15 display random monoallelic expression and display asynchronous replication between alleles that is coordinated with other random monoallelic genes on their respective chromosomes. Disruption of the expressed allele, but not the silent allele, of ASAR6 leads to delayed replication, activation of the previously silent alleles of linked monoallelic genes, and structural instability of human chromosome 6. In this report, we describe a second lncRNA gene (ASAR6-141) on human chromosome 6 that when disrupted results in delayed replication timing in cisASAR6-141 is subject to random monoallelic expression and asynchronous replication and is expressed from the opposite chromosome 6 homolog as ASAR6 ASAR6-141 RNA, like ASAR6 and ASAR15 RNAs, contains a high L1 content and remains associated with the chromosome territory where it is transcribed. Three classes of cis-acting elements control proper chromosome function in mammals: origins of replication, centromeres, and telomeres, which are responsible for replication, segregation, and stability of all chromosomes. Our work supports a fourth type of essential chromosomal element, the "Inactivation/Stability Center," which expresses ASAR lncRNAs responsible for proper replication timing, monoallelic expression, and structural stability of each chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Heskett
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Leslie G Smith
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Paul Spellman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Mathew J Thayer
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
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38
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Gruber C, Bogunovic D. Incomplete penetrance in primary immunodeficiency: a skeleton in the closet. Hum Genet 2020; 139:745-757. [PMID: 32067110 PMCID: PMC7275875 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02131-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) comprise a diverse group of over 400 genetic disorders that result in clinically apparent immune dysfunction. Although PIDs are classically considered as Mendelian disorders with complete penetrance, we now understand that absent or partial clinical disease is often noted in individuals harboring disease-causing genotypes. Despite the frequency of incomplete penetrance in PID, no conceptual framework exists to categorize and explain these occurrences. Here, by reviewing decades of reports on incomplete penetrance in PID we identify four recurrent themes of incomplete penetrance, namely genotype quality, (epi)genetic modification, environmental influence, and mosaicism. For each of these principles, we review what is known, underscore what remains unknown, and propose future experimental approaches to fill the gaps in our understanding. Although the content herein relates specifically to inborn errors of immunity, the concepts are generalizable across genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Gruber
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dusan Bogunovic
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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39
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Kravitz SN, Gregg C. New subtypes of allele-specific epigenetic effects: implications for brain development, function and disease. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 59:69-78. [PMID: 31153086 PMCID: PMC7476552 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Typically, it is assumed that the maternal and paternal alleles for most genes are equally expressed. Known exceptions include canonical imprinted genes, random X-chromosome inactivation, olfactory receptors and clustered protocadherins. Here, we highlight recent studies showing that allele-specific expression is frequent in the genome and involves subtypes of epigenetic allelic effects that differ in terms of heritability, clonality and stability over time. Different forms of epigenetic allele regulation could have different roles in brain development, function, and disease. An emerging area involves understanding allelic effects in a cell-type and developmental stage-specific manner and determining how these effects influence the impact of genetic variants and mutations on the brain. A deeper understanding of epigenetics at the allele and cellular level in the brain could help clarify the mechanisms underlying phenotypic variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Kravitz
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132-3401, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132-3401, USA
| | - Christopher Gregg
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132-3401, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132-3401, USA.
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40
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Ohishi H, Au Yeung WK, Unoki M, Ichiyanagi K, Fukuda K, Maenohara S, Shirane K, Chiba H, Sado T, Sasaki H. Characterization of genetic-origin-dependent monoallelic expression in mouse embryonic stem cells. Genes Cells 2019; 25:54-64. [PMID: 31733167 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Monoallelic gene expression occurs in various mammalian cells and can be regulated genetically, epigenetically and/or stochastically. We identified 145 monoallelically expressed genes (MoEGs), including seven known imprinted genes, in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from reciprocal F1 hybrid blastocysts and cultured in 2i/LIF. As all MoEGs except for the imprinted genes were expressed in a genetic-origin-dependent manner, we focused on this class of MoEGs for mechanistic studies. We showed that a majority of the genetic-origin-dependent MoEGs identified in 2i/LIF ESCs remain monoallelically expressed in serum/LIF ESCs, but become more relaxed or even biallelically expressed upon differentiation. These MoEGs and their regulatory regions were highly enriched for single nucleotide polymorphisms. In addition, some MoEGs were associated with retrotransposon insertions/deletions, consistent with the fact that certain retrotransposons act as regulatory elements in pluripotent stem cells. Interestingly, most MoEGs showed allelic differences in enrichment of histone H3K27me and H3K4me marks, linking allelic epigenetic differences and monoallelic expression. In contrast, there was little or no allelic difference in CpG methylation or H3K9me. Taken together, our study highlights the impact of genetic variation including single nucleotide polymorphisms and retrotransposon insertions/deletions on monoallelic epigenetic marks and expression in ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Ohishi
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Wan Kin Au Yeung
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motoko Unoki
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenji Ichiyanagi
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kei Fukuda
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Shoji Maenohara
- Gynecology Service, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Shirane
- Department of Medical Genetics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hatsune Chiba
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takashi Sado
- Department of Advanced Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, KINDAI University, Nara, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sasaki
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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41
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Wang CY, Brand H, Shaw ND, Talkowski ME, Lee JT. Role of the Chromosome Architectural Factor SMCHD1 in X-Chromosome Inactivation, Gene Regulation, and Disease in Humans. Genetics 2019; 213:685-703. [PMID: 31420322 PMCID: PMC6781896 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain-containing 1 (SMCHD1) is an architectural factor critical for X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) and the repression of select autosomal gene clusters. In mice, homozygous nonsense mutations in Smchd1 cause female-specific embryonic lethality due to an XCI defect. However, although human mutations in SMCHD1 are associated with congenital arhinia and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 2 (FSHD2), the diseases do not show a sex-specific bias, despite the essential nature of XCI in humans. To investigate whether there is a dosage imbalance for the sex chromosomes, we here analyze transcriptomic data from arhinia and FSHD2 patient blood and muscle cells. We find that X-linked dosage compensation is maintained in these patients. In mice, SMCHD1 controls not only protocadherin (Pcdh) gene clusters, but also Hox genes critical for craniofacial development. Ablating Smchd1 results in aberrant expression of these genes, coinciding with altered chromatin states and three-dimensional (3D) topological organization. In a subset of FSHD2 and arhinia patients, we also found dysregulation of clustered PCDH, but not HOX genes. Overall, our study demonstrates preservation of XCI in arhinia and FSHD2, and implicates SMCHD1 in the regulation of the 3D organization of select autosomal gene clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yu Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Harrison Brand
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
- Center for Mendelian Genomics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Natalie D Shaw
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
- Center for Mendelian Genomics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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42
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Kondo S, Kato H, Suzuki Y, Takada T, Eitoku M, Shiroishi T, Suganuma N, Sugano S, Kiyosawa H. Monoallelic, antisense and total RNA transcription in an in vitro neural differentiation system based on F1 hybrid mice. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.228973. [PMID: 31409693 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.228973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed an in vitro system to differentiate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from reciprocally crossed F1 hybrid mice into neurons, and used it to investigate poly(A)+ and total RNA transcription at different stages of cell differentiation. By comparing expression profiles of transcripts assembled from 20 RNA sequencing datasets [2 alleles×(2 cell lines×4 time-points+2 mouse brains)], the relative influence of strain, cell and parent specificities to overall expression could be assessed. Divergent expression profiles of ESCs converged tightly at neural progenitor stage. Patterns of temporal variation of monoallelically expressed transcripts and antisense transcripts were quantified. Comparison of sense and antisense transcript pairs within the poly(A)+ sample, within the total RNA sample, and across poly(A)+ and total RNA samples revealed distinct rates of pairs showing anti-correlated expression variation. Unique patterns of sharing of poly(A)+ and poly(A)- transcription were identified in distinct RNA species. Regulation and functionality of monoallelic expression, antisense transcripts and poly(A)- transcription remain elusive. We demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach to capture these transcriptional activities, and provided new resources to elucidate the mammalian developmental transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Kondo
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Kato
- Division of Translational Research, Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-1241, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Toyoyuki Takada
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan.,Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Eitoku
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8505, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Shiroishi
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan.,Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Narufumi Suganuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8505, Japan
| | - Sumio Sugano
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Hidenori Kiyosawa
- Transdisciplinary Research Integration Center, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan .,Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8505, Japan
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43
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Frame FM, Maitland NJ. Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression in the Normal and Malignant Human Prostate: A Rapid Response Which Promotes Therapeutic Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2437. [PMID: 31108832 PMCID: PMC6566891 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A successful prostate cancer must be capable of changing its phenotype in response to a variety of microenvironmental influences, such as adaptation to treatment or successful proliferation at a particular metastatic site. New cell phenotypes emerge by selection from the large, genotypically heterogeneous pool of candidate cells present within any tumor mass, including a distinct stem cell-like population. In such a multicellular model of human prostate cancer, flexible responses are primarily governed not only by de novo mutations but appear to be dominated by a combination of epigenetic controls, whose application results in treatment resistance and tumor relapse. Detailed studies of these individual cell populations have resulted in an epigenetic model for epithelial cell differentiation, which is also instructive in explaining the reported high and inevitable relapse rates of human prostate cancers to a multitude of treatment types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona M Frame
- The Cancer Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Norman J Maitland
- The Cancer Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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44
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Todd CD, Deniz Ö, Taylor D, Branco MR. Functional evaluation of transposable elements as enhancers in mouse embryonic and trophoblast stem cells. eLife 2019; 8:e44344. [PMID: 31012843 PMCID: PMC6544436 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are thought to have helped establish gene regulatory networks. Both the embryonic and extraembryonic lineages of the early mouse embryo have seemingly co-opted TEs as enhancers, but there is little evidence that they play significant roles in gene regulation. Here we tested a set of long terminal repeat TE families for roles as enhancers in mouse embryonic and trophoblast stem cells. Epigenomic and transcriptomic data suggested that a large number of TEs helped to establish tissue-specific gene expression programmes. Genetic editing of individual TEs confirmed a subset of these regulatory relationships. However, a wider survey via CRISPR interference of RLTR13D6 elements in embryonic stem cells revealed that only a minority play significant roles in gene regulation. Our results suggest that a subset of TEs are important for gene regulation in early mouse development, and highlight the importance of functional experiments when evaluating gene regulatory roles of TEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Todd
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Özgen Deniz
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Darren Taylor
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Miguel R Branco
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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45
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Reinius B, Sandberg R. Reply to 'High prevalence of clonal monoallelic expression'. Nat Genet 2019; 50:1199-1200. [PMID: 30082784 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0189-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Björn Reinius
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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46
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Vigneau S, Vinogradova S, Savova V, Gimelbrant A. High prevalence of clonal monoallelic expression. Nat Genet 2019; 50:1198-1199. [PMID: 30082785 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0188-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Vigneau
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Svetlana Vinogradova
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Virginia Savova
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Gimelbrant
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Monoallelic expression (MAE) is a frequent genomic phenomenon in normal tissues, however its role in cancer is yet to be fully understood. MAE is defined as the expression of a gene that is restricted to one allele in the presence of a diploid heterozygous genome. Constitutive MAE occurs for imprinted genes, odorant receptors and random X inactivation. Several studies in normal tissues have showed MAE in approximately 5-20% of the cases. However, little information exists on the MAE rate in cancer. In this study we assessed the presence and rate of MAE in melanoma. The genetic basis of melanoma has been studied in depth over the past decades, leading to the identification of mutations/genetic alterations responsible for melanoma development. METHODS To examine the role of MAE in melanoma we used 15 melanoma cell lines and compared their RNA-seq data with genotyping data obtained by the parental TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes). Genotyping was performed using the Illumina HumanOmni1 beadchip. The RNA-seq library preparation and sequencing was performed using the Illumina TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Human Kit and subsequently sequenced using a HiSeq 2500 according to manufacturer's guidelines. By comparing genotyping data with RNA-seq data, we identified SNPs in which DNA genotypes were heterozygous and corresponding RNA genotypes were homozygous. All homozygous DNA genotypes were removed prior to the analysis. To confirm the validity to detect MAE, we examined heterozygous DNA genotypes from X chromosome of female samples as well as for imprinted and olfactory receptor genes and confirmed MAE. RESULTS MAE was detected in all 15 cell lines although to a different rate. When looking at the B-allele frequencies we found a preferential pattern of complete monoallelic expression rather then differential monoallelic expression across the 15 melanoma cell lines. As some samples showed high differences in the homozygous and heterozygous call rate, we looked at the single chromosomes and showed that MAE may be explained by underlying large copy number imbalances in some instances. Interestingly these regions included genes known to play a role in melanoma initiation and progression. Nevertheless, some chromosome regions showed MAE without CN imbalances suggesting that additional mechanisms (including epigenetic silencing) may explain MAE in melanoma. CONCLUSION The biological implications of MAE are yet to be realized. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that MAE is a common phenomenon in melanoma cell lines. Further analyses are currently being undertaken to evaluate whether MAE is gene/pathway specific and to understand whether MAE can be employed by cancers to achieve a more aggressive phenotype.
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48
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Allele-specific RNA imaging shows that allelic imbalances can arise in tissues through transcriptional bursting. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007874. [PMID: 30625149 PMCID: PMC6342324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive cell-to-cell variation exists even among putatively identical cells, and there is great interest in understanding how the properties of transcription relate to this heterogeneity. Differential expression from the two gene copies in diploid cells could potentially contribute, yet our ability to measure from which gene copy individual RNAs originated remains limited, particularly in the context of tissues. Here, we demonstrate quantitative, single molecule allele-specific RNA FISH adapted for use on tissue sections, allowing us to determine the chromosome of origin of individual RNA molecules in formaldehyde-fixed tissues. We used this method to visualize the allele-specific expression of Xist and multiple autosomal genes in mouse kidney. By combining these data with mathematical modeling, we evaluated models for allele-specific heterogeneity, in particular demonstrating that apparent expression from only one of the alleles in single cells can arise as a consequence of low-level mRNA abundance and transcriptional bursting. In mammals, most cells of the body contain two genetic datasets: one from the mother and one from the father, and—in theory—these two sets of information could contribute equally to produce the molecules in a given cell. In practice, however, this is not always the case, which can have dramatic implications for many traits, including visible features (such as fur color) and even disease outcomes. However, it remains difficult to measure the parental origin of individual molecules in a given cell and thus to assess what processes lead to an imbalance of the maternal and paternal contribution. We adapted a microscopy technique—called allele-specific single molecule RNA FISH—that uses a combination of fluorescent tags to specifically label one type of molecule, RNA, depending on its origin, for use in mouse kidney sections. Focusing on RNAs that were previously reported to show imbalance, we performed measurements and combined these with mathematical modeling to quantify imbalance in tissues and explain how these can arise. We found that we could recapitulate the observed imbalances using models that only take into account the random processes that produce RNA, without the need to invoke special regulatory mechanisms to create unequal contributions.
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Characterization of human mosaic Rett syndrome brain tissue by single-nucleus RNA sequencing. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:1670-1679. [PMID: 30455458 PMCID: PMC6261686 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0270-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In females with X-linked genetic disorders, wild-type and mutant cells coexist within brain tissue because of X-chromosome inactivation, posing challenges for interpreting the effects of X-linked mutant alleles on gene expression. We present a single-nucleus RNA sequencing approach that resolves mosaicism by using single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes expressed in cis with the X-linked mutation to determine which nuclei express the mutant allele even when the mutant gene is not detected. This approach enables gene expression comparisons between mutant and wild-type cells within the same individual, eliminating variability introduced by comparisons to controls with different genetic backgrounds. We apply this approach to mosaic female mouse models and humans with Rett syndrome, an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the methyl-DNA-binding protein MECP2, and observe that cell-type-specific DNA methylation predicts the degree of gene upregulation in MECP2-mutant neurons. This approach can be broadly applied to study gene expression in mosaic X-linked disorders.
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50
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Khamlichi AA, Feil R. Parallels between Mammalian Mechanisms of Monoallelic Gene Expression. Trends Genet 2018; 34:954-971. [PMID: 30217559 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Different types of monoallelic gene expression are present in mammals, some of which are highly flexible, whereas others are more rigid. These include allelic exclusion at antigen receptor loci, the expression of olfactory receptor genes, genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and random monoallelic expression (MAE). Although these processes play diverse biological roles, and arose through different selective pressures, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms show striking resemblances. Regulatory transcriptional events are important in all systems, particularly in the specification of MAE. Combined with comparative studies between species, this suggests that the different MAE systems found in mammals may have evolved from analogous ancestral processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Amine Khamlichi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University (UPS), 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France.
| | - Robert Feil
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), CNRS and the University of Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France.
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