Replication timing and transcriptional control: beyond cause and effect--part II

Strand Asymmetries Across Genomic Processes

Across biological systems, a number of genomic processes, including transcription, replication, DNA repair, and transcription factor binding, display intrinsic directionalities. These directionalities are reflected in the asymmetric distribution of nucleotides, motifs, genes, transposon integration sites, and other functional elements across the two complementary strands. Strand asymmetries, including GC skews and mutational biases, have shaped the nucleotide composition of diverse organisms. The investigation of strand asymmetries often serves as a method to understand underlying biological mechanisms, including protein binding preferences, transcription factor interactions, retrotransposition, DNA damage and repair preferences, transcription-replication collisions, and mutagenesis mechanisms. Research into this subject also enables the identification of functional genomic sites, such as replication origins and transcription start sites. Improvements in our ability to detect and quantify DNA strand asymmetries will provide insights into diverse functionalities of the genome, the contribution of different mutational mechanisms in germline and somatic mutagenesis, and our knowledge of genome instability and evolution, which all have significant clinical implications in human disease, including cancer. In this review, we describe key developments that have been made across the field of genomic strand asymmetries, as well as the discovery of associated mechanisms.

Understanding Cervical Cancer through Proteomics

Cancer is one of the leading public health issues worldwide, and the number of cancer patients increases every day. Particularly, cervical cancer (CC) is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women from developing countries. Thus, it is essential to deepen our knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis of CC and propose new therapeutic targets and new methods to diagnose this disease in its early stages. Differential expression analysis using high-throughput techniques applied to biological samples allows determining the physiological state of normal cells and the changes produced by cancer development. The cluster of differential molecular profiles in the genome, the transcriptome, or the proteome is analyzed in the disease, and it is called the molecular signature of cancer. Proteomic analysis of biological samples of patients with different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and CC has served to elucidate the pathways involved in the development and progression of cancer and identify cervical proteins associated with CC. However, several cervical carcinogenesis mechanisms are still unclear. Detecting pathologies in their earliest stages can significantly improve a patient's survival rate, prognosis, and recurrence. The present review is an update on the proteomic study of CC.

SALL4 controls cell fate in response to DNA base composition

Mammalian genomes contain long domains with distinct average compositions of A/T versus G/C base pairs. In a screen for proteins that might interpret base composition by binding to AT-rich motifs, we identified the stem cell factor SALL4, which contains multiple zinc fingers. Mutation of the domain responsible for AT binding drastically reduced SALL4 genome occupancy and prematurely upregulated genes in proportion to their AT content. Inactivation of this single AT-binding zinc-finger cluster mimicked defects seen in Sall4 null cells, including precocious differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and embryonic lethality in mice. In contrast, deletion of two other zinc-finger clusters was phenotypically neutral. Our data indicate that loss of pluripotency is triggered by downregulation of SALL4, leading to de-repression of a set of AT-rich genes that promotes neuronal differentiation. We conclude that base composition is not merely a passive byproduct of genome evolution and constitutes a signal that aids control of cell fate.

Replication timing alterations in leukemia affect clinically relevant chromosome domains

Human B-cell precursor acute lymphoid leukemias (BCP-ALLs) comprise a group of genetically and clinically distinct disease entities with features of differentiation arrest at known stages of normal B-lineage differentiation. We previously showed that BCP-ALL cells display unique and clonally heritable, stable DNA replication timing (RT) programs (ie, programs describing the variable order of replication and subnuclear 3D architecture of megabase-scale chromosomal units of DNA in different cell types). To determine the extent to which BCP-ALL RT programs mirror or deviate from specific stages of normal human B-cell differentiation, we transplanted immunodeficient mice with quiescent normal human CD34+ cord blood cells and obtained RT signatures of the regenerating B-lineage populations. We then compared these with RT signatures for leukemic cells from a large cohort of BCP-ALL patients with varied genetic subtypes and outcomes. The results identify BCP-ALL subtype-specific features that resemble specific stages of B-cell differentiation and features that seem to be associated with relapse. These results suggest that the genesis of BCP-ALL involves alterations in RT that reflect biologically significant and potentially clinically relevant leukemia-specific epigenetic changes.

Chromatin and Nuclear Architecture: Shaping DNA Replication in 3D

In eukaryotes, DNA replication progresses through a finely orchestrated temporal and spatial program. The 3D genome structure and nuclear architecture have recently emerged as fundamental determinants of the replication program. Factors with established roles in replication have been recognized as genome organization regulators. Exploiting paradigms from yeasts and mammals, we discuss how DNA replication is regulated in time and space through DNA-associated trans-acting factors, diffusible limiting replication initiation factors, higher-order chromatin folding, dynamic origin localization, and specific nuclear microenvironments. We present an integrated model for the regulation of DNA replication in 3D and highlight the importance of accurate spatio-temporal regulation of DNA replication in physiology and disease.

A genome-scale map of DNA methylation turnover identifies site-specific dependencies of DNMT and TET activity

DNA methylation is considered a stable epigenetic mark, yet methylation patterns can vary during differentiation and in diseases such as cancer. Local levels of DNA methylation result from opposing enzymatic activities, the rates of which remain largely unknown. Here we developed a theoretical and experimental framework enabling us to infer methylation and demethylation rates at 860,404 CpGs in mouse embryonic stem cells. We find that enzymatic rates can vary as much as two orders of magnitude between CpGs with identical steady-state DNA methylation. Unexpectedly, de novo and maintenance methylation activity is reduced at transcription factor binding sites, while methylation turnover is elevated in transcribed gene bodies. Furthermore, we show that TET activity contributes substantially more than passive demethylation to establishing low methylation levels at distal enhancers. Taken together, our work unveils a genome-scale map of methylation kinetics, revealing highly variable and context-specific activity for the DNA methylation machinery.

Germline DNA replication timing shapes mammalian genome composition

Mammalian DNA replication is a highly organized and regulated process. Large, Mb-sized regions are replicated at defined times along S-phase. Replication Timing (RT) is thought to play a role in shaping the mammalian genome by affecting mutation rates. Previous analyses relied on somatic RT profiles. However, only germline mutations are passed on to offspring and affect genomic composition. Therefore, germ cell RT information is necessary to evaluate the influences of RT on the mammalian genome. We adapted the RT mapping technique for limited amounts of cells, and measured RT from two stages in the mouse germline - primordial germ cells (PGCs) and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). RT in germline cells exhibited stronger correlations to both mutation rate and recombination hotspots density than those of RT in somatic tissues, emphasizing the importance of using correct tissues-of-origin for RT profiling. Germline RT maps exhibited stronger correlations to additional genetic features including GC-content, transposable elements (SINEs and LINEs), and gene density. GC content stratification and multiple regression analysis revealed independent contributions of RT to SINE, gene, mutation, and recombination hotspot densities. Together, our results establish a central role for RT in shaping multiple levels of mammalian genome composition.

RT States: systematic annotation of the human genome using cell type-specific replication timing programs

MOTIVATION

The replication timing (RT) program has been linked to many key biological processes including cell fate commitment, 3D chromatin organization and transcription regulation. Significant technology progress now allows to characterize the RT program in the entire human genome in a high-throughput and high-resolution fashion. These experiments suggest that RT changes dynamically during development in coordination with gene activity. Since RT is such a fundamental biological process, we believe that an effective quantitative profile of the local RT program from a diverse set of cell types in various developmental stages and lineages can provide crucial biological insights for a genomic locus.

RESULTS

In this study, we explored recurrent and spatially coherent combinatorial profiles from 42 RT programs collected from multiple lineages at diverse differentiation states. We found that a Hidden Markov Model with 15 hidden states provide a good model to describe these genome-wide RT profiling data. Each of the hidden state represents a unique combination of RT profiles across different cell types which we refer to as 'RT states'. To understand the biological properties of these RT states, we inspected their relationship with chromatin states, gene expression, functional annotation and 3D chromosomal organization. We found that the newly defined RT states possess interesting genome-wide functional properties that add complementary information to the existing annotation of the human genome.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

R scripts for inferring HMM models and Perl scripts for further analysis are available https://github.com/PouletAxel/script_HMM_Replication_timing.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

DNA Replication Timing Enters the Single-Cell Era

In mammalian cells, DNA replication timing is controlled at the level of megabase (Mb)-sized chromosomal domains and correlates well with transcription, chromatin structure, and three-dimensional (3D) genome organization. Because of these properties, DNA replication timing is an excellent entry point to explore genome regulation at various levels and a variety of studies have been carried out over the years. However, DNA replication timing studies traditionally required at least tens of thousands of cells, and it was unclear whether the replication domains detected by cell population analyses were preserved at the single-cell level. Recently, single-cell DNA replication profiling methods became available, which revealed that the Mb-sized replication domains detected by cell population analyses were actually well preserved in individual cells. In this article, we provide a brief overview of our current knowledge on DNA replication timing regulation in mammals based on cell population studies, outline the findings from single-cell DNA replication profiling, and discuss future directions and challenges.

Genome-wide stability of the DNA replication program in single mammalian cells

Here, we report a single-cell DNA replication sequencing method, scRepli-seq, a genome-wide methodology that measures copy number differences between replicated and unreplicated DNA. Using scRepli-seq, we demonstrate that replication-domain organization is conserved among individual mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Differentiated mESCs exhibited distinct profiles, which were also conserved among cells. Haplotype-resolved scRepli-seq revealed similar replication profiles of homologous autosomes, while the inactive X chromosome was clearly replicated later than its active counterpart. However, a small degree of cell-to-cell replication-timing heterogeneity was present, which was smallest at the beginning and the end of S phase. In addition, developmentally regulated domains were found to deviate from others and showed a higher degree of heterogeneity, thus suggesting a link to developmental plasticity. Moreover, allelic expression imbalance was found to strongly associate with replication-timing asynchrony. Our results form a foundation for single-cell-level understanding of DNA replication regulation and provide insights into three-dimensional genome organization.

Identifying cis Elements for Spatiotemporal Control of Mammalian DNA Replication

The temporal order of DNA replication (replication timing [RT]) is highly coupled with genome architecture, but cis-elements regulating either remain elusive. We created a series of CRISPR-mediated deletions and inversions of a pluripotency-associated topologically associating domain (TAD) in mouse ESCs. CTCF-associated domain boundaries were dispensable for RT. CTCF protein depletion weakened most TAD boundaries but had no effect on RT or A/B compartmentalization genome-wide. By contrast, deletion of three intra-TAD CTCF-independent 3D contact sites caused a domain-wide early-to-late RT shift, an A-to-B compartment switch, weakening of TAD architecture, and loss of transcription. The dispensability of TAD boundaries and the necessity of these "early replication control elements" (ERCEs) was validated by deletions and inversions at additional domains. Our results demonstrate that discrete cis-regulatory elements orchestrate domain-wide RT, A/B compartmentalization, TAD architecture, and transcription, revealing fundamental principles linking genome structure and function.

53BP1 Mediates ATR-Chk1 Signaling and Protects Replication Forks under Conditions of Replication Stress

Complete replication of the genome is an essential prerequisite for normal cell division, but a variety of factors can block the replisome, triggering replication stress and potentially causing mutation or cell death. The cellular response to replication stress involves recruitment of proteins to stabilize the replication fork and transmit a stress signal to pause the cell cycle and allow fork restart. We find that the ubiquitously expressed DNA damage response factor 53BP1 is required for the normal response to replication stress. Using primary, ex vivo B cells, we showed that a population of 53BP1^-/- cells in early S phase is hypersensitive to short-term exposure to three different agents that induce replication stress. 53BP1 localizes to a subset of replication forks following induced replication stress, and an absence of 53BP1 leads to defective ATR-Chk1-p53 signaling and caspase 3-mediated cell death. Nascent replicated DNA additionally undergoes degradation in 53BP1^-/- cells. These results show that 53BP1 plays an important role in protecting replication forks during the cellular response to replication stress, in addition to the previously characterized role of 53BP1 in DNA double-strand break repair.

Replication of ribosomal DNA in Arabidopsis occurs both inside and outside the nucleolus during S phase progression

Ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) have been used as valuable experimental systems in numerous studies. Here, we focus on elucidating the spatiotemporal organisation of rDNA replication in Arabidopsis thaliana To determine the subnuclear distribution of rDNA and the progression of its replication during the S phase, we apply 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) labelling, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, fluorescence in situ hybridization and structured illumination microscopy. We show that rDNA is replicated inside and outside the nucleolus, where active transcription occurs at the same time. Nascent rDNA shows a maximum of nucleolar associations during early S phase. In addition to EdU patterns typical for early or late S phase, we describe two intermediate EdU profiles characteristic for mid S phase. Moreover, the use of lines containing mutations in the chromatin assembly factor-1 gene fas1 and wild-type progeny of fas1xfas2 crosses depleted of inactive copies allows for selective observation of the replication pattern of active rDNA. High-resolution data are presented, revealing the culmination of replication in the mid S phase in the nucleolus and its vicinity. Taken together, our results provide a detailed snapshot of replication of active and inactive rDNA during S phase progression.

Analyzing Copy Number Variation with Droplet Digital PCR

Many genomic segments vary in copy number among individuals of the same species, or between cancer and normal cells within the same person. Correctly measuring this copy number variation is critical for studying its genetic properties, its distribution in populations and its relationship to phenotypes. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) enables accurate measurement of copy number by partitioning a PCR reaction into thousands of nanoliter-scale droplets, so that a genomic sequence of interest-whose presence or absence in a droplet is determined by end-point fluorescence-can be digitally counted. Here, we describe how we analyze copy number variants using ddPCR and review the design of effective assays, the performance of ddPCR with those assays, the optimization of reactions, and the interpretation of data.

Functional dissection of Drosophila melanogaster SUUR protein influence on H3K27me3 profile

BACKGROUND

In eukaryotes, heterochromatin replicates late in S phase of the cell cycle and contains specific covalent modifications of histones. SuUR mutation found in Drosophila makes heterochromatin replicate earlier than in wild type and reduces the level of repressive histone modifications. SUUR protein was shown to be associated with moving replication forks, apparently through the interaction with PCNA. The biological process underlying the effects of SUUR on replication and composition of heterochromatin remains unknown.

RESULTS

Here we performed a functional dissection of SUUR protein effects on H3K27me3 level. Using hidden Markow model-based algorithm we revealed SuUR-sensitive chromosomal regions that demonstrated unusual characteristics: They do not contain Polycomb and require SUUR function to sustain H3K27me3 level. We tested the role of SUUR protein in the mechanisms that could affect H3K27me3 histone levels in these regions. We found that SUUR does not affect the initial H3K27me3 pattern formation in embryogenesis or Polycomb distribution in the chromosomes. We also ruled out the possible effect of SUUR on histone genes expression and its involvement in DSB repair.

CONCLUSIONS

Obtained results support the idea that SUUR protein contributes to the heterochromatin maintenance during the chromosome replication. A model that explains major SUUR-associated phenotypes is proposed.

Regulatory and evolutionary signatures of sex-biased genes on both the X chromosome and the autosomes

Background

Sex is an important but understudied factor in the genetics of human diseases. Analyses using a combination of gene expression data, ENCODE data, and evolutionary data of sex-biased gene expression in human tissues can give insight into the regulatory and evolutionary forces acting on sex-biased genes.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed the differentially expressed genes between males and females. On the X chromosome, we used a novel method and investigated the status of genes that escape X-chromosome inactivation (escape genes), taking into account the clonality of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). To investigate the regulation of sex-biased differentially expressed genes (sDEG), we conducted pathway and transcription factor enrichment analyses on the sDEGs, as well as analyses on the genomic distribution of sDEGs. Evolutionary analyses were also conducted on both sDEGs and escape genes.

Results

Genome-wide, we characterized differential gene expression between sexes in 462 RNA-seq samples and identified 587 sex-biased genes, or 3.2% of the genes surveyed. On the X chromosome, sDEGs were distributed in evolutionary strata in a similar pattern as escape genes. We found a trend of negative correlation between the gene expression breadth and nonsynonymous over synonymous mutation (dN/dS) ratios, showing a possible pleiotropic constraint on evolution of genes. Genome-wide, nine transcription factors were found enriched in binding to the regions surrounding the transcription start sites of female-biased genes. Many pathways and protein domains were enriched in sex-biased genes, some of which hint at sex-biased physiological processes.

Conclusions

These findings lend insight into the regulatory and evolutionary forces shaping sex-biased gene expression and their involvement in the physiological and pathological processes in human health and diseases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13293-017-0156-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

DNA replication timing during development anticipates transcriptional programs and parallels enhancer activation

In dividing cells, DNA replication occurs in a precise order, but many questions remain regarding the mechanisms of replication timing establishment and regulation. We now have generated genome-wide, high-resolution replication timing maps throughout zebrafish development. Unexpectedly, in the rapid cell cycles preceding the midblastula transition, a defined timing program was present that predicted the initial wave of zygotic transcription. Replication timing was thereafter progressively and continuously remodeled across the majority of the genome, and epigenetic changes involved in enhancer activation frequently paralleled developmental changes in replication timing. The long arm of Chromosome 4 underwent a dramatic developmentally regulated switch to late replication during gastrulation, reminiscent of mammalian X Chromosome inactivation. This study reveals that replication timing is dynamic and tightly linked to epigenetic and transcriptional changes throughout early zebrafish development. These data provide insight into the regulation and functions of replication timing and will enable further mechanistic studies.

Perturbations in the Replication Program Contribute to Genomic Instability in Cancer

Cancer and genomic instability are highly impacted by the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication program. Inaccuracies in DNA replication lead to the increased acquisition of mutations and structural variations. These inaccuracies mainly stem from loss of DNA fidelity due to replication stress or due to aberrations in the temporal organization of the replication process. Here we review the mechanisms and impact of these major sources of error to the replication program.

Global increase in replication fork speed during a p57KIP2-regulated erythroid cell fate switch

Cell cycle regulators are increasingly implicated in cell fate decisions, such as the acquisition or loss of pluripotency and self-renewal potential. The cell cycle mechanisms that regulate these cell fate decisions are largely unknown. We studied an S phase-dependent cell fate switch, in which murine early erythroid progenitors transition in vivo from a self-renewal state into a phase of active erythroid gene transcription and concurrent maturational cell divisions. We found that progenitors are dependent on p57^KIP2-mediated slowing of replication forks for self-renewal, a novel function for cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. The switch to differentiation entails rapid down-regulation of p57^KIP2 with a consequent global increase in replication fork speed and an abruptly shorter S phase. Our work suggests that cell cycles with specialized global DNA replication dynamics are integral to the maintenance of specific cell states and to cell fate decisions.

Anatomy of Mammalian Replication Domains

Genetic information is faithfully copied by DNA replication through many rounds of cell division. In mammals, DNA is replicated in Mb-sized chromosomal units called “replication domains.” While genome-wide maps in multiple cell types and disease states have uncovered both dynamic and static properties of replication domains, we are still in the process of understanding the mechanisms that give rise to these properties. A better understanding of the molecular basis of replication domain regulation will bring new insights into chromosome structure and function.

The plant cell cycle: Pre-Replication complex formation and controls

The multiplication of cells in all living organisms requires a tight regulation of DNA replication. Several mechanisms take place to ensure that the DNA is replicated faithfully and just once per cell cycle in order to originate through mitoses two new daughter cells that contain exactly the same information from the previous one. A key control mechanism that occurs before cells enter S phase is the formation of a pre-replication complex (pre-RC) that is assembled at replication origins by the sequential association of the origin recognition complex, followed by Cdt1, Cdc6 and finally MCMs, licensing DNA to start replication. The identification of pre-RC members in all animal and plant species shows that this complex is conserved in eukaryotes and, more importantly, the differences between kingdoms might reflect their divergence in strategies on cell cycle regulation, as it must be integrated and adapted to the niche, ecosystem, and the organism peculiarities. Here, we provide an overview of the knowledge generated so far on the formation and the developmental controls of the pre-RC mechanism in plants, analyzing some particular aspects in comparison to other eukaryotes.

Order from clutter: selective interactions at mammalian replication origins

Mammalian chromosome duplication progresses in a precise order and is subject to constraints that are often relaxed in developmental disorders and malignancies. Molecular information about the regulation of DNA replication at the chromatin level is lacking because protein complexes that initiate replication seem to bind chromatin indiscriminately. High-throughput sequencing and mathematical modelling have yielded detailed genome-wide replication initiation maps. Combining these maps and models with functional genetic analyses suggests that distinct DNA-protein interactions at subgroups of replication initiation sites (replication origins) modulate the ubiquitous replication machinery and supports an emerging model that delineates how indiscriminate DNA-binding patterns translate into a consistent, organized replication programme.

Coordinating Replication with Transcription

DNA topological transitions occur when replication forks encounter other DNA transactions such as transcription. Failure in resolving such conflicts leads to generation of aberrant replication and transcription intermediates that might have adverse effects on genome stability. Cells have evolved numerous surveillance mechanisms to avoid, tolerate, and resolve such replication-transcription conflicts. Defects or non-coordination in such cellular mechanisms might have catastrophic effect on cell viability. In this chapter, we review consequences of replication encounters with transcription and its associated events, topological challenges, and how these inevitable conflicts alter the genome structure and functions.

Spatio-temporal re-organization of replication foci accompanies replication domain consolidation during human pluripotent stem cell lineage specification

Lineage specification of both mouse and human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is accompanied by spatial consolidation of chromosome domains and temporal consolidation of their replication timing. Replication timing and chromatin organization are both established during G1 phase at the timing decision point (TDP). Here, we have developed live cell imaging tools to track spatio-temporal replication domain consolidation during differentiation. First, we demonstrate that the fluorescence ubiquitination cell cycle indicator (Fucci) system is incapable of demarcating G1/S or G2/M cell cycle transitions. Instead, we employ a combination of fluorescent PCNA to monitor S phase progression, cytokinesis to demarcate mitosis, and fluorescent nucleotides to label early and late replication foci and track their 3D organization into sub-nuclear chromatin compartments throughout all cell cycle transitions. We find that, as human PSCs differentiate, the length of S phase devoted to replication of spatially clustered replication foci increases, coincident with global compartmentalization of domains into temporally clustered blocks of chromatin. Importantly, re-localization and anchorage of domains was completed prior to the onset of S phase, even in the context of an abbreviated PSC G1 phase. This approach can also be employed to investigate cell fate transitions in single PSCs, which could be seen to differentiate preferentially from G1 phase. Together, our results establish real-time, live-cell imaging methods for tracking cell cycle transitions during human PSC differentiation that can be applied to study chromosome domain consolidation and other aspects of lineage specification.

Dynamic regulation of histone H3K9 is linked to the switch between replication and transcription at the Dbf4 origin-promoter locus

The co-regulation of DNA replication and gene transcription is still poorly understood. To gain a better understanding of this important control mechanism, we examined the DNA replication and transcription using the Dbf4 origin-promoter and Dbf4 pseudogene models. We found that origin firing and Dbf4 transcription activity were inversely regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner. We also found that proteins critical for the regulation of replication (ORC, MCM), transcription (SP1, TFIIB), and cohesin (Smc1, Smc3) and Mediator functions (Med1, Med12) interact with specific sites within and the surrounding regions of the Dbf4 locus in a cell cycle-dependent manner. As expected, replication initiation occurred within a nucleosome-depleted region, and nucleosomes flanked the 2 replication initiation zones. Further, the histone H3 in this region was distinctly acetylated or trimethylated on lysine 9 in a cell cycle-dependent fluctuation pattern: H3K9ac was most prevalent when the Dbf4 transcription level was highest whereas the H3K9me3 level was greatest during and just after replication. The KDM4A histone demethylase, which is responsible for the H3K9me3 modification, was enriched at the Dbf4 origin in a manner coinciding with H3K9me3. Finally, HP1γ, a protein known to interact with H3K9me3 in the heterochromatin was also found enriched at the origin during DNA replication, indicating that H3K9me3 may be required for the regulation of replication at both heterochromatin and euchromatin regions. Taken together, our data show that mammalian cells employ an extremely sophisticated and multilayered co-regulation mechanism for replication and transcription in a highly coordinated manner.

The effects of SUUR protein suggest its role in repressive chromatin renewal during replication in Drosophila

Replication of chromosomes is central to heredity. To become available for replication machinery, DNA invariably needs to dissociate from chromatin proteins. Yet, chromatin landscape must be promptly re-established during or soon after replication. Although this process underlies the epigenetic inheritance, little is known about its molecular mechanisms. This mini-review is focused on Drosophila melanogaster SUppressor of UnderReplication (SUUR) protein, which is involved both in replication and chromatin maintenance in polytene tissues. Existing data suggest that it is involved in the regulation of chromatin renewal during replication. According to this model, SUUR protein moves along the chromosomes together with the replication complex. When the replication fork enters the repressed, H3K27me3- or H3K9me3-enriched, chromatin, SUUR-containing complex slows down the replisome until these histone modifications are properly placed on the newly-synthesized DNA strands. Suggested model provides an insight into the mechanism of epigenetic information inheritance. This hypothesis could be tested by further analysis of the interplay between local enrichment of repressive histone modifications and the replication fork progression rate.

Replication timing and transcriptional control: beyond cause and effect-part III

DNA replication is essential for faithful transmission of genetic information and is intimately tied to chromosome structure and function. Genome duplication occurs in a defined temporal order known as the replication-timing (RT) program, which is regulated during the cell cycle and development in discrete units referred to as replication domains (RDs). RDs correspond to topologically-associating domains (TADs) and are spatio-temporally compartmentalized in the nucleus. While improvements in experimental tools have begun to reveal glimpses of causality, they have also unveiled complex context-dependent relationships that challenge long recognized correlations of RT to chromatin organization and gene regulation. In particular, RDs/TADs that switch RT during development march to the beat of a different drummer.

Direct non transcriptional role of NF-Y in DNA replication

NF-Y is a heterotrimeric transcription factor, which plays a pioneer role in the transcriptional control of promoters containing the CCAAT-box, among which genes involved in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and DNA damage response. The knock-down of the sequence-specific subunit NF-YA triggers defects in S-phase progression, which lead to apoptotic cell death. Here, we report that NF-Y has a critical function in DNA replication progression, independent from its transcriptional activity. NF-YA colocalizes with early DNA replication factories, its depletion affects the loading of replisome proteins to DNA, among which Cdc45, and delays the passage from early to middle-late S phase. Molecular combing experiments are consistent with a role for NF-Y in the control of fork progression. Finally, we unambiguously demonstrate a direct non-transcriptional role of NF-Y in the overall efficiency of DNA replication, specifically in the DNA elongation process, using a Xenopus cell-free system. Our findings broaden the activity of NF-Y on a DNA metabolism other than transcription, supporting the existence of specific TFs required for proper and efficient DNA replication.

A genomic view on epilepsy and autism candidate genes

Epilepsy is a common complex disorder most frequently associated with psychiatric and neurological diseases. Massive parallel sequencing of individual or cohort genomes and exomes led the identification of several disease associated genes. We review here the candidate genes in epilepsy genetics with focus on exome and gene panel data. Together with the examination of brain expressed genes and post synaptic proteome the results show that: (1) Non-metabolic epilepsies and autism candidate genes tend to be AT-rich and (2) large transcript size and local AT-richness are characteristic features of genes involved in developmental brain disorders and synaptic functions. These results point to the preferential location of core epilepsy and autism candidate genes in late replicating, GC-poor chromosomal regions (isochores). These results indicate that the genomic alterations leading to some brain disorders are confined to responsive chromatin areas harboring brain critical genes.

Cell cycle control in the early embryonic development of aquatic animal species

The cell cycle is integrated with many aspects of embryonic development. Not only is proper control over the pace of cell proliferation important, but also the timing of cell cycle progression is coordinated with transcription, cell migration, and cell differentiation. Due to the ease with which the embryos of aquatic organisms can be observed and manipulated, they have been a popular choice for embryologists throughout history. In the cell cycle field, aquatic organisms have been extremely important because they have played a major role in the discovery and analysis of key regulators of the cell cycle. In particular, the frog Xenopus laevis has been instrumental for understanding how the basic embryonic cell cycle is regulated. More recently, the zebrafish has been used to understand how the cell cycle is remodeled during vertebrate development and how it is regulated during morphogenesis. This review describes how some of the unique strengths of aquatic species have been leveraged for cell cycle research and suggests how species such as Xenopus and zebrafish will continue to reveal the roles of the cell cycle in human biology and disease.

Perinuclear Anchoring of H3K9-Methylated Chromatin Stabilizes Induced Cell Fate in C. elegans Embryos

Interphase chromatin is organized in distinct nuclear sub-compartments, reflecting its degree of compaction and transcriptional status. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, H3K9 methylation is necessary to silence and to anchor repeat-rich heterochromatin at the nuclear periphery. In a screen for perinuclear anchors of heterochromatin, we identified a previously uncharacterized C. elegans chromodomain protein, CEC-4. CEC-4 binds preferentially mono-, di-, or tri-methylated H3K9 and localizes at the nuclear envelope independently of H3K9 methylation and nuclear lamin. CEC-4 is necessary for endogenous heterochromatin anchoring, but not for transcriptional repression, in contrast to other known H3K9 methyl-binders in worms, which mediate gene repression but not perinuclear anchoring. When we ectopically induce a muscle differentiation program in embryos, cec-4 mutants fail to commit fully to muscle cell fate. This suggests that perinuclear sequestration of chromatin during development helps restrict cell differentiation programs by stabilizing commitment to a specific cell fate. PAPERCLIP.

Direct Visualization of DNA Replication Dynamics in Zebrafish Cells

Spatiotemporal regulation of DNA replication in the S-phase nucleus has been extensively studied in mammalian cells because it is tightly coupled with the regulation of other nuclear processes such as transcription. However, little is known about the replication dynamics in nonmammalian cells. Here, we analyzed the DNA replication processes of zebrafish (Danio rerio) cells through the direct visualization of replicating DNA in the nucleus and on DNA fiber molecules isolated from the nucleus. We found that zebrafish chromosomal DNA at the nuclear interior was replicated first, followed by replication of DNA at the nuclear periphery, which is reminiscent of the spatiotemporal regulation of mammalian DNA replication. However, the relative duration of interior DNA replication in zebrafish cells was longer compared to mammalian cells, possibly reflecting zebrafish-specific genomic organization. The rate of replication fork progression and ori-to-ori distance measured by the DNA combing technique were ∼ 1.4 kb/min and 100 kb, respectively, which are comparable to those in mammalian cells. To our knowledge, this is a first report that measures replication dynamics in zebrafish cells.

Links between genome replication and chromatin landscapes

Post-embryonic organogenesis in plants requires the continuous production of cells in the organ primordia, their expansion and a coordinated exit to differentiation. Genome replication is one of the most important processes that occur during the cell cycle, as the maintenance of genomic integrity is of primary relevance for development. As it is chromatin that must be duplicated, a strict coordination occurs between DNA replication, the deposition of new histones, and the introduction of histone modifications and variants. In turn, the chromatin landscape affects several stages during genome replication. Thus, chromatin accessibility is crucial for the initial stages and to specify the location of DNA replication origins with different chromatin signatures. The chromatin landscape also determines the timing of activation during the S phase. Genome replication must occur fully, but only once during each cell cycle. The re-replication avoidance mechanisms rely primarily on restricting the availability of certain replication factors; however, the presence of specific histone modifications are also revealed as contributing to the mechanisms that avoid re-replication, in particular for heterochromatin replication. We provide here an update of genome replication mostly focused on data from Arabidopsis, and the advances that genomic approaches are likely to provide in the coming years. The data available, both in plants and animals, point to the relevance of the chromatin landscape in genome replication, and require a critical evaluation of the existing views about the nature of replication origins, the mechanisms of origin specification and the relevance of epigenetic modifications for genome replication.

Dynamic changes in replication timing and gene expression during lineage specification of human pluripotent stem cells

Duplication of the genome in mammalian cells occurs in a defined temporal order referred to as its replication-timing (RT) program. RT changes dynamically during development, regulated in units of 400-800 kb referred to as replication domains (RDs). Changes in RT are generally coordinated with transcriptional competence and changes in subnuclear position. We generated genome-wide RT profiles for 26 distinct human cell types, including embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived, primary cells and established cell lines representing intermediate stages of endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm, and neural crest (NC) development. We identified clusters of RDs that replicate at unique times in each stage (RT signatures) and confirmed global consolidation of the genome into larger synchronously replicating segments during differentiation. Surprisingly, transcriptome data revealed that the well-accepted correlation between early replication and transcriptional activity was restricted to RT-constitutive genes, whereas two-thirds of the genes that switched RT during differentiation were strongly expressed when late replicating in one or more cell types. Closer inspection revealed that transcription of this class of genes was frequently restricted to the lineage in which the RT switch occurred, but was induced prior to a late-to-early RT switch and/or down-regulated after an early-to-late RT switch. Analysis of transcriptional regulatory networks showed that this class of genes contains strong regulators of genes that were only expressed when early replicating. These results provide intriguing new insight into the complex relationship between transcription and RT regulation during human development.

Structural organization of human replication timing domains

Recent analysis of genome-wide epigenetic modification data, mean replication timing (MRT) profiles and chromosome conformation data in mammals have provided increasing evidence that flexibility in replication origin usage is regulated locally by the epigenetic landscape and over larger genomic distances by the 3D chromatin architecture. Here, we review the recent results establishing some link between replication domains and chromatin structural domains in pluripotent and various differentiated cell types in human. We reconcile the originally proposed dichotomic picture of early and late constant timing regions that replicate by multiple rather synchronous origins in separated nuclear compartments of open and closed chromatins, with the U-shaped MRT domains bordered by "master" replication origins specified by a localized (∼200-300 kb) zone of open and transcriptionally active chromatin from which a replication wave likely initiates and propagates toward the domain center via a cascade of origin firing. We discuss the relationships between these MRT domains, topologically associated domains and lamina-associated domains. This review sheds a new light on the epigenetically regulated global chromatin reorganization that underlies the loss of pluripotency and the determination of differentiation properties.

Embryonic stem cell specific "master" replication origins at the heart of the loss of pluripotency

Epigenetic regulation of the replication program during mammalian cell differentiation remains poorly understood. We performed an integrative analysis of eleven genome-wide epigenetic profiles at 100 kb resolution of Mean Replication Timing (MRT) data in six human cell lines. Compared to the organization in four chromatin states shared by the five somatic cell lines, embryonic stem cell (ESC) line H1 displays (i) a gene-poor but highly dynamic chromatin state (EC4) associated to histone variant H2AZ rather than a HP1-associated heterochromatin state (C4) and (ii) a mid-S accessible chromatin state with bivalent gene marks instead of a polycomb-repressed heterochromatin state. Plastic MRT regions (≲ 20% of the genome) are predominantly localized at the borders of U-shaped timing domains. Whereas somatic-specific U-domain borders are gene-dense GC-rich regions, 31.6% of H1-specific U-domain borders are early EC4 regions enriched in pluripotency transcription factors NANOG and OCT4 despite being GC poor and gene deserts. Silencing of these ESC-specific “master” replication initiation zones during differentiation corresponds to a loss of H2AZ and an enrichment in H3K9me3 mark characteristic of late replicating C4 heterochromatin. These results shed a new light on the epigenetically regulated global chromatin reorganization that underlies the loss of pluripotency and lineage commitment.

During development, embryonic stem cell (ESC) enter a program of cell differentiation eventually leading to all the necessary differentiated cell types. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the underlying modifications of the gene expression program is of fundamental importance, as it will likely have strong impact on the development of regenerative medicine. We show that besides some epigenetic regulation, ubiquitous master replication origins at replication timing U-domain borders shared by 6 human cell types are transcriptionally active open chromatin regions specified by a local enrichment in nucleosome free regions encoded in the DNA sequence suggesting that they have been selected during evolution. In contrast, ESC specific master replication origins bear a unique epigenetic signature (enrichment in CTCF, H2AZ, NANOG, OCT4, …) likely contributing to maintain ESC chromatin in a highly dynamic and accessible state that is refractory to polycomb and HP1 heterochromatin spreading. These ESC specific master origins thus appear as key genomic regions where epigenetic control of chromatin organization is at play to maintain pluripotency of stem cell lineages and to guide lineage commitment to somatic cell types.

Topoisomerase II regulates the maintenance of DNA methylation

The maintenance of DNA methylation in nascent DNA is a critical event for numerous biological processes. Following DNA replication, DNMT1 is the key enzyme that strictly copies the methylation pattern from the parental strand to the nascent DNA. However, the mechanism underlying this highly specific event is not thoroughly understood. In this study, we identified topoisomerase IIα (TopoIIα) as a novel regulator of the maintenance DNA methylation. UHRF1, a protein important for global DNA methylation, interacts with TopoIIα and regulates its localization to hemimethylated DNA. TopoIIα decatenates the hemimethylated DNA following replication, which might facilitate the methylation of the nascent strand by DNMT1. Inhibiting this activity impairs DNA methylation at multiple genomic loci. We have uncovered a novel mechanism during the maintenance of DNA methylation.

Cis-acting DNA sequence at a replication origin promotes repeat expansion to fragile X full mutation

An SNP upstream of the CGG repeats located at a replication initiation site may contribute to origin inactivation, to altered replication fork progression through the CGG repeats, and repeat expansion to fragile X full mutation.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by CGG repeat expansion that leads to FMR1 silencing. Women with a premutation allele are at risk of having a full mutation child with FXS. To investigate the mechanism of repeat expansion, we examined the relationship between a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant that is linked to repeat expansion in haplogroup D and a replication origin located ∼53 kb upstream of the repeats. This origin is absent in FXS human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which have the SNP variant C, but present in the nonaffected hESCs, which have a T variant. The SNP maps directly within the replication origin. Interestingly, premutation hESCs have a replication origin and the T variant similar to nonaffected hESCs. These results suggest that a T/C SNP located at a replication origin could contribute to the inactivation of this replication origin in FXS hESCs, leading to altered replication fork progression through the repeats, which could result in repeat expansion to the FXS full mutation.

DNA replication in nurse cell polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster otu mutants

Drosophila cell lines are used extensively to study replication timing, yet data about DNA replication in larval and adult tissues are extremely limited. To address this gap, we traced DNA replication in polytene chromosomes from nurse cells of Drosophila melanogaster otu mutants using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Importantly, nurse cells are of female germline origin, unlike the classical larval salivary glands, that are somatic. In contrast to salivary gland polytene chromosomes, where replication begins simultaneously across all puffs and interbands, replication in nurse cells is first observed at several specific chromosomal regions. For instance, in the chromosome 2L, these include the regions 31B-E and 37E and proximal parts of 34B and 35B, with the rest of the decondensed chromosomal regions joining replication process a little later. We observed that replication timing of pericentric heterochromatin in nurse cells was shifted from late S phase to early and mid stages. Curiously, chromosome 4 may represent a special domain of the genome, as it replicates on its own schedule which is uncoupled from the rest of the chromosomes. Finally, we report that SUUR protein, an established marker of late replication in salivary gland polytene chromosomes, does not always colocalize with late-replicating regions in nurse cells.

Cell-cycle regulated transcription associates with DNA replication timing in yeast and human

Background

Eukaryotic DNA replication follows a specific temporal program, with some genomic regions consistently replicating earlier than others, yet what determines this program is largely unknown. Highly transcribed regions have been observed to replicate in early S-phase in all plant and animal species studied to date, but this relationship is thought to be absent from both budding yeast and fission yeast. No association between cell-cycle regulated transcription and replication timing has been reported for any species.

Results

Here I show that in budding yeast, fission yeast, and human, the genes most highly transcribed during S-phase replicate early, whereas those repressed in S-phase replicate late. Transcription during other cell-cycle phases shows either the opposite correlation with replication timing, or no relation. The relationship is strongest near late-firing origins of replication, which is not consistent with a previously proposed model—that replication timing may affect transcription—and instead suggests a potential mechanism involving the recruitment of limiting replication initiation factors during S-phase.

Conclusions

These results suggest that S-phase transcription may be an important determinant of DNA replication timing across eukaryotes, which may explain the well-established association between transcription and replication timing.

Best practices for mapping replication origins in eukaryotic chromosomes

Understanding the regulatory principles ensuring complete DNA replication in each cell division is critical for deciphering the mechanisms that maintain genomic stability. Recent advances in genome sequencing technology facilitated complete mapping of DNA replication sites and helped move the field from observing replication patterns at a handful of single loci to analyzing replication patterns genome-wide. These advances address issues, such as the relationship between replication initiation events, transcription, and chromatin modifications, and identify potential replication origin consensus sequences. This unit summarizes the technological and fundamental aspects of replication profiling and briefly discusses novel insights emerging from mining large datasets, published in the last 3 years, and also describes DNA replication dynamics on a whole-genome scale.

The programme of DNA replication: beyond genome duplication

The accurate duplication and transmission of genetic information is critical for cell growth and proliferation, and this is ensured in part by the multi-layered regulation of DNA synthesis. One of the key steps in this process is the selection and activation of the sites of replication initiation, or origins, across the genome. Interestingly, origin usage changes during development and in different pathologies, suggesting an integral interplay between the establishment of replication initiation along the chromosomes and cellular function. The present review discusses how the spatiotemporal organization of replication origin activation may play crucial roles in the control of biological events.

Large replication skew domains delimit GC-poor gene deserts in human

Besides their large-scale organization in isochores, mammalian genomes display megabase-sized regions, spanning both genes and intergenes, where the strand nucleotide composition asymmetry decreases linearly, possibly due to replication activity. These so-called skew-N domains cover about a third of the human genome and are bordered by two skew upward jumps that were hypothesized to compose a subset of "master" replication origins active in the germline. Skew-N domains were shown to exhibit a particular gene organization. Genes with CpG-rich promoters likely expressed in the germline are over represented near the master replication origins, with large genes being co-oriented with replication fork progression, which suggests some coordination of replication and transcription. In this study, we describe another skew structure that covers ∼13% of the human genome and that is bordered by putative master replication origins similar to the ones flanking skew-N domains. These skew-split-N domains have a shape reminiscent of a N, but split in half, leaving in the center a region of null skew whose length increases with domain size. These central regions (median size ∼860 kb) have a homogeneous composition, i.e. both a null and constant skew and a constant and low GC content. They correspond to heterochromatin gene deserts found in low-GC isochores with an average gene density of 0.81 promoters/Mb as compared to 7.73 promoters/Mb genome wide. The analysis of epigenetic marks and replication timing data confirms that, in these late replicating heterochomatic regions, the initiation of replication is likely to be random. This contrasts with the transcriptionally active euchromatin state found around the bordering well positioned master replication origins. Altogether skew-N domains and skew-split-N domains cover about 50% of the human genome.

DNA replication timing: Coordinating genome stability with genome regulation on the X chromosome and beyond

Recent studies based on next-generation DNA sequencing have revealed that the female inactive X chromosome is replicated in a rapid, unorganized manner, and undergoes increased rates of mutation. These observations link the organization of DNA replication timing to gene regulation on one hand, and to the generation of mutations on the other hand. More generally, the exceptional biology of the inactive X chromosome highlights general principles of genome replication. Cells may control replication timing by a combination of intrinsic replication origin properties, local chromatin states and global levels of replication factors, leading to a functional separation between the activity of genes and their mutation.

Chromatin structure and replication origins: determinants of chromosome replication and nuclear organization

The DNA replication program is, in part, determined by the epigenetic landscape that governs local chromosome architecture and directs chromosome duplication. Replication must coordinate with other biochemical processes occurring concomitantly on chromatin, such as transcription and remodeling, to insure accurate duplication of both genetic and epigenetic features and to preserve genomic stability. The importance of genome architecture and chromatin looping in coordinating cellular processes on chromatin is illustrated by two recent sets of discoveries. First, chromatin-associated proteins that are not part of the core replication machinery were shown to affect the timing of DNA replication. These chromatin-associated proteins could be working in concert, or perhaps in competition, with the transcriptional machinery and with chromatin modifiers to determine the spatial and temporal organization of replication initiation events. Second, epigenetic interactions are mediated by DNA sequences that determine chromosomal replication. In this review, we summarize recent findings and current models linking spatial and temporal regulation of the replication program with epigenetic signaling. We discuss these issues in the context of the genome's three-dimensional structure with an emphasis on events occurring during the initiation of DNA replication.

Connecting the cell cycle with cellular identity

The remarkable ability of oocytes to reinstate the totipotent state from a unipotent somatic cell, allowing the cloning of animals and the generation of human stem cells, has fascinated scientists for decades. Due to the complexity of oocytes, it has remained challenging to understand the rapid reprogramming following nuclear transfer at a molecular level. Conversely, the detailed characterization of molecular mechanisms is also often insufficient to comprehend the functional relevance of a complex molecular process, such as the dissociation of transcription factors from chromatin during cell division, the role of chromatin modifications in cellular memory, or of cell type-specific DNA replication. This review attempts to bridge the gap between nuclear transfer and molecular biology by focusing on the role of the cell cycle in reprogramming.

A new light on DNA replication from the inactive X chromosome

While large portions of the mammalian genome are known to replicate sequentially in a distinct, tissue-specific order, recent studies suggest that the inactive X chromosome is duplicated rapidly via random, synchronous DNA synthesis at numerous adjacent regions. The rapid duplication of the inactive X chromosome was observed in high-resolution studies visualizing DNA replication patterns in the nucleus, and by allele-specific DNA sequencing studies measuring the extent of DNA synthesis. These studies conclude that inactive X chromosomes complete replication earlier than previously thought and suggest that the strict order of DNA replication detected in the majority of genomic regions is not preserved in non-transcribed, "silent" chromatin. These observations alter current concepts about the regulation of DNA replication in non-transcribed portions of the genome in general and in the inactive X-chromosome in particular.

Complex correlations: replication timing and mutational landscapes during cancer and genome evolution

A recent flurry of reports correlates replication timing (RT) with mutation rates during both evolution and cancer. Specifically, point mutations and copy number losses correlate with late replication, while copy number gains and other rearrangements correlate with early replication. In some cases, plausible mechanisms have been proposed. Point mutation rates may reflect temporal variation in repair mechanisms. Transcription-induced double-strand breaks are expected to occur in transcriptionally active early replicating chromatin. Fusion partners are generally in close proximity, and chromatin in close proximity replicates at similar times. However, temporal enrichment of copy number gains and losses remains an enigma. Moreover, many conclusions are compromised by a lack of matched RT and sequence datasets, the filtering out of developmental variation in RT, and the use of somatic cell lines to make inferences about germline evolution.