1
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Nemsick S, Hansen AS. Molecular models of bidirectional promoter regulation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102865. [PMID: 38905929 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 11% of human genes are transcribed by a bidirectional promoter (BDP), defined as two genes with <1 kb between their transcription start sites. Despite their evolutionary conservation and enrichment for housekeeping genes and oncogenes, the regulatory role of BDPs remains unclear. BDPs have been suggested to facilitate gene coregulation and/or decrease expression noise. This review discusses these potential regulatory functions through the context of six prospective underlying mechanistic models: a single nucleosome free region, shared transcription factor/regulator binding, cooperative negative supercoiling, bimodal histone marks, joint activation by enhancer(s), and RNA-mediated recruitment of regulators. These molecular mechanisms may act independently and/or cooperatively to facilitate the coregulation and/or decreased expression noise predicted of BDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nemsick
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; The Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; The Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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2
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Yamasaki T, Nishiyama A, Kurogi N, Nishimura K, Nishida S, Kurotaki D, Ban T, Ramilowski JA, Ozato K, Toyoda A, Tamura T. Physical and functional interaction among Irf8 enhancers during dendritic cell differentiation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114107. [PMID: 38613785 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The production of type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) requires high expression of the transcription factor IRF8. Three enhancers at the Irf8 3' region function in a differentiation stage-specific manner. However, whether and how these enhancers interact physically and functionally remains unclear. Here, we show that the Irf8 3' enhancers directly interact with each other and contact the Irf8 gene body during cDC1 differentiation. The +56 kb enhancer, which functions from multipotent progenitor stages, activates the other 3' enhancers through an IRF8-dependent transcription factor program, that is, in trans. Then, the +32 kb enhancer, which operates in cDC1-committed cells, reversely acts in cis on the other 3' enhancers to maintain the high expression of Irf8. Indeed, mice with compound heterozygous deletion of the +56 and +32 kb enhancers are unable to generate cDC1s. These results illustrate how multiple enhancers cooperate to induce a lineage-determining transcription factor gene during cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaya Yamasaki
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akira Nishiyama
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nagomi Kurogi
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Koutarou Nishimura
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shion Nishida
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Biosciences, Kitasato University School of Science, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kurotaki
- Laboratory of Chromatin Organization in Immune Cell Development, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tatsuma Ban
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Jordan A Ramilowski
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keiko Ozato
- Division of Developmental Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan; Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Tamura
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
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Cortés-Fernández de Lara J, Núñez-Martínez HN, Tapia-Urzúa G, Garza-Manero S, Peralta-Alvarez CA, Furlan-Magaril M, González-Buendía E, Escamilla-Del-Arenal M, Casasola A, Guerrero G, Recillas-Targa F. A novel cis-regulatory element regulates αD and αA-globin gene expression in chicken erythroid cells. Front Genet 2024; 15:1384167. [PMID: 38706797 PMCID: PMC11066237 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1384167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) play crucial roles in regulating gene expression during erythroid cell differentiation. Genome-wide erythroid-specific CREs have not been characterized in chicken erythroid cells, which is an organism model used to study epigenetic regulation during erythropoiesis. Methods Analysis of public genome-wide accessibility (ATAC-seq) maps, along with transcription factor (TF) motif analysis, CTCF, and RNA Pol II occupancy, as well as transcriptome analysis in fibroblasts and erythroid HD3 cells, were used to characterize erythroid-specific CREs. An α-globin CRE was identified, and its regulatory activity was validated in vitro and in vivo by luciferase activity and genome-editing assays in HD3 cells, respectively. Additionally, circular chromosome conformation capture (UMI-4C) assays were used to distinguish its role in structuring the α-globin domain in erythroid chicken cells. Results Erythroid-specific CREs displayed occupancy by erythroid TF binding motifs, CTCF, and RNA Pol II, as well as an association with genes involved in hematopoiesis and cell differentiation. An α-globin CRE, referred to as CRE-2, was identified as exhibiting enhancer activity over αD and αA genes in vitro and in vivo. Induction of terminal erythroid differentiation showed that α-globin CRE-2 is required for the induction of αD and αA. Analysis of TF binding motifs at α-globin CRE-2 shows apparent regulation mediated by GATA-1, YY1, and CTCF binding. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that cell-specific CREs constitute a key mechanism that contributes to the fine-tuning gene regulation of erythroid cell differentiation and provide insights into the annotation and characterization of CREs in chicken cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Felix Recillas-Targa
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico
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Silver BD, Willett CG, Maher KA, Wang D, Deal RB. Differences in transcription initiation directionality underlie distinctions between plants and animals in chromatin modification patterns at genes and cis-regulatory elements. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2024; 14:jkae016. [PMID: 38253712 PMCID: PMC10917500 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional initiation is among the first regulated steps controlling eukaryotic gene expression. High-throughput profiling of fungal and animal genomes has revealed that RNA Polymerase II often initiates transcription in both directions at the promoter transcription start site, but generally only elongates productively into the gene body. Additionally, Pol II can initiate transcription in both directions at cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers. These bidirectional RNA Polymerase II initiation events can be observed directly with methods that capture nascent transcripts, and they are also revealed indirectly by the presence of transcription-associated histone modifications on both sides of the transcription start site or cis-regulatory elements. Previous studies have shown that nascent RNAs and transcription-associated histone modifications in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana accumulate mainly in the gene body, suggesting that transcription does not initiate widely in the upstream direction from genes in this plant. We compared transcription-associated histone modifications and nascent transcripts at both transcription start sites and cis-regulatory elements in A. thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, and Homo sapiens. Our results provide evidence for mostly unidirectional RNA Polymerase II initiation at both promoters and gene-proximal cis-regulatory elements of A. thaliana, whereas bidirectional transcription initiation is observed widely at promoters in both D. melanogaster and H. sapiens, as well as cis-regulatory elements in Drosophila. Furthermore, the distribution of transcription-associated histone modifications around transcription start sites in the Oryza sativa (rice) and Glycine max (soybean) genomes suggests that unidirectional transcription initiation is the norm in these genomes as well. These results suggest that there are fundamental differences in transcriptional initiation directionality between flowering plant and metazoan genomes, which are manifested as distinct patterns of chromatin modifications around RNA polymerase initiation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D Silver
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Courtney G Willett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kelsey A Maher
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dongxue Wang
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Roger B Deal
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Klein DC, Lardo SM, Hainer SJ. The ncBAF Complex Regulates Transcription in AML Through H3K27ac Sensing by BRD9. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:237-252. [PMID: 38126767 PMCID: PMC10831031 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The non-canonical BAF complex (ncBAF) subunit BRD9 is essential for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell viability but has an unclear role in leukemogenesis. Because BRD9 is required for ncBAF complex assembly through its DUF3512 domain, precise bromodomain inhibition is necessary to parse the role of BRD9 as a transcriptional regulator from that of a scaffolding protein. To understand the role of BRD9 bromodomain function in regulating AML, we selected a panel of five AML cell lines with distinct driver mutations, disease classifications, and genomic aberrations and subjected these cells to short-term BRD9 bromodomain inhibition. We examined the bromodomain-dependent growth of these cell lines, identifying a dependency in AML cell lines but not HEK293T cells. To define a mechanism through which BRD9 maintains AML cell survival, we examined nascent transcription, chromatin accessibility, and ncBAF complex binding genome-wide after bromodomain inhibition. We identified extensive regulation of transcription by BRD9 bromodomain activity, including repression of myeloid maturation factors and tumor suppressor genes, while standard AML chemotherapy targets were repressed by inhibition of the BRD9 bromodomain. BRD9 bromodomain activity maintained accessible chromatin at both gene promoters and gene-distal putative enhancer regions, in a manner that qualitatively correlated with enrichment of BRD9 binding. Furthermore, we identified reduced chromatin accessibility at GATA, ETS, and AP-1 motifs and increased chromatin accessibility at SNAIL-, HIC-, and TP53-recognized motifs after BRD9 inhibition. These data suggest a role for BRD9 in regulating AML cell differentiation through modulation of accessibility at hematopoietic transcription factor binding sites. SIGNIFICANCE The bromodomain-containing protein BRD9 is essential for AML cell viability, but it is unclear whether this requirement is due to the protein's role as an epigenetic reader. We inhibited this activity and identified altered gene-distal chromatin regulation and transcription consistent with a more mature myeloid cell state.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Klein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Santana M. Lardo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sarah J. Hainer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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6
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Silver BD, Willett CG, Maher KA, Wang D, Deal RB. Differences in transcription initiation directionality underlie distinctions between plants and animals in chromatin modification patterns at genes and cis-regulatory elements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565513. [PMID: 37961418 PMCID: PMC10635121 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional initiation is among the first regulated steps controlling eukaryotic gene expression. High-throughput profiling of fungal and animal genomes has revealed that RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) often initiates transcription in both directions at the promoter transcription start site (TSS), but generally only elongates productively into the gene body. Additionally, Pol II can initiate transcription in both directions at cis-regulatory elements (CREs) such as enhancers. These bidirectional Pol II initiation events can be observed directly with methods that capture nascent transcripts, and they are also revealed indirectly by the presence of transcription-associated histone modifications on both sides of the TSS or CRE. Previous studies have shown that nascent RNAs and transcription-associated histone modifications in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana accumulate mainly in the gene body, suggesting that transcription does not initiate widely in the upstream direction from genes in this plant. We compared transcription-associated histone modifications and nascent transcripts at both TSSs and CREs in Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, and Homo sapiens. Our results provide evidence for mostly unidirectional Pol II initiation at both promoters and gene-proximal CREs of Arabidopsis thaliana, whereas bidirectional transcription initiation is observed widely at promoters in both Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens, as well as CREs in Drosophila. Furthermore, the distribution of transcription-associated histone modifications around TSSs in the Oryza sativa (rice) and Glycine max (soybean) genomes suggests that unidirectional transcription initiation is the norm in these genomes as well. These results suggest that there are fundamental differences in transcriptional initiation directionality between flowering plant and metazoan genomes, which are manifested as distinct patterns of chromatin modifications around RNA polymerase initiation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna D. Silver
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Courtney G. Willett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Kelsey A. Maher
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Dongxue Wang
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Roger B. Deal
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
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7
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Keller SH, Deng H, Lim B. Regulation of the dynamic RNA Pol II elongation rate in Drosophila embryos. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113225. [PMID: 37837623 PMCID: PMC10842316 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have shown the key role that RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) elongation plays in gene regulation. We systematically examine how various enhancers, promoters, and gene body composition influence the RNA Pol II elongation rate through a single-cell-resolution live imaging assay. By using reporter constructs containing 5' MS2 and 3' PP7 repeating stem loops, we quantify the rate of RNA Pol II elongation in live Drosophila embryos. We find that promoters and exonic gene lengths have no effect on elongation rate, while enhancers and the presence of long introns may significantly change how quickly RNA Pol II moves across a gene. Furthermore, we observe in multiple constructs that the RNA Pol II elongation rate accelerates after the transcriptional onset of nuclear cycle 14 in Drosophila embryos. Our study provides a single-cell view of various mechanisms that affect the dynamic RNA Pol II elongation rate, ultimately affecting the rate of mRNA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Keller
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hao Deng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bomyi Lim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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8
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Kassouf M, Ford S, Blayney J, Higgs D. Understanding fundamental principles of enhancer biology at a model locus: Analysing the structure and function of an enhancer cluster at the α-globin locus. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300047. [PMID: 37404089 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300047] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite ever-increasing accumulation of genomic data, the fundamental question of how individual genes are switched on during development, lineage-specification and differentiation is not fully answered. It is widely accepted that this involves the interaction between at least three fundamental regulatory elements: enhancers, promoters and insulators. Enhancers contain transcription factor binding sites which are bound by transcription factors (TFs) and co-factors expressed during cell fate decisions and maintain imposed patterns of activation, at least in part, via their epigenetic modification. This information is transferred from enhancers to their cognate promoters often by coming into close physical proximity to form a 'transcriptional hub' containing a high concentration of TFs and co-factors. The mechanisms underlying these stages of transcriptional activation are not fully explained. This review focuses on how enhancers and promoters are activated during differentiation and how multiple enhancers work together to regulate gene expression. We illustrate the currently understood principles of how mammalian enhancers work and how they may be perturbed in enhanceropathies using expression of the α-globin gene cluster during erythropoiesis, as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Kassouf
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Seren Ford
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph Blayney
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Doug Higgs
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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9
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Crump NT, Smith AL, Godfrey L, Dopico-Fernandez AM, Denny N, Harman JR, Hamley JC, Jackson NE, Chahrour C, Riva S, Rice S, Kim J, Basrur V, Fermin D, Elenitoba-Johnson K, Roeder RG, Allis CD, Roberts I, Roy A, Geng H, Davies JOJ, Milne TA. MLL-AF4 cooperates with PAF1 and FACT to drive high-density enhancer interactions in leukemia. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5208. [PMID: 37626123 PMCID: PMC10457349 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40981-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant enhancer activation is a key mechanism driving oncogene expression in many cancers. While much is known about the regulation of larger chromosome domains in eukaryotes, the details of enhancer-promoter interactions remain poorly understood. Recent work suggests co-activators like BRD4 and Mediator have little impact on enhancer-promoter interactions. In leukemias controlled by the MLL-AF4 fusion protein, we use the ultra-high resolution technique Micro-Capture-C (MCC) to show that MLL-AF4 binding promotes broad, high-density regions of enhancer-promoter interactions at a subset of key targets. These enhancers are enriched for transcription elongation factors like PAF1C and FACT, and the loss of these factors abolishes enhancer-promoter contact. This work not only provides an additional model for how MLL-AF4 is able to drive high levels of transcription at key genes in leukemia but also suggests a more general model linking enhancer-promoter crosstalk and transcription elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas T Crump
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Hugh and Josseline Langmuir Centre for Myeloma Research, Centre for Haematology, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Alastair L Smith
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Laura Godfrey
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ana M Dopico-Fernandez
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Nicholas Denny
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Joe R Harman
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Joseph C Hamley
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Nicole E Jackson
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Catherine Chahrour
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Simone Riva
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Siobhan Rice
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jaehoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Venkatesha Basrur
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Damian Fermin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kojo Elenitoba-Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert G Roeder
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - C David Allis
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Irene Roberts
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Anindita Roy
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Huimin Geng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James O J Davies
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Thomas A Milne
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
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10
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Stankey CT, Lee JC. Translating non-coding genetic associations into a better understanding of immune-mediated disease. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:297044. [PMID: 36897113 PMCID: PMC10040244 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049790] [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] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that are associated with immune-mediated diseases. Most disease-associated variants are non-coding, and a large proportion of these variants lie within enhancers. As a result, there is a pressing need to understand how common genetic variation might affect enhancer function and thereby contribute to immune-mediated (and other) diseases. In this Review, we first describe statistical and experimental methods to identify causal genetic variants that modulate gene expression, including statistical fine-mapping and massively parallel reporter assays. We then discuss approaches to characterise the mechanisms by which these variants modulate immune function, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based screens. We highlight examples of studies that, by elucidating the effects of disease variants within enhancers, have provided important insights into immune function and uncovered key pathways of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina T Stankey
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - James C Lee
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
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11
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Cheng F, Zheng W, Liu C, Barbuti PA, Yu-Taeger L, Casadei N, Huebener-Schmid J, Admard J, Boldt K, Junger K, Ueffing M, Houlden H, Sharma M, Kruger R, Grundmann-Hauser K, Ott T, Riess O. Intronic enhancers of the human SNCA gene predominantly regulate its expression in brain in vivo. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq6324. [PMID: 36417521 PMCID: PMC9683720 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq6324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and our previously reported α-synuclein (SNCA) transgenic rat model support the idea that increased SNCA protein is a substantial risk factor of PD pathogenesis. However, little is known about the transcription control of the human SNCA gene in the brain in vivo. Here, we identified that the DYT6 gene product THAP1 (THAP domain-containing apoptosis-associated protein 1) and its interaction partner CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) act as transcription regulators of SNCA. THAP1 controls SNCA intronic enhancers' activities, while CTCF regulates its enhancer-promoter loop formation. The SNCA intronic enhancers present neurodevelopment-dependent activities and form enhancer clusters similar to "super-enhancers" in the brain, in which the PD-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms are enriched. Deletion of the SNCA intronic enhancer clusters prevents the release of paused RNA polymerase II from its promoter and subsequently reduces its expression drastically in the brain, which may provide new therapeutic approaches to prevent its accumulation and thus related neurodegenerative diseases defined as synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fubo Cheng
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Centre for Rare Diseases, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Wenxu Zheng
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Chang Liu
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Peter Antony Barbuti
- Translational Neuroscience, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Libo Yu-Taeger
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tuebingen, Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jeannette Huebener-Schmid
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Admard
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tuebingen, Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Karsten Boldt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Junger
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Manu Sharma
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology, Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biometry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Rejko Kruger
- Translational Neuroscience, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Transversal Translational Medicine, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Strassen, Luxembourg
- Parkinson Research Clinic, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Kathrin Grundmann-Hauser
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Ott
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- IZKF-Core Facility Transgenic Animals, University Clinics Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Centre for Rare Diseases, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tuebingen, Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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12
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Downes DJ, Hughes JR. Natural and Experimental Rewiring of Gene Regulatory Regions. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:73-97. [PMID: 35472292 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-112921-010715] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The successful development and ongoing functioning of complex organisms depend on the faithful execution of the genetic code. A critical step in this process is the correct spatial and temporal expression of genes. The highly orchestrated transcription of genes is controlled primarily by cis-regulatory elements: promoters, enhancers, and insulators. The medical importance of this key biological process can be seen by the frequency with which mutations and inherited variants that alter cis-regulatory elements lead to monogenic and complex diseases and cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the methods available to characterize and perturb gene regulatory circuits. We then highlight mechanisms through which regulatory rewiring contributes to disease, and conclude with a perspective on how our understanding of gene regulation can be used to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
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13
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Cohesin couples transcriptional bursting probabilities of inducible enhancers and promoters. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4342. [PMID: 35896525 PMCID: PMC9329429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immune responses rely on inducible gene expression programmes which, in contrast to steady-state transcription, are highly dependent on cohesin. Here we address transcriptional parameters underlying this cohesin-dependence by single-molecule RNA-FISH and single-cell RNA-sequencing. We show that inducible innate immune genes are regulated predominantly by an increase in the probability of active transcription, and that probabilities of enhancer and promoter transcription are coordinated. Cohesin has no major impact on the fraction of transcribed inducible enhancers, or the number of mature mRNAs produced per transcribing cell. Cohesin is, however, required for coupling the probabilities of enhancer and promoter transcription. Enhancer-promoter coupling may not be explained by spatial proximity alone, and at the model locus Il12b can be disrupted by selective inhibition of the cohesinopathy-associated BET bromodomain BD2. Our data identify discrete steps in enhancer-mediated inducible gene expression that differ in cohesin-dependence, and suggest that cohesin and BD2 may act on shared pathways.
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14
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Different transcriptional responses by the CRISPRa system in distinct types of heterochromatin in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11702. [PMID: 35810197 PMCID: PMC9271074 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15944-7] [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: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) activate gene expression by binding to elements close to promoters or enhancers. Some TFs can bind to heterochromatic regions to initiate gene activation, suggesting that if a TF is able to bind to any type of heterochromatin, it can activate transcription. To investigate this possibility, we used the CRISPRa system based on dCas9-VPR as an artificial TF in Drosophila. dCas9-VPR was targeted to the TAHRE telomeric element, an example of constitutive heterochromatin, and to promoters and enhancers of the HOX Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and Sex Combs Reduced (Scr) genes in the context of facultative heterochromatin. dCas9-VPR robustly activated TAHRE transcription, showing that although this element is heterochromatic, dCas9-VPR was sufficient to activate its expression. In the case of HOX gene promoters, although Polycomb complexes epigenetically silence these genes, both were ectopically activated. When the artificial TF was directed to enhancers, we found that the expression pattern was different compared to the effect on the promoters. In the case of the Scr upstream enhancer, dCas9-VPR activated the gene ectopically but with less expressivity; however, ectopic activation also occurred in different cells. In the case of the bxI enhancer located in the third intron of Ubx, the presence of dCas9-VPR is capable of increasing transcription initiation while simultaneously blocking transcription elongation, generating a lack of functional phenotype. Our results show that CRISPRa system is able to activate transcription in any type of heterochromatin; nevertheless, its effect on transcription is subject to the intrinsic characteristics of each gene or regulatory element.
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15
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Stochastic Transcription with Alterable Synthesis Rates. MATHEMATICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/math10132189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Gene transcription is a random bursting process that leads to large variability in mRNA numbers in single cells. The main cause is largely attributed to random switching between periods of active and inactive gene transcription. In some experiments, it has been observed that variation in the number of active transcription sites causes the initiation rate to vary during elongation. Results: We established a mathematical model based on the molecular reaction mechanism in single cells and studied a stochastic transcription system consisting of two active states and one inactive state, in which mRNA molecules are produced with two different synthesis rates. Conclusions: By calculation, we obtained the average mRNA expression level, the noise strength, and the skewness of transcripts. We gave a necessary and sufficient condition that causes the average mRNA level to peak at a limited time. The model could help us to distinguish an appropriate mechanism that may be employed by cells to transcribe mRNA molecules. Our simulations were in agreement with some experimental data and showed that the skewness can measure the deviation of the distribution of transcripts from the mean value. Especially for mature mRNAs, their distributions were almost able to be determined by the mean, the noise (or the noise strength), and the skewness.
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16
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Popay TM, Dixon JR. Coming full circle: on the origin and evolution of the looping model for enhancer-promoter communication. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102117. [PMID: 35691341 PMCID: PMC9283939 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian organisms, enhancers can regulate transcription from great genomic distances. How enhancers affect distal gene expression has been a major question in the field of gene regulation. One model to explain how enhancers communicate with their target promoters, the chromatin looping model, posits that enhancers and promoters come in close spatial proximity to mediate communication. Chromatin looping has been broadly accepted as a means for enhancer–promoter communication, driven by accumulating in vitro and in vivo evidence. The genome is now known to be folded into a complex 3D arrangement, created and maintained in part by the interplay of the Cohesin complex and the DNA-binding protein CTCF. In the last few years, however, doubt over the relationship between looping and transcriptional activation has emerged, driven by studies finding that only a modest number of genes are perturbed with acute degradation of looping machinery components. In parallel, newer models describing distal enhancer action have also come to prominence. In this article, we explore the emergence and development of the looping model as a means for enhancer–promoter communication and review the contrasting evidence between historical gene-specific and current global data for the role of chromatin looping in transcriptional regulation. We also discuss evidence for alternative models to chromatin looping and their support in the literature. We suggest that, while there is abundant evidence for chromatin looping as a major mechanism for enhancer function, enhancer–promoter communication is likely mediated by more than one mechanism in an enhancer- and context-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Popay
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jesse R Dixon
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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17
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Andrieu-Soler C, Soler E. Erythroid Cell Research: 3D Chromatin, Transcription Factors and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116149. [PMID: 35682828 PMCID: PMC9181152 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of the regulatory networks and signals controlling erythropoiesis have brought important insights in several research fields of biology and have been a rich source of discoveries with far-reaching implications beyond erythroid cells biology. The aim of this review is to highlight key recent discoveries and show how studies of erythroid cells bring forward novel concepts and refine current models related to genome and 3D chromatin organization, signaling and disease, with broad interest in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Soler
- IGMM, Université Montpellier, CNRS, 34093 Montpellier, France;
- Laboratory of Excellence GR-Ex, Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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18
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Herrmann JC, Beagrie RA, Hughes JR. Making connections: enhancers in cellular differentiation. Trends Genet 2022; 38:395-408. [PMID: 34753603 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Deciphering the process by which hundreds of distinct cell types emerge from a single zygote to form a complex multicellular organism remains one of the greatest challenges in biological research. Enhancers are known to be central to cell type-specific gene expression, yet many questions regarding how these genomic elements interact both temporally and spatially with other cis- and trans-acting factors to control transcriptional activity during differentiation and development remain unanswered. Here, we review our current understanding of the role of enhancers and their interactions in this context and highlight recent progress achieved with experimental methods of unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Herrmann
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robert A Beagrie
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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19
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Wells M, Steiner L. Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of Erythropoiesis. Front Genet 2022; 13:805265. [PMID: 35330735 PMCID: PMC8940284 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.805265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoiesis is a process of enormous magnitude, with the average person generating two to three million red cells every second. Erythroid progenitors start as large cells with large nuclei, and over the course of three to four cell divisions they undergo a dramatic decrease in cell size accompanied by profound nuclear condensation, which culminates in enucleation. As maturing erythroblasts are undergoing these dramatic phenotypic changes, they accumulate hemoglobin and express high levels of other erythroid-specific genes, while silencing much of the non-erythroid transcriptome. These phenotypic and gene expression changes are associated with distinct changes in the chromatin landscape, and require close coordination between transcription factors and epigenetic regulators, as well as precise regulation of RNA polymerase II activity. Disruption of these processes are associated with inherited anemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. Here, we review the epigenetic mechanisms that govern terminal erythroid maturation, and their role in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeve Wells
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Laurie Steiner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
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20
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Downes DJ, Smith AL, Karpinska MA, Velychko T, Rue-Albrecht K, Sims D, Milne TA, Davies JOJ, Oudelaar AM, Hughes JR. Capture-C: a modular and flexible approach for high-resolution chromosome conformation capture. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:445-475. [PMID: 35121852 PMCID: PMC7613269 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome conformation capture (3C) methods measure the spatial proximity between DNA elements in the cell nucleus. Many methods have been developed to sample 3C material, including the Capture-C family of protocols. Capture-C methods use oligonucleotides to enrich for interactions of interest from sequencing-ready 3C libraries. This approach is modular and has been adapted and optimized to work for sampling of disperse DNA elements (NuTi Capture-C), including from low cell inputs (LI Capture-C), as well as to generate Hi-C like maps for specific regions of interest (Tiled-C) and to interrogate multiway interactions (Tri-C). We present the design, experimental protocol and analysis pipeline for NuTi Capture-C in addition to the variations for generation of LI Capture-C, Tiled-C and Tri-C data. The entire procedure can be performed in 3 weeks and requires standard molecular biology skills and equipment, access to a next-generation sequencing platform, and basic bioinformatic skills. Implemented with other sequencing technologies, these methods can be used to identify regulatory interactions and to compare the structural organization of the genome in different cell types and genetic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alastair L Smith
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Taras Velychko
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kevin Rue-Albrecht
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Sims
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Thomas A Milne
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Haematology Theme, Oxford, UK
| | - James O J Davies
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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21
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Nojima T, Proudfoot NJ. Mechanisms of lncRNA biogenesis as revealed by nascent transcriptomics. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:389-406. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00447-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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22
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Higashijima Y, Kanki Y. Potential roles of super enhancers in inflammatory gene transcription. FEBS J 2021; 289:5762-5775. [PMID: 34173323 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Acute and chronic inflammation is a basic pathological event that contributes to atherosclerosis, cancer, infectious diseases, and immune disorders. Inflammation is an adaptive process to both external and internal stimuli experienced by the human body. Although the mechanism of gene transcription is highly complicated and orchestrated in a timely and spatial manner, recent developments in next-generation sequencing, genome-editing, cryo-electron microscopy, and single cell-based technologies could provide us with insights into the roles of super enhancers (SEs). Initially, SEs were implicated in determining cell fate; subsequent studies have clarified that SEs are associated with various pathological conditions, including cancer and inflammatory diseases. Recent technological advances have unveiled the molecular mechanisms of SEs, which involve epigenetic histone modifications, chromatin three-dimensional structures, and phase-separated condensates. In this review, we discuss the relationship between inflammation and SEs and the therapeutic potential of SEs for inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiki Higashijima
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yasuharu Kanki
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory of Laboratory/Sports Medicine, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
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23
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Aboelnour E, Bonev B. Decoding the organization, dynamics, and function of the 4D genome. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1562-1573. [PMID: 33984271 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how complex cell-fate decisions emerge at the molecular level is a key challenge in developmental biology. Despite remarkable progress in decoding the contribution of the linear epigenome, how spatial genome architecture functionally informs changes in gene expression remains unclear. In this review, we discuss recent insights in elucidating the molecular landscape of genome folding, emphasizing the multilayered nature of the 3D genome, its importance for gene regulation, and its spatiotemporal dynamics. Finally, we discuss how these new concepts and emergent technologies will enable us to address some of the outstanding questions in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Aboelnour
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Boyan Bonev
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
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24
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Enhancing initiation. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:201. [PMID: 33623154 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00339-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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25
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Narita T, Ito S, Higashijima Y, Chu WK, Neumann K, Walter J, Satpathy S, Liebner T, Hamilton WB, Maskey E, Prus G, Shibata M, Iesmantavicius V, Brickman JM, Anastassiadis K, Koseki H, Choudhary C. Enhancers are activated by p300/CBP activity-dependent PIC assembly, RNAPII recruitment, and pause release. Mol Cell 2021; 81:2166-2182.e6. [PMID: 33765415 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The metazoan-specific acetyltransferase p300/CBP is involved in activating signal-induced, enhancer-mediated transcription of cell-type-specific genes. However, the global kinetics and mechanisms of p300/CBP activity-dependent transcription activation remain poorly understood. We performed genome-wide, time-resolved analyses to show that enhancers and super-enhancers are dynamically activated through p300/CBP-catalyzed acetylation, deactivated by the opposing deacetylase activity, and kinetic acetylation directly contributes to maintaining cell identity at very rapid (minutes) timescales. The acetyltransferase activity is dispensable for the recruitment of p300/CBP and transcription factors but essential for promoting the recruitment of TFIID and RNAPII at virtually all enhancers and enhancer-regulated genes. This identifies pre-initiation complex assembly as a dynamically controlled step in the transcription cycle and reveals p300/CBP-catalyzed acetylation as the signal that specifically promotes transcription initiation at enhancer-regulated genes. We propose that p300/CBP activity uses a "recruit-and-release" mechanism to simultaneously promote RNAPII recruitment and pause release and thereby enables kinetic activation of enhancer-mediated transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeo Narita
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Shinsuke Ito
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Higashijima
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Wai Kit Chu
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Katrin Neumann
- Stem Cell Engineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jonas Walter
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Shankha Satpathy
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Tim Liebner
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - William B Hamilton
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology-DanStem, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elina Maskey
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Gabriela Prus
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Marika Shibata
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Vytautas Iesmantavicius
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Joshua M Brickman
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology-DanStem, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Konstantinos Anastassiadis
- Stem Cell Engineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; Immune Regulation, Advanced Research Departments, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Chunaram Choudhary
- Department of Proteomics, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark.
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