1
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Blumenstiel JP. From the cauldron of conflict: Endogenous gene regulation by piRNA and other modes of adaptation enabled by selfish transposable elements. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2025; 164:1-12. [PMID: 38823219 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) provide a prime example of genetic conflict because they can proliferate in genomes and populations even if they harm the host. However, numerous studies have shown that TEs, though typically harmful, can also provide fuel for adaptation. This is because they code functional sequences that can be useful for the host in which they reside. In this review, I summarize the "how" and "why" of adaptation enabled by the genetic conflict between TEs and hosts. In addition, focusing on mechanisms of TE control by small piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), I highlight an indirect form of adaptation enabled by conflict. In this case, mechanisms of host defense that regulate TEs have been redeployed for endogenous gene regulation. I propose that the genetic conflict released by meiosis in early eukaryotes may have been important because, among other reasons, it spurred evolutionary innovation on multiple interwoven trajectories - on the part of hosts and also embedded genetic parasites. This form of evolution may function as a complexity generating engine that was a critical player in eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Blumenstiel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States.
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2
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Karttunen K, Patel D, Sahu B. Transposable elements as drivers of dedifferentiation: Connections between enhancers in embryonic stem cells, placenta, and cancer. Bioessays 2024:e2400059. [PMID: 39073128 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have emerged as important factors in establishing the cell type-specific gene regulatory networks and evolutionary novelty of embryonic and placental development. Recently, studies on the role of TEs and their dysregulation in cancers have shed light on the transcriptional, transpositional, and regulatory activity of TEs, revealing that the activation of developmental transcriptional programs by TEs may have a role in the dedifferentiation of cancer cells to the progenitor-like cell states. This essay reviews the recent evidence of the cis-regulatory TEs (henceforth crTE) in normal development and malignancy as well as the key transcription factors and regulatory pathways that are implicated in both cell states, and presents existing gaps remaining to be studied, limitations of current technologies, and therapeutic possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konsta Karttunen
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Divyesh Patel
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Biswajyoti Sahu
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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3
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Talley MJ, Longworth MS. Retrotransposons in embryogenesis and neurodevelopment. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1159-1171. [PMID: 38716891 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230757] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Retrotransposable elements (RTEs) are genetic elements that can replicate and insert new copies into different genomic locations. RTEs have long been identified as 'parasitic genes', as their mobilization can cause mutations, DNA damage, and inflammation. Interestingly, high levels of retrotransposon activation are observed in early embryogenesis and neurodevelopment, suggesting that RTEs may possess functional roles during these stages of development. Recent studies demonstrate that RTEs can function as transcriptional regulatory elements through mechanisms such as chromatin organization and noncoding RNAs. It is clear, however, that RTE expression and activity must be restrained at some level during development, since overactivation of RTEs during neurodevelopment is associated with several developmental disorders. Further investigation is needed to understand the importance of RTE expression and activity during neurodevelopment and the balance between RTE-regulated development and RTE-mediated pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jo Talley
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, U.S.A
| | - Michelle S Longworth
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, U.S.A
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44195, U.S.A
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4
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Deaville LA, Berrens RV. Technology to the rescue: how to uncover the role of transposable elements in preimplantation development. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1349-1362. [PMID: 38752836 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231262] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are highly expressed in preimplantation development. Preimplantation development is the phase when the cells of the early embryo undergo the first cell fate choice and change from being totipotent to pluripotent. A range of studies have advanced our understanding of TEs in preimplantation, as well as their epigenetic regulation and functional roles. However, many questions remain about the implications of TE expression during early development. Challenges originate first due to the abundance of TEs in the genome, and second because of the limited cell numbers in preimplantation. Here we review the most recent technological advancements promising to shed light onto the role of TEs in preimplantation development. We explore novel avenues to identify genomic TE insertions and improve our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms and roles of TEs and their RNA and protein products during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauryn A Deaville
- Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Oxford University, IMS-Tetsuya Nakamura Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, U.K
- Department of Paediatrics, Oxford University, Level 2, Children's Hospital, John Radcliffe Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, U.K
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford University, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, U.K
| | - Rebecca V Berrens
- Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Oxford University, IMS-Tetsuya Nakamura Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, U.K
- Department of Paediatrics, Oxford University, Level 2, Children's Hospital, John Radcliffe Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, U.K
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5
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Li S, Yang M, Shen H, Ding L, Lyu X, Lin K, Ong J, Du P. Capturing totipotency in human cells through spliceosomal repression. Cell 2024; 187:3284-3302.e23. [PMID: 38843832 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The cleavage of zygotes generates totipotent blastomeres. In human 8-cell blastomeres, zygotic genome activation (ZGA) occurs to initiate the ontogenesis program. However, capturing and maintaining totipotency in human cells pose significant challenges. Here, we realize culturing human totipotent blastomere-like cells (hTBLCs). We find that splicing inhibition can transiently reprogram human pluripotent stem cells into ZGA-like cells (ZLCs), which subsequently transition into stable hTBLCs after long-term passaging. Distinct from reported 8-cell-like cells (8CLCs), both ZLCs and hTBLCs widely silence pluripotent genes. Interestingly, ZLCs activate a particular group of ZGA-specific genes, and hTBLCs are enriched with pre-ZGA-specific genes. During spontaneous differentiation, hTBLCs re-enter the intermediate ZLC stage and further generate epiblast (EPI)-, primitive endoderm (PrE)-, and trophectoderm (TE)-like lineages, effectively recapitulating human pre-implantation development. Possessing both embryonic and extraembryonic developmental potency, hTBLCs can autonomously generate blastocyst-like structures in vitro without external cell signaling. In summary, our study provides key criteria and insights into human cell totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Min Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hui Shen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Li Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xuehui Lyu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kexin Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jennie Ong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Du
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Beijing Advanced Center of RNA Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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6
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Bao H, Sun Y, Deng N, Zhang L, Jia Y, Li G, Gao Y, Li X, Tang Y, Cai H, Lu J, Wang H, Deng W, Kong S. PR-SET7 epigenetically restrains uterine interferon response and cell death governing proper postnatal stromal development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4920. [PMID: 38858353 PMCID: PMC11164956 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49342-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of the stroma is a hallmark event during postnatal uterine development. However, the spatiotemporal changes that occur during this process and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we comprehensively delineated the dynamic development of the neonatal uterus at single-cell resolution and characterized two distinct stromal subpopulations, inner and outer stroma. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that uterine ablation of Pr-set7, the sole methyltransferase catalyzing H4K20me1, led to a reduced proportion of the inner stroma due to massive cell death, thus impeding uterine development. By combining RNA sequencing and epigenetic profiling of H4K20me1, we demonstrated that PR-SET7-H4K20me1 either directly repressed the transcription of interferon stimulated genes or indirectly restricted the interferon response via silencing endogenous retroviruses. Declined H4K20me1 level caused viral mimicry responses and ZBP1-mediated apoptosis and necroptosis in stromal cells. Collectively, our study provides insight into the epigenetic machinery governing postnatal uterine stromal development mediated by PR-SET7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haili Bao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Na Deng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Leilei Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jia
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Gaizhen Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yun Gao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Yedong Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Han Cai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jinhua Lu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Haibin Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
| | - Wenbo Deng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
| | - Shuangbo Kong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China.
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7
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Li N, Jin K, Liu B, Yang M, Shi P, Heng D, Wang J, Liu L. Single-cell 3D genome structure reveals distinct human pluripotent states. Genome Biol 2024; 25:122. [PMID: 38741214 PMCID: PMC11089717 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03268-w] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pluripotent states of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with distinct transcriptional profiles affect ESC differentiative capacity and therapeutic potential. Although single-cell RNA sequencing has revealed additional subpopulations and specific features of naive and primed human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), the underlying mechanisms that regulate their specific transcription and that control their pluripotent states remain elusive. RESULTS By single-cell analysis of high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) genomic structure, we herein demonstrate that remodeling of genomic structure is highly associated with the pluripotent states of human ESCs (hESCs). The naive pluripotent state is featured with specialized 3D genomic structures and clear chromatin compartmentalization that is distinct from the primed state. The naive pluripotent state is achieved by remodeling the active euchromatin compartment and reducing chromatin interactions at the nuclear center. This unique genomic organization is linked to enhanced chromatin accessibility on enhancers and elevated expression levels of naive pluripotent genes localized to this region. In contradistinction, the primed state exhibits intermingled genomic organization. Moreover, active euchromatin and primed pluripotent genes are distributed at the nuclear periphery, while repressive heterochromatin is densely concentrated at the nuclear center, reducing chromatin accessibility and the transcription of naive genes. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide insights into the chromatin structure of ESCs in their naive and primed states, and we identify specific patterns of modifications in transcription and chromatin structure that might explain the genes that are differentially expressed between naive and primed hESCs. Thus, the inversion or relocation of heterochromatin to euchromatin via compartmentalization is related to the regulation of chromatin accessibility, thereby defining pluripotent states and cellular identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niannian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Weifang People's Hospital, Shandong, 261041, China
| | - Kairang Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Weifang People's Hospital, Shandong, 261041, China
- TEDA Institute of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, TEDA, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Mingzhu Yang
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - PanPan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Dai Heng
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jichang Wang
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China.
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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8
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da Silva AL, Guedes BLM, Santos SN, Correa GF, Nardy A, Nali LHDS, Bachi ALL, Romano CM. Beyond pathogens: the intriguing genetic legacy of endogenous retroviruses in host physiology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1379962. [PMID: 38655281 PMCID: PMC11035796 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1379962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The notion that viruses played a crucial role in the evolution of life is not a new concept. However, more recent insights suggest that this perception might be even more expansive, highlighting the ongoing impact of viruses on host evolution. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are considered genomic remnants of ancient viral infections acquired throughout vertebrate evolution. Their exogenous counterparts once infected the host's germline cells, eventually leading to the permanent endogenization of their respective proviruses. The success of ERV colonization is evident so that it constitutes 8% of the human genome. Emerging genomic studies indicate that endogenous retroviruses are not merely remnants of past infections but rather play a corollary role, despite not fully understood, in host genetic regulation. This review presents some evidence supporting the crucial role of endogenous retroviruses in regulating host genetics. We explore the involvement of human ERVs (HERVs) in key physiological processes, from their precise and orchestrated activities during cellular differentiation and pluripotency to their contributions to aging and cellular senescence. Additionally, we discuss the costs associated with hosting a substantial amount of preserved viral genetic material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Lopes da Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Luiz Miranda Guedes
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel Nascimento Santos
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Francisco Correa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariane Nardy
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Malta Romano
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Li NN, Lun DX, Gong N, Meng G, Du XY, Wang H, Bao X, Li XY, Song JW, Hu K, Li L, Li SY, Liu W, Zhu W, Zhang Y, Li J, Yao T, Mou L, Han X, Hao F, Hu Y, Liu L, Zhu H, Wu Y, Liu B. Targeting the chromatin structural changes of antitumor immunity. J Pharm Anal 2024; 14:100905. [PMID: 38665224 PMCID: PMC11043877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.11.012] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes, promoting the onset and progression of cancer. Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks, tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes, which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy, cancer immunotherapy, and their combinations. Herein, we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modification, and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity, and introduce these epigenetic research methods. We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian-nian Li
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Deng-xing Lun
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Ningning Gong
- Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Gang Meng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture, Ankang University, Ankang, Shaanxi, 725000, China
| | - Xin-ying Du
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - He Wang
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiangxiang Bao
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xin-yang Li
- Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, 550018, China
| | - Ji-wu Song
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Kewei Hu
- Weifang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Lala Li
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Si-ying Li
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Wanping Zhu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yunlong Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261053, China
| | - Jikai Li
- Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Oncology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, 300299, China
| | - Ting Yao
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Teda Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Leming Mou
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Xiaoqing Han
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Furong Hao
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yongcheng Hu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Hongguang Zhu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Yuyun Wu
- Xinqiao Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
- School of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
- Teda Institute of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300457, China
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10
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Wang J, Lu X, Zhang W, Liu GH. Endogenous retroviruses in development and health. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:342-354. [PMID: 37802660 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are evolutionary remnants of retroviral infections in which the viral genome became embedded as a dormant regulatory element within the host germline. When ERVs become activated, they comprehensively rewire genomic regulatory networks of the host and facilitate critical developmental events, such as preimplantation development and placentation, in a manner specific to species, developmental stage, and tissues. However, accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant ERV transcription compromises genome stability and has been implicated in cellular senescence and various pathogenic processes, underscoring the significance of host genomic surveillance mechanisms. Here, we revisit the prominent functions of ERVs in early development and highlight their emerging roles in mammalian post-implantation development and organogenesis. We also discuss their implications for aging and pathological processes such as microbial infection, immune response. Furthermore, we discuss recent advances in stem-cell-based models, single-cell omics, and genome editing technologies, which serve as beacons illuminating the versatile nature of ERVs in mammalian development and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichang Wang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
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11
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Yang J, Cook L, Chen Z. Systematic evaluation of retroviral LTRs as cis-regulatory elements in mouse embryos. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113775. [PMID: 38381606 PMCID: PMC11024894 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, many retrotransposons are de-repressed during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, their functions in early development remain elusive largely due to the challenge to simultaneously manipulate thousands of retrotransposon insertions in embryos. Here, we applied CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) to perturb the long terminal repeat (LTR) MT2_Mm, a well-known ZGA and totipotency marker that exists in ∼2,667 insertions throughout the mouse genome. CRISPRi robustly perturbed 2,485 (∼93%) MT2_Mm insertions and 1,090 (∼55%) insertions of the closely related MT2C_Mm in 2-cell embryos. Remarkably, such perturbation caused downregulation of hundreds of ZGA genes and embryonic arrest mostly at the morula stage. Mechanistically, MT2 LTRs are globally enriched for open chromatin and H3K27ac and function as promoters/enhancers downstream of OBOX/DUX proteins. Thus, we not only provide direct evidence to support the functional importance of MT2 activation in development but also systematically define cis-regulatory function of MT2 in embryos by integrating functional perturbation and multi-omic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yang
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Lauryn Cook
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Chen
- Reproductive Sciences Center, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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12
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Kong X, Li R, Chen M, Zheng R, Wang J, Sun C, Qu Y. Endogenous retrovirus HERVH-derived lncRNA UCA1 controls human trophoblast development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318176121. [PMID: 38483994 PMCID: PMC10962953 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318176121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are frequently reactivated in mammalian placenta. It has been proposed that ERVs contribute to shaping the gene regulatory network of mammalian trophoblasts, dominantly acting as species- and placental-specific enhancers. However, whether and how ERVs control human trophoblast development through alternative pathways remains poorly understood. Besides the well-recognized function of human endogenous retrovirus-H (HERVH) in maintaining pluripotency of early human epiblast, here we present a unique role of HERVH on trophoblast lineage development. We found that the LTR7C/HERVH subfamily exhibits an accessible chromatin state in the human trophoblast lineage. Particularly, the LTR7C/HERVH-derived Urothelial Cancer Associated 1 (UCA1), a primate-specific long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), is transcribed in human trophoblasts and promotes the proliferation of human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs), whereas its ectopic expression compromises human trophoblast syncytialization coinciding with increased interferon signaling pathway. Importantly, UCA1 upregulation is detectable in placental samples from early-onset preeclampsia (EO-PE) patients and the transcriptome of EO-PE placenta exhibits considerable similarities to that of the syncytiotrophoblasts differentiated from UCA1-overexpressing hTSCs, supporting up-regulated UCA1 as a potential biomarker of this disease. Altogether, our data shed light on the versatile regulatory role of HERVH in early human development and provide a unique mechanism whereby ERVs exert a function in human placentation and placental syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Kong
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ruiqi Li
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Kapok, Hainan 571400, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- The First People's Hospital of Kashgar, Kashgar 844000, China
| | - Manqi Chen
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rongyan Zheng
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jichang Wang
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Chuanbo Sun
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, China
| | - Yuliang Qu
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510080, China
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13
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Dopkins N, Nixon DF. Activation of human endogenous retroviruses and its physiological consequences. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:212-222. [PMID: 37872387 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are abundant sequences that persist within the human genome as remnants of ancient retroviral infections. These sequences became fixed and accumulate mutations or deletions over time. HERVs have affected human evolution and physiology by providing a unique repertoire of coding and non-coding sequences to the genome. In healthy individuals, HERVs participate in immune responses, formation of syncytiotrophoblasts and cell-fate specification. In this Review, we discuss how endogenized retroviral motifs and regulatory sequences have been co-opted into human physiology and how they are tightly regulated. Infections and mutations can derail this regulation, leading to differential HERV expression, which may contribute to pathologies including neurodegeneration, pathological inflammation and oncogenesis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that HERVs are crucial to human health and represent an understudied facet of many diseases, and we therefore argue that investigating their fundamental properties could improve existing therapies and help develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dopkins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Douglas F Nixon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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14
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Ghosh T, Almeida RG, Zhao C, Mannioui A, Martin E, Fleet A, Chen CZ, Assinck P, Ellams S, Gonzalez GA, Graham SC, Rowitch DH, Stott K, Adams I, Zalc B, Goldman N, Lyons DA, Franklin RJM. A retroviral link to vertebrate myelination through retrotransposon-RNA-mediated control of myelin gene expression. Cell 2024; 187:814-830.e23. [PMID: 38364788 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.011] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Myelin, the insulating sheath that surrounds neuronal axons, is produced by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). This evolutionary innovation, which first appears in jawed vertebrates, enabled rapid transmission of nerve impulses, more complex brains, and greater morphological diversity. Here, we report that RNA-level expression of RNLTR12-int, a retrotransposon of retroviral origin, is essential for myelination. We show that RNLTR12-int-encoded RNA binds to the transcription factor SOX10 to regulate transcription of myelin basic protein (Mbp, the major constituent of myelin) in rodents. RNLTR12-int-like sequences (which we name RetroMyelin) are found in all jawed vertebrates, and we further demonstrate their function in regulating myelination in two different vertebrate classes (zebrafish and frogs). Our study therefore suggests that retroviral endogenization played a prominent role in the emergence of vertebrate myelin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Ghosh
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - Rafael G Almeida
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, MS society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Chao Zhao
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Abdelkrim Mannioui
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Aquatic Facility, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Elodie Martin
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Alex Fleet
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Civia Z Chen
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Peggy Assinck
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Sophie Ellams
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Ginez A Gonzalez
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Stephen C Graham
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - David H Rowitch
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katherine Stott
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Ian Adams
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Bernard Zalc
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Nick Goldman
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - David A Lyons
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, MS society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Robin J M Franklin
- Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge CB21 6GP, UK; Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
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15
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Matsushima W, Planet E, Trono D. Ancestral genome reconstruction enhances transposable element annotation by identifying degenerate integrants. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100497. [PMID: 38295789 PMCID: PMC10879028 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that transposable elements (TEs) play important roles in evolution by providing genomes with coding and non-coding sequences. Identification of TE-derived functional elements, however, has relied on TE annotations in individual species, which limits its scope to relatively intact TE sequences. Here, we report a novel approach to uncover previously unannotated degenerate TEs (degTEs) by probing multiple ancestral genomes reconstructed from hundreds of species. We applied this method to the human genome and achieved a 10.8% increase in coverage over the most recent annotation. Further, we discovered that degTEs contribute to various cis-regulatory elements and transcription factor binding sites, including those of a known TE-controlling family, the KRAB zinc-finger proteins. We also report unannotated chimeric transcripts between degTEs and human genes expressed in embryos. This study provides a novel methodology and a freely available resource that will facilitate the investigation of TE co-option events on a full scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayo Matsushima
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Evarist Planet
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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16
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Guo Y, Xue Z, Gong M, Jin S, Wu X, Liu W. CRISPR-TE: a web-based tool to generate single guide RNAs targeting transposable elements. Mob DNA 2024; 15:3. [PMID: 38303094 PMCID: PMC10832116 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-024-00313-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The CRISPR/Cas systems have emerged as powerful tools in genome engineering. Recent studies highlighting the crucial role of transposable elements (TEs) have stimulated research interest in manipulating these elements to understand their functions. However, designing single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that are specific and efficient for TE manipulation is a significant challenge, given their sequence repetitiveness and high copy numbers. While various sgRNA design tools have been developed for gene editing, an optimized sgRNA designer for TE manipulation has yet to be established. RESULTS We present CRISPR-TE, a web-based application featuring an accessible graphical user interface, available at https://www.crisprte.cn/ , and currently tailored to the human and mouse genomes. CRISPR-TE identifies all potential sgRNAs for TEs and provides a comprehensive solution for efficient TE targeting at both the single copy and subfamily levels. Our analysis shows that sgRNAs targeting TEs can more effectively target evolutionarily young TEs with conserved sequences at the subfamily level. CONCLUSIONS CRISPR-TE offers a versatile framework for designing sgRNAs for TE targeting. CRISPR-TE is publicly accessible at https://www.crisprte.cn/ as an online web service and the source code of CRISPR-TE is available at https://github.com/WanluLiuLab/CRISPRTE/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Guo
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Ziwei Xue
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Future Health Laboratory, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314100, China
| | - Meiting Gong
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Siqian Jin
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Xindi Wu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Wanlu Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, and Centre of Biomedical Systems and Informatics of Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Future Health Laboratory, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing, 314100, China.
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17
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Mantovani F, Kitsou K, Magiorkinis G. HERVs: Expression Control Mechanisms and Interactions in Diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:192. [PMID: 38397182 PMCID: PMC10888493 DOI: 10.3390/genes15020192] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are the result of retroviral infections acquired millions of years ago; nowadays, they compose around 8% of human DNA. Multiple mechanisms have been employed for endogenous retroviral deactivation, rendering replication and retrotransposition defective, while some of them have been co-opted to serve host evolutionary advantages. A pleiad of mechanisms retains the delicate balance of HERV expression in modern humans. Thus, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA and histone methylation, acetylation, deamination, chromatin remodeling, and even post-transcriptional control are recruited. In this review, we aim to summarize the main HERV silencing pathways, revisit paradigms of human disease with a HERV component, and emphasize the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HERV interactions during HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gkikas Magiorkinis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (F.M.); (K.K.)
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18
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de la Rosa S, del Mar Rigual M, Vargiu P, Ortega S, Djouder N. Endogenous retroviruses shape pluripotency specification in mouse embryos. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk9394. [PMID: 38266080 PMCID: PMC10807815 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk9394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The smooth and precise transition from totipotency to pluripotency is a key process in embryonic development, generating pluripotent stem cells capable of forming all cell types. While endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are essential for early development, their precise roles in this transition remains mysterious. Using cutting-edge genetic and biochemical techniques in mice, we identify MERVL-gag, a retroviral protein, as a crucial modulator of pluripotent factors OCT4 and SOX2 during lineage specification. MERVL-gag tightly operates with URI, a prefoldin protein that concurs with pluripotency bias in mouse blastomeres, and which is indeed required for totipotency-to-pluripotency transition. Accordingly, URI loss promotes a stable totipotent-like state and embryo arrest at 2C stage. Mechanistically, URI binds and shields OCT4 and SOX2 from proteasome degradation, while MERVL-gag displaces URI from pluripotent factor interaction, causing their degradation. Our findings reveal the symbiotic coevolution of ERVs with their host cells to ensure the smooth and timely progression of early embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio de la Rosa
- Growth Factors, Nutrients and Cancer Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - María del Mar Rigual
- Growth Factors, Nutrients and Cancer Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Pierfrancesco Vargiu
- Mouse Genome Editing Core Unit, Biotechnology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Sagrario Ortega
- Mouse Genome Editing Core Unit, Biotechnology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Nabil Djouder
- Growth Factors, Nutrients and Cancer Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid 28029, Spain
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19
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Dopkins N, Singh B, Michael S, Zhang P, Marston JL, Fei T, Singh M, Feschotte C, Collins N, Bendall ML, Nixon DF. Ribosomal profiling of human endogenous retroviruses in healthy tissues. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:5. [PMID: 38166631 PMCID: PMC10759522 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09909-x] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are the germline embedded proviral fragments of ancient retroviral infections that make up roughly 8% of the human genome. Our understanding of HERVs in physiology primarily surrounds their non-coding functions, while their protein coding capacity remains virtually uncharacterized. Therefore, we applied the bioinformatic pipeline "hervQuant" to high-resolution ribosomal profiling of healthy tissues to provide a comprehensive overview of translationally active HERVs. We find that HERVs account for 0.1-0.4% of all translation in distinct tissue-specific profiles. Collectively, our study further supports claims that HERVs are actively translated throughout healthy tissues to provide sequences of retroviral origin to the human proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Dopkins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
| | - Bhavya Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Stephanie Michael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Jez L Marston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Tongyi Fei
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Manvendra Singh
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Nicholas Collins
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Matthew L Bendall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Douglas F Nixon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
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20
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Lismer A, Shao X, Dumargne MC, Lafleur C, Lambrot R, Chan D, Toft G, Bonde JP, MacFarlane AJ, Bornman R, Aneck-Hahn N, Patrick S, Bailey JM, de Jager C, Dumeaux V, Trasler JM, Kimmins S. The Association between Long-Term DDT or DDE Exposures and an Altered Sperm Epigenome-a Cross-Sectional Study of Greenlandic Inuit and South African VhaVenda Men. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:17008. [PMID: 38294233 PMCID: PMC10829569 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The organochlorine dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is banned worldwide owing to its negative health effects. It is exceptionally used as an insecticide for malaria control. Exposure occurs in regions where DDT is applied, as well as in the Arctic, where its endocrine disrupting metabolite, p , p ' -dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p , p ' -DDE) accumulates in marine mammals and fish. DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposures are linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer, and neurodevelopmental delays. Of particular concern is the potential of DDT use to impact the health of generations to come via the heritable sperm epigenome. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to assess the sperm epigenome in relation to p , p ' -DDE serum levels between geographically diverse populations. METHODS In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, we recruited 247 VhaVenda South African men and selected 50 paired blood serum and semen samples, and 47 Greenlandic Inuit blood and semen paired samples were selected from a total of 193 samples from the biobank of the INUENDO cohort, an EU Fifth Framework Programme Research and Development project. Sample selection was based on obtaining a range of p , p ' -DDE serum levels (mean = 870.734 ± 134.030 ng / mL ). We assessed the sperm epigenome in relation to serum p , p ' -DDE levels using MethylC-Capture-sequencing (MCC-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). We identified genomic regions with altered DNA methylation (DNAme) and differential enrichment of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in sperm. RESULTS Differences in DNAme and H3K4me3 enrichment were identified at transposable elements and regulatory regions involved in fertility, disease, development, and neurofunction. A subset of regions with sperm DNAme and H3K4me3 that differed between exposure groups was predicted to persist in the preimplantation embryo and to be associated with embryonic gene expression. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposure impacts the sperm epigenome in a dose-response-like manner and may negatively impact the health of future generations through epigenetic mechanisms. Confounding factors, such as other environmental exposures, genetic diversity, and selection bias, cannot be ruled out. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xiaojian Shao
- Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie-Charlotte Dumargne
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christine Lafleur
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Romain Lambrot
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Donovan Chan
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amanda J. MacFarlane
- Agriculture Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Texas A&M University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Riana Bornman
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Natalie Aneck-Hahn
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sean Patrick
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Janice M. Bailey
- Research Centre on Reproduction and Intergenerational Health, Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christiaan de Jager
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Vanessa Dumeaux
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacquetta M. Trasler
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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21
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Guo Y, Li TD, Modzelewski AJ, Siomi H. Retrotransposon renaissance in early embryos. Trends Genet 2024; 40:39-51. [PMID: 37949723 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite being the predominant genetic elements in mammalian genomes, retrotransposons were often dismissed as genomic parasites with ambiguous biological significance. However, recent studies reveal their functional involvement in early embryogenesis, encompassing crucial processes such as zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and cell fate decision. This review underscores the paradigm shift in our understanding of retrotransposon roles during early preimplantation development, as well as their rich functional reservoir that is exploited by the host to provide cis-regulatory elements, noncoding RNAs, and functional proteins. The rapid advancement in long-read sequencing, low input multiomics profiling, advanced in vitro systems, and precise gene editing techniques encourages further dissection of retrotransposon functions that were once obscured by the intricacies of their genomic footprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjia Guo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Ten D Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4539, USA
| | - Andrew J Modzelewski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4539, USA.
| | - Haruhiko Siomi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Human Biology Microbiome Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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22
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Torre D, Francoeur NJ, Kalma Y, Gross Carmel I, Melo BS, Deikus G, Allette K, Flohr R, Fridrikh M, Vlachos K, Madrid K, Shah H, Wang YC, Sridhar SH, Smith ML, Eliyahu E, Azem F, Amir H, Mayshar Y, Marazzi I, Guccione E, Schadt E, Ben-Yosef D, Sebra R. Isoform-resolved transcriptome of the human preimplantation embryo. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6902. [PMID: 37903791 PMCID: PMC10616205 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42558-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human preimplantation development involves extensive remodeling of RNA expression and splicing. However, its transcriptome has been compiled using short-read sequencing data, which fails to capture most full-length mRNAs. Here, we generate an isoform-resolved transcriptome of early human development by performing long- and short-read RNA sequencing on 73 embryos spanning the zygote to blastocyst stages. We identify 110,212 unannotated isoforms transcribed from known genes, including highly conserved protein-coding loci and key developmental regulators. We further identify 17,964 isoforms from 5,239 unannotated genes, which are largely non-coding, primate-specific, and highly associated with transposable elements. These isoforms are widely supported by the integration of published multi-omics datasets, including single-cell 8CLC and blastoid studies. Alternative splicing and gene co-expression network analyses further reveal that embryonic genome activation is associated with splicing disruption and transient upregulation of gene modules. Together, these findings show that the human embryo transcriptome is far more complex than currently known, and will act as a valuable resource to empower future studies exploring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Torre
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | | | - Yael Kalma
- Fertility and IVF Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel
| | - Ilana Gross Carmel
- Fertility and IVF Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel
| | - Betsaida S Melo
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Gintaras Deikus
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kimaada Allette
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ron Flohr
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
- CORAL - Center Of Regeneration and Longevity, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel
| | - Maya Fridrikh
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | | | - Kent Madrid
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Hardik Shah
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ying-Chih Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Shwetha H Sridhar
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Melissa L Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Efrat Eliyahu
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Foad Azem
- Fertility and IVF Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel
| | - Hadar Amir
- Fertility and IVF Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel
| | - Yoav Mayshar
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ivan Marazzi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT); Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Eric Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dalit Ben-Yosef
- Fertility and IVF Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
- CORAL - Center Of Regeneration and Longevity, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel.
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomics Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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23
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Pang LY, DeLuca S, Zhu H, Urban JM, Spradling AC. Chromatin and gene expression changes during female Drosophila germline stem cell development illuminate the biology of highly potent stem cells. eLife 2023; 12:RP90509. [PMID: 37831064 PMCID: PMC10575629 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Highly potent animal stem cells either self renew or launch complex differentiation programs, using mechanisms that are only partly understood. Drosophila female germline stem cells (GSCs) perpetuate without change over evolutionary time and generate cystoblast daughters that develop into nurse cells and oocytes. Cystoblasts initiate differentiation by generating a transient syncytial state, the germline cyst, and by increasing pericentromeric H3K9me3 modification, actions likely to suppress transposable element activity. Relatively open GSC chromatin is further restricted by Polycomb repression of testis or somatic cell-expressed genes briefly active in early female germ cells. Subsequently, Neijre/CBP and Myc help upregulate growth and reprogram GSC metabolism by altering mitochondrial transmembrane transport, gluconeogenesis, and other processes. In all these respects GSC differentiation resembles development of the totipotent zygote. We propose that the totipotent stem cell state was shaped by the need to resist transposon activity over evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Yu Pang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Steven DeLuca
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Haolong Zhu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreUnited States
| | - John M Urban
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Allan C Spradling
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for ScienceBaltimoreUnited States
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24
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Li J, Yuan P, Ma G, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Wang W, Guo Y. The composition dynamics of transposable elements in human blastocysts. J Hum Genet 2023; 68:681-688. [PMID: 37308564 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-023-01169-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that can replicate themselves and play significant roles in embryo development and chromosomal structure remodeling. In this study, we investigated the variation of TEs in blastocysts with different parental genetic backgrounds. We analyzed the proportions of 1137 TEs subfamilies from six classes at the DNA level using Bowtie2 and PopoolationTE2 in 196 blastocysts with abnormal parental chromosomal diseases. Our findings revealed that the parental karyotype was the dominant factor influencing TEs frequencies. Out of the 1116 subfamilies, different frequencies were observed in blastocysts with varying parental karyotypes. The development stage of blastocysts was the second most crucial factor influencing TEs proportions. A total of 614 subfamilies exhibited different proportions at distinct blastocyst stages. Notably, subfamily members belonging to the Alu family showed a high proportion at stage 6, while those from the LINE class exhibited a high proportion at stage 3 and a low proportion at stage 6. Moreover, the proportions of some TEs subfamilies also varied depending on blastocyst karyotype, inner cell mass status, and outer trophectoderm status. We found that 48 subfamilies displayed different proportions between balanced and unbalanced blastocysts. Additionally, 19 subfamilies demonstrated varying proportions among different inner cell mass scores, and 43 subfamilies exhibited different proportions among outer trophectoderm scores. This study suggests that the composition of TEs subfamilies may be influenced by various factors and undergoes dynamic modulation during embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Yuan
- IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- IVF Center, The First People's Hospital of Kashi Prefecture, Kashi, China
| | - Guangwei Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Reproductive Medical Center, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qingxue Zhang
- IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yabin Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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25
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Costa B, Vale N. Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14631. [PMID: 37834078 PMCID: PMC10572383 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914631] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This review investigates the intricate role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in cancer development and progression, explicitly focusing on HERV-K (HML-2). This paper sheds light on the latest research advancements and potential treatment strategies by examining the historical context of HERVs and their involvement in critical biological processes such as embryonic development, immune response, and disease progression. This review covers computational modeling for drug-target binding assessment, systems biology modeling for simulating HERV-K viral cargo dynamics, and using antiviral drugs to combat HERV-induced diseases. The findings presented in this review contribute to our understanding of HERV-mediated disease mechanisms and provide insights into future therapeutic approaches. They emphasize why HERV-K holds significant promise as a biomarker and a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Costa
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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26
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Li X, Lu K, Chen X, Tu K, Xie D. capTEs enables locus-specific dissection of transcriptional outputs from reference and nonreference transposable elements. Commun Biol 2023; 6:974. [PMID: 37741908 PMCID: PMC10517987 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05349-1] [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: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) serve as both insertional mutagens and regulatory elements in cells, and their aberrant activity is increasingly being revealed to contribute to diseases and cancers. However, measuring the transcriptional consequences of nonreference and young TEs at individual loci remains challenging with current methods, primarily due to technical limitations, including short read lengths generated and insufficient coverage in target regions. Here, we introduce a long-read targeted RNA sequencing method, Cas9-assisted profiling TE expression sequencing (capTEs), for quantitative analysis of transcriptional outputs for individual TEs, including transcribed nonreference insertions, noncanonical transcripts from various transcription patterns and their correlations with expression changes in related genes. This method selectively identified TE-containing transcripts and outputted data with up to 90% TE reads, maintaining a comparable data yield to whole-transcriptome sequencing. We applied capTEs to human cancer cells and found that internal and inserted Alu elements may employ distinct regulatory mechanisms to upregulate gene expression. We expect that capTEs will be a critical tool for advancing our understanding of the biological functions of individual TEs at the locus level, revealing their roles as both mutagens and regulators in biological and pathogenic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Li
- Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Keying Lu
- Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Kailing Tu
- Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Dan Xie
- Laboratory of Omics Technology and Bioinformatics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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27
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Zhang J, Hou W, Zhao Q, Xiao S, Linghu H, Zhang L, Du J, Cui H, Yang X, Ling S, Su J, Kong Q. Deep annotation of long noncoding RNAs by assembling RNA-seq and small RNA-seq data. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105130. [PMID: 37543366 PMCID: PMC10498003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105130] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly being recognized as modulators in various biological processes. However, due to their low expression, their systematic characterization is difficult to determine. Here, we performed transcript annotation by a newly developed computational pipeline, termed RNA-seq and small RNA-seq combined strategy (RSCS), in a wide variety of cellular contexts. Thousands of high-confidence potential novel transcripts were identified by the RSCS, and the reliability of the transcriptome was verified by analysis of transcript structure, base composition, and sequence complexity. Evidenced by the length comparison, the frequency of the core promoter and the polyadenylation signal motifs, and the locations of transcription start and end sites, the transcripts appear to be full length. Furthermore, taking advantage of our strategy, we identified a large number of endogenous retrovirus-associated lncRNAs, and a novel endogenous retrovirus-lncRNA that was functionally involved in control of Yap1 expression and essential for early embryogenesis was identified. In summary, the RSCS can generate a more complete and precise transcriptome, and our findings greatly expanded the transcriptome annotation for the mammalian community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaming Zhang
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Weibo Hou
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Songling Xiao
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hongye Linghu
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiawei Du
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hongdi Cui
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Shukuan Ling
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Qingran Kong
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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28
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Chen Y, Xie D, Ma X, Xue X, Liu M, Xiao X, Lai C, Xu X, Chen X, Chen Y, Zhang Z, XuHan X, Lai Z, Lin Y. Genome-wide high-throughput chromosome conformation capture analysis reveals hierarchical chromatin interactions during early somatic embryogenesis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:555-577. [PMID: 37313777 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Somatic embryogenesis (SE), like zygotic embryo development, is a progressive process. Early SE is the beginning of a switch from a somatic to an embryogenic state and is an important stage for initiating chromatin reprogramming of SE. Previous studies suggest that changes in chromatin accessibility occur during early SE, although information on the 3D structure of chromatin is not yet available. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of longan (Dimocarpus longan) using PacBio combined with high-through chromosome conformation capture scaffolding, which resulted in a 446 Mb genome assembly anchored onto 15 scaffolds. During early SE, chromatin was concentrated and then decondensed, and a large number of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) were enriched in the local chromatin interaction region, suggesting LTR-RTs were involved in chromatin reorganization. Early SE was accompanied by the transformation from A to B compartments, and the interactions between B compartments were enhanced. Results from chromatin accessibility, monomethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me1) modification, and transcription analyses further revealed a gene regulatory network for cell wall thickening during SE. Particularly, we found that the H3K4me1 differential peak binding motif showed abnormal activation of ethylene response factor transcription factors and participation in SE. The chromosome-level genomic and multiomics analyses revealed the 3D conformation of chromatin during early SE, providing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying cell wall thickening and the potential regulatory networks of TFs during early SE in D. longan. These results provide additional clues for revealing the molecular mechanisms of plant SE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Dejian Xie
- Beijing Research Center, Wuhan Frasergen Bioinformatics Co., Ltd, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiangwei Ma
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xiaodong Xue
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Mengyu Liu
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xuechen Xiao
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Chunwang Lai
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xiaoping Xu
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xiaohui Chen
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Yukun Chen
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Zihao Zhang
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xu XuHan
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Institut de la Recherche Interdisciplinaire de Toulouse, IRIT-ARI, Toulouse 31300, France
| | - Zhongxiong Lai
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Yuling Lin
- Institute of Horticultural Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
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Gebrie A. Transposable elements as essential elements in the control of gene expression. Mob DNA 2023; 14:9. [PMID: 37596675 PMCID: PMC10439571 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-023-00297-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Interspersed repetitions called transposable elements (TEs), commonly referred to as mobile elements, make up a significant portion of the genomes of higher animals. TEs contribute in controlling the expression of genes locally and even far away at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, which is one of their significant functional effects on gene function and genome evolution. There are different mechanisms through which TEs control the expression of genes. First, TEs offer cis-regulatory regions in the genome with their inherent regulatory features for their own expression, making them potential factors for controlling the expression of the host genes. Promoter and enhancer elements contain cis-regulatory sites generated from TE, which function as binding sites for a variety of trans-acting factors. Second, a significant portion of miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to have TEs that encode for regulatory RNAs, revealing the TE origin of these RNAs. Furthermore, it was shown that TE sequences are essential for these RNAs' regulatory actions, which include binding to the target mRNA. By being a member of cis-regulatory and regulatory RNA sequences, TEs therefore play essential regulatory roles. Additionally, it has been suggested that TE-derived regulatory RNAs and cis-regulatory regions both contribute to the evolutionary novelty of gene regulation. Additionally, these regulatory systems arising from TE frequently have tissue-specific functions. The objective of this review is to discuss TE-mediated gene regulation, with a particular emphasis on the processes, contributions of various TE types, differential roles of various tissue types, based mostly on recent studies on humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alemu Gebrie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
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30
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Nakatani T, Torres-Padilla ME. Regulation of mammalian totipotency: a molecular perspective from in vivo and in vitro studies. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102083. [PMID: 37421903 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, cells acquire totipotency at fertilization. Embryonic genome activation (EGA), which occurs at the 2-cell stage in the mouse and 4- to 8-cell stage in humans, occurs during the time window at which embryonic cells are totipotent and thus it is thought that EGA is mechanistically linked to the foundations of totipotency. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the establishment of totipotency and EGA had been elusive for a long time, however, recent advances have been achieved with the establishment of new cell lines with greater developmental potential and the application of novel low-input high-throughput techniques in embryos. These have unveiled several principles of totipotency related to its epigenetic makeup but also to characteristic features of totipotent cells. In this review, we summarize and discuss current views exploring some of the key drivers of totipotency from both in vitro cell culture models and embryogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsunetoshi Nakatani
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, München, Germany.
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31
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DiRusso JA, Clark AT. Transposable elements in early human embryo development and embryo models. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102086. [PMID: 37441874 PMCID: PMC10917458 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102086] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), long discounted as 'selfish genomic elements,' are increasingly appreciated as the drivers of genomic evolution, genome organization, and gene regulation. TEs are particularly important in early embryo development, where advances in stem cell technologies, in tandem with improved computational and next-generation sequencing approaches, have provided an unprecedented opportunity to study the contribution of TEs to early mammalian development. Here, we summarize advances in our understanding of TEs in early human development and expand on how new stem cell-based embryo models can be leveraged to augment this understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A DiRusso
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amander T Clark
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education, University of California, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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32
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Attig J, Pape J, Doglio L, Kazachenka A, Ottina E, Young GR, Enfield KS, Aramburu IV, Ng KW, Faulkner N, Bolland W, Papayannopoulos V, Swanton C, Kassiotis G. Human endogenous retrovirus onco-exaptation counters cancer cell senescence through calbindin. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e164397. [PMID: 37192000 PMCID: PMC10348765 DOI: 10.1172/jci164397] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased levels and diversity of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcription characterize most cancer types and are linked with disease outcomes. However, the underlying processes are incompletely understood. Here, we show that elevated transcription of HERVH proviruses predicted survival of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and identified an isoform of CALB1, encoding calbindin, ectopically driven by an upstream HERVH provirus under the control of KLF5, as the mediator of this effect. HERVH-CALB1 expression was initiated in preinvasive lesions and associated with their progression. Calbindin loss in LUSC cell lines impaired in vitro and in vivo growth and triggered senescence, consistent with a protumor effect. However, calbindin also directly controlled the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), marked by secretion of CXCL8 and other neutrophil chemoattractants. In established carcinomas, CALB1-negative cancer cells became the dominant source of CXCL8, correlating with neutrophil infiltration and worse prognosis. Thus, HERVH-CALB1 expression in LUSC may display antagonistic pleiotropy, whereby the benefits of escaping senescence early during cancer initiation and clonal competition were offset by the prevention of SASP and protumor inflammation at later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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33
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Moon S, Namkoong S. Ribonucleoprotein Granules: Between Stress and Transposable Elements. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1027. [PMID: 37509063 PMCID: PMC10377603 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can transpose and replicate within the genome, leading to genetic changes that affect various aspects of host biology. Evolutionarily, hosts have also developed molecular mechanisms to suppress TEs at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recent studies suggest that stress-induced formation of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, including stress granule (SG) and processing body (P-body), can play a role in the sequestration of TEs to prevent transposition, suggesting an additional layer of the regulatory mechanism for TEs. RNP granules have been shown to contain factors involved in RNA regulation, including mRNA decay enzymes, RNA-binding proteins, and noncoding RNAs, which could potentially contribute to the regulation of TEs. Therefore, understanding the interplay between TEs and RNP granules is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms for maintaining genomic stability and controlling gene expression. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the current knowledge regarding the interplay between TEs and RNP granules, proposing RNP granules as a novel layer of the regulatory mechanism for TEs during stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjin Moon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
| | - Sim Namkoong
- Department of Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
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34
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Li Z, Xu H, Li J, Xu X, Wang J, Wu D, Zhang J, Liu J, Xue Z, Zhan G, Tan BCP, Chen D, Chan YS, Ng HH, Liu W, Hsu CH, Zhang D, Shen Y, Liang H. Selective binding of retrotransposons by ZFP352 facilitates the timely dissolution of totipotency network. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3646. [PMID: 37339952 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39344-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of new stem cell fates relies on the dissolution of the prior regulatory network sustaining the existing cell fates. Currently, extensive insights have been revealed for the totipotency regulatory network around the zygotic genome activation (ZGA) period. However, how the dissolution of the totipotency network is triggered to ensure the timely embryonic development following ZGA is largely unknown. In this study, we identify the unexpected role of a highly expressed 2-cell (2C) embryo specific transcription factor, ZFP352, in facilitating the dissolution of the totipotency network. We find that ZFP352 has selective binding towards two different retrotransposon sub-families. ZFP352 coordinates with DUX to bind the 2C specific MT2_Mm sub-family. On the other hand, without DUX, ZFP352 switches affinity to bind extensively onto SINE_B1/Alu sub-family. This leads to the activation of later developmental programs like ubiquitination pathways, to facilitate the dissolution of the 2C state. Correspondingly, depleting ZFP352 in mouse embryos delays the 2C to morula transition process. Thus, through a shift of binding from MT2_Mm to SINE_B1/Alu, ZFP352 can trigger spontaneous dissolution of the totipotency network. Our study highlights the importance of different retrotransposons sub-families in facilitating the timely and programmed cell fates transition during early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyi Li
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jiaqun Li
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Junjiao Wang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Danya Wu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jiateng Zhang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Ziwei Xue
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Guankai Zhan
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, and Department of Environmental Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Bobby Cheng Peow Tan
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Di Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Yun-Shen Chan
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, 510005, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huck Hui Ng
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117597, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Wanlu Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Chih-Hung Hsu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, and Department of Environmental Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore.
- Vision Medicals Co., Ltd, G10 BLDG, Huaxin Park, 31 Kefeng Ave, Gaungzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Hongqing Liang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
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35
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Singh M, Kondrashkina AM, Widmann TJ, Cortes JL, Bansal V, Wang J, Römer C, Garcia-Canadas M, Garcia-Perez JL, Hurst LD, Izsvák Z. A new human embryonic cell type associated with activity of young transposable elements allows definition of the inner cell mass. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002162. [PMID: 37339119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
There remains much that we do not understand about the earliest stages of human development. On a gross level, there is evidence for apoptosis, but the nature of the affected cell types is unknown. Perhaps most importantly, the inner cell mass (ICM), from which the foetus is derived and hence of interest in reproductive health and regenerative medicine, has proven hard to define. Here, we provide a multi-method analysis of the early human embryo to resolve these issues. Single-cell analysis (on multiple independent datasets), supported by embryo visualisation, uncovers a common previously uncharacterised class of cells lacking commitment markers that segregates after embryonic gene activation (EGA) and shortly after undergo apoptosis. The discovery of this cell type allows us to clearly define their viable ontogenetic sisters, these being the cells of the ICM. While ICM is characterised by the activity of an Old non-transposing endogenous retrovirus (HERVH) that acts to suppress Young transposable elements, the new cell type, by contrast, expresses transpositionally competent Young elements and DNA-damage response genes. As the Young elements are RetroElements and the cells are excluded from the developmental process, we dub these REject cells. With these and ICM being characterised by differential mobile element activities, the human embryo may be a "selection arena" in which one group of cells selectively die, while other less damaged cells persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manvendra Singh
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences, City Campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Thomas J Widmann
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose L Cortes
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Vikas Bansal
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jichang Wang
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Römer
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Garcia-Canadas
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose L Garcia-Perez
- GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Felley-Bosco E. Exploring the Expression of the «Dark Matter» of the Genome in Mesothelioma for Potentially Predictive Biomarkers for Prognosis and Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112969. [PMID: 37296931 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent high-throughput RNA sequencing technologies have confirmed that a large part of the non-coding genome is transcribed. The priority for further investigations is nevertheless generally given in cancer to coding sequences, due to the obvious interest of finding therapeutic targets. In addition, several RNA-sequencing pipelines eliminate repetitive sequences, which are difficult to analyze. In this review, we shall focus on endogenous retroviruses. These sequences are remnants of ancestral germline infections by exogenous retroviruses. These sequences represent 8% of human genome, meaning four-fold the fraction of the genome encoding for proteins. These sequences are generally mostly repressed in normal adult tissues, but pathological conditions lead to their de-repression. Specific mesothelioma-associated endogenous retrovirus expression and their association to clinical outcome is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Felley-Bosco
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zürich University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
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37
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Varzideh F, Gambardella J, Kansakar U, Jankauskas SS, Santulli G. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Pluripotency and Self-Renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098386. [PMID: 37176093 PMCID: PMC10179698 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. ESCs have two distinctive properties: ability to proliferate indefinitely, a feature referred as "self-renewal", and to differentiate into different cell types, a peculiar characteristic known as "pluripotency". Self-renewal and pluripotency of ESCs are finely orchestrated by precise external and internal networks including epigenetic modifications, transcription factors, signaling pathways, and histone modifications. In this systematic review, we examine the main molecular mechanisms that sustain self-renewal and pluripotency in both murine and human ESCs. Moreover, we discuss the latest literature on human naïve pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Varzideh
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jessica Gambardella
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism (FIDAM), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Urna Kansakar
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Stanislovas S Jankauskas
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Gaetano Santulli
- Department of Medicine (Division of Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism (FIDAM), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
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38
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Zhao N, Yin G, Liu C, Zhang W, Shen Y, Wang D, Lin Z, Yang J, Mao J, Guo R, Zhang Y, Wang F, Liu Z, Lu X, Liu L. Critically short telomeres derepress retrotransposons to promote genome instability in embryonic stem cells. Cell Discov 2023; 9:45. [PMID: 37130870 PMCID: PMC10154409 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00538-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, at the ends of chromosomes, protect chromosomes from fusion and preserve genomic stability. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying telomere attrition-induced genome instability remain to be understood. We systematically analyzed the expression of retrotransposons and performed genomic sequencing of different cell and tissue types with telomeres of varying lengths due to telomerase deficiency. We found that critically short telomeres altered retrotransposon activity to promote genomic instability in mouse embryonic stem cells, as evidenced by elevated numbers of single nucleotide variants, indels and copy number variations (CNVs). Transpositions of retrotransposons such as LINE1 resulting from the short telomeres can also be found in these genomes with elevated number of mutations and CNVs. Retrotransposon activation is linked to increased chromatin accessibility, and reduced heterochromatin abundance correlates with short telomeres. Re-elongation of telomeres upon recovery of telomerase partly represses retrotransposons and heterochromatin accumulation. Together, our findings suggest a potential mechanism by which telomeres maintain genomic stability by suppressing chromatin accessibility and retrotransposon activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guoxing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weiyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dan Wang
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenzhen Lin
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Renpeng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Immunology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
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39
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Lin CW, Ellegood J, Tamada K, Miura I, Konda M, Takeshita K, Atarashi K, Lerch JP, Wakana S, McHugh TJ, Takumi T. An old model with new insights: endogenous retroviruses drive the evolvement toward ASD susceptibility and hijack transcription machinery during development. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1932-1945. [PMID: 36882500 PMCID: PMC10575786 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01999-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR/J) strain is one of the most valid models of idiopathic autism, serving as a potent forward genetics tool to dissect the complexity of autism. We found that a sister strain with an intact corpus callosum, BTBR TF/ArtRbrc (BTBR/R), showed more prominent autism core symptoms but moderate ultrasonic communication/normal hippocampus-dependent memory, which may mimic autism in the high functioning spectrum. Intriguingly, disturbed epigenetic silencing mechanism leads to hyperactive endogenous retrovirus (ERV), a mobile genetic element of ancient retroviral infection, which increases de novo copy number variation (CNV) formation in the two BTBR strains. This feature makes the BTBR strain a still evolving multiple-loci model toward higher ASD susceptibility. Furthermore, active ERV, analogous to virus infection, evades the integrated stress response (ISR) of host defense and hijacks the transcriptional machinery during embryonic development in the BTBR strains. These results suggest dual roles of ERV in the pathogenesis of ASD, driving host genome evolution at a long-term scale and managing cellular pathways in response to viral infection, which has immediate effects on embryonic development. The wild-type Draxin expression in BTBR/R also makes this substrain a more precise model to investigate the core etiology of autism without the interference of impaired forebrain bundles as in BTBR/J.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wen Lin
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Kota Tamada
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ikuo Miura
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Mikiko Konda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kozue Takeshita
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Atarashi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tsurumi, 230-0045, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3H7, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX39DU, UK
| | - Shigeharu Wakana
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Thomas J McHugh
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan
| | - Toru Takumi
- Laboratory for Mental Biology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, 650-0017, Kobe, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo, 650-0047, Kobe, Japan.
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40
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Hamann MV, Adiba M, Lange UC. Confounding factors in profiling of locus-specific human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcript signatures in primary T cells using multi-study-derived datasets. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:68. [PMID: 37013607 PMCID: PMC10068191 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01486-y] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are repetitive sequence elements and a substantial part of the human genome. Their role in development has been well documented and there is now mounting evidence that dysregulated HERV expression also contributes to various human diseases. While research on HERV elements has in the past been hampered by their high sequence similarity, advanced sequencing technology and analytical tools have empowered the field. For the first time, we are now able to undertake locus-specific HERV analysis, deciphering expression patterns, regulatory networks and biological functions of these elements. To do so, we inevitable rely on omics datasets available through the public domain. However, technical parameters inevitably differ, making inter-study analysis challenging. We here address the issue of confounding factors for profiling locus-specific HERV transcriptomes using datasets from multiple sources. METHODS We collected RNAseq datasets of CD4 and CD8 primary T cells and extracted HERV expression profiles for 3220 elements, resembling most intact, near full-length proviruses. Looking at sequencing parameters and batch effects, we compared HERV signatures across datasets and determined permissive features for HERV expression analysis from multiple-source data. RESULTS We could demonstrate that considering sequencing parameters, sequencing-depth is most influential on HERV signature outcome. Sequencing samples deeper broadens the spectrum of expressed HERV elements. Sequencing mode and read length are secondary parameters. Nevertheless, we find that HERV signatures from smaller RNAseq datasets do reliably reveal most abundantly expressed HERV elements. Overall, HERV signatures between samples and studies overlap substantially, indicating a robust HERV transcript signature in CD4 and CD8 T cells. Moreover, we find that measures of batch effect reduction are critical to uncover genic and HERV expression differences between cell types. After doing so, differences in the HERV transcriptome between ontologically closely related CD4 and CD8 T cells became apparent. CONCLUSION In our systematic approach to determine sequencing and analysis parameters for detection of locus-specific HERV expression, we provide evidence that analysis of RNAseq datasets from multiple studies can aid confidence of biological findings. When generating de novo HERV expression datasets we recommend increased sequence depth ( > = 100 mio reads) compared to standard genic transcriptome pipelines. Finally, batch effect reduction measures need to be implemented to allow for differential expression analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maisha Adiba
- Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike C Lange
- Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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41
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Stamidis N, Żylicz JJ. RNA-mediated heterochromatin formation at repetitive elements in mammals. EMBO J 2023; 42:e111717. [PMID: 36847618 PMCID: PMC10106986 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The failure to repress transcription of repetitive genomic elements can lead to catastrophic genome instability and is associated with various human diseases. As such, multiple parallel mechanisms cooperate to ensure repression and heterochromatinization of these elements, especially during germline development and early embryogenesis. A vital question in the field is how specificity in establishing heterochromatin at repetitive elements is achieved. Apart from trans-acting protein factors, recent evidence points to a role of different RNA species in targeting repressive histone marks and DNA methylation to these sites in mammals. Here, we review recent discoveries on this topic and predominantly focus on the role of RNA methylation, piRNAs, and other localized satellite RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Stamidis
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jan Jakub Żylicz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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42
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Awakening of ancient retrovirus: a new sign of aging in humans? SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-023-2303-x. [PMID: 36853488 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2303-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
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Han D, Liu G, Oh Y, Oh S, Yang S, Mandjikian L, Rani N, Almeida MC, Kosik KS, Jang J. ZBTB12 is a molecular barrier to dedifferentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:632. [PMID: 36759523 PMCID: PMC9911396 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Development is generally viewed as one-way traffic of cell state transition from primitive to developmentally advanced states. However, molecular mechanisms that ensure the unidirectional transition of cell fates remain largely unknown. Through exact transcription start site mapping, we report an evolutionarily conserved BTB domain-containing zinc finger protein, ZBTB12, as a molecular barrier for dedifferentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals that ZBTB12 is essential for three germ layer differentiation by blocking hPSC dedifferentiation. Mechanistically, ZBTB12 fine-tunes the expression of human endogenous retrovirus H (HERVH), a primate-specific retrotransposon, and targets specific transcripts that utilize HERVH as a regulatory element. In particular, the downregulation of HERVH-overlapping long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) by ZBTB12 is necessary for a successful exit from a pluripotent state and lineage derivation. Overall, we identify ZBTB12 as a molecular barrier that safeguards the unidirectional transition of metastable stem cell fates toward developmentally advanced states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasol Han
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Guojing Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Novogene Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yujeong Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Seyoun Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Seungbok Yang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea
| | - Lori Mandjikian
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Neha Rani
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
| | - Maria C Almeida
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Federal University of ABC, Center for Natural and Human Sciences São Bernardo do Campo, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Jiwon Jang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea.
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Dhillon P, Mulholland KA, Hu H, Park J, Sheng X, Abedini A, Liu H, Vassalotti A, Wu J, Susztak K. Increased levels of endogenous retroviruses trigger fibroinflammation and play a role in kidney disease development. Nat Commun 2023; 14:559. [PMID: 36732547 PMCID: PMC9895454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a common feature of all forms of chronic kidney disease; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Evolutionarily inherited endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have the potential to trigger an immune reaction. Comprehensive RNA-sequencing of control and diseased kidneys from human and mouse disease models indicated higher expression of transposable elements (TEs) and ERVs in diseased kidneys. Loss of cytosine methylation causing epigenetic derepression likely contributes to an increase in ERV levels. Genetic deletion/pharmacological inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) induces ERV expression. In cultured kidney tubule cells, ERVs elicit the activation of cytosolic nucleotide sensors such as RIG-I, MDA5, and STING. ERVs expressions in kidney tubules trigger RIG-I/STING, and cytokine expression, and correlate with the presence of immune cells. Genetic deletion of RIG-I or STING or treatment with reverse transcriptase inhibitor ameliorates kidney fibroinflammation. Our data indicate an important role of epigenetic derepression-induced ERV activation triggering renal fibroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Dhillon
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Kelly Ann Mulholland
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Hailong Hu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Jihwan Park
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Xin Sheng
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Amin Abedini
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Hongbo Liu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Allison Vassalotti
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Junnan Wu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Katalin Susztak
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
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45
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Fan TJ, Cui J. Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Diseases. Subcell Biochem 2023; 106:403-439. [PMID: 38159236 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-40086-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which are conserved sequences of ancient retroviruses, are widely distributed in the human genome. Although most HERVs have been rendered inactive by evolution, some have continued to exhibit important cytological functions. HERVs in the human genome perform dual functions: on the one hand, they are involved in important physiological processes such as placental development and immune regulation; on the other hand, their aberrant expression is closely associated with the pathological processes of several diseases, such as cancers, autoimmune diseases, and viral infections. HERVs can also regulate a variety of host cellular functions, including the expression of protein-coding genes and regulatory elements that have evolved from HERVs. Here, we present recent research on the roles of HERVs in viral infections and cancers, including the dysregulation of HERVs in various viral infections, HERV-induced epigenetic modifications of histones (such as methylation and acetylation), and the potential mechanisms of HERV-mediated antiviral immunity. We also describe therapies to improve the efficacy of vaccines and medications either by directly or indirectly targeting HERVs, depending on the HERV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Jiao Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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46
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Moya-Jódar M, Ullate-Agote A, Barlabé P, Rodríguez-Madoz JR, Abizanda G, Barreda C, Carvajal-Vergara X, Vilas-Zornoza A, Romero JP, Garate L, Agirre X, Coppiello G, Prósper F, Aranguren XL. Revealing cell populations catching the early stages of human embryo development in naive pluripotent stem cell cultures. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 18:64-80. [PMID: 36563688 PMCID: PMC9860119 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Naive human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are defined as the in vitro counterpart of the human preimplantation embryo's epiblast and are used as a model system to study developmental processes. In this study, we report the discovery and characterization of distinct cell populations coexisting with epiblast-like cells in 5iLAF naive human induced PSC (hiPSC) cultures. It is noteworthy that these populations closely resemble different cell types of the human embryo at early developmental stages. While epiblast-like cells represent the main cell population, interestingly we detect a cell population with gene and transposable element expression profile closely resembling the totipotent eight-cell (8C)-stage human embryo, and three cell populations analogous to trophectoderm cells at different stages of their maturation process: transition, early, and mature stages. Moreover, we reveal the presence of cells resembling primitive endoderm. Thus, 5iLAF naive hiPSC cultures provide an excellent opportunity to model the earliest events of human embryogenesis, from the 8C stage to the peri-implantation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Moya-Jódar
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Asier Ullate-Agote
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Advanced Genomics Laboratory, Program of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paula Barlabé
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Juan Roberto Rodríguez-Madoz
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gloria Abizanda
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Carolina Barreda
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Xonia Carvajal-Vergara
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Amaia Vilas-Zornoza
- Advanced Genomics Laboratory, Program of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Juan Pablo Romero
- Advanced Genomics Laboratory, Program of Hemato-Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,10x Genomics, 6230 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA
| | - Leire Garate
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Xabier Agirre
- Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Giulia Coppiello
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain
| | - Felipe Prósper
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain; Hemato-Oncology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Hematology Department, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Xabier L. Aranguren
- Program of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona 31008, Spain,Corresponding author
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Wu F, Liufu Z, Liu Y, Guo L, Wu J, Cao S, Qin Y, Guo N, Fu Y, Liu H, Li Q, Shu X, Pei D, Hutchins AP, Chen J, He J. Species-specific rewiring of definitive endoderm developmental gene activation via endogenous retroviruses through TET1-mediated demethylation. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111791. [PMID: 36516776 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are the major sources of lineage-specific genomic innovation and comprise nearly half of the human genome, but most of their functions remain unclear. Here, we identify that a series of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), a TE subclass, regulate the transcriptome at the definitive endoderm stage with in vitro differentiation model from human embryonic stem cell. Notably, these ERVs perform as enhancers containing binding sites for critical transcription factors for endoderm lineage specification. Genome-wide methylation analysis shows most of these ERVs are derepressed by TET1-mediated DNA demethylation. LTR6B, a representative definitive endoderm activating ERV, contains binding sites for FOXA2 and GATA4 and governs the primate-specific expression of its neighboring developmental genes such as ERBB4 in definitive endoderm. Together, our study proposes evidence that recently evolved ERVs represent potent de novo developmental regulatory elements, which, in turn, fine-tune species-specific transcriptomes during endoderm and embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongqi Liufu
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Yujian Liu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Shangtao Cao
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Bio-island, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Yue Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ning Guo
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yunyun Fu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - He Liu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Atlas (CCLA), Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Qiuhong Li
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Xiaodong Shu
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Duanqing Pei
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Andrew P Hutchins
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Jiangping He
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Bio-island, Guangzhou 510320, China.
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Pontis J, Pulver C, Playfoot CJ, Planet E, Grun D, Offner S, Duc J, Manfrin A, Lutolf MP, Trono D. Primate-specific transposable elements shape transcriptional networks during human development. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7178. [PMID: 36418324 PMCID: PMC9684439 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34800-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome contains more than 4.5 million inserts derived from transposable elements (TEs), the result of recurrent waves of invasion and internal propagation throughout evolution. For new TE copies to be inherited, they must become integrated in the genome of the germline or pre-implantation embryo, which requires that their source TE be expressed at these stages. Accordingly, many TEs harbor DNA binding sites for the pluripotency factors OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, and KLFs and are transiently expressed during embryonic genome activation. Here, we describe how many primate-restricted TEs have additional binding sites for lineage-specific transcription factors driving their expression during human gastrulation and later steps of fetal development. These TE integrants serve as lineage-specific enhancers fostering the transcription, amongst other targets, of KRAB-zinc finger proteins (KZFPs) of comparable evolutionary age, which in turn corral the activity of TE-embedded regulatory sequences in a similarly lineage-restricted fashion. Thus, TEs and their KZFP controllers play broad roles in shaping transcriptional networks during early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Pontis
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cyril Pulver
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher J. Playfoot
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evarist Planet
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Delphine Grun
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Offner
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Duc
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Manfrin
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory for Stem Cell Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias P. Lutolf
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory for Stem Cell Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- grid.5333.60000000121839049Laboratory of Virology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Angileri KM, Bagia NA, Feschotte C. Transposon control as a checkpoint for tissue regeneration. Development 2022; 149:dev191957. [PMID: 36440631 PMCID: PMC10655923 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191957] [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: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tissue regeneration requires precise temporal control of cellular processes such as inflammatory signaling, chromatin remodeling and proliferation. The combination of these processes forms a unique microenvironment permissive to the expression, and potential mobilization of, transposable elements (TEs). Here, we develop the hypothesis that TE activation creates a barrier to tissue repair that must be overcome to achieve successful regeneration. We discuss how uncontrolled TE activity may impede tissue restoration and review mechanisms by which TE activity may be controlled during regeneration. We posit that the diversification and co-evolution of TEs and host control mechanisms may contribute to the wide variation in regenerative competency across tissues and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M. Angileri
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Nornubari A. Bagia
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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50
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Paloviita P, Vuoristo S. The non-coding genome in early human development - Recent advancements. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 131:4-13. [PMID: 35177347 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Not that long ago, the human genome was discovered to be mainly non-coding, that is comprised of DNA sequences that do not code for proteins. The initial paradigm that non-coding is also non-functional was soon overturned and today the work to uncover the functions of non-coding DNA and RNA in human early embryogenesis has commenced. Early human development is characterized by large-scale changes in genomic activity and the transcriptome that are partly driven by the coordinated activation and repression of repetitive DNA elements scattered across the genome. Here we provide examples of recent novel discoveries of non-coding DNA and RNA interactions and mechanisms that ensure accurate non-coding activity during human maternal-to-zygotic transition and lineage segregation. These include studies on small and long non-coding RNAs, transposable element regulation, and RNA tailing in human oocytes and early embryos. High-throughput approaches to dissect the non-coding regulatory networks governing early human development are a foundation for functional studies of specific genomic elements and molecules that has only begun and will provide a wider understanding of early human embryogenesis and causes of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauliina Paloviita
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Vuoristo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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