1
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Pavlu S, Nikumbh S, Kovacik M, An T, Lenhard B, Simkova H, Navratilova P. Core promoterome of barley embryo. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:264-277. [PMID: 38173877 PMCID: PMC10762323 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Precise localization and dissection of gene promoters are key to understanding transcriptional gene regulation and to successful bioengineering applications. The core RNA polymerase II initiation machinery is highly conserved among eukaryotes, leading to a general expectation of equivalent underlying mechanisms. Still, less is known about promoters in the plant kingdom. In this study, we employed cap analysis of gene expression (CAGE) at three embryonic developmental stages in barley to accurately map, annotate, and quantify transcription initiation events. Unsupervised discovery of de novo sequence clusters grouped promoters based on characteristic initiator and position-specific core-promoter motifs. This grouping was complemented by the annotation of transcription factor binding site (TFBS) motifs. Integration with genome-wide epigenomic data sets and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis further delineated the chromatin environments and functional roles of genes associated with distinct promoter categories. The TATA-box presence governs all features explored, supporting the general model of two separate genomic regulatory environments. We describe the extent and implications of alternative transcription initiation events, including those that are specific to developmental stages, which can affect the protein sequence or the presence of regions that regulate translation. The generated promoterome dataset provides a valuable genomic resource for enhancing the functional annotation of the barley genome. It also offers insights into the transcriptional regulation of individual genes and presents opportunities for the informed manipulation of promoter architecture, with the aim of enhancing traits of agronomic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Pavlu
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 31, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Sarvesh Nikumbh
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Limited, 120 Moorgate, London EC2M 6UR, UK
| | - Martin Kovacik
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 31, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Tadaichi An
- DNAFORM Precision Gene Technologies, 230–0046 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Hana Simkova
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 31, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Navratilova
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 31, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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2
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Barozzi I, Slaven N, Canale E, Lopes R, Amorim Monteiro Barbosa I, Bleu M, Ivanoiu D, Pacini C, Mensa' E, Chambers A, Bravaccini S, Ravaioli S, Győrffy B, Dieci MV, Pruneri G, Galli GG, Magnani L. A Functional Survey of the Regulatory Landscape of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Evolution. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:1612-1630. [PMID: 38753319 PMCID: PMC11372371 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-1157] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Only a handful of somatic alterations have been linked to endocrine therapy resistance in hormone-dependent breast cancer, potentially explaining ∼40% of relapses. If other mechanisms underlie the evolution of hormone-dependent breast cancer under adjuvant therapy is currently unknown. In this work, we employ functional genomics to dissect the contribution of cis-regulatory elements (CRE) to cancer evolution by focusing on 12 megabases of noncoding DNA, including clonal enhancers, gene promoters, and boundaries of topologically associating domains. Parallel epigenetic perturbation (CRISPRi) in vitro reveals context-dependent roles for many of these CREs, with a specific impact on dormancy entrance and endocrine therapy resistance. Profiling of CRE somatic alterations in a unique, longitudinal cohort of patients treated with endocrine therapies identifies a limited set of noncoding changes potentially involved in therapy resistance. Overall, our data uncover how endocrine therapies trigger the emergence of transient features which could ultimately be exploited to hinder the adaptive process. Significance: This study shows that cells adapting to endocrine therapies undergo changes in the usage or regulatory regions. Dormant cells are less vulnerable to regulatory perturbation but gain transient dependencies which can be exploited to decrease the formation of dormant persisters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iros Barozzi
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neil Slaven
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
| | - Eleonora Canale
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rui Lopes
- Disease area Oncology, Novartis Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Melusine Bleu
- Disease area Oncology, Novartis Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Diana Ivanoiu
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Pacini
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuela Mensa'
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alfie Chambers
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Bravaccini
- IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, "Kore" University of Enna, Enna, Italy
| | - Sara Ravaioli
- IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
- Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Maria Vittoria Dieci
- Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Pruneri
- Department of Diagnostic Innovation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Luca Magnani
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer, Research, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Lai K, Dilger K, Cunningham R, Lam KT, Boquiren R, Truong K, Louie MC, Rava R, Abdueva D. Extracting regulatory active chromatin footprint from cell-free DNA. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1086. [PMID: 39232115 PMCID: PMC11375110 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06769-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a pivotal player in precision medicine, revolutionizing the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape. While its clinical applications have significantly increased in recent years, current cfDNA assays have limited ability to identify the active transcriptional programs that govern complex disease phenotypes and capture the heterogeneity of the disease. To address these limitations, we have developed a non-invasive platform to enrich and examine the active chromatin fragments (cfDNAac) in peripheral blood. The deconvolution of the cfDNAac signal from traditional nucleosomal chromatin fragments (cfDNAnuc) yields a catalog of features linking these circulating chromatin signals in blood to specific regulatory elements across the genome, including enhancers, promoters, and highly transcribed genes, mirroring the epigenetic data from the ENCODE project. Notably, these cfDNAac counts correlate strongly with RNA polymerase II activity and exhibit distinct expression patterns for known circadian genes. Additionally, cfDNAac signals across gene bodies and promoters show strong correlations with whole blood gene expression levels defined by GTEx. This study illustrates the utility of cfDNAac analysis for investigating epigenomics and gene expression, underscoring its potential for a wide range of clinical applications in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Lai
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | | | | | - Kathy T Lam
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | - Rhea Boquiren
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | - Khiet Truong
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | - Maggie C Louie
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | - Richard Rava
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA
| | - Diana Abdueva
- AQTUAL Inc., 31145 San Antonio Street, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA.
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4
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Gao J, Lan T, Kostallari E, Guo Y, Lai E, Guillot A, Ding B, Tacke F, Tang C, Shah VH. Angiocrine signaling in sinusoidal homeostasis and liver diseases. J Hepatol 2024; 81:543-561. [PMID: 38763358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The hepatic sinusoids are composed of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), which are surrounded by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and contain liver-resident macrophages called Kupffer cells, and other patrolling immune cells. All these cells communicate with each other and with hepatocytes to maintain sinusoidal homeostasis and a spectrum of hepatic functions under healthy conditions. Sinusoidal homeostasis is disrupted by metabolites, toxins, viruses, and other pathological factors, leading to liver injury, chronic liver diseases, and cirrhosis. Alterations in hepatic sinusoids are linked to fibrosis progression and portal hypertension. LSECs are crucial regulators of cellular crosstalk within their microenvironment via angiocrine signaling. This review discusses the mechanisms by which angiocrine signaling orchestrates sinusoidal homeostasis, as well as the development of liver diseases. Here, we summarise the crosstalk between LSECs, HSCs, hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, and immune cells in health and disease and comment on potential novel therapeutic methods for treating liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhang Gao
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tian Lan
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Enis Kostallari
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Yangkun Guo
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Enjiang Lai
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Adrien Guillot
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bisen Ding
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Chengwei Tang
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Vijay H Shah
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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5
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McDonald CA, Langlois RA. Long Story Short: Understanding Isoform-Specific Expression of FAM13A. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2024; 71:257-258. [PMID: 38696272 PMCID: PMC11376243 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2024-0166ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cera A McDonald
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Ryan A Langlois
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota
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6
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Berrocal-Rubio MA, Pawer YDJ, Dinevska M, De Paoli-Iseppi R, Widodo SS, Gleeson J, Rajab N, De Nardo W, Hallab J, Li A, Mantamadiotis T, Clark MB, Wells CA. Discovery of NRG1-VII: the myeloid-derived class of NRG1. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:814. [PMID: 39210279 PMCID: PMC11360300 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10723-2] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The growth factor Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) has pleiotropic roles in proliferation and differentiation of the stem cell niche in different tissues. It has been implicated in gut, brain and muscle development and repair. Six isoform classes of NRG1 and over 28 protein isoforms have been previously described. Here we report a new class of NRG1, designated NRG1-VII to denote that these NRG1 isoforms arise from a myeloid-specific transcriptional start site (TSS) previously uncharacterized. Long-read sequencing was used to identify eight high-confidence NRG1-VII transcripts. These transcripts presented major structural differences from one another, through the use of cassette exons and alternative stop codons. Expression of NRG1-VII was confirmed in primary human monocytes and tissue resident macrophages and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages (iPSC-derived macrophages). Isoform switching via cassette exon usage and alternate polyadenylation was apparent during monocyte maturation and macrophage differentiation. NRG1-VII is the major class expressed by the myeloid lineage, including tissue-resident macrophages. Analysis of public gene expression data indicates that monocytes and macrophages are a primary source of NRG1. The size and structure of class VII isoforms suggests that they may be more diffusible through tissues than other NRG1 classes. However, the specific roles of class VII variants in tissue homeostasis and repair have not yet been determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Berrocal-Rubio
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yair David Joseph Pawer
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marija Dinevska
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ricardo De Paoli-Iseppi
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Samuel S Widodo
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Josie Gleeson
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Rajab
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Will De Nardo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeannette Hallab
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anran Li
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Theo Mantamadiotis
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael B Clark
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christine A Wells
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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7
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Fischer A, Hernández-Rodríguez B, Mulet-Lazaro R, Nuetzel M, Hölzl F, van Herk S, Kavelaars FG, Stanewsky H, Ackermann U, Niang AH, Diaz N, Reuschel E, Strieder N, Hernández-López I, Valk PJM, Vaquerizas JM, Rehli M, Delwel R, Gebhard C. STAG2 mutations reshape the cohesin-structured spatial chromatin architecture to drive gene regulation in acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114498. [PMID: 39084219 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114498] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cohesin shapes the chromatin architecture, including enhancer-promoter interactions. Its components, especially STAG2, but not its paralog STAG1, are frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of leukemogenesis, we comprehensively characterized genetic, transcriptional, and chromatin conformational changes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient samples. Specific loci displayed altered cohesin occupancy, gene expression, and local chromatin activation, which were not compensated by the remaining STAG1-cohesin. These changes could be linked to disrupted spatial chromatin looping in cohesin-mutated AMLs. Complementary depletion of STAG2 or STAG1 in primary human hematopoietic progenitors (HSPCs) revealed effects resembling STAG2-mutant AML-specific changes following STAG2 knockdown, not invoked by the depletion of STAG1. STAG2-deficient HSPCs displayed impaired differentiation capacity and maintained HSPC-like gene expression. This work establishes STAG2 as a key regulator of chromatin contacts, gene expression, and differentiation in the hematopoietic system and identifies candidate target genes that may be implicated in human leukemogenesis.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Cohesins
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism
- Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
- Chromatin/metabolism
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics
- Mutation/genetics
- Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Antigens, Nuclear/metabolism
- Antigens, Nuclear/genetics
- Nuclear Proteins
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fischer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Margit Nuetzel
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Hölzl
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stanley van Herk
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - François G Kavelaars
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanna Stanewsky
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ackermann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Amadou H Niang
- Regulatory Genomics, Max Plank Institute for Molecular Medicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Noelia Diaz
- Regulatory Genomics, Max Plank Institute for Molecular Medicine, Münster, Germany
| | - Edith Reuschel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital St. Hedwig of the Order of St. John, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Peter J M Valk
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- Regulatory Genomics, Max Plank Institute for Molecular Medicine, Münster, Germany; Department of Developmental Epigenomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Rehli
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ruud Delwel
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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8
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Nicolas-Martinez EC, Robinson O, Pflueger C, Gardner A, Corbett MA, Ritchie T, Kroes T, van Eyk CL, Scheffer IE, Hildebrand MS, Barnier JV, Rousseau V, Genevieve D, Haushalter V, Piton A, Denommé-Pichon AS, Bruel AL, Nambot S, Isidor B, Grigg J, Gonzalez T, Ghedia S, Marchant RG, Bournazos A, Wong WK, Webster RI, Evesson FJ, Jones KJ, Cooper ST, Lister R, Gecz J, Jolly LA. RNA variant assessment using transactivation and transdifferentiation. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:1673-1699. [PMID: 39084224 PMCID: PMC11339655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the impact of splicing and nonsense variants on RNA is crucial for the resolution of variant classification as well as their suitability for precision medicine interventions. This is primarily enabled through RNA studies involving transcriptomics followed by targeted assays using RNA isolated from clinically accessible tissues (CATs) such as blood or skin of affected individuals. Insufficient disease gene expression in CATs does however pose a major barrier to RNA based investigations, which we show is relevant to 1,436 Mendelian disease genes. We term these "silent" Mendelian genes (SMGs), the largest portion (36%) of which are associated with neurological disorders. We developed two approaches to induce SMG expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) to overcome this limitation, including CRISPR-activation-based gene transactivation and fibroblast-to-neuron transdifferentiation. Initial transactivation screens involving 40 SMGs stimulated our development of a highly multiplexed transactivation system culminating in the 6- to 90,000-fold induction of expression of 20/20 (100%) SMGs tested in HDFs. Transdifferentiation of HDFs directly to neurons led to expression of 193/516 (37.4%) of SMGs implicated in neurological disease. The magnitude and isoform diversity of SMG expression following either transactivation or transdifferentiation was comparable to clinically relevant tissues. We apply transdifferentiation and/or gene transactivation combined with short- and long-read RNA sequencing to investigate the impact that variants in USH2A, SCN1A, DMD, and PAK3 have on RNA using HDFs derived from affected individuals. Transactivation and transdifferentiation represent rapid, scalable functional genomic solutions to investigate variants impacting SMGs in the patient cell and genomic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmylou C Nicolas-Martinez
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Olivia Robinson
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Christian Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Alison Gardner
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Mark A Corbett
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Tarin Ritchie
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Thessa Kroes
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Clare L van Eyk
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Michael S Hildebrand
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Jean-Vianney Barnier
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Véronique Rousseau
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - David Genevieve
- Montpellier University, Inserm U1183, Reference Center for Rare Diseases Developmental Anomaly and Malformative Syndromes, Genetics Department, Montpellier Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie Haushalter
- Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- Genetic Diagnosis Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Denommé-Pichon
- CRMRs "Anomalies du Développement et syndromes malformatifs" et "Déficiences Intellectuelles de causes rares", Centre de Génétique, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231, GAD "Génétique des Anomalies du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Ange-Line Bruel
- CRMRs "Anomalies du Développement et syndromes malformatifs" et "Déficiences Intellectuelles de causes rares", Centre de Génétique, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231, GAD "Génétique des Anomalies du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Sophie Nambot
- CRMRs "Anomalies du Développement et syndromes malformatifs" et "Déficiences Intellectuelles de causes rares", Centre de Génétique, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231, GAD "Génétique des Anomalies du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - Bertrand Isidor
- CRMRs "Anomalies du Développement et syndromes malformatifs" et "Déficiences Intellectuelles de causes rares", Centre de Génétique, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231, GAD "Génétique des Anomalies du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
| | - John Grigg
- Speciality of Ophthalmology, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Tina Gonzalez
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Sondhya Ghedia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Rhett G Marchant
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Adam Bournazos
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Wui-Kwan Wong
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Richard I Webster
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Frances J Evesson
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Kristi J Jones
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Department of Clinical Genetics, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Sandra T Cooper
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jozef Gecz
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
| | - Lachlan A Jolly
- The Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
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9
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Huang P, Cai M, McKennan C, Wang J. BLEND: Probabilistic Cellular Deconvolution with Automated Reference Selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.02.606458. [PMID: 39149243 PMCID: PMC11326155 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.02.606458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Cellular deconvolution aims to estimate cell type fractions from bulk transcriptomic and other omics data. Most existing deconvolution methods fail to account for the heterogeneity in cell type-specific (CTS) expression across bulk samples, ignore discrepancies between CTS expression in bulk and cell type reference data, and provide no guidance on cell type reference selection or integration. To address these issues, we introduce BLEND, a hierarchical Bayesian method that leverages multiple reference datasets. BLEND learns the most suitable references for each bulk sample by exploring the convex hulls of references and employs a "bag-of-words" representation for bulk count data for deconvolution. To speed up the computation, we provide an efficient EM algorithm for parameter estimation. Notably, BLEND requires no data transformation, normalization, cell type marker gene selection, or reference quality evaluation. Benchmarking studies on both simulated and real human brain data highlight BLEND's superior performance in various scenarios. The analysis of Alzheimer's disease data illustrates BLEND's application in real data and reference resource integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penghui Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, De Soto St, Pittsburgh, 15261, PA, USA
| | - Manqi Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, De Soto St, Pittsburgh, 15261, PA, USA
| | - Chris McKennan
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, 15213, PA, USA
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, De Soto St, Pittsburgh, 15261, PA, USA
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10
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Haukka JK, Antikainen AA, Valo E, Syreeni A, Dahlström EH, Lin BM, Franceschini N, Krolewski AS, Harjutsalo V, Groop PH, Sandholm N. Whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing of 1064 individuals with type 1 diabetes reveals novel genes for diabetic kidney disease. Diabetologia 2024:10.1007/s00125-024-06241-1. [PMID: 39103720 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-024-06241-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a severe diabetic complication that affects one third of individuals with type 1 diabetes. Although several genes and common variants have been shown to be associated with DKD, much of the predicted inheritance remains unexplained. Here, we performed next-generation sequencing to assess whether low-frequency variants, extending to a minor allele frequency (MAF) ≤10% (single or aggregated) contribute to the missing heritability in DKD. METHODS We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) of 498 individuals and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 599 individuals with type 1 diabetes. After quality control, next-generation sequencing data were available for a total of 1064 individuals, of whom 541 had developed either severe albuminuria or end-stage kidney disease, and 523 had retained normal albumin excretion despite a long duration of type 1 diabetes. Single-variant and gene-aggregate tests for protein-altering variants (PAV) and protein-truncating variants (PTV) were performed separately for WES and WGS data and combined in a meta-analysis. We also performed genome-wide aggregate analyses on genomic windows (sliding window), promoters and enhancers using the WGS dataset. RESULTS In the single-variant meta-analysis, no variant reached genome-wide significance, but a suggestively associated common THAP7 rs369250 variant (p=1.50 × 10-5, MAF=49%) was replicated in the FinnGen general population genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for chronic kidney disease and DKD phenotypes. The gene-aggregate meta-analysis provided suggestive evidence (p<4.0 × 10-4) at four genes for DKD, of which NAT16 (MAFPAV≤10%) and LTA (also known as TNFβ, MAFPAV≤5%) are replicated in the FinnGen general population GWAS data. The LTA rs2229092 C allele was associated with significantly lower TNFR1, TNFR2 and TNFR3 serum levels in a subset of FinnDiane participants. Of the intergenic regions suggestively associated with DKD, the enhancer on chromosome 18q12.3 (p=3.94 × 10-5, MAFvariants≤5%) showed interaction with the METTL4 gene; the lead variant was replicated, and predicted to alter binding of the MafB transcription factor. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Our sequencing-based meta-analysis revealed multiple genes, variants and regulatory regions that were suggestively associated with DKD. However, as no variant or gene reached genome-wide significance, further studies are needed to validate the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani K Haukka
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni A Antikainen
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Erkka Valo
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Syreeni
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emma H Dahlström
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bridget M Lin
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nora Franceschini
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrzej S Krolewski
- Section on Genetics and Epidemiology, Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valma Harjutsalo
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Per-Henrik Groop
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Niina Sandholm
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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11
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Stefansson OA, Sigurpalsdottir BD, Rognvaldsson S, Halldorsson GH, Juliusson K, Sveinbjornsson G, Gunnarsson B, Beyter D, Jonsson H, Gudjonsson SA, Olafsdottir TA, Saevarsdottir S, Magnusson MK, Lund SH, Tragante V, Oddsson A, Hardarson MT, Eggertsson HP, Gudmundsson RL, Sverrisson S, Frigge ML, Zink F, Holm H, Stefansson H, Rafnar T, Jonsdottir I, Sulem P, Helgason A, Gudbjartsson DF, Halldorsson BV, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stefansson K. The correlation between CpG methylation and gene expression is driven by sequence variants. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1624-1631. [PMID: 39048797 PMCID: PMC11319203 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01851-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Gene promoter and enhancer sequences are bound by transcription factors and are depleted of methylated CpG sites (cytosines preceding guanines in DNA). The absence of methylated CpGs in these sequences typically correlates with increased gene expression, indicating a regulatory role for methylation. We used nanopore sequencing to determine haplotype-specific methylation rates of 15.3 million CpG units in 7,179 whole-blood genomes. We identified 189,178 methylation depleted sequences where three or more proximal CpGs were unmethylated on at least one haplotype. A total of 77,789 methylation depleted sequences (~41%) associated with 80,503 cis-acting sequence variants, which we termed allele-specific methylation quantitative trait loci (ASM-QTLs). RNA sequencing of 896 samples from the same blood draws used to perform nanopore sequencing showed that the ASM-QTL, that is, DNA sequence variability, drives most of the correlation found between gene expression and CpG methylation. ASM-QTLs were enriched 40.2-fold (95% confidence interval 32.2, 49.9) among sequence variants associating with hematological traits, demonstrating that ASM-QTLs are important functional units in the noncoding genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brynja Dogg Sigurpalsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Technology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Gisli Hreinn Halldorsson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Thorunn Asta Olafsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Saedis Saevarsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Magnus Karl Magnusson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Sigrun Helga Lund
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | - Marteinn Thor Hardarson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Technology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hilma Holm
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | - Ingileif Jonsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Agnar Helgason
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Daniel F Gudbjartsson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Bjarni V Halldorsson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Technology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Unnur Thorsteinsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Kari Stefansson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland.
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
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12
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Harnik Y, Yakubovsky O, Hoefflin R, Novoselsky R, Bahar Halpern K, Barkai T, Korem Kohanim Y, Egozi A, Golani O, Addadi Y, Kedmi M, Keidar Haran T, Levin Y, Savidor A, Keren-Shaul H, Mayer C, Pencovich N, Pery R, Shouval DS, Tirosh I, Nachmany I, Itzkovitz S. A spatial expression atlas of the adult human proximal small intestine. Nature 2024; 632:1101-1109. [PMID: 39112711 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The mouse small intestine shows profound variability in gene expression along the crypt-villus axis1,2. Whether similar spatial heterogeneity exists in the adult human gut remains unclear. Here we use spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics and single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization to reconstruct a comprehensive spatial expression atlas of the adult human proximal small intestine. We describe zonated expression and cell type representation for epithelial, mesenchymal and immune cell types. We find that migrating enterocytes switch from lipid droplet assembly and iron uptake at the villus bottom to chylomicron biosynthesis and iron release at the tip. Villus tip cells are pro-immunogenic, recruiting γδ T cells and macrophages to the tip, in contrast to their immunosuppressive roles in mouse. We also show that the human small intestine contains abundant serrated and branched villi that are enriched at the tops of circular folds. Our study presents a detailed resource for understanding the biology of the adult human small intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotam Harnik
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Oran Yakubovsky
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rouven Hoefflin
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Roy Novoselsky
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Keren Bahar Halpern
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tal Barkai
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yael Korem Kohanim
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adi Egozi
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ofra Golani
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yoseph Addadi
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Merav Kedmi
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tal Keidar Haran
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yishai Levin
- The De Botton Institute for Protein Profiling, The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Savidor
- The De Botton Institute for Protein Profiling, The Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hadas Keren-Shaul
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Chen Mayer
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Niv Pencovich
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ron Pery
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dror S Shouval
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - Itay Tirosh
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ido Nachmany
- Department of General Surgery and Transplantation, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shalev Itzkovitz
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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13
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Patarca R, Haseltine WA. Potential Transcriptional Enhancers in Coronaviruses: From Infectious Bronchitis Virus to SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8012. [PMID: 39125583 PMCID: PMC11311688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158012] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses constitute a global threat to human and animal health. It is essential to investigate the long-distance RNA-RNA interactions that approximate remote regulatory elements in strategies, including genome circularization, discontinuous transcription, and transcriptional enhancers, aimed at the rapid replication of their large genomes, pathogenicity, and immune evasion. Based on the primary sequences and modeled RNA-RNA interactions of two experimentally defined coronaviral enhancers, we detected via an in silico primary and secondary structural analysis potential enhancers in various coronaviruses, from the phylogenetically ancient avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) to the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2. These potential enhancers possess a core duplex-forming region that could transition between closed and open states, as molecular switches directed by viral or host factors. The duplex open state would pair with remote sequences in the viral genome and modulate the expression of downstream crucial genes involved in viral replication and host immune evasion. Consistently, variations in the predicted IBV enhancer region or its distant targets coincide with cases of viral attenuation, possibly driven by decreased open reading frame (ORF)3a immune evasion protein expression. If validated experimentally, the annotated enhancer sequences could inform structural prediction tools and antiviral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Patarca
- ACCESS Health International, 384 West Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877, USA;
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Dr, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - William A. Haseltine
- ACCESS Health International, 384 West Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877, USA;
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, 350 Community Dr, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
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14
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Jiang D, Kejiou N, Qiu Y, Palazzo AF, Pennell M. Genetic and selective constraints on the optimization of gene product diversity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.17.603951. [PMID: 39091777 PMCID: PMC11291005 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.17.603951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
RNA and protein expressed from the same gene can have diverse isoforms due to various post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. For the vast majority of alternative isoforms, It is unknown whether they are adaptive or simply biological noise. As we cannot experimentally probe the function of each isoform, we can ask whether the distribution of isoforms across genes and across species is consistent with expectations from different evolutionary processes. However, there is currently no theoretical framework that can generate such predictions. To address this, we developed a mathematical model where isoform abundances are determined collectively by cis-acting loci, trans-acting factors, gene expression levels, and isoform decay rates to predict isoform abundance distributions across species and genes in the face of mutation, genetic drift, and selection. We found that factors beyond selection, such as effective population size and the number of cis-acting loci, significantly influence evolutionary outcomes. Notably, suboptimal phenotypes are more likely to evolve when the population is small and/or when the number of cis-loci is large. We also explored scenarios where modification processes have both beneficial and detrimental effects, revealing a non-monotonic relationship between effective population size and optimization, demonstrating how opposing selection pressures on cis- and trans-acting loci can constrain the optimization of gene product diversity. As a demonstration of the power of our theory, we compared the expected distribution of A-to-I RNA editing levels in coleoids and found this to be largely consistent with non-adaptive explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohan Jiang
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Nevraj Kejiou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Yi Qiu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Matt Pennell
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, USA
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15
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Zhao Z, Chen Y, Zou X, Lin L, Zhou X, Cheng X, Yang G, Xu Q, Gong L, Li L, Ni T. Pan-cancer transcriptome analysis reveals widespread regulation through alternative tandem transcription initiation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl5606. [PMID: 38985880 PMCID: PMC11235174 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl5606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal transcription initiation from alternative first exon has been reported to promote tumorigenesis. However, the prevalence and impact of gene expression regulation mediated by alternative tandem transcription initiation were mostly unknown in cancer. Here, we developed a robust computational method to analyze alternative tandem transcription start site (TSS) usage from standard RNA sequencing data. Applying this method to pan-cancer RNA sequencing datasets, we observed widespread dysregulation of tandem TSS usage in tumors, many of which were independent of changes in overall expression level or alternative first exon usage. We showed that the dynamics of tandem TSS usage was associated with epigenomic modulation. We found that significant 5' untranslated region shortening of gene TIMM13 contributed to increased protein production, and up-regulation of TIMM13 by CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation promoted proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. Our findings suggest that dysregulated tandem TSS usage represents an addtional layer of cancer-associated transcriptome alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaozhao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xudong Zou
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Limin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaolan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaomeng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Guangrui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qiushi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lihai Gong
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lei Li
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ting Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Human Phenome Institute, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
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16
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He J, Perera D, Wen W, Ping J, Li Q, Lyu L, Chen Z, Shu X, Long J, Cai Q, Shu XO, Zheng W, Long Q, Guo X. Enhancing Disease Risk Gene Discovery by Integrating Transcription Factor-Linked Trans-located Variants into Transcriptome-Wide Association Analyses. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.10.10.23295443. [PMID: 37873299 PMCID: PMC10593059 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.23295443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) have been successful in identifying disease susceptibility genes by integrating cis-variants predicted gene expression with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. However, trans-located variants for predicting gene expression remain largely unexplored. Here, we introduce transTF-TWAS, which incorporates transcription factor (TF)-linked trans-located variants to enhance model building. Using data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, we predict gene expression and alternative splicing and applied these models to large GWAS datasets for breast, prostate, and lung cancers. We demonstrate that transTF-TWAS outperforms other existing TWAS approaches in both constructing gene prediction models and identifying disease-associated genes, as evidenced by simulations and real data analysis. Our transTF-TWAS approach significantly contributes to the discovery of disease risk genes. Findings from this study have shed new light on several genetically driven key regulators and their associated regulatory networks underlying disease susceptibility.
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17
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Abedini SS, Akhavantabasi S, Liang Y, Heng JIT, Alizadehsani R, Dehzangi I, Bauer DC, Alinejad-Rokny H. A critical review of the impact of candidate copy number variants on autism spectrum disorder. MUTATION RESEARCH. REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2024; 794:108509. [PMID: 38977176 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2024.108509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Recent advancements in genomic analysis have shed light on numerous genes associated with ASD, highlighting the significant role of both common and rare genetic mutations, as well as copy number variations (CNVs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and unique de novo variants. These genetic variations disrupt neurodevelopmental pathways, contributing to the disorder's complexity. Notably, CNVs are present in 10 %-20 % of individuals with autism, with 3 %-7 % detectable through cytogenetic methods. While the role of submicroscopic CNVs in ASD has been recently studied, their association with genomic loci and genes has not been thoroughly explored. In this review, we focus on 47 CNV regions linked to ASD, encompassing 1632 genes, including protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), of which 659 show significant brain expression. Using a list of ASD-associated genes from SFARI, we detect 17 regions harboring at least one known ASD-related protein-coding gene. Of the remaining 30 regions, we identify 24 regions containing at least one protein-coding gene with brain-enriched expression and a nervous system phenotype in mouse mutants, and one lncRNA with both brain-enriched expression and upregulation in iPSC to neuron differentiation. This review not only expands our understanding of the genetic diversity associated with ASD but also underscores the potential of lncRNAs in contributing to its etiology. Additionally, the discovered CNVs will be a valuable resource for future diagnostic, therapeutic, and research endeavors aimed at prioritizing genetic variations in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Sedigheh Abedini
- UNSW BioMedical Machine Learning Lab (BML), The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Shiva Akhavantabasi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Yeni Yuzyil University, Istanbul, Turkey; Ghiaseddin Jamshid Kashani University, Andisheh University Town, Danesh Blvd, 3441356611, Abyek, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Yuheng Liang
- UNSW BioMedical Machine Learning Lab (BML), The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Julian Ik-Tsen Heng
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley 6845, Australia
| | - Roohallah Alizadehsani
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI), Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iman Dehzangi
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA; Department of Computer Science, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Denis C Bauer
- Transformational Bioinformatics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Sydney, Australia; Applied BioSciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Australia
| | - Hamid Alinejad-Rokny
- UNSW BioMedical Machine Learning Lab (BML), The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Tyree Institute of Health Engineering (IHealthE), UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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18
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Nemčko F, Himmelsbach M, Loubiere V, Yelagandula R, Pagani M, Fasching N, Brennecke J, Elling U, Stark A, Ameres SL. Proteome-scale tagging and functional screening in mammalian cells by ORFtag. Nat Methods 2024:10.1038/s41592-024-02339-x. [PMID: 38969721 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The systematic determination of protein function is a key goal of modern biology, but remains challenging with current approaches. Here we present ORFtag, a versatile, cost-effective and highly efficient method for the massively parallel tagging and functional interrogation of proteins at the proteome scale. ORFtag uses retroviral vectors bearing a promoter, peptide tag and splice donor to generate fusions between the tag and endogenous open reading frames (ORFs). We demonstrate the utility of ORFtag through functional screens for transcriptional activators, repressors and posttranscriptional regulators in mouse embryonic stem cells. Each screen recovers known and identifies new regulators, including long ORFs inaccessible by other methods. Among other hits, we find that Zfp574 is a highly selective transcriptional activator and that oncogenic fusions often function as transactivators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Nemčko
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Moritz Himmelsbach
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent Loubiere
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ramesh Yelagandula
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Cell Fate and Disease, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
| | - Michaela Pagani
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina Fasching
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- QUANTRO Therapeutics GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julius Brennecke
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrich Elling
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Stefan L Ameres
- Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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19
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Oguchi A, Suzuki A, Komatsu S, Yoshitomi H, Bhagat S, Son R, Bonnal RJP, Kojima S, Koido M, Takeuchi K, Myouzen K, Inoue G, Hirai T, Sano H, Takegami Y, Kanemaru A, Yamaguchi I, Ishikawa Y, Tanaka N, Hirabayashi S, Konishi R, Sekito S, Inoue T, Kere J, Takeda S, Takaori-Kondo A, Endo I, Kawaoka S, Kawaji H, Ishigaki K, Ueno H, Hayashizaki Y, Pagani M, Carninci P, Yanagita M, Parrish N, Terao C, Yamamoto K, Murakawa Y. An atlas of transcribed enhancers across helper T cell diversity for decoding human diseases. Science 2024; 385:eadd8394. [PMID: 38963856 DOI: 10.1126/science.add8394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Transcribed enhancer maps can reveal nuclear interactions underpinning each cell type and connect specific cell types to diseases. Using a 5' single-cell RNA sequencing approach, we defined transcription start sites of enhancer RNAs and other classes of coding and noncoding RNAs in human CD4+ T cells, revealing cellular heterogeneity and differentiation trajectories. Integration of these datasets with single-cell chromatin profiles showed that active enhancers with bidirectional RNA transcription are highly cell type-specific and that disease heritability is strongly enriched in these enhancers. The resulting cell type-resolved multimodal atlas of bidirectionally transcribed enhancers, which we linked with promoters using fine-scale chromatin contact maps, enabled us to systematically interpret genetic variants associated with a range of immune-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Oguchi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akari Suzuki
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shuichiro Komatsu
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Hiroyuki Yoshitomi
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shruti Bhagat
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Raku Son
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Shohei Kojima
- Genome Immunobiology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masaru Koido
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory of Complex Trait Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Takeuchi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Medical Systems Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiko Myouzen
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Gyo Inoue
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoya Hirai
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiromi Sano
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Nao Tanaka
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shigeki Hirabayashi
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Division of Precision Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Riyo Konishi
- Inter-Organ Communication Research Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sho Sekito
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
| | - Takahiro Inoue
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu, Japan
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhalsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shunichi Takeda
- Department of Radiation Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Akifumi Takaori-Kondo
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinpei Kawaoka
- Inter-Organ Communication Research Team, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Integrative Bioanalytics, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hideya Kawaji
- Research Center for Genome & Medical Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Preventive Medicine and Applied Genomics Unit, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideki Ueno
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Hayashizaki
- K.K. DNAFORM, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Japan
| | - Massimiliano Pagani
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi, Milan, Italy
| | - Piero Carninci
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Motoko Yanagita
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nicholas Parrish
- Genome Immunobiology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Chikashi Terao
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Applied Genetics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Murakawa
- RIKEN-IFOM Joint Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- IFOM ETS - the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Systems Genomics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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20
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Dang TTV, Maufrais C, Colin J, Moyrand F, Mouyna I, Coppée JY, Onyishi CU, Lipecka J, Guerrera IC, May RC, Janbon G. Alternative TSS use is widespread in Cryptococcus fungi in response to environmental cues and regulated genome-wide by the transcription factor Tur1. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002724. [PMID: 39052688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative transcription start site (TSS) usage regulation has been identified as a major means of gene expression regulation in metazoans. However, in fungi, its impact remains elusive as its study has thus far been restricted to model yeasts. Here, we first re-analyzed TSS-seq data to define genuine TSS clusters in 2 species of pathogenic Cryptococcus. We identified 2 types of TSS clusters associated with specific DNA sequence motifs. Our analysis also revealed that alternative TSS usage regulation in response to environmental cues is widespread in Cryptococcus, altering gene expression and protein targeting. Importantly, we performed a forward genetic screen to identify a unique transcription factor (TF) named Tur1, which regulates alternative TSS (altTSS) usage genome-wide when cells switch from exponential phase to stationary phase. ChiP-Seq and DamID-Seq analyses suggest that at some loci, the role of Tur1 might be direct. Tur1 has been previously shown to be essential for virulence in C. neoformans. We demonstrated here that a tur1Δ mutant strain is more sensitive to superoxide stress and phagocytosed more efficiently by macrophages than the wild-type (WT) strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Tuong Vi Dang
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, HUB Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, C3BI, USR 3756 IP CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jessie Colin
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Moyrand
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Mouyna
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Chinaemerem U Onyishi
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Lipecka
- Université Paris Cité, SFR Necker INSERM US24/CNRS UAR3633, Proteomics Platform, Paris, France
| | - Ida Chiara Guerrera
- Université Paris Cité, SFR Necker INSERM US24/CNRS UAR3633, Proteomics Platform, Paris, France
| | - Robin C May
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Guilhem Janbon
- Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
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21
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Gustavsson EK, Sethi S, Gao Y, Brenton JW, García-Ruiz S, Zhang D, Garza R, Reynolds RH, Evans JR, Chen Z, Grant-Peters M, Macpherson H, Montgomery K, Dore R, Wernick AI, Arber C, Wray S, Gandhi S, Esselborn J, Blauwendraat C, Douse CH, Adami A, Atacho DAM, Kouli A, Quaegebeur A, Barker RA, Englund E, Platt F, Jakobsson J, Wood NW, Houlden H, Saini H, Bento CF, Hardy J, Ryten M. The annotation of GBA1 has been concealed by its protein-coding pseudogene GBAP1. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk1296. [PMID: 38924406 PMCID: PMC11204300 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk1296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in GBA1 cause Gaucher disease and are the most important genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. However, analysis of transcription at this locus is complicated by its highly homologous pseudogene, GBAP1. We show that >50% of short RNA-sequencing reads mapping to GBA1 also map to GBAP1. Thus, we used long-read RNA sequencing in the human brain, which allowed us to accurately quantify expression from both GBA1 and GBAP1. We discovered significant differences in expression compared to short-read data and identify currently unannotated transcripts of both GBA1 and GBAP1. These included protein-coding transcripts from both genes that were translated in human brain, but without the known lysosomal function-yet accounting for almost a third of transcription. Analyzing brain-specific cell types using long-read and single-nucleus RNA sequencing revealed region-specific variations in transcript expression. Overall, these findings suggest nonlysosomal roles for GBA1 and GBAP1 with implications for our understanding of the role of GBA1 in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil K. Gustavsson
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Siddharth Sethi
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yujing Gao
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan W. Brenton
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Sonia García-Ruiz
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - David Zhang
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raquel Garza
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Regina H. Reynolds
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - James R. Evans
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Zhongbo Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Melissa Grant-Peters
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Hannah Macpherson
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kylie Montgomery
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rhys Dore
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna I. Wernick
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Charles Arber
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Gandhi
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Julian Esselborn
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cornelis Blauwendraat
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christopher H. Douse
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Chromatin Dynamics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anita Adami
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Diahann A. M. Atacho
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Antonina Kouli
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Annelies Quaegebeur
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Clifford Albutt Building, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger A. Barker
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Frances Platt
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund, Sweden
| | - Nicholas W. Wood
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Harpreet Saini
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carla F. Bento
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mina Ryten
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
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22
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Carbonell-Sala S, Perteghella T, Lagarde J, Nishiyori H, Palumbo E, Arnan C, Takahashi H, Carninci P, Uszczynska-Ratajczak B, Guigó R. CapTrap-seq: a platform-agnostic and quantitative approach for high-fidelity full-length RNA sequencing. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5278. [PMID: 38937428 PMCID: PMC11211341 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49523-3] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-read RNA sequencing is essential to produce accurate and exhaustive annotation of eukaryotic genomes. Despite advancements in throughput and accuracy, achieving reliable end-to-end identification of RNA transcripts remains a challenge for long-read sequencing methods. To address this limitation, we develop CapTrap-seq, a cDNA library preparation method, which combines the Cap-trapping strategy with oligo(dT) priming to detect 5' capped, full-length transcripts. In our study, we evaluate the performance of CapTrap-seq alongside other widely used RNA-seq library preparation protocols in human and mouse tissues, employing both ONT and PacBio sequencing technologies. To explore the quantitative capabilities of CapTrap-seq and its accuracy in reconstructing full-length RNA molecules, we implement a capping strategy for synthetic RNA spike-in sequences that mimics the natural 5'cap formation. Our benchmarks, incorporating the Long-read RNA-seq Genome Annotation Assessment Project (LRGASP) data, demonstrate that CapTrap-seq is a competitive, platform-agnostic RNA library preparation method for generating full-length transcript sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Carbonell-Sala
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Tamara Perteghella
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Julien Lagarde
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Flomics Biotech, SL, Carrer de Roc Boronat 31, 08005, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Hiromi Nishiyori
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Emilio Palumbo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carme Arnan
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Hazuki Takahashi
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Piero Carninci
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Uszczynska-Ratajczak
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Department of Computational Biology of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Roderic Guigó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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23
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Boschetto F, Ma C, Kang MS, Madero S, Kim HKW. Protocol for extracting and isolating porcine bone-marrow-derived macrophages from ribs. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:103085. [PMID: 38795355 PMCID: PMC11144798 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103085] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to anatomical and biological similarities with humans, pigs are increasingly used for inflammation- and immune-related studies in biomedical research, including the field of osteonecrosis and osteoimmunology. Here, we present a protocol for rib extraction, isolation of the bone marrow by centrifugation, and processing to obtain bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Then, we describe the procedures of in vitro experiments to evaluate the cell phenotype. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Andre et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Boschetto
- Center of Excellence in Hip, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Chi Ma
- Center of Excellence in Hip, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | - Sarah Madero
- Center of Excellence in Hip, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Harry K W Kim
- Center of Excellence in Hip, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX 75219, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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24
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Rosales Larios MF, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. Genome Biol 2024; 25:156. [PMID: 38872220 PMCID: PMC11170920 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. CpG islands (CGIs) have recently been shown to influence enhancer activity, and here we test how their turnover across species contributes to enhancer evolution. RESULTS We integrate maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and find that CGI content in enhancers is strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs show widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs are strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs show concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily V Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Zoetis, Inc, 333 Portage St, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Genome Biology and Epigenetics, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - James P Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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25
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Antikainen AA, Haukka JK, Kumar A, Syreeni A, Hägg-Holmberg S, Ylinen A, Kilpeläinen E, Kytölä A, Palotie A, Putaala J, Thorn LM, Harjutsalo V, Groop PH, Sandholm N. Whole-genome sequencing identifies variants in ANK1, LRRN1, HAS1, and other genes and regulatory regions for stroke in type 1 diabetes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13453. [PMID: 38862513 PMCID: PMC11166668 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61840-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) carry a markedly increased risk of stroke, with distinct clinical and neuroimaging characteristics as compared to those without diabetes. Using whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing of 1,051 individuals with T1D, we aimed to find rare and low-frequency genomic variants associated with stroke in T1D. We analysed the genome comprehensively with single-variant analyses, gene aggregate analyses, and aggregate analyses on genomic windows, enhancers and promoters. In addition, we attempted replication in T1D using a genome-wide association study (N = 3,945) and direct genotyping (N = 3,263), and in the general population from the large-scale population-wide FinnGen project and UK Biobank summary statistics. We identified a rare missense variant on SREBF1 exome-wide significantly associated with stroke (rs114001633, p.Pro227Leu, p-value = 7.30 × 10-8), which replicated for hemorrhagic stroke in T1D. Using gene aggregate analysis, we identified exome-wide significant genes: ANK1 and LRRN1 displayed replication evidence in T1D, and LRRN1, HAS1 and UACA in the general population (UK Biobank). Furthermore, we performed sliding-window analyses and identified 14 genome-wide significant windows for stroke on 4q33-34.1, of which two replicated in T1D, and a suggestive genomic window on LINC01500, which replicated in T1D. Finally, we identified a suggestively stroke-associated TRPM2-AS promoter (p-value = 5.78 × 10-6) with borderline significant replication in T1D, which we validated with an in vitro cell-based assay. Due to the rarity of the identified genetic variants, future replication of the genomic regions represented here is required with sequencing of individuals with T1D. Nevertheless, we here report the first genome-wide analysis on stroke in individuals with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni A Antikainen
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jani K Haukka
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anmol Kumar
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Syreeni
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stefanie Hägg-Holmberg
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni Ylinen
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elina Kilpeläinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anastasia Kytölä
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jukka Putaala
- Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lena M Thorn
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Valma Harjutsalo
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Per-Henrik Groop
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Niina Sandholm
- Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Nephrology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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26
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Wong EWP, Sahin M, Yang R, Lee U, Zhan YA, Misra R, Tomas F, Alomran N, Polyzos A, Lee CJ, Trieu T, Fundichely AM, Wiesner T, Rosowicz A, Cheng S, Liu C, Lallo M, Merghoub T, Hamard PJ, Koche R, Khurana E, Apostolou E, Zheng D, Chen Y, Leslie CS, Chi P. TAD hierarchy restricts poised LTR activation and loss of TAD hierarchy promotes LTR co-option in cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.31.596845. [PMID: 38895201 PMCID: PMC11185511 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.31.596845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in the human genome, and they provide the sources for genetic and functional diversity. The regulation of TEs expression and their functional consequences in physiological conditions and cancer development remain to be fully elucidated. Previous studies suggested TEs are repressed by DNA methylation and chromatin modifications. The effect of 3D chromatin topology on TE regulation remains elusive. Here, by integrating transcriptome and 3D genome architecture studies, we showed that haploinsufficient loss of NIPBL selectively activates alternative promoters at the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of the TE subclasses. This activation occurs through the reorganization of topologically associating domain (TAD) hierarchical structures and recruitment of proximal enhancers. These observations indicate that TAD hierarchy restricts transcriptional activation of LTRs that already possess open chromatin features. In cancer, perturbation of the hierarchical chromatin topology can lead to co-option of LTRs as functional alternative promoters in a context-dependent manner and drive aberrant transcriptional activation of novel oncogenes and other divergent transcripts. These data uncovered a new layer of regulatory mechanism of TE expression beyond DNA and chromatin modification in human genome. They also posit the TAD hierarchy dysregulation as a novel mechanism for alternative promoter-mediated oncogene activation and transcriptional diversity in cancer, which may be exploited therapeutically.
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27
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Zhu S, Yuan S, Niu R, Zhou Y, Wang Z, Xu G. RNAirport: a deep neural network-based database characterizing representative gene models in plants. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:652-664. [PMID: 38518981 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.03.004] [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: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
A 5'-leader, known initially as the 5'-untranslated region, contains multiple isoforms due to alternative splicing (aS) and alternative transcription start site (aTSS). Therefore, a representative 5'-leader is demanded to examine the embedded RNA regulatory elements in controlling translation efficiency. Here, we develop a ranking algorithm and a deep-learning model to annotate representative 5'-leaders for five plant species. We rank the intra-sample and inter-sample frequency of aS-mediated transcript isoforms using the Kruskal-Wallis test-based algorithm and identify the representative aS-5'-leader. To further assign a representative 5'-end, we train the deep-learning model 5'leaderP to learn aTSS-mediated 5'-end distribution patterns from cap-analysis gene expression data. The model accurately predicts the 5'-end, confirmed experimentally in Arabidopsis and rice. The representative 5'-leader-contained gene models and 5'leaderP can be accessed at RNAirport (http://www.rnairport.com/leader5P/). The Stage 1 annotation of 5'-leader records 5'-leader diversity and will pave the way to Ribo-Seq open-reading frame annotation, identical to the project recently initiated by human GENCODE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Shu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Ruixia Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Yulu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Guoyong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
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28
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Melkus G, Sizovs A, Rucevskis P, Silina S. Transcriptional Hubs Within Cliques in Ensemble Hi-C Chromatin Interaction Networks. J Comput Biol 2024; 31:589-596. [PMID: 38768423 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2024.0515] [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: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromatin conformation capture technologies permit the study of chromatin spatial organization on a genome-wide scale at a variety of resolutions. Despite the increasing precision and resolution of high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) methods, it remains challenging to conclusively link transcriptional activity to spatial organizational phenomena. We have developed a clique-based approach for analyzing Hi-C data that helps identify chromosomal hotspots that feature considerable enrichment of chromatin annotations for transcriptional start sites and, building on previously published work, show that these chromosomal hotspots are not only significantly enriched in RNA polymerase II binding sites as identified by the ENCODE project, but also identify a noticeable increase in FANTOM5 and GTEx transcription within our identified cliques across a variety of tissue types. From the obtained data, we surmise that our cliques are a suitable method for identifying transcription factories in Hi-C data, and outline further extensions to the method that may make it useful for locating regions of increased transcriptional activity in datasets where in-depth expression or polymerase data may not be available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gatis Melkus
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Andrejs Sizovs
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Peteris Rucevskis
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Sandra Silina
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
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29
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Inamo J, Suzuki A, Ueda MT, Yamaguchi K, Nishida H, Suzuki K, Kaneko Y, Takeuchi T, Hatano H, Ishigaki K, Ishihama Y, Yamamoto K, Kochi Y. Long-read sequencing for 29 immune cell subsets reveals disease-linked isoforms. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4285. [PMID: 38806455 PMCID: PMC11133395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48615-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing events are a major causal mechanism for complex traits, but they have been understudied due to the limitation of short-read sequencing. Here, we generate a full-length isoform annotation of human immune cells from an individual by long-read sequencing for 29 cell subsets. This contains a number of unannotated transcripts and isoforms such as a read-through transcript of TOMM40-APOE in the Alzheimer's disease locus. We profile characteristics of isoforms and show that repetitive elements significantly explain the diversity of unannotated isoforms, providing insight into the human genome evolution. In addition, some of the isoforms are expressed in a cell-type specific manner, whose alternative 3'-UTRs usage contributes to their specificity. Further, we identify disease-associated isoforms by isoform switch analysis and by integration of several quantitative trait loci analyses with genome-wide association study data. Our findings will promote the elucidation of the mechanism of complex diseases via alternative splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Inamo
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Akari Suzuki
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mahoko Takahashi Ueda
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Kensuke Yamaguchi
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
- Biomedical Engineering Research Innovation Center, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishida
- Department of Molecular Systems Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Katsuya Suzuki
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yuko Kaneko
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takeuchi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama, Iruma, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hatano
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasushi Ishihama
- Department of Molecular Systems Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Laboratory of Proteomics for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yuta Kochi
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.
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30
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Hazell Pickering S, Abdelhalim M, Collas P, Briand N. Alternative isoform expression of key thermogenic genes in human beige adipocytes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1395750. [PMID: 38859907 PMCID: PMC11163967 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1395750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The beneficial effect of thermogenic adipocytes in maintaining body weight and protecting against metabolic disorders has raised interest in understanding the regulatory mechanisms defining white and beige adipocyte identity. Although alternative splicing has been shown to propagate adipose browning signals in mice, this has yet to be thoroughly investigated in human adipocytes. Methods We performed parallel white and beige adipogenic differentiation using primary adipose stem cells from 6 unrelated healthy subjects and assessed differential gene and isoform expression in mature adipocytes by RNA sequencing. Results We find 777 exon junctions with robust differential usage between white and beige adipocytes in all 6 subjects, mapping to 562 genes. Importantly, only 10% of these differentially spliced genes are also differentially expressed, indicating that alternative splicing constitutes an additional layer of gene expression regulation during beige adipocyte differentiation. Functional classification of alternative isoforms points to a gain of function for key thermogenic transcription factors such as PPARG and CITED1, and enzymes such as PEMT, or LPIN1. We find that a large majority of the splice variants arise from differential TSS usage, with beige-specific TSSs being enriched for PPARγ and MED1 binding compared to white-specific TSSs. Finally, we validate beige specific isoform expression at the protein level for two thermogenic regulators, PPARγ and PEMT. Discussion These results suggest that differential isoform expression through alternative TSS usage is an important regulatory mechanism for human adipocyte thermogenic specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hazell Pickering
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mohamed Abdelhalim
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Philippe Collas
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nolwenn Briand
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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31
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Piatek P, Namiecinska M, Lewkowicz N, Kulińska-Michalska M, Jabłonowski Z, Matysiak M, Michlewska S, Wieczorek M, Lewkowicz P. Histone H3 posttranslational modified enzymes defined neutrophil plasticity and their vulnerability to IL-10 in the course of the inflammation. J Inflamm (Lond) 2024; 21:16. [PMID: 38745328 PMCID: PMC11095086 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-024-00389-8] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neutrophils are a heterogeneous population capable of antimicrobial functions associated with pre-activation/activation and tissue regeneration. The specific polarisation of immune cells is mediated by the modification of 'chromatin landscapes', which enables differentiated access and activity of regulatory elements that guarantee their plasticity during inflammation No specific pattern within histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) controlling this plasticity has been identified. METHODS Using the in vitro model of inflammation, reflecting different states of neutrophils from resting, pre-activated cells to activated and reducing tissue regeneration, we have analysed 11 different histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs), PTM enzymes associated with remodelling neutrophil chromatin, and H3K4me3 ChIP-Seq Gene Ontology analysis focusing on the processes related to histone PTMs. These findings were verified by extrapolation to adequate clinical status, using neutrophils derived from the patients with sepsis (systemic septic inflammation with LPS-stimulated neutrophils), neuromyelitis optical spectrum disorders (aseptic inflammation with pre-activated neutrophils) and periodontitis (local self-limiting septic inflammation with IL-10-positive neutrophils). RESULTS Physiological activation of neutrophils comprises a pre-activation characterised by histone H3K27ac and H3K4me1, which position enhancers; direct LPS exposure is induced explicitly by H3K4me3 which marked Transcription Start Site (TSS) regions and low-level of H3K9me3, H3K79me2 and H3K27me3 which, in turn, marked repressed genes. Contrary to antimicrobial action, IL-10 positively induced levels of H3S10p and negatively H3K9me3, which characterised processes related to the activation of genes within heterochromatin mediated by CHD1 and H3K9me3 specific demethylase JMJD2A. IL-10 protects changes within histone PTMs induced by TNF or LPS that affected H3K4me3-specific methyltransferase SETD1A and MLL1. Neutrophils previously exposed to inflammatory factors become unvulnerable to IL-10 because previous LPS stimulation interrupts TSS regions marked by H3K4me3 of CHD1 and JMJD2A genes. Therefore, LPS-activated neutrophils are disabled to induce CHD1/JMJD2A enzymes by IL-10, making this process irreversible. Because transcription of JMJD2A and CHD1 also depends on TSS positioning by H3K4me3, neutrophils before LPS stimulation become insensitive to IL-10. CONCLUSION Neutrophils, once pre-activated by TNF or directly stimulated by LPS, become insensitive to the anti-inflammatory effects of IL-10, and vice versa; IL-10 protects neutrophils against these proinflammatory stimuli. This phenomenon is responsible for disturbing the natural process of resolving inflammation and tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Piatek
- Department of Immunogenetics, Medical University of Lodz, ul. Pomorska 251/A4, 92- 213, Lodz, Poland
| | - Magdalena Namiecinska
- Department of Immunogenetics, Medical University of Lodz, ul. Pomorska 251/A4, 92- 213, Lodz, Poland
| | - Natalia Lewkowicz
- Department of Periodontology and Oral Mucosal Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419, Lodz, Poland
| | | | | | - Mariola Matysiak
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lodz, 90-153, Lodz, Poland
| | - Sylwia Michlewska
- Laboratory of Microscopic Imaging and Specialized Biological Techniques, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marek Wieczorek
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236, Lodz, Poland
| | - Przemysław Lewkowicz
- Department of Immunogenetics, Medical University of Lodz, ul. Pomorska 251/A4, 92- 213, Lodz, Poland.
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Nagy G, Bojcsuk D, Tzerpos P, Cseh T, Nagy L. Lineage-determining transcription factor-driven promoters regulate cell type-specific macrophage gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4234-4256. [PMID: 38348998 PMCID: PMC11077085 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian promoters consist of multifarious elements, which make them unique and support the selection of the proper transcript variants required under diverse conditions in distinct cell types. However, their direct DNA-transcription factor (TF) interactions are mostly unidentified. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) are a widely used model for studying gene expression regulation. Thus, this model serves as a rich source of various next-generation sequencing data sets, including a large number of TF cistromes. By processing and integrating the available cistromic, epigenomic and transcriptomic data from BMDMs, we characterized the macrophage-specific direct DNA-TF interactions, with a particular emphasis on those specific for promoters. Whilst active promoters are enriched for certain types of typically methylatable elements, more than half of them contain non-methylatable and prototypically promoter-distal elements. In addition, circa 14% of promoters-including that of Csf1r-are composed exclusively of 'distal' elements that provide cell type-specific gene regulation by specialized TFs. Similar to CG-rich promoters, these also contain methylatable CG sites that are demethylated in a significant portion and show high polymerase activity. We conclude that this unusual class of promoters regulates cell type-specific gene expression in macrophages, and such a mechanism might exist in other cell types too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dóra Bojcsuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Petros Tzerpos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tímea Cseh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
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Mas-Ponte D, Supek F. Mutation rate heterogeneity at the sub-gene scale due to local DNA hypomethylation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4393-4408. [PMID: 38587182 PMCID: PMC11077091 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae252] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Local mutation rates in human are highly heterogeneous, with known variability at the scale of megabase-sized chromosomal domains, and, on the other extreme, at the scale of oligonucleotides. The intermediate, kilobase-scale heterogeneity in mutation risk is less well characterized. Here, by analyzing thousands of somatic genomes, we studied mutation risk gradients along gene bodies, representing a genomic scale spanning roughly 1-10 kb, hypothesizing that different mutational mechanisms are differently distributed across gene segments. The main heterogeneity concerns several kilobases at the transcription start site and further downstream into 5' ends of gene bodies; these are commonly hypomutated with several mutational signatures, most prominently the ubiquitous C > T changes at CpG dinucleotides. The width and shape of this mutational coldspot at 5' gene ends is variable across genes, and corresponds to variable interval of lowered DNA methylation depending on gene activity level and regulation. Such hypomutated loci, at 5' gene ends or elsewhere, correspond to DNA hypomethylation that can associate with various landmarks, including intragenic enhancers, Polycomb-marked regions, or chromatin loop anchor points. Tissue-specific DNA hypomethylation begets tissue-specific local hypomutation. Of note, direction of mutation risk is inverted for AID/APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity, whose signatures are enriched in hypomethylated regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mas-Ponte
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fran Supek
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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34
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Baldarelli RM, Smith CL, Ringwald M, Richardson JE, Bult CJ. Mouse Genome Informatics: an integrated knowledgebase system for the laboratory mouse. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae031. [PMID: 38531069 PMCID: PMC11075557 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae031] [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: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) is a federation of expertly curated information resources designed to support experimental and computational investigations into genetic and genomic aspects of human biology and disease using the laboratory mouse as a model system. The Mouse Genome Database (MGD) and the Gene Expression Database (GXD) are core MGI databases that share data and system architecture. MGI serves as the central community resource of integrated information about mouse genome features, variation, expression, gene function, phenotype, and human disease models acquired from peer-reviewed publications, author submissions, and major bioinformatics resources. To facilitate integration and standardization of data, biocuration scientists annotate using terms from controlled metadata vocabularies and biological ontologies (e.g. Mammalian Phenotype Ontology, Mouse Developmental Anatomy, Disease Ontology, Gene Ontology, etc.), and by applying international community standards for gene, allele, and mouse strain nomenclature. MGI serves basic scientists, translational researchers, and data scientists by providing access to FAIR-compliant data in both human-readable and compute-ready formats. The MGI resource is accessible at https://informatics.jax.org. Here, we present an overview of the core data types represented in MGI and highlight recent enhancements to the resource with a focus on new data and functionality for MGD and GXD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carol J Bult
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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35
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Agrawal S, Buyan A, Severin J, Koido M, Alam T, Abugessaisa I, Chang HY, Dostie J, Itoh M, Kere J, Kondo N, Li Y, Makeev VJ, Mendez M, Okazaki Y, Ramilowski JA, Sigorskikh AI, Strug LJ, Yagi K, Yasuzawa K, Yip CW, Hon CC, Hoffman MM, Terao C, Kulakovskiy IV, Kasukawa T, Shin JW, Carninci P, de Hoon MJL. Annotation of nuclear lncRNAs based on chromatin interactions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295971. [PMID: 38709794 PMCID: PMC11073715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295971] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The human genome is pervasively transcribed and produces a wide variety of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), constituting the majority of transcripts across human cell types. Some specific nuclear lncRNAs have been shown to be important regulatory components acting locally. As RNA-chromatin interaction and Hi-C chromatin conformation data showed that chromatin interactions of nuclear lncRNAs are determined by the local chromatin 3D conformation, we used Hi-C data to identify potential target genes of lncRNAs. RNA-protein interaction data suggested that nuclear lncRNAs act as scaffolds to recruit regulatory proteins to target promoters and enhancers. Nuclear lncRNAs may therefore play a role in directing regulatory factors to locations spatially close to the lncRNA gene. We provide the analysis results through an interactive visualization web portal at https://fantom.gsc.riken.jp/zenbu/reports/#F6_3D_lncRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Agrawal
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Andrey Buyan
- Autosome.org, Russia
- FANTOM Consortium, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Jessica Severin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masaru Koido
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tanvir Alam
- College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Howard Y. Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulome, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Josée Dostie
- Department of Biochemistry, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Masayoshi Itoh
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, Wako, Japan
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Naoto Kondo
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yunjing Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Mickaël Mendez
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yasushi Okazaki
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jordan A. Ramilowski
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | - Lisa J. Strug
- Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ken Yagi
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kayoko Yasuzawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Chi Wai Yip
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Chung Chau Hon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Michael M. Hoffman
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Vector Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chikashi Terao
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | - Takeya Kasukawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jay W. Shin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
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Trimbour R, Deutschmann IM, Cantini L. Molecular mechanisms reconstruction from single-cell multi-omics data with HuMMuS. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae143. [PMID: 38460192 PMCID: PMC11065476 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae143] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The molecular identity of a cell results from a complex interplay between heterogeneous molecular layers. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing technologies have opened the possibility to measure such molecular layers of regulation. RESULTS Here, we present HuMMuS, a new method for inferring regulatory mechanisms from single-cell multi-omics data. Differently from the state-of-the-art, HuMMuS captures cooperation between biological macromolecules and can easily include additional layers of molecular regulation. We benchmarked HuMMuS with respect to the state-of-the-art on both paired and unpaired multi-omics datasets. Our results proved the improvements provided by HuMMuS in terms of transcription factor (TF) targets, TF binding motifs and regulatory regions prediction. Finally, once applied to snmC-seq, scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq data from mouse brain cortex, HuMMuS enabled to accurately cluster scRNA profiles and to identify potential driver TFs. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION HuMMuS is available at https://github.com/cantinilab/HuMMuS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remi Trimbour
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3738, Machine Learning for Integrative Genomics Group, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ina Maria Deutschmann
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laura Cantini
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3738, Machine Learning for Integrative Genomics Group, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
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37
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Chardon FM, McDiarmid TA, Page NF, Daza RM, Martin B, Domcke S, Regalado SG, Lalanne JB, Calderon D, Li X, Starita LM, Sanders SJ, Ahituv N, Shendure J. Multiplex, single-cell CRISPRa screening for cell type specific regulatory elements. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.03.28.534017. [PMID: 37034704 PMCID: PMC10081248 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.28.534017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-based gene activation (CRISPRa) is a promising therapeutic approach for gene therapy, upregulating gene expression by targeting promoters or enhancers in a tissue/cell-type specific manner. Here, we describe an experimental framework that combines highly multiplexed perturbations with single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA-seq) to identify cell-type-specific, CRISPRa-responsive cis- regulatory elements and the gene(s) they regulate. Random combinations of many gRNAs are introduced to each of many cells, which are then profiled and partitioned into test and control groups to test for effect(s) of CRISPRa perturbations of both enhancers and promoters on the expression of neighboring genes. Applying this method to a library of 493 gRNAs targeting candidate cis- regulatory elements in both K562 cells and iPSC-derived excitatory neurons, we identify gRNAs capable of specifically upregulating intended target genes and no other neighboring genes within 1 Mb, including gRNAs yielding upregulation of six autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) risk genes in neurons. A consistent pattern is that the responsiveness of individual enhancers to CRISPRa is restricted by cell type, implying a dependency on either chromatin landscape and/or additional trans- acting factors for successful gene activation. The approach outlined here may facilitate large-scale screens for gRNAs that activate therapeutically relevant genes in a cell type-specific manner.
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38
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Wieder N, D'Souza EN, Martin-Geary AC, Lassen FH, Talbot-Martin J, Fernandes M, Chothani SP, Rackham OJL, Schafer S, Aspden JL, MacArthur DG, Davies RW, Whiffin N. Differences in 5'untranslated regions highlight the importance of translational regulation of dosage sensitive genes. Genome Biol 2024; 25:111. [PMID: 38685090 PMCID: PMC11057154 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03248-0] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Untranslated regions (UTRs) are important mediators of post-transcriptional regulation. The length of UTRs and the composition of regulatory elements within them are known to vary substantially across genes, but little is known about the reasons for this variation in humans. Here, we set out to determine whether this variation, specifically in 5'UTRs, correlates with gene dosage sensitivity. RESULTS We investigate 5'UTR length, the number of alternative transcription start sites, the potential for alternative splicing, the number and type of upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and the propensity of 5'UTRs to form secondary structures. We explore how these elements vary by gene tolerance to loss-of-function (LoF; using the LOEUF metric), and in genes where changes in dosage are known to cause disease. We show that LOEUF correlates with 5'UTR length and complexity. Genes that are most intolerant to LoF have longer 5'UTRs, greater TSS diversity, and more upstream regulatory elements than their LoF tolerant counterparts. We show that these differences are evident in disease gene-sets, but not in recessive developmental disorder genes where LoF of a single allele is tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm the importance of post-transcriptional regulation through 5'UTRs in tight regulation of mRNA and protein levels, particularly for genes where changes in dosage are deleterious and lead to disease. Finally, to support gene-based investigation we release a web-based browser tool, VuTR, that supports exploration of the composition of individual 5'UTRs and the impact of genetic variation within them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nechama Wieder
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elston N D'Souza
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexandra C Martin-Geary
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Frederik H Lassen
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Maria Fernandes
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sonia P Chothani
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Owen J L Rackham
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Sebastian Schafer
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Julie L Aspden
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- LeedsOmics, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Astbury Centre of Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel G MacArthur
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Population Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Population Genomics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Robert W Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicola Whiffin
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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39
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Dudnyk K, Cai D, Shi C, Xu J, Zhou J. Sequence basis of transcription initiation in the human genome. Science 2024; 384:eadj0116. [PMID: 38662817 PMCID: PMC11223672 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj0116] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Transcription initiation is a process that is essential to ensuring the proper function of any gene, yet we still lack a unified understanding of sequence patterns and rules that explain most transcription start sites in the human genome. By predicting transcription initiation at base-pair resolution from sequences with a deep learning-inspired explainable model called Puffin, we show that a small set of simple rules can explain transcription initiation at most human promoters. We identify key sequence patterns that contribute to human promoter activity, each activating transcription with distinct position-specific effects. Furthermore, we explain the sequence basis of bidirectional transcription at promoters, identify the links between promoter sequence and gene expression variation across cell types, and explore the conservation of sequence determinants of transcription initiation across mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniia Dudnyk
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Donghong Cai
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies (CELS), Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Chenlai Shi
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jian Xu
- Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies (CELS), Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jian Zhou
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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Kosicki M, Cintrón DL, Page NF, Georgakopoulos-Soares I, Akiyama JA, Plajzer-Frick I, Novak CS, Kato M, Hunter RD, von Maydell K, Barton S, Godfrey P, Beckman E, Sanders SJ, Pennacchio LA, Ahituv N. Massively parallel reporter assays and mouse transgenic assays provide complementary information about neuronal enhancer activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590634. [PMID: 38712228 PMCID: PMC11071441 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Genetic studies find hundreds of thousands of noncoding variants associated with psychiatric disorders. Massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) and in vivo transgenic mouse assays can be used to assay the impact of these variants. However, the relevance of MPRAs to in vivo function is unknown and transgenic assays suffer from low throughput. Here, we studied the utility of combining the two assays to study the impact of non-coding variants. We carried out an MPRA on over 50,000 sequences derived from enhancers validated in transgenic mouse assays and from multiple fetal neuronal ATAC-seq datasets. We also tested over 20,000 variants, including synthetic mutations in highly active neuronal enhancers and 177 common variants associated with psychiatric disorders. Variants with a high impact on MPRA activity were further tested in mice. We found a strong and specific correlation between MPRA and mouse neuronal enhancer activity including changes in neuronal enhancer activity in mouse embryos for variants with strong MPRA effects. Mouse assays also revealed pleiotropic variant effects that could not be observed in MPRA. Our work provides a large catalog of functional neuronal enhancers and variant effects and highlights the effectiveness of combining MPRAs and mouse transgenic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kosicki
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dianne Laboy Cintrón
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nicholas F. Page
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Akiyama
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ingrid Plajzer-Frick
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Catherine S. Novak
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Momoe Kato
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Riana D. Hunter
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kianna von Maydell
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sarah Barton
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Patrick Godfrey
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Erik Beckman
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Stephan J. Sanders
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 16 7TY, UK
| | - Len A. Pennacchio
- Environmental Genomics & System Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Yu H, Zhao J, Shen Y, Qiao L, Liu Y, Xie G, Chang S, Ge T, Li N, Chen M, Li H, Zhang J, Wang X. The dynamic landscape of enhancer-derived RNA during mouse early embryo development. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114077. [PMID: 38592974 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114077] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancer-derived RNAs (eRNAs) play critical roles in diverse biological processes by facilitating their target gene expression. However, the abundance and function of eRNAs in early embryos are not clear. Here, we present a comprehensive eRNA atlas by systematically integrating publicly available datasets of mouse early embryos. We characterize the transcriptional and regulatory network of eRNAs and show that different embryo developmental stages have distinct eRNA expression and regulatory profiles. Paternal eRNAs are activated asymmetrically during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Moreover, we identify an eRNA, MZGAe1, which plays an important function in regulating mouse ZGA and early embryo development. MZGAe1 knockdown leads to a developmental block from 2-cell embryo to blastocyst. We create an online data portal, M2ED2, to query and visualize eRNA expression and regulation. Our study thus provides a systematic landscape of eRNA and reveals the important role of eRNAs in regulating mouse early embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yu
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Institute of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
| | - Jing Zhao
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yuxuan Shen
- Center of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lu Qiao
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yuheng Liu
- HPC Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Guanglei Xie
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Shuhui Chang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Tingying Ge
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Nan Li
- HPC Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Ming Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55904, USA
| | - Jin Zhang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Xi Wang
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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42
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Yoshida M, Kwon AT, Qin XY, Nishimura H, Maeda S, Miyamoto Y, Yoshida Y, Hoshino Y, Suzuki H. Transcriptome analysis of long non-coding RNAs in Mycobacterium avium complex-infected macrophages. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1374437. [PMID: 38711507 PMCID: PMC11070510 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1374437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium widely distributed in the environment. Even though MAC infection is increasing in older women and immunocompromised patients, to our knowledge there has been no comprehensive analysis of the MAC-infected host-cell transcriptome-and particularly of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). By using in vitro-cultured primary mouse bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and Cap analysis of gene expression, we analyzed the transcriptional and kinetic landscape of macrophage genes, with a focus on lncRNAs, during MAC infection. MAC infection of macrophages induced the expression of immune/inflammatory response genes and other genes similar to those involved in M1 macrophage activation, consistent with previous reports, although Nos2 (M1 activation) and Arg1 (M2 activation) had distinct expression profiles. We identified 31 upregulated and 30 downregulated lncRNA promoters corresponding respectively to 18 and 26 lncRNAs. Upregulated lncRNAs were clustered into two groups-early and late upregulated-predicted to be associated with immune activation and the immune response to infection, respectively. Furthermore, an Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed canonical pathways and upstream transcription regulators associated with differentially expressed lncRNAs. Several differentially expressed lncRNAs reported elsewhere underwent expressional changes upon M1 or M2 preactivation and subsequent MAC infection. Finally, we showed that expressional change of lncRNAs in MAC-infected BMDMs was mediated by toll-like receptor 2, although there may be other mechanisms that sense MAC infection. We identified differentially expressed lncRNAs in MAC-infected BMDMs, revealing diverse features that imply the distinct roles of these lncRNAs in MAC infection and macrophage polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsunori Yoshida
- Department of Mycobacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrew Taejun Kwon
- Laboratory for Cellular Function Conversion Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Xian-Yang Qin
- Laboratory for Cellular Function Conversion Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hajime Nishimura
- Laboratory for Cellular Function Conversion Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shiori Maeda
- Laboratory for Cellular Function Conversion Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuji Miyamoto
- Department of Mycobacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yoshida
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kita-Kyushu, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Hoshino
- Department of Mycobacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Harukazu Suzuki
- Laboratory for Cellular Function Conversion Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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43
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Yang Q, Wang J, Chen Z. Conditional splicing system for tight control of viral overlapping genes. J Virol 2024; 98:e0024224. [PMID: 38446633 PMCID: PMC11019872 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00242-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral genomes frequently harbor overlapping genes, complicating the development of virus-vectored vaccines and gene therapies. This study introduces a novel conditional splicing system to precisely control the expression of such overlapping genes through recombinase-mediated conditional splicing. We refined site-specific recombinase (SSR) conditional splicing systems and explored their mechanisms. The systems demonstrated exceptional inducibility (116,700-fold increase) with negligible background expression, facilitating the conditional expression of overlapping genes in adenovirus-associated virus (AAV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Notably, this approach enabled the establishment of stable AAV producer cell lines, encapsulating all necessary packaging genes. Our findings underscore the potential of the SSR-conditional splicing system to significantly advance vector engineering, enhancing the efficacy and scalability of viral-vector-based therapies and vaccines. IMPORTANCE Regulating overlapping genes is vital for gene therapy and vaccine development using viral vectors. The regulation of overlapping genes presents challenges, including cytotoxicity and impacts on vector capacity and genome stability, which restrict stable packaging cell line development and broad application. To address these challenges, we present a "loxp-splice-loxp"-based conditional splicing system, offering a novel solution for conditional expression of overlapping genes and stable cell line establishment. This system may also regulate other cytotoxic genes, representing a significant advancement in cell engineering and gene therapy as well as biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yang
- AIDS Institute and Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinlin Wang
- AIDS Institute and Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- AIDS Institute and Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
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44
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Haq I, Ngo JC, Roy N, Pan RL, Nawsheen N, Chiu R, Zhang Y, Fujita M, Soni RK, Wu X, Bennett DA, Menon V, Olah M, Sher F. An integrated toolkit for human microglia functional genomics. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:104. [PMID: 38600587 PMCID: PMC11005142 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03700-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, play vital roles in brain development, and disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Human iPSC-derived microglia (iMG) provide a promising model to study these processes. However, existing iMG generation protocols face challenges, such as prolonged differentiation time, lack of detailed characterization, and limited gene function investigation via CRISPR-Cas9. METHODS Our integrated toolkit for in-vitro microglia functional genomics optimizes iPSC differentiation into iMG through a streamlined two-step, 20-day process, producing iMG with a normal karyotype. We confirmed the iMG's authenticity and quality through single-cell RNA sequencing, chromatin accessibility profiles (ATAC-Seq), proteomics and functional tests. The toolkit also incorporates a drug-dependent CRISPR-ON/OFF system for temporally controlled gene expression. Further, we facilitate the use of multi-omic data by providing online searchable platform that compares new iMG profiles to human primary microglia: https://sherlab.shinyapps.io/IPSC-derived-Microglia/ . RESULTS Our method generates iMG that closely align with human primary microglia in terms of transcriptomic, proteomic, and chromatin accessibility profiles. Functionally, these iMG exhibit Ca2 + transients, cytokine driven migration, immune responses to inflammatory signals, and active phagocytosis of CNS related substrates including synaptosomes, amyloid beta and myelin. Significantly, the toolkit facilitates repeated iMG harvesting, essential for large-scale experiments like CRISPR-Cas9 screens. The standalone ATAC-Seq profiles of our iMG closely resemble primary microglia, positioning them as ideal tools to study AD-associated single nucleotide variants (SNV) especially in the genome regulatory regions. CONCLUSIONS Our advanced two-step protocol rapidly and efficiently produces authentic iMG. With features like the CRISPR-ON/OFF system and a comprehensive multi-omic data platform, our toolkit equips researchers for robust microglial functional genomic studies. By facilitating detailed SNV investigation and offering a sustainable cell harvest mechanism, the toolkit heralds significant progress in neurodegenerative disease drug research and therapeutic advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imdadul Haq
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jason C Ngo
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nainika Roy
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard L Pan
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nadiya Nawsheen
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca Chiu
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroimmunology Core, Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology, Division of Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ya Zhang
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroimmunology Core, Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology, Division of Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Masashi Fujita
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rajesh K Soni
- Proteomics Core, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xuebing Wu
- Department of Medicine, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marta Olah
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Falak Sher
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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45
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Zeng T, Spence JP, Mostafavi H, Pritchard JK. Bayesian estimation of gene constraint from an evolutionary model with gene features. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.19.541520. [PMID: 37292653 PMCID: PMC10245655 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Measures of selective constraint on genes have been used for many applications including clinical interpretation of rare coding variants, disease gene discovery, and studies of genome evolution. However, widely-used metrics are severely underpowered at detecting constraint for the shortest ∼25% of genes, potentially causing important pathogenic mutations to be overlooked. We developed a framework combining a population genetics model with machine learning on gene features to enable accurate inference of an interpretable constraint metric, shet. Our estimates outperform existing metrics for prioritizing genes important for cell essentiality, human disease, and other phenotypes, especially for short genes. Our new estimates of selective constraint should have wide utility for characterizing genes relevant to human disease. Finally, our inference framework, GeneBayes, provides a flexible platform that can improve estimation of many gene-level properties, such as rare variant burden or gene expression differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Zeng
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford CA
| | | | | | - Jonathan K. Pritchard
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford CA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford CA
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46
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Abugessaisa I, Manabe RI, Kawashima T, Tagami M, Takahashi C, Okazaki Y, Bandinelli S, Kasukawa T, Ferrucci L. OVCH1 Antisense RNA 1 is differentially expressed between non-frail and frail old adults. GeroScience 2024; 46:2063-2081. [PMID: 37817005 PMCID: PMC10828349 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00961-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
While some old adults stay healthy and non-frail up to late in life, others experience multimorbidity and frailty often accompanied by a pro-inflammatory state. The underlying molecular mechanisms for those differences are still obscure. Here, we used gene expression analysis to understand the molecular underpinning between non-frail and frail individuals in old age. Twenty-four adults (50% non-frail and 50% frail) from InCHIANTI study were included. Total RNA extracted from whole blood was analyzed by Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE). CAGE identified transcription start site (TSS) and active enhancer regions. We identified a set of differentially expressed (DE) TSS and enhancer between non-frail and frail and male and female participants. Several DE TSSs were annotated as lncRNA (XIST and TTTY14) and antisense RNAs (ZFX-AS1 and OVCH1 Antisense RNA 1). The promoter region chr6:366,786,54-366,787,97;+ was DE and overlapping the longevity CDKN1A gene. GWAS-LD enrichment analysis identifies overlapping LD-blocks with the DE regions with reported traits in GWAS catalog (isovolumetric relaxation time and urinary tract infection frequency). Furthermore, we used weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify changes of gene expression associated with clinical traits and identify key gene modules. We performed functional enrichment analysis of the gene modules with significant trait/module correlation. One gene module is showing a very distinct pattern in hub genes. Glycogen Phosphorylase L (PYGL) was the top ranked hub gene between non-frail and frail. We predicted transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) and motif activity. TF involved in age-related pathways (e.g., FOXO3 and MYC) shows different expression patterns between non-frail and frail participants. Expanding the study of OVCH1 Antisense RNA 1 and PYGL may help understand the mechanisms leading to loss of homeostasis that ultimately causes frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imad Abugessaisa
- Laboratory for Large-Scale Biomedical Data Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.
| | - Ri-Ichiroh Manabe
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Tsugumi Kawashima
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michihira Tagami
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Chitose Takahashi
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okazaki
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Stefania Bandinelli
- Azienda USL Toscana Centro, InCHIANTI, Villa Margherita, Primo piano Viale Michelangelo, 41, 50125, Firenze, Italy
| | - Takeya Kasukawa
- Laboratory for Large-Scale Biomedical Data Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, MedStar Harbor Hospital 5th floor, 3001 S. Hanover Street, Baltimore, MD, 21225, USA
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Chao G, Zukin S, Fortuna PRJ, Boettner B, Church GM. Progress and limitations in engineering cellular adhesion for research and therapeutics. Trends Cell Biol 2024; 34:277-287. [PMID: 37580241 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular interactions form the cornerstone of multicellular biology. Despite advances in protein engineering, researchers artificially directing physical cell interactions still rely on endogenous cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) alongside off-target interactions and unintended signaling. Recently, methods for directing cellular interactions have been developed utilizing programmable domains such as coiled coils (CCs), nanobody-antigen, and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). We first discuss desirable molecular- and systems-level properties in engineered CAMs, using the helixCAM platform as a benchmark. Next, we propose applications for engineered CAMs in immunology, developmental biology, tissue engineering, and neuroscience. Biologists in various fields can readily adapt current engineered CAMs to establish control over cell interactions, and their utilization in basic and translational research will incentivize further expansion in engineered CAM capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Chao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Stefan Zukin
- Wyss Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Wyss Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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48
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Alieva IB, Shakhov AS, Dayal AA, Churkina AS, Parfenteva OI, Minin AA. Unique Role of Vimentin in the Intermediate Filament Proteins Family. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:726-736. [PMID: 38831508 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924040114] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Intermediate filaments (IFs), being traditionally the least studied component of the cytoskeleton, have begun to receive more attention in recent years. IFs are found in different cell types and are specific to them. Accumulated data have shifted the paradigm about the role of IFs as structures that merely provide mechanical strength to the cell. In addition to this role, IFs have been shown to participate in maintaining cell shape and strengthening cell adhesion. The data have also been obtained that point out to the role of IFs in a number of other biological processes, including organization of microtubules and microfilaments, regulation of nuclear structure and activity, cell cycle control, and regulation of signal transduction pathways. They are also actively involved in the regulation of several aspects of intracellular transport. Among the intermediate filament proteins, vimentin is of particular interest for researchers. Vimentin has been shown to be associated with a range of diseases, including cancer, cataracts, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV. In this review, we focus almost exclusively on vimentin and the currently known functions of vimentin intermediate filaments (VIFs). This is due to the structural features of vimentin, biological functions of its domains, and its involvement in the regulation of a wide range of basic cellular functions, and its role in the development of human diseases. Particular attention in the review will be paid to comparing the role of VIFs with the role of intermediate filaments consisting of other proteins in cell physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina B Alieva
- Belozersky Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Anton S Shakhov
- Belozersky Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Alexander A Dayal
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Aleksandra S Churkina
- Belozersky Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Olga I Parfenteva
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alexander A Minin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
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Fang Y, Bansal K, Mostafavi S, Benoist C, Mathis D. AIRE relies on Z-DNA to flag gene targets for thymic T cell tolerization. Nature 2024; 628:400-407. [PMID: 38480882 PMCID: PMC11091860 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07169-7] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
AIRE is an unconventional transcription factor that enhances the expression of thousands of genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells and promotes clonal deletion or phenotypic diversion of self-reactive T cells1-4. The biological logic of AIRE's target specificity remains largely unclear as, in contrast to many transcription factors, it does not bind to a particular DNA sequence motif. Here we implemented two orthogonal approaches to investigate AIRE's cis-regulatory mechanisms: construction of a convolutional neural network and leveraging natural genetic variation through analysis of F1 hybrid mice5. Both approaches nominated Z-DNA and NFE2-MAF as putative positive influences on AIRE's target choices. Genome-wide mapping studies revealed that Z-DNA-forming and NFE2L2-binding motifs were positively associated with the inherent ability of a gene's promoter to generate DNA double-stranded breaks, and promoters showing strong double-stranded break generation were more likely to enter a poised state with accessible chromatin and already-assembled transcriptional machinery. Consequently, AIRE preferentially targets genes with poised promoters. We propose a model in which Z-DNA anchors the AIRE-mediated transcriptional program by enhancing double-stranded break generation and promoter poising. Beyond resolving a long-standing mechanistic conundrum, these findings suggest routes for manipulating T cell tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kushagra Bansal
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Diane Mathis
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Zoch A, Konieczny G, Auchynnikava T, Stallmeyer B, Rotte N, Heep M, Berrens RV, Schito M, Kabayama Y, Schöpp T, Kliesch S, Houston B, Nagirnaja L, O'Bryan MK, Aston KI, Conrad DF, Rappsilber J, Allshire RC, Cook AG, Tüttelmann F, O'Carroll D. C19ORF84 connects piRNA and DNA methylation machineries to defend the mammalian germ line. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1021-1035.e11. [PMID: 38359823 PMCID: PMC10960678 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.01.014] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
In the male mouse germ line, PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), bound by the PIWI protein MIWI2 (PIWIL4), guide DNA methylation of young active transposons through SPOCD1. However, the underlying mechanisms of SPOCD1-mediated piRNA-directed transposon methylation and whether this pathway functions to protect the human germ line remain unknown. We identified loss-of-function variants in human SPOCD1 that cause defective transposon silencing and male infertility. Through the analysis of these pathogenic alleles, we discovered that the uncharacterized protein C19ORF84 interacts with SPOCD1. DNMT3C, the DNA methyltransferase responsible for transposon methylation, associates with SPOCD1 and C19ORF84 in fetal gonocytes. Furthermore, C19ORF84 is essential for piRNA-directed DNA methylation and male mouse fertility. Finally, C19ORF84 mediates the in vivo association of SPOCD1 with the de novo methylation machinery. In summary, we have discovered a conserved role for the human piRNA pathway in transposon silencing and C19ORF84, an uncharacterized protein essential for orchestrating piRNA-directed DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansgar Zoch
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.
| | - Gabriela Konieczny
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Tania Auchynnikava
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Birgit Stallmeyer
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nadja Rotte
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Madeleine Heep
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Rebecca V Berrens
- Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, IMS-Tetsuya Nakamura Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX37TY, UK
| | - Martina Schito
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Yuka Kabayama
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Theresa Schöpp
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Sabine Kliesch
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Department of Clinical and Surgical Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Brendan Houston
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Liina Nagirnaja
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Andrology and In Vitro Fertilization Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, USA; Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK; Bioanalytics, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robin C Allshire
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Atlanta G Cook
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dónal O'Carroll
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.
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