1
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Longtin A, Watowich MM, Sadoughi B, Petersen RM, Brosnan SF, Buetow K, Cai Q, Gurven MD, Highland HM, Huang YT, Kaplan H, Kraft TS, Lim YAL, Long J, Melin AD, Roberson J, Ng KS, Stieglitz J, Trumble BC, Venkataraman VV, Wallace IJ, Wu J, Snyder-Mackler N, Jones A, Bick AG, Lea AJ. Cost-effective solutions for high-throughput enzymatic DNA methylation sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.09.612068. [PMID: 39314398 PMCID: PMC11419010 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.09.612068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing DNA methylation patterns is important for addressing key questions in evolutionary biology, geroscience, and medical genomics. While costs are decreasing, whole-genome DNA methylation profiling remains prohibitively expensive for most population-scale studies, creating a need for cost-effective, reduced representation approaches (i.e., assays that rely on microarrays, enzyme digests, or sequence capture to target a subset of the genome). Most common whole genome and reduced representation techniques rely on bisulfite conversion, which can damage DNA resulting in DNA loss and sequencing biases. Enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-seq) was recently proposed to overcome these issues, but thorough benchmarking of EM-seq combined with cost-effective, reduced representation strategies has not yet been performed. To do so, we optimized Targeted Methylation Sequencing protocol (TMS)-which profiles ∼4 million CpG sites-for miniaturization, flexibility, and multispecies use at a cost of ∼$80. First, we tested modifications to increase throughput and reduce cost, including increasing multiplexing, decreasing DNA input, and using enzymatic rather than mechanical fragmentation to prepare DNA. Second, we compared our optimized TMS protocol to commonly used techniques, specifically the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip (n=55 paired samples) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (n=6 paired samples). In both cases, we found strong agreement between technologies (R² = 0.97 and 0.99, respectively). Third, we tested the optimized TMS protocol in three non-human primate species (rhesus macaques, geladas, and capuchins). We captured a high percentage (mean=77.1%) of targeted CpG sites and produced methylation level estimates that agreed with those generated from reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (R² = 0.98). Finally, we applied our protocol to profile age-associated DNA methylation variation in two subsistence-level populations-the Tsimane of lowland Bolivia and the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia-and found age-methylation patterns that were strikingly similar to those reported in high income cohorts, despite known differences in age-health relationships between lifestyle contexts. Altogether, our optimized TMS protocol will enable cost-effective, population-scale studies of genome-wide DNA methylation levels across human and non-human primate species.
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2
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Yi SV. Epigenetics Research in Evolutionary Biology: Perspectives on Timescales and Mechanisms. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae170. [PMID: 39235767 PMCID: PMC11376073 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae170] [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: 06/28/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics research in evolutionary biology encompasses a variety of research areas, from regulation of gene expression to inheritance of environmentally mediated phenotypes. Such divergent research foci can occasionally render the umbrella term "epigenetics" ambiguous. Here I discuss several areas of contemporary epigenetics research in the context of evolutionary biology, aiming to provide balanced views across timescales and molecular mechanisms. The importance of epigenetics in development is now being assessed in many nonmodel species. These studies not only confirm the importance of epigenetic marks in developmental processes, but also highlight the significant diversity in epigenetic regulatory mechanisms across taxa. Further, these comparative epigenomic studies have begun to show promise toward enhancing our understanding of how regulatory programs evolve. A key property of epigenetic marks is that they can be inherited along mitotic cell lineages, and epigenetic differences that occur during early development can have lasting consequences on the organismal phenotypes. Thus, epigenetic marks may play roles in short-term (within an organism's lifetime or to the next generation) adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. However, the extent to which observed epigenetic variation occurs independently of genetic influences remains uncertain, due to the widespread impact of genetics on epigenetic variation and the limited availability of comprehensive (epi)genomic resources from most species. While epigenetic marks can be inherited independently of genetic sequences in some species, there is little evidence that such "transgenerational inheritance" is a general phenomenon. Rather, molecular mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance are highly variable between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin V Yi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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3
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Hu P, Hao Y, Tang W, Diering GH, Zou F, Kafri T. Analysis of hepatic lentiviral vector transduction; implications for preclinical studies and clinical gene therapy protocols. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.20.608805. [PMID: 39229157 PMCID: PMC11370356 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.20.608805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Lentiviral vector-transduced T-cells were approved by the FDA as gene therapy anti-cancer medications. Little is known about the host genetic variation effects on the safety and efficacy of the lentiviral vector gene delivery system. To narrow this knowledge-gap, we characterized hepatic gene delivery by lentiviral vectors across the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse genetic reference population. For 24 weeks, we periodically measured hepatic luciferase expression from lentiviral vectors in 41 CC mouse strains. Hepatic and splenic vector copy numbers were determined. We report that CC mouse strains showed highly diverse outcomes following lentiviral gene delivery. For the first time, moderate correlation between mouse strain-specific sleeping patterns and transduction efficiency was observed. We associated two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with intra-strain variations in transduction phenotypes, which mechanistically relates to the phenomenon of metastable epialleles. An additional QTL was associated with the kinetics of hepatic transgene expression. Genes comprised in the above QTLs are potential targets to personalize gene therapy protocols. Importantly, we identified two mouse strains that open new directions in characterizing continuous viral vector silencing and HIV latency. Our findings suggest that wide-range patient-specific outcomes of viral vector-based gene therapy should be expected. Thus, novel escalating dose-based clinical protocols should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peirong Hu
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Yajing Hao
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Wei Tang
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Graham H Diering
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology and UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Institute for developmental disabilities, 27510 Carrboro, North Carolina
| | - Fei Zou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tal Kafri
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, 27599 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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4
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Kamitaki N, Hujoel MLA, Mukamel RE, Gebara E, McCarroll SA, Loh PR. A sequence of SVA retrotransposon insertions in ASIP shaped human pigmentation. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1583-1591. [PMID: 39048794 PMCID: PMC11319198 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01841-4] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Retrotransposons comprise about 45% of the human genome1, but their contributions to human trait variation and evolution are only beginning to be explored2,3. Here, we find that a sequence of SVA retrotransposon insertions in an early intron of the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene has probably shaped human pigmentation several times. In the UK Biobank (n = 169,641), a recent 3.3-kb SVA insertion polymorphism associated strongly with lighter skin pigmentation (0.22 [0.21-0.23] s.d.; P = 2.8 × 10-351) and increased skin cancer risk (odds ratio = 1.23 [1.18-1.27]; P = 1.3 × 10-28), appearing to underlie one of the strongest common genetic influences on these phenotypes within European populations4-6. ASIP expression in skin displayed the same association pattern, with the SVA insertion allele exhibiting 2.2-fold (1.9-2.6) increased expression. This effect had an unusual apparent mechanism: an earlier, nonpolymorphic, human-specific SVA retrotransposon 3.9 kb upstream appeared to have caused ASIP hypofunction by nonproductive splicing, which the new (polymorphic) SVA insertion largely eliminated. Extended haplotype homozygosity indicated that the insertion allele has risen to allele frequencies up to 11% in European populations over the past several thousand years. These results indicate that a sequence of retrotransposon insertions contributed to a species-wide increase, then a local decrease, of human pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan Kamitaki
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Margaux L A Hujoel
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ronen E Mukamel
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Edward Gebara
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Po-Ru Loh
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Zhang Z, Cui Y, Su V, Wang D, Tol MJ, Cheng L, Wu X, Kim J, Rajbhandari P, Zhang S, Li W, Tontonoz P, Villanueva CJ, Sallam T. A PPARγ/long noncoding RNA axis regulates adipose thermoneutral remodeling in mice. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e170072. [PMID: 37909330 PMCID: PMC10617768 DOI: 10.1172/jci170072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Interplay between energy-storing white adipose cells and thermogenic beige adipocytes contributes to obesity and insulin resistance. Irrespective of specialized niche, adipocytes require the activity of the nuclear receptor PPARγ for proper function. Exposure to cold or adrenergic signaling enriches thermogenic cells though multiple pathways that act synergistically with PPARγ; however, the molecular mechanisms by which PPARγ licenses white adipose tissue to preferentially adopt a thermogenic or white adipose fate in response to dietary cues or thermoneutral conditions are not fully elucidated. Here, we show that a PPARγ/long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) axis integrates canonical and noncanonical thermogenesis to restrain white adipose tissue heat dissipation during thermoneutrality and diet-induced obesity. Pharmacologic inhibition or genetic deletion of the lncRNA Lexis enhances uncoupling protein 1-dependent (UCP1-dependent) and -independent thermogenesis. Adipose-specific deletion of Lexis counteracted diet-induced obesity, improved insulin sensitivity, and enhanced energy expenditure. Single-nuclei transcriptomics revealed that Lexis regulates a distinct population of thermogenic adipocytes. We systematically map Lexis motif preferences and show that it regulates the thermogenic program through the activity of the metabolic GWAS gene and WNT modulator TCF7L2. Collectively, our studies uncover a new mode of crosstalk between PPARγ and WNT that preserves white adipose tissue plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyi Zhang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ya Cui
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Vivien Su
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marcus J. Tol
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lijing Cheng
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jason Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Prashant Rajbhandari
- Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sicheng Zhang
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Peter Tontonoz
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and
| | - Claudio J. Villanueva
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, College of Life Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tamer Sallam
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine
- Department of Physiology, and
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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6
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Sainty R, Silver MJ, Prentice AM, Monk D. The influence of early environment and micronutrient availability on developmental epigenetic programming: lessons from the placenta. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1212199. [PMID: 37484911 PMCID: PMC10358779 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1212199] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is the most commonly studied epigenetic mark in humans, as it is well recognised as a stable, heritable mark that can affect genome function and influence gene expression. Somatic DNA methylation patterns that can persist throughout life are established shortly after fertilisation when the majority of epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation, are erased from the pre-implantation embryo. Therefore, the period around conception is potentially critical for influencing DNA methylation, including methylation at imprinted alleles and metastable epialleles (MEs), loci where methylation varies between individuals but is correlated across tissues. Exposures before and during conception can affect pregnancy outcomes and health throughout life. Retrospective studies of the survivors of famines, such as those exposed to the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-45, have linked exposures around conception to later disease outcomes, some of which correlate with DNA methylation changes at certain genes. Animal models have shown more directly that DNA methylation can be affected by dietary supplements that act as cofactors in one-carbon metabolism, and in humans, methylation at birth has been associated with peri-conceptional micronutrient supplementation. However, directly showing a role of micronutrients in shaping the epigenome has proven difficult. Recently, the placenta, a tissue with a unique hypomethylated methylome, has been shown to possess great inter-individual variability, which we highlight as a promising target tissue for studying MEs and mixed environmental exposures. The placenta has a critical role shaping the health of the fetus. Placenta-associated pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, are all associated with aberrant patterns of DNA methylation and expression which are only now being linked to disease risk later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sainty
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Matt J. Silver
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Prentice
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - David Monk
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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7
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Galbraith JD, Hayward A. The influence of transposable elements on animal colouration. Trends Genet 2023:S0168-9525(23)00091-4. [PMID: 37183153 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences present within host genomes. TEs can contribute to the evolution of host traits, since transposition is mutagenic and TEs often contain host regulatory and protein coding sequences. We review cases where TEs influence animal colouration, reporting major patterns and outstanding questions. TE-induced colouration phenotypes typically arise via introduction of novel regulatory sequences and splice sites, affecting pigment cell development or pigment synthesis. We discuss if particular TE types may be more frequently involved in the evolution of colour variation in animals, given that examples involving long terminal repeat (LTR) elements appear to dominate. Currently, examples of TE-induced colouration phenotypes in animals mainly concern model and domesticated insect and mammal species. However, several influential recent examples, coupled with increases in genome sequencing, suggest cases reported from wild species will increase considerably.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Galbraith
- Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Alexander Hayward
- Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
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8
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Ferraj A, Audano PA, Balachandran P, Czechanski A, Flores JI, Radecki AA, Mosur V, Gordon DS, Walawalkar IA, Eichler EE, Reinholdt LG, Beck CR. Resolution of structural variation in diverse mouse genomes reveals chromatin remodeling due to transposable elements. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100291. [PMID: 37228752 PMCID: PMC10203049 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Diverse inbred mouse strains are important biomedical research models, yet genome characterization of many strains is fundamentally lacking in comparison with humans. In particular, catalogs of structural variants (SVs) (variants ≥ 50 bp) are incomplete, limiting the discovery of causative alleles for phenotypic variation. Here, we resolve genome-wide SVs in 20 genetically distinct inbred mice with long-read sequencing. We report 413,758 site-specific SVs affecting 13% (356 Mbp) of the mouse reference assembly, including 510 previously unannotated coding variants. We substantially improve the Mus musculus transposable element (TE) callset, and we find that TEs comprise 39% of SVs and account for 75% of altered bases. We further utilize this callset to investigate how TE heterogeneity affects mouse embryonic stem cells and find multiple TE classes that influence chromatin accessibility. Our work provides a comprehensive analysis of SVs found in diverse mouse genomes and illustrates the role of TEs in epigenetic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardian Ferraj
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - Peter A. Audano
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob I. Flores
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - Alexander A. Radecki
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - Varun Mosur
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - David S. Gordon
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Isha A. Walawalkar
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - Evan E. Eichler
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Christine R. Beck
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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9
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Maksimov MO, Wu C, Ashbrook DG, Villani F, Colonna V, Mousavi N, Ma N, Lu L, Pritchard JK, Goren A, Williams RW, Palmer AA, Gymrek M. A novel quantitative trait locus implicates Msh3 in the propensity for genome-wide short tandem repeat expansions in mice. Genome Res 2023; 33:689-702. [PMID: 37127331 PMCID: PMC10317118 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277576.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Short tandem repeats (STRs) are a class of rapidly mutating genetic elements typically characterized by repeated units of 1-6 bp. We leveraged whole-genome sequencing data for 152 recombinant inbred (RI) strains from the BXD family of mice to map loci that modulate genome-wide patterns of new mutations arising during parent-to-offspring transmission at STRs. We defined quantitative phenotypes describing the numbers and types of germline STR mutations in each strain and performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses for each of these phenotypes. We identified a locus on Chromosome 13 at which strains inheriting the C57BL/6J (B) haplotype have a higher rate of STR expansions than those inheriting the DBA/2J (D) haplotype. The strongest candidate gene in this locus is Msh3, a known modifier of STR stability in cancer and at pathogenic repeat expansions in mice and humans, as well as a current drug target against Huntington's disease. The D haplotype at this locus harbors a cluster of variants near the 5' end of Msh3, including multiple missense variants near the DNA mismatch recognition domain. In contrast, the B haplotype contains a unique retrotransposon insertion. The rate of expansion covaries positively with Msh3 expression-with higher expression from the B haplotype. Finally, detailed analysis of mutation patterns showed that strains carrying the B allele have higher expansion rates, but slightly lower overall total mutation rates, compared with those with the D allele, particularly at tetranucleotide repeats. Our results suggest an important role for inherited variants in Msh3 in modulating genome-wide patterns of germline mutations at STRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail O Maksimov
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Cynthia Wu
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - David G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Flavia Villani
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Vincenza Colonna
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, National Research Council, Naples 80111, Italy
| | - Nima Mousavi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Nichole Ma
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Jonathan K Pritchard
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Alon Goren
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Abraham A Palmer
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Melissa Gymrek
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics
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10
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Santilli F, Boskovic A. Mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: lessons from animal model organisms. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 79:102024. [PMID: 36893483 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance is a phenomenon whereby stochastic or signal-induced changes to parental germline epigenome modulate phenotypic output in one or more subsequent generations, independently of mutations in the genomic DNA. While the number of reported epigenetic inheritance phenomena across phyla is exponentially growing, much remains to be elucidated about their mechanistic underpinnings, and their significance for organismal homeostasis and adaptation. Here, we review the most recent epigenetic inheritance examples in animal models, outlining molecular details behind environmental sensing by the germline, and the functional relationships connecting epigenetic mechanisms and phenotypic traits after fertilization. We touch upon the experimental challenges associated with studying the scope of environmental input on phenotypic outcomes between generations. Finally, we discuss the implications of mechanistic findings from model organisms for the emergent examples of parental effects in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Santilli
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, Monterotondo, RM, Italy. https://twitter.com/@santilli_flavio
| | - Ana Boskovic
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, Monterotondo, RM, Italy.
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11
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Stamidis N, Żylicz JJ. RNA-mediated heterochromatin formation at repetitive elements in mammals. EMBO J 2023; 42:e111717. [PMID: 36847618 PMCID: PMC10106986 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The failure to repress transcription of repetitive genomic elements can lead to catastrophic genome instability and is associated with various human diseases. As such, multiple parallel mechanisms cooperate to ensure repression and heterochromatinization of these elements, especially during germline development and early embryogenesis. A vital question in the field is how specificity in establishing heterochromatin at repetitive elements is achieved. Apart from trans-acting protein factors, recent evidence points to a role of different RNA species in targeting repressive histone marks and DNA methylation to these sites in mammals. Here, we review recent discoveries on this topic and predominantly focus on the role of RNA methylation, piRNAs, and other localized satellite RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Stamidis
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jan Jakub Żylicz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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12
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Gunasekara CJ, MacKay H, Scott CA, Li S, Laritsky E, Baker MS, Grimm SL, Jun G, Li Y, Chen R, Wiemels JL, Coarfa C, Waterland RA. Systemic interindividual epigenetic variation in humans is associated with transposable elements and under strong genetic control. Genome Biol 2023; 24:2. [PMID: 36631879 PMCID: PMC9835319 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02827-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic variants can modulate phenotypic outcomes via epigenetic intermediates, for example at methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL). We present the first large-scale assessment of mQTL at human genomic regions selected for interindividual variation in CpG methylation, which we call correlated regions of systemic interindividual variation (CoRSIVs). These can be assayed in blood DNA and do not reflect interindividual variation in cellular composition. RESULTS We use target-capture bisulfite sequencing to assess DNA methylation at 4086 CoRSIVs in multiple tissues from each of 188 donors in the NIH Gene-Tissue Expression (GTEx) program. At CoRSIVs, DNA methylation in peripheral blood correlates with methylation and gene expression in internal organs. We also discover unprecedented mQTL at these regions. Genetic influences on CoRSIV methylation are extremely strong (median R2=0.76), cumulatively comprising over 70-fold more human mQTL than detected in the most powerful previous study. Moreover, mQTL beta coefficients at CoRSIVs are highly skewed (i.e., the major allele predicts higher methylation). Both surprising findings are independently validated in a cohort of 47 non-GTEx individuals. Genomic regions flanking CoRSIVs show long-range enrichments for LINE-1 and LTR transposable elements; the skewed beta coefficients may therefore reflect evolutionary selection of genetic variants that promote their methylation and silencing. Analyses of GWAS summary statistics show that mQTL polymorphisms at CoRSIVs are associated with metabolic and other classes of disease. CONCLUSIONS A focus on systemic interindividual epigenetic variants, clearly enhanced in mQTL content, should likewise benefit studies attempting to link human epigenetic variation to the risk of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathura J. Gunasekara
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Harry MacKay
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - C. Anthony Scott
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Shaobo Li
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Eleonora Laritsky
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Maria S. Baker
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Sandra L. Grimm
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Goo Jun
- grid.267308.80000 0000 9206 2401Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX USA
| | - Yumei Li
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDepartment of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Rui Chen
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDepartment of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Joseph L. Wiemels
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA ,grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Robert A. Waterland
- grid.508989.50000 0004 6410 7501USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA ,grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XDepartment of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
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13
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Froguel P, Bonnefond A. The discovery of human agouti-induced obesity and its implication for genetic diagnosis. Nat Metab 2022; 4:1614-1615. [PMID: 36536131 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00695-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Froguel
- Inserm UMR1283, CNRS UMR8199, European Genomic Institute for Diabetes (EGID), Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France
- Université de Lille, Lille, France
- Department of Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Amélie Bonnefond
- Inserm UMR1283, CNRS UMR8199, European Genomic Institute for Diabetes (EGID), Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France.
- Université de Lille, Lille, France.
- Department of Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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14
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Kempf E, Landgraf K, Stein R, Hanschkow M, Hilbert A, Abou Jamra R, Boczki P, Herberth G, Kühnapfel A, Tseng YH, Stäubert C, Schöneberg T, Kühnen P, Rayner NW, Zeggini E, Kiess W, Blüher M, Körner A. Aberrant expression of agouti signaling protein (ASIP) as a cause of monogenic severe childhood obesity. Nat Metab 2022; 4:1697-1712. [PMID: 36536132 PMCID: PMC9771800 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00703-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Here we report a heterozygous tandem duplication at the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene locus causing ubiquitous, ectopic ASIP expression in a female patient with extreme childhood obesity. The mutation places ASIP under control of the ubiquitously active itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase promoter, driving the generation of ASIP in patient-derived native and induced pluripotent stem cells for all germ layers and hypothalamic-like neurons. The patient's phenotype of early-onset obesity, overgrowth, red hair and hyperinsulinemia is concordant with that of mutant mice ubiquitously expressing the homolog nonagouti. ASIP represses melanocyte-stimulating hormone-mediated activation as a melanocortin receptor antagonist, which might affect eating behavior, energy expenditure, adipocyte differentiation and pigmentation, as observed in the index patient. As the type of mutation escapes standard genetic screening algorithms, we rescreened the Leipzig Childhood Obesity cohort of 1,745 patients and identified four additional patients with the identical mutation, ectopic ASIP expression and a similar phenotype. Taken together, our data indicate that ubiquitous ectopic ASIP expression is likely a monogenic cause of human obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Kempf
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kathrin Landgraf
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert Stein
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martha Hanschkow
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Hilbert
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rami Abou Jamra
- University Medical Center Leipzig, Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Boczki
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gunda Herberth
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Kühnapfel
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yu-Hua Tseng
- Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Stäubert
- Division of Molecular Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Torsten Schöneberg
- Division of Molecular Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Kühnen
- Institute for Experimental Pediatric Endocrinology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - N William Rayner
- Institute of Translational Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eleftheria Zeggini
- Institute of Translational Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- TUM School of Medicine, Translational Genomics, Technical University of Munich and Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Wieland Kiess
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Blüher
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Medical Department III-Endocrinology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Körner
- University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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15
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Molecular mechanisms regulating spermatogenesis in vertebrates: Environmental, metabolic, and epigenetic factor effects. Anim Reprod Sci 2022; 246:106896. [PMID: 34893378 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The renewal of the natural resources is one of the most concerning aspects of modern farming. In animal production, there are many barriers breeders and researchers have to overcome to develop new practices to improve reproductive potential and hasten sexual maturation of the commercially viable species, while maintaining meat quality and sustainability. With the utilization of molecular biology techniques, there have been relevant advances in the knowledge of spermatogenesis, especially in mammals, resulting in new possibilities to control male fertility and the selection of desirable characteristics. Most of these discoveries have not been implemented in animal production. In this review, recent studies are highlighted on the molecular pathways involved in spermatogenesis in the context of animal production. There is also exploration of the interaction between environmental factors and spermatogenesis and how this knowledge may revolutionize animal production techniques. Furthermore, new insights are described about the inheritance of desired characteristics in mammals and there is a review of nefarious actions of pollutants, nutrition, and metabolism on reproductive potential in subsequent generations. Even though there are these advances in knowledge base, results from recent studies indicate there are previously unrecognized environmental effects on spermatogenesis. The molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction are not well understood. Research in spermatogenesis, therefore, remains pivotal as a pillar of animal production sustainability.
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16
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Fueyo R, Judd J, Feschotte C, Wysocka J. Roles of transposable elements in the regulation of mammalian transcription. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:481-497. [PMID: 35228718 PMCID: PMC10470143 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00457-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) comprise about half of the mammalian genome. TEs often contain sequences capable of recruiting the host transcription machinery, which they use to express their own products and promote transposition. However, the regulatory sequences carried by TEs may affect host transcription long after the TEs have lost the ability to transpose. Recent advances in genome analysis and engineering have facilitated systematic interrogation of the regulatory activities of TEs. In this Review, we discuss diverse mechanisms by which TEs contribute to transcription regulation. Notably, TEs can donate enhancer and promoter sequences that influence the expression of host genes, modify 3D chromatin architecture and give rise to novel regulatory genes, including non-coding RNAs and transcription factors. We discuss how TEs spur regulatory evolution and facilitate the emergence of genetic novelties in mammalian physiology and development. By virtue of their repetitive and interspersed nature, TEs offer unique opportunities to dissect the effects of mutation and genomic context on the function and evolution of cis-regulatory elements. We argue that TE-centric studies hold the key to unlocking general principles of transcription regulation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Fueyo
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julius Judd
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Cedric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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17
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Ornoy A, Weinstein-Fudim L, Becker M. SAMe, Choline, and Valproic Acid as Possible Epigenetic Drugs: Their Effects in Pregnancy with a Special Emphasis on Animal Studies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:192. [PMID: 35215304 PMCID: PMC8879727 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the functions and main effects on pregnancy outcomes of three agents that have the ability to induce epigenetic modifications: valproic acid (VPA), a well-known teratogen that is a histone deacetylase inhibitor; S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), the most effective methyl donor; and choline, an important micronutrient involved in the one methyl group cycle and in the synthesis of SAMe. Our aim was to describe the possible effects of these compounds when administered during pregnancy on the developing embryo and fetus or, if administered postnatally, their effects on the developing child. These substances are able to modify gene expression and possibly alleviate neurobehavioral changes in disturbances that have epigenetic origins, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression, Rett syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Valproic acid and SAMe are antagonistic epigenetic modulators whether administered in utero or postnatally. However, VPA is a major human teratogen and, whenever possible, should not be used by pregnant women. Most currently relevant data come from experimental animal studies that aimed to explore the possibility of using these substances as epigenetic modifiers and possible therapeutic agents. In experimental animals, each of these substances was able to alleviate the severity of several well-known diseases by inducing changes in the expression of affected genes or by other yet unknown mechanisms. We believe that additional studies are needed to further explore the possibility of using these substances, and similar compounds, for the treatment of "epigenetic human diseases".
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Ornoy
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel;
| | - Liza Weinstein-Fudim
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel;
| | - Maria Becker
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
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18
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Urban S, Gerwin J, Hulsey CD, Meyer A, Kratochwil CF. The repeated evolution of stripe patterns is correlated with body morphology in the adaptive radiations of East African cichlid fishes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8568. [PMID: 35154652 PMCID: PMC8820146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Color patterns are often linked to the behavioral and morphological characteristics of an animal, contributing to the effectiveness of such patterns as antipredatory strategies. Species-rich adaptive radiations, such as the freshwater fish family Cichlidae, provide an exciting opportunity to study trait correlations at a macroevolutionary scale. Cichlids are also well known for their diversity and repeated evolution of color patterns and body morphology. To study the evolutionary dynamics between color patterns and body morphology, we used an extensive dataset of 461 species. A phylogenetic supertree of these species shows that stripe patterns evolved ~70 times independently and were lost again ~30 times. Moreover, stripe patterns show strong signs of correlated evolution with body elongation, suggesting that the stripes' effectiveness as antipredatory strategy might differ depending on the body shape. Using pedigree-based analyses, we show that stripes and body elongation segregate independently, indicating that the two traits are not genetically linked. Their correlation in nature is therefore likely maintained by correlational selection. Lastly, by performing a mate preference assay using a striped CRISPR-Cas9 mutant of a nonstriped species, we show that females do not differentiate between striped CRISPR mutant males and nonstriped wild-type males, suggesting that these patterns might be less important for species recognition and mate choice. In summary, our study suggests that the massive rates of repeated evolution of stripe patterns are shaped by correlational selection with body elongation, but not by sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Urban
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Jan Gerwin
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - C. Darrin Hulsey
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
School of Biology and Environmental ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldIreland
| | - Axel Meyer
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFEUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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19
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Marchlewicz E, McCabe C, Djuric Z, Hoenerhoff M, Barks J, Tang L, Song PX, Peterson K, Padmanabhan V, Dolinoy DC. Gestational exposure to high fat diets and bisphenol A alters metabolic outcomes in dams and offspring, but produces hepatic steatosis only in dams. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131645. [PMID: 34426127 PMCID: PMC8595757 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide. Perinatal development is a critical window for altered, lifelong health trajectory, and evidence supports the role of perinatal programming in chronic metabolic diseases. To examine the impact of diet and bisphenol A (BPA) on the developmental trajectory of NAFLD in offspring, we exposed dams from pre-gestation through lactation to a human-relevant dose of oral BPA coupled with intake of high fat Western or Mediterranean-style diets. We assessed hepatic steatosis by quantifying hepatic triglycerides (TGs) and metabolic health by measuring body weight, relative organ weights, and serum hormone levels in dams and offspring at postnatal day 10 (PND10) and 10-months of age. In dams, consumption of the Western or Mediterranean diet increased hepatic TGs 1.7-2.4-fold, independent of BPA intake. Among offspring, both perinatal diet and BPA exposure had a greater impact on metabolic outcomes than on hepatic steatosis. At PND10, serum leptin levels were elevated 2.6-4.8-fold in pups exposed to the Mediterranean diet, with a trend for sex-specific effects on body and organ weights. At 10-months, sex-specific increases in organ weight and hormone levels were observed in mice perinatally exposed to Western + BPA or Mediterranean + BPA. These findings suggest lifestage-specific interaction of perinatal exposures to experimental diets and BPA on offspring metabolic health without effects on NAFLD later in life. Importantly, alterations in dam phenotype by diet and BPA exposure appear to impact offspring health trajectory, emphasizing the need to define dam diet in assessing effects of environmental exposures on offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Marchlewicz
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Carolyn McCabe
- Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zora Djuric
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mark Hoenerhoff
- In Vivo Animal Core, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - John Barks
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lu Tang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, PA, USA
| | - Peter X Song
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Karen Peterson
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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20
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Tai X, Zhang Y, Yao J, Li X, Liu J, Han J, Lyu J, Lin G, Zhang C. Pharmacological Modulation of Melanocortin 1 Receptor Signaling by Mrap Proteins in Xenopus tropicalis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:892407. [PMID: 35795143 PMCID: PMC9251544 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.892407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin system consists of five G protein-coupled receptors (MC1R-MC5R), the bidirectional endogenous ligands (MSH and Agouti families), and accessory proteins (MRAP1 and MRAP2). Accumulative studies of vertebrate species find high expression level of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) in the dermal melanocyte and elucidate the essential roles in the skin and fur pigmentation, morphological background adaptation, and stress response. The diploid amphibian Xenopus tropicalis (xt) has been utilized as a fantastic animal model for embryonic development and studies of physiological cryptic colouring and environmental adaptiveness. However, the interaction of xtMc1r signaling with xtMrap proteins has not been assessed yet. In this study, we carried out in silico evolutionary analysis of protein alignment and genetic phylogenetic and genomic synteny of mc1r among various vertebrates. Ubiquitous expression of mrap1 and mrap2 and the co-expression with mc1r transcripts in the skin were clearly observed. Co-immunoprecipitation (ip) and fluorescent complementary approach validated the direct functional interaction of xtMc1r with xtMrap1 or xtMrap2 proteins on the plasma membrane. Pharmacological assay showed the improvement of the constitutive activity and alpha melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) stimulated plateau without dramatic alteration of the cell surface translocation of xtMc1r in the presence of xtMrap proteins. Overall, the pharmacological modulation of xtMc1r by dual xtMrap2 proteins elucidated the potential role of this protein complex in the regulation of proper dermal function in amphibian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Tai
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaqun Zhang
- Department of Pathology, InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, China
| | - Jindong Yao
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology, InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, China
| | - Jiazhen Han
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Lyu
- Department of Pathology, InnoStar Bio-tech Nantong Co., Ltd., Nantong, China
- *Correspondence: Jianjun Lyu, ; Gufa Lin, ; Chao Zhang,
| | - Gufa Lin
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianjun Lyu, ; Gufa Lin, ; Chao Zhang,
| | - Chao Zhang
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianjun Lyu, ; Gufa Lin, ; Chao Zhang,
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21
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Neuron-specific chromosomal megadomain organization is adaptive to recent retrotransposon expansions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7243. [PMID: 34903713 PMCID: PMC8669064 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26862-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory mechanisms associated with repeat-rich sequences and chromosomal conformations in mature neurons remain unexplored. Here, we map cell-type specific chromatin domain organization in adult mouse cerebral cortex and report strong enrichment of Endogenous Retrovirus 2 (ERV2) repeat sequences in the neuron-specific heterochromatic B2NeuN+ megabase-scaling subcompartment. Single molecule long-read sequencing and comparative Hi-C chromosomal contact mapping in wild-derived SPRET/EiJ (Mus spretus) and laboratory inbred C57BL/6J (Mus musculus) reveal neuronal reconfigurations tracking recent ERV2 expansions in the murine germline, with significantly higher B2NeuN+ contact frequencies at sites with ongoing insertions in Mus musculus. Neuronal ablation of the retrotransposon silencer Kmt1e/Setdb1 triggers B2NeuN+ disintegration and rewiring with open chromatin domains enriched for cellular stress response genes, along with severe neuroinflammation and proviral assembly with infiltration of dendrites . We conclude that neuronal megabase-scale chromosomal architectures include an evolutionarily adaptive heterochromatic organization which, upon perturbation, results in transcriptional dysregulation and unleashes ERV2 proviruses with strong neuronal tropism.
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Burton NO, Greer EL. Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance: Transmitting information across generations. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:121-132. [PMID: 34426067 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Inherited epigenetic information has been observed to regulate a variety of complex organismal phenotypes across diverse taxa of life. This continually expanding body of literature suggests that epigenetic inheritance plays a significant, and potentially fundamental, role in inheritance. Despite the important role these types of effects play in biology, the molecular mediators of this non-genetic transmission of information are just now beginning to be deciphered. Here we provide an intellectual framework for interpreting these findings and how they can interact with each other. We also define the different types of mechanisms that have been found to mediate epigenetic inheritance and to regulate whether epigenetic information persists for one or many generations. The field of epigenetic inheritance is entering an exciting phase, in which we are beginning to understand the mechanisms by which non-genetic information is transmitted to, and deciphered by, subsequent generations to maintain essential environmental information without permanently altering the genetic code. A more complete understanding of how and when epigenetic inheritance occurs will advance our understanding of numerous different aspects of biology ranging from how organisms cope with changing environments to human pathologies influenced by a parent's environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas O Burton
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.
| | - Eric L Greer
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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23
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Understanding the Long-Lasting Effects of Fetal Nutrient Restriction versus Exposure to an Obesogenic Diet on Islet-Cell Mass and Function. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11080514. [PMID: 34436455 PMCID: PMC8401811 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11080514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life represents a window of phenotypic plasticity. Thus, exposure of the developing fetus to a compromised nutritional environment can have long term consequences for their health. Indeed, undernutrition or maternal intake of an obesogenic diet during pregnancy leads to a heightened risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity in her offspring in adult life. Given that abnormalities in beta-cell function are crucial in delineating the risk of T2D, studies have investigated the impact of these exposures on islet morphology and beta-cell function in the offspring in a bid to understand why they are more at risk of T2D. Interestingly, despite the contrasting maternal metabolic phenotype and, therefore, intrauterine environment associated with undernutrition versus high-fat feeding, there are a number of similarities in the genes/biological pathways that are disrupted in offspring islets leading to changes in function. Looking to the future, it will be important to define the exact mechanisms involved in mediating changes in the gene expression landscape in islet cells to determine whether the road to T2D development is the same or different in those exposed to different ends of the nutritional spectrum.
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24
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Bertozzi TM, Becker JL, Blake GET, Bansal A, Nguyen DK, Fernandez-Twinn DS, Ozanne SE, Bartolomei MS, Simmons RA, Watson ED, Ferguson-Smith AC. Variably methylated retrotransposons are refractory to a range of environmental perturbations. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1233-1242. [PMID: 34326545 PMCID: PMC7611517 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00898-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The agouti viable yellow (Avy) allele is an insertional mutation in the mouse genome caused by a variably methylated intracisternal A particle (VM-IAP) retrotransposon. Avy expressivity is sensitive to a range of early-life chemical exposures and nutritional interventions, suggesting that environmental perturbations can have long-lasting effects on the methylome. However, the extent to which VM-IAP elements are environmentally labile with phenotypic implications is unknown. Using a recently identified repertoire of VM-IAPs, we assessed the epigenetic effects of different environmental contexts. A longitudinal aging analysis indicated that VM-IAPs are stable across the murine lifespan, with only small increases in DNA methylation detected for a subset of loci. No significant effects were observed after maternal exposure to the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A, an obesogenic diet or methyl donor supplementation. A genetic mouse model of abnormal folate metabolism exhibited shifted VM-IAP methylation levels and altered VM-IAP-associated gene expression, yet these effects are likely largely driven by differential targeting by polymorphic KRAB zinc finger proteins. We conclude that epigenetic variability at retrotransposons is not predictive of environmental susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Georgina E T Blake
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amita Bansal
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Australian National University Medical School, John Curtin School of Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Duy K Nguyen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Denise S Fernandez-Twinn
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Simmons
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Erica D Watson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anne C Ferguson-Smith
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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25
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Judd J, Sanderson H, Feschotte C. Evolution of mouse circadian enhancers from transposable elements. Genome Biol 2021; 22:193. [PMID: 34187518 PMCID: PMC8240256 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02409-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements are increasingly recognized as a source of cis-regulatory variation. Previous studies have revealed that transposons are often bound by transcription factors and some have been co-opted into functional enhancers regulating host gene expression. However, the process by which transposons mature into complex regulatory elements, like enhancers, remains poorly understood. To investigate this process, we examined the contribution of transposons to the cis-regulatory network controlling circadian gene expression in the mouse liver, a well-characterized network serving an important physiological function. RESULTS ChIP-seq analyses reveal that transposons and other repeats contribute ~ 14% of the binding sites for core circadian regulators (CRs) including BMAL1, CLOCK, PER1/2, and CRY1/2, in the mouse liver. RSINE1, an abundant murine-specific SINE, is the only transposon family enriched for CR binding sites across all datasets. Sequence analyses and reporter assays reveal that the circadian regulatory activity of RSINE1 stems from the presence of imperfect CR binding motifs in the ancestral RSINE1 sequence. These motifs matured into canonical motifs through point mutations after transposition. Furthermore, maturation occurred preferentially within elements inserted in the proximity of ancestral CR binding sites. RSINE1 also acquired motifs that recruit nuclear receptors known to cooperate with CRs to regulate circadian gene expression specifically in the liver. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the birth of enhancers from transposons is predicated both by the sequence of the transposon and by the cis-regulatory landscape surrounding their genomic integration site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Judd
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Hayley Sanderson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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26
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Almojil D, Bourgeois Y, Falis M, Hariyani I, Wilcox J, Boissinot S. The Structural, Functional and Evolutionary Impact of Transposable Elements in Eukaryotes. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060918. [PMID: 34203645 PMCID: PMC8232201 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are nearly ubiquitous in eukaryotes. The increase in genomic data, as well as progress in genome annotation and molecular biology techniques, have revealed the vast number of ways mobile elements have impacted the evolution of eukaryotes. In addition to being the main cause of difference in haploid genome size, TEs have affected the overall organization of genomes by accumulating preferentially in some genomic regions, by causing structural rearrangements or by modifying the recombination rate. Although the vast majority of insertions is neutral or deleterious, TEs have been an important source of evolutionary novelties and have played a determinant role in the evolution of fundamental biological processes. TEs have been recruited in the regulation of host genes and are implicated in the evolution of regulatory networks. They have also served as a source of protein-coding sequences or even entire genes. The impact of TEs on eukaryotic evolution is only now being fully appreciated and the role they may play in a number of biological processes, such as speciation and adaptation, remains to be deciphered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dareen Almojil
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Yann Bourgeois
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK;
| | - Marcin Falis
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Imtiyaz Hariyani
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
| | - Justin Wilcox
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Stéphane Boissinot
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates; (D.A.); (M.F.); (I.H.); (J.W.)
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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27
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Lozoya OA, Xu F, Grenet D, Wang T, Grimm SA, Godfrey V, Waidyanatha S, Woychik RP, Santos JH. Single Nucleotide Resolution Analysis Reveals Pervasive, Long-Lasting DNA Methylation Changes by Developmental Exposure to a Mitochondrial Toxicant. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108131. [PMID: 32937126 PMCID: PMC7553240 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial-driven alterations of the epigenome have been reported, but whether they are relevant at the organismal level remains unknown. The viable yellow agouti mouse (Avy) is a powerful epigenetic biosensor model that reports on the DNA methylation status of the Avy locus, which is established prior to the three-germ-layer separation, through the coat color of the animals. Here we show that maternal exposure to rotenone, a potent mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, not only changes the DNA methylation status of the Avy locus in the skin but broadly affects the liver DNA methylome of the offspring. These effects are accompanied by altered gene expression programs that persist throughout life, and which associate with impairment of antioxidant activity and mitochondrial function in aged animals. These pervasive and lasting genomic effects suggest a putative role for mitochondria in regulating life-long gene expression programs through developmental nuclear epigenetic remodeling. Lozoya et al. provide in vivo evidence of the epigenetic effects of mitochondrial dysfunction. Developmental-only exposure to rotenone through the mother’s diet inhibits mitochondrial complex I in the dams and results in lifelong nuclear DNA methylation and gene expression changes in the offspring. Aged offspring also show functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswaldo A Lozoya
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Fuhua Xu
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Dagoberto Grenet
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Tianyuan Wang
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Sara A Grimm
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Veronica Godfrey
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Suramya Waidyanatha
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Richard P Woychik
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
| | - Janine H Santos
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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28
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Stajic D, Jansen LET. Empirical evidence for epigenetic inheritance driving evolutionary adaptation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200121. [PMID: 33866813 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular machinery that regulates gene expression can be self-propagated across cell division cycles and even generations. This renders gene expression states and their associated phenotypes heritable, independently of genetic changes. These phenotypic states, in turn, can be subject to selection and may influence evolutionary adaptation. In this review, we will discuss the molecular basis of epigenetic inheritance, the extent of its transmission and mechanisms of evolutionary adaptation. The current work shows that heritable gene expression can facilitate the process of adaptation through the increase of survival in a novel environment and by enlarging the size of beneficial mutational targets. Moreover, epigenetic control of gene expression enables stochastic switching between different phenotypes in populations that can potentially facilitate adaptation in rapidly fluctuating environments. Ecological studies of the variation of epigenetic markers (e.g. DNA methylation patterns) in wild populations show a potential contribution of this mode of inheritance to local adaptation in nature. However, the extent of the adaptive contribution of the naturally occurring variation in epi-alleles compared to genetic variation remains unclear. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragan Stajic
- Department of Zoology, University of Stockholm, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars E T Jansen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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29
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Bertozzi TM, Takahashi N, Hanin G, Kazachenka A, Ferguson-Smith AC. A spontaneous genetically induced epiallele at a retrotransposon shapes host genome function. eLife 2021; 10:e65233. [PMID: 33755012 PMCID: PMC8084528 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracisternal A-particles (IAPs) are endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) responsible for most insertional mutations in the mouse. Full-length IAPs harbour genes flanked by long terminal repeats (LTRs). Here, we identify a solo LTR IAP variant (Iap5-1solo) recently formed in the inbred C57BL/6J mouse strain. In contrast to the C57BL/6J full-length IAP at this locus (Iap5-1full), Iap5-1solo lacks DNA methylation and H3K9 trimethylation. The distinct DNA methylation levels between the two alleles are established during preimplantation development, likely due to loss of KRAB zinc finger protein binding at the Iap5-1solo variant. Iap5-1solo methylation increases and becomes more variable in a hybrid genetic background yet is unresponsive to maternal dietary methyl supplementation. Differential epigenetic modification of the two variants is associated with metabolic differences and tissue-specific changes in adjacent gene expression. Our characterisation of Iap5-1 as a genetically induced epiallele with functional consequences establishes a new model to study transposable element repression and host-element co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Nozomi Takahashi
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Geula Hanin
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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30
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Liang D, Zhao P, Si J, Fang L, Pairo-Castineira E, Hu X, Xu Q, Hou Y, Gong Y, Liang Z, Tian B, Mao H, Yindee M, Faruque MO, Kongvongxay S, Khamphoumee S, Liu GE, Wu DD, Barker JSF, Han J, Zhang Y. Genomic Analysis Revealed a Convergent Evolution of LINE-1 in Coat Color: A Case Study in Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:1122-1136. [PMID: 33212507 PMCID: PMC7947781 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Visible pigmentation phenotypes can be used to explore the regulation of gene expression and the evolution of coat color patterns in animals. Here, we performed whole-genome and RNA sequencing and applied genome-wide association study, comparative population genomics and biological experiments to show that the 2,809-bp-long LINE-1 insertion in the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene is the causative mutation for the white coat phenotype in swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). This LINE-1 insertion (3' truncated and containing only 5' UTR) functions as a strong proximal promoter that leads to a 10-fold increase in the transcription of ASIP in white buffalo skin. The 165 bp of 5' UTR transcribed from the LINE-1 is spliced into the first coding exon of ASIP, resulting in a chimeric transcript. The increased expression of ASIP prevents melanocyte maturation, leading to the absence of pigment in white buffalo skin and hairs. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the white buffalo-specific ASIP allele originated from a recent genetic transposition event in swamp buffalo. Interestingly, as a similar LINE-1 insertion has been identified in the cattle ASIP gene, we discuss the convergent mechanism of coat color evolution in the Bovini tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Pengju Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingfang Si
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Erola Pairo-Castineira
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaoxiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of AgroBiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Xu
- College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Yali Hou
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Gong
- Guizhou Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Management Station, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhengwen Liang
- Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Fenggang County, Zunyi, China
| | - Bing Tian
- Animal Disease Prevention and Control Station of Zunyi City, Zunyi, China
| | - Huaming Mao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Marnoch Yindee
- Akkhararatchakumari Veterinary College (AVC), Walailak University, Nakorn Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Md Omar Faruque
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Siton Kongvongxay
- Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Souksamlane Khamphoumee
- Livestock Research Center, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - James Stuart F Barker
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Jianlin Han
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
- CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of MOAR, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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31
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Dog colour patterns explained by modular promoters of ancient canid origin. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1415-1423. [PMID: 34385618 PMCID: PMC8484016 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Distinctive colour patterns in dogs are an integral component of canine diversity. Colour pattern differences are thought to have arisen from mutation and artificial selection during and after domestication from wolves but important gaps remain in understanding how these patterns evolved and are genetically controlled. In other mammals, variation at the ASIP gene controls both the temporal and spatial distribution of yellow and black pigments. Here, we identify independent regulatory modules for ventral and hair cycle ASIP expression, and we characterize their action and evolutionary origin. Structural variants define multiple alleles for each regulatory module and are combined in different ways to explain five distinctive dog colour patterns. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the haplotype combination for one of these patterns is shared with Arctic white wolves and that its hair cycle-specific module probably originated from an extinct canid that diverged from grey wolves more than 2 million years ago. Natural selection for a lighter coat during the Pleistocene provided the genetic framework for widespread colour variation in dogs and wolves.
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32
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Yardman-Frank JM, Fisher DE. Skin pigmentation and its control: From ultraviolet radiation to stem cells. Exp Dermatol 2020; 30:560-571. [PMID: 33320376 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the light of substantial discoveries in epithelial and hair pigmentation pathophysiology, this review summarizes the current understanding of skin pigmentation mechanisms. Melanocytes are pigment-producing cells, and their key regulating transcription factor is the melanocyte-specific microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (m-MITF). Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a unique modulator of skin pigmentation influencing tanning pathways. The delayed tanning pathway occurs as UVB produces keratinocyte DNA damage, causing p53-mediated expression of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene that is processed to release α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). α-MSH stimulates the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) on melanocytes, leading to m-MITF expression and melanogenesis. POMC cleavage also releases β-endorphin, which creates a neuroendocrine pathway that promotes UV-seeking behaviours. Mutations along the tanning pathway can affect pigmentation and increase the risk of skin malignancies. MC1R variants have received considerable attention, yet the allele is highly polymorphic with varied phenotypes. Vitiligo presents with depigmented skin lesions due to autoimmune destruction of melanocytes. UVB phototherapy stimulates melanocyte stem cells in the hair bulge to undergo differentiation and upwards migration resulting in perifollicular repigmentation of vitiliginous lesions, which is under sophisticated signalling control. Melanocyte stem cells, normally quiescent, undergo cyclic activation/differentiation and downward migration with the hair cycle, providing pigment to hair follicles. Physiological hair greying results from progressive loss of melanocyte stem cells and can be accelerated by acute stress-induced, sympathetic driven hyperproliferation of the melanocyte stem cells. Ultimately, by reviewing the pathways governing epithelial and follicular pigmentation, numerous areas of future research and potential points of intervention are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David E Fisher
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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33
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Bertozzi TM, Elmer JL, Macfarlan TS, Ferguson-Smith AC. KRAB zinc finger protein diversification drives mammalian interindividual methylation variability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31290-31300. [PMID: 33239447 PMCID: PMC7733849 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017053117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most transposable elements (TEs) in the mouse genome are heavily modified by DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications. However, a subset of TEs exhibit variable methylation levels in genetically identical individuals, and this is associated with epigenetically conferred phenotypic differences, environmental adaptability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The evolutionary origins and molecular mechanisms underlying interindividual epigenetic variability remain unknown. Using a repertoire of murine variably methylated intracisternal A-particle (VM-IAP) epialleles as a model, we demonstrate that variable DNA methylation states at TEs are highly susceptible to genetic background effects. Taking a classical genetics approach coupled with genome-wide analysis, we harness these effects and identify a cluster of KRAB zinc finger protein (KZFP) genes that modifies VM-IAPs in trans in a sequence-specific manner. Deletion of the cluster results in decreased DNA methylation levels and altered histone modifications at the targeted VM-IAPs. In some cases, these effects are accompanied by dysregulation of neighboring genes. We find that VM-IAPs cluster together phylogenetically and that this is linked to differential KZFP binding, suggestive of an ongoing evolutionary arms race between TEs and this large family of epigenetic regulators. These findings indicate that KZFP divergence and concomitant evolution of DNA binding capabilities are mechanistically linked to methylation variability in mammals, with implications for phenotypic variation and putative paradigms of mammalian epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica L Elmer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Host Gene Regulation by Transposable Elements: The New, the Old and the Ugly. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101089. [PMID: 32993145 PMCID: PMC7650545 DOI: 10.3390/v12101089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome has been under selective pressure to evolve in response to emerging pathogens and other environmental challenges. Genome evolution includes the acquisition of new genes or new isoforms of genes and changes to gene expression patterns. One source of genome innovation is from transposable elements (TEs), which carry their own promoters, enhancers and open reading frames and can act as ‘controlling elements’ for our own genes. TEs include LINE-1 elements, which can retrotranspose intracellularly and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that represent remnants of past retroviral germline infections. Although once pathogens, ERVs also represent an enticing source of incoming genetic material that the host can then repurpose. ERVs and other TEs have coevolved with host genes for millions of years, which has allowed them to become embedded within essential gene expression programmes. Intriguingly, these host genes are often subject to the same epigenetic control mechanisms that evolved to combat the TEs that now regulate them. Here, we illustrate the breadth of host gene regulation through TEs by focusing on examples of young (The New), ancient (The Old), and disease-causing (The Ugly) TE integrants.
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Zhang L, Yin SJ, Zheng X, Chen X, Wang Q, Park YD, Qian GY, Si YX. Screening and analysis of agouti signaling protein interaction partners in Pelodiscus sinensis suggests a role in lipid metabolism. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 157:695-705. [PMID: 31794826 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.11.229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Agouti signaling protein (ASP) is a secreted paracrine protein that has been widely reported to function in melanogenesis and obesity and could potentially be a core protein that regulates the color and fatty phenotype of P. sinensis. In this study, we screened out interacting proteins of ASP by combined co-immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry (CoIP-MS), yeast two hybrid (Y2H) analysis, and computational predictions. We performed docking of ASP with its well-known receptor melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) to predict the binding capacity and to screen out actual ASP interacting proteins, CoIP-MS was performed where identified 32 proteins that could bind with ASP and Y2H confirmed seven proteins binding with ASP directly. CoIP-MS and Y2H screening results including PPI prediction revealed that vitronectin (VTN), apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), apolipoprotein B (APOB), and filamin B (FLNB) were the key interacting proteins of ASP. VTN, APOA1, and APOB are functional proteins in lipid metabolism and various skin disorders, suggesting ASP may function in lipid metabolism through these partners. This study provided protein-protein interaction information of ASP, and the results will promote further research into the diverse roles of ASP, as well as its binding partners, and their function in different strains of P. sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China; College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Shang-Jun Yin
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Zheng
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Xuanwei Chen
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Yong-Doo Park
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China; Skin Diseases Research Center, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Jiaxing 314006, PR China; Department of Dermatology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul 135-710, Republic of Korea
| | - Guo-Ying Qian
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, PR China.
| | - Yue-Xiu Si
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, PR China.
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36
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Wang P, Yamabe N, Hong CJ, Bai HW, Zhu BT. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, a coffee polyphenol, inhibits DNA methylation in vitro and in vivo. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173464. [PMID: 32781171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation represents an important epigenetic regulation of the genome. Earlier studies have suggested that dietary phenolic compounds including those contained in coffee, tea and soy products may modulate the level of DNA methylation. In this study, we first characterize the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and other dietary phenolic compounds on DNA methylation in vitro. The IC50 values of CAPE, daidzein, isorhamnetin and genistein are 7.6, 6.9, 6.2, and 4.3 μM, respectively, in an in-vitro enzymatic assay system. Computational analysis indicates that CAPE, daidzein, isorhamnetin and genistein can bind inside the DNA substrate-binding site in human DNMT1 with a favorable binding energy. In an animal study, we find that maternal CAPE treatment shifts the coat color distribution of the 21-day-old Avy/a offspring towards the yellow phenotype, indicating that CAPE inhibits the methylation of the agouti gene promoter sequence in vivo. The results from this study may shed light on the potential epigenetic effect in the offspring resulting from maternal intake of certain coffee phenolics during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China.
| | - Noriko Yamabe
- College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Can-Jian Hong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China
| | - Hyoung-Woo Bai
- Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do, 580-185, Republic of Korea
| | - Bao Ting Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Steroid Drug Discovery and Development, School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
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Strain-Specific Epigenetic Regulation of Endogenous Retroviruses: The Role of Trans-Acting Modifiers. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080810. [PMID: 32727076 PMCID: PMC7472028 DOI: 10.3390/v12080810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 10 percent of the mouse genome consists of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), relics of ancient retroviral infections that are classified based on their relatedness to exogenous retroviral genera. Because of the ability of ERVs to retrotranspose, as well as their cis-acting regulatory potential due to functional elements located within the elements, mammalian ERVs are generally subject to epigenetic silencing by DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications. The mobilisation and expansion of ERV elements is strain-specific, leading to ERVs being highly polymorphic between inbred mouse strains, hinting at the possibility of the strain-specific regulation of ERVs. In this review, we describe the existing evidence of mouse strain-specific epigenetic control of ERVs and discuss the implications of differential ERV regulation on epigenetic inheritance models. We consider Krüppel-associated box domain (KRAB) zinc finger proteins as likely candidates for strain-specific ERV modifiers, drawing on insights gained from the study of the strain-specific behaviour of transgenes. We conclude by considering the coevolution of KRAB zinc finger proteins and actively transposing ERV elements, and highlight the importance of cross-strain studies in elucidating the mechanisms and consequences of strain-specific ERV regulation.
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Choi JY, Lee YCG. Double-edged sword: The evolutionary consequences of the epigenetic silencing of transposable elements. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008872. [PMID: 32673310 PMCID: PMC7365398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic parasites that selfishly replicate at the expense of host fitness. Fifty years of evolutionary studies of TEs have concentrated on the deleterious genetic effects of TEs, such as their effects on disrupting genes and regulatory sequences. However, a flurry of recent work suggests that there is another important source of TEs' harmful effects-epigenetic silencing. Host genomes typically silence TEs by the deposition of repressive epigenetic marks. While this silencing reduces the selfish replication of TEs and should benefit hosts, a picture is emerging that the epigenetic silencing of TEs triggers inadvertent spreading of repressive marks to otherwise expressed neighboring genes, ultimately jeopardizing host fitness. In this Review, we provide a long-overdue overview of the recent genome-wide evidence for the presence and prevalence of TEs' epigenetic effects, highlighting both the similarities and differences across mammals, insects, and plants. We lay out the current understanding of the functional and fitness consequences of TEs' epigenetic effects, and propose possible influences of such effects on the evolution of both hosts and TEs themselves. These unique evolutionary consequences indicate that TEs' epigenetic effect is not only a crucial component of TE biology but could also be a significant contributor to genome function and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Young Choi
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York State, United States of America
| | - Yuh Chwen G. Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
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Leroy JL, Frongillo EA, Dewan P, Black MM, Waterland RA. Can Children Catch up from the Consequences of Undernourishment? Evidence from Child Linear Growth, Developmental Epigenetics, and Brain and Neurocognitive Development. Adv Nutr 2020; 11:1032-1041. [PMID: 32584399 PMCID: PMC7360439 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovery from nutritionally induced height deficits continues to garner attention. The current literature on catch-up growth, however, has 2 important limitations: wide-ranging definitions of catch-up growth are used, and it remains unclear whether children can recover from the broader consequences of undernutrition. We addressed these shortcomings by reviewing the literature on the criteria for catch-up in linear growth and on the potential to recover from undernutrition early in life in 3 domains: linear growth, developmental epigenetics, and child brain and neurocognitive development. Four criteria must be met to demonstrate catch-up growth in height: after a period in which a growth-inhibiting condition (criterion 1) causes a reduction in linear growth velocity (criterion 2), alleviation of the inhibiting condition (criterion 3) leads to higher-than-normal velocity (criterion 4). Accordingly, studies that are observational, do not use absolute height, or have no alleviation of an inhibiting condition cannot be used to establish catch-up growth. Adoption and foster care, which provide dramatic improvements in children's living conditions not typically attained in nutrition interventions, led to some (but incomplete) recovery in linear growth and brain and neurocognitive development. Maternal nutrition around the time of conception was shown to have long-term (potentially permanent) effects on DNA methylation in the offspring. Undernourishment early in life may thus have profound irreversible effects. Scientific, program, and policy efforts should focus on preventing maternal and child undernutrition rather than on correcting its consequences or attempting to prove they can be corrected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jef L Leroy
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Edward A Frongillo
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Pragya Dewan
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Maureen M Black
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Robert A Waterland
- USDA/Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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40
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DNA methylation at the crossroads of gene and environment interactions. Essays Biochem 2020; 63:717-726. [PMID: 31782496 PMCID: PMC6923319 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20190031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark involved in regulating genome function and is critical for normal development in mammals. It has been observed that the developmental environment can lead to permanent changes in gene expression and DNA methylation, at least at 'metastable epialleles'. These are defined as regions of the genome that show a variable epigenetic state that is established early in development and maintained through subsequent cell divisions. However, the majority of the known genome does not behave in this manner. Here, we use the developmental origins of adult disease hypothesis to understand environmental epigenomics. Some challenges to studying how DNA methylation is influenced by the environment include identifying DNA methylation changes associated with an environmental exposure in tissues with a complex cellular composition and at genomic regions for which DNA methylation is dynamically regulated in a cell-type specific manner. We also offer a perspective of how emerging technologies may be useful for dissecting the functional contribution of exposure-associated epigenetic changes and highlight recent evidence that suggests that genomic regions that are absent from genome assemblies may be unappreciated hotspots for environmental modulation of the epigenetic state.
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41
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Vukic M, Wu H, Daxinger L. Making headway towards understanding how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to early-life effects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180126. [PMID: 30966890 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has become clear that in addition to the DNA sequence there is another layer of information, termed epigenetic modifications, that can influence phenotypes and traits. In particular, environmental epigenomics, which addresses the effect of the environment on the epigenome and human health, is becoming an area of great interest for many researchers working in different scientific fields. In this review, we will consider the current evidence that early-life environmental signals can have long-term effects on the epigenome. We will further evaluate how recent technological advances may enable us to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenomena, which will be crucial for understanding heritability in health and disease. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Vukic
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre , Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Haoyu Wu
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre , Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Lucia Daxinger
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre , Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden , The Netherlands
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42
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Nicholas LM, Ozanne SE. Early life programming in mice by maternal overnutrition: mechanistic insights and interventional approaches. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 374:20180116. [PMID: 30966886 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models have been indispensable in elucidating the potential causative mechanisms underlying the effects of maternal diet on offspring health. Of these, the mouse has been widely used to model maternal overnutrition and/or maternal obesity and to study its effects across one or more generations. This review discusses recent findings from mouse models, which resemble the human situation, i.e. overnutrition/obesity across pregnancy and lactation. It also highlights the importance of embryo transfer models in identifying critical developmental period(s) during which specific metabolic changes are programmed in the offspring. The mouse is also an excellent tool for maternal intervention studies aimed at elucidating the longer-term effects on the offspring and for defining possible maternal factors underling the programming of metabolic adversity in offspring. While knowledge of the mouse genome and the molecular tools available have allowed great progress to be made in the field, it is clear that we need to define if the effects on the offspring are mediated by maternal obesity per se or if specific components of the maternal metabolic environment are more important. We can then begin to identify at-risk offspring and to design more effective interventions for the mother and/or her child. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Nicholas
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge , Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge , UK
| | - Susan E Ozanne
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge , Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge , UK
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43
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Sundaram V, Wysocka J. Transposable elements as a potent source of diverse cis-regulatory sequences in mammalian genomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190347. [PMID: 32075564 PMCID: PMC7061989 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic gene regulation is mediated by cis-regulatory elements, which are embedded within the vast non-coding genomic space and recognized by the transcription factors in a sequence- and context-dependent manner. A large proportion of eukaryotic genomes, including at least half of the human genome, are composed of transposable elements (TEs), which in their ancestral form carried their own cis-regulatory sequences able to exploit the host trans environment to promote TE transcription and facilitate transposition. Although not all present-day TE copies have retained this regulatory function, the preexisting regulatory potential of TEs can provide a rich source of cis-regulatory innovation for the host. Here, we review recent evidence documenting diverse contributions of TE sequences to gene regulation by functioning as enhancers, promoters, silencers and boundary elements. We discuss how TE-derived enhancer sequences can rapidly facilitate changes in existing gene regulatory networks and mediate species- and cell-type-specific regulatory innovations, and we postulate a unique contribution of TEs to species-specific gene expression divergence in pluripotency and early embryogenesis. With advances in genome-wide technologies and analyses, systematic investigation of TEs' cis-regulatory potential is now possible and our understanding of the biological impact of genomic TEs is increasing. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Crossroads between transposons and gene regulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasavi Sundaram
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA.,Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
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44
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Bertozzi TM, Ferguson-Smith AC. Metastable epialleles and their contribution to epigenetic inheritance in mammals. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 97:93-105. [PMID: 31551132 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Many epigenetic differences between individuals are driven by genetic variation. Mammalian metastable epialleles are unusual in that they show variable DNA methylation states between genetically identical individuals. The occurrence of such states across generations has resulted in their consideration by many as strong evidence for epigenetic inheritance in mammals, with the classic Avy and AxinFu mouse models - each products of repeat element insertions - being the most widely accepted examples. Equally, there has been interest in exploring their use as epigenetic biosensors given their susceptibility to environmental compromise. Here we review the classic murine metastable epialleles as well as more recently identified candidates, with the aim of providing a more holistic understanding of their biology. We consider the extent to which epigenetic inheritance occurs at metastable epialleles and explore the limited mechanistic insights into the establishment of their variable epigenetic states. We discuss their environmental modulation and their potential relevance in genome regulation. In light of recent whole-genome screens for novel metastable epialleles, we point out the need to reassess their biological relevance in multi-generational studies and we highlight their value as a model to study repeat element silencing as well as the mechanisms and consequences of mammalian epigenetic stochasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
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45
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Ahmed SM, Johar D, Ali MM, El-Badri N. Insights into the Role of DNA Methylation and Protein Misfolding in Diabetes Mellitus. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2019; 19:744-753. [DOI: 10.2174/1871530319666190305131813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by impaired
glucose tolerance resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Epigenetic modifications,
which are defined as inherited changes in gene expression that occur without changes in gene
sequence, are involved in the etiology of diabetes.
Methods:
In this review, we focused on the role of DNA methylation and protein misfolding and their
contribution to the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Results:
Changes in DNA methylation in particular are highly associated with the development of
diabetes. Protein function is dependent on their proper folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Defective
protein folding and consequently their functions have also been reported to play a role. Early treatment
of diabetes has proven to be of great benefit, as even transient hyperglycemia may lead to pathological
effects and complications later on. This has been explained by the theory of the development of a
metabolic memory in diabetes. The basis for this metabolic memory was attributed to oxidative stress,
chronic inflammation, non-enzymatic glycation of proteins and importantly, epigenetic changes. This
highlights the importance of linking new therapeutics targeting epigenetic mechanisms with traditional
antidiabetic drugs.
Conclusion:
Although new data is evolving on the relation between DNA methylation, protein misfolding,
and the etiology of diabetes, more studies are required for developing new relevant diagnostics
and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Ahmed
- Center of Excellence for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Dina Johar
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Medhat Ali
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nagwa El-Badri
- Center of Excellence for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
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46
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Fujita Y, Yamashita T. The Effects of Leptin on Glial Cells in Neurological Diseases. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:828. [PMID: 31447640 PMCID: PMC6692660 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that various endocrine modulators, including leptin and ghrelin, have neuroprotective roles in neurological diseases. Leptin is a hormone produced by adipocytes and was originally identified as a gene related to obesity in mice. The leptin receptors in the hypothalamus are the main target for the homeostatic regulation of body weight. Recent studies have demonstrated that leptin receptors are also expressed in other regions of the central nervous system (CNS), such as the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and spinal cord. Accordingly, these studies identified the involvement of leptin in the regulation of neuronal survival and neural development. Furthermore, leptin has been shown to have neuroprotective functions in animal models of neurological diseases and demyelination. These observations also suggest that dysregulation of leptin signaling may be involved in the association between neurodegeneration and obesity. In this review, we summarize novel functions of leptin in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, we focus on the emerging evidence for the role of leptin in non-neuronal cells in the CNS, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Understanding leptin-mediated neuroprotective signals and molecular mechanisms underlying remyelination will be helpful to establish therapeutic strategies against neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Fujita
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshihide Yamashita
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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47
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Wang Z, McSwiggin H, Newkirk SJ, Wang Y, Oliver D, Tang C, Lee S, Wang S, Yuan S, Zheng H, Ye P, An W, Yan W. Insertion of a chimeric retrotransposon sequence in mouse Axin1 locus causes metastable kinky tail phenotype. Mob DNA 2019; 10:17. [PMID: 31073336 PMCID: PMC6500023 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0162-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transposable elements (TEs) make up > 50% of the human genome, and the majority of retrotransposon insertions are truncated and many are located in introns. However, the effects of retrotransposition on the host genes remain incompletely known. Results We report here that insertion of a chimeric L1 (cL1), but not IAP solo LTR, into intron 6 of Axin1 using CRIPSR/Cas9 induced the kinky tail phenotype with ~ 80% penetrance in heterozygous Axin cL1 mice. Both penetrant (with kinky tails) and silent (without kinky tails) Axin cL1 mice, regardless of sex, could transmit the phenotype to subsequent generations with similar penetrance (~ 80%). Further analyses revealed that a longer Axin1 transcript isoform containing partial cL1-targeted intron was present in penetrant, but absent in silent and wild type mice, and the production of this unique Axin1 transcript appeared to correlate with altered levels of an activating histone modification, H3K9ac. Conclusions The mechanism for Axin cL1 mice is different from those previously identified in mice with spontaneous retrotransposition of IAP, e.g., Axin Fu and A vy , both of which have been associated with DNA methylation changes. Our data suggest that Axin1 locus is sensitive to genetic and epigenetic alteration by retrotransposons and thus, ideally suited for studying the effects of new retrotransposition events on target gene function in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuqing Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Hayden McSwiggin
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Simon J Newkirk
- 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Yue Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Daniel Oliver
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Chong Tang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Sandy Lee
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Shawn Wang
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Huili Zheng
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Ping Ye
- 2Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57108 USA.,3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Wenfeng An
- 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007 USA
| | - Wei Yan
- 1Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine Center for Molecular Medicine, Room 207B 1664 North Virginia Street MS/0575, Reno, NV 89557 USA.,4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557 USA.,5Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557 USA
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Abstract
Mammalian oocytes carry specific nongenetic information, including DNA methylation to the next generation, which is important for development and disease. However, evaluation and manipulation of specific methylation for both functional analysis and therapeutic purposes remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate evaluation of specific methylation in single oocytes from its sibling first polar body (PB1) and manipulation of specific methylation in single oocytes by microinjection-mediated dCas9-based targeted methylation editing. We optimized a single-cell bisulfite sequencing approach with high efficiency and demonstrate that the PB1 carries similar methylation profiles at specific regions to its sibling oocyte. By bisulfite sequencing of a single PB1, the methylation information regarding agouti viable yellow (A vy )-related coat color, as well as imprinting linked parthenogenetic development competency, in a single oocyte can be efficiently evaluated. Microinjection-based dCas9-Tet/Dnmt-mediated methylation editing allows targeted manipulation of specific methylation in single oocytes. By targeted methylation editing, we were able to reverse A vy -related coat color, generate full-term development of bimaternal mice, and correct familial Angelman syndrome in a mouse model. Our work will facilitate the investigation of specific methylation events in oocytes and provides a strategy for prevention and correction of maternally transmitted nongenetic disease or disorders.
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Robic A, Morisson M, Leroux S, Gourichon D, Vignal A, Thebault N, Fillon V, Minvielle F, Bed’Hom B, Zerjal T, Pitel F. Two new structural mutations in the 5' region of the ASIP gene cause diluted feather color phenotypes in Japanese quail. Genet Sel Evol 2019; 51:12. [PMID: 30987584 PMCID: PMC6466734 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-019-0458-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In quail, two feather colour phenotypes i.e. fawn-2/beige and yellow are associated with the ASIP locus. The aim of our study was to characterize the structural modifications within this locus that explain the yellow mutation (large deletion) and the fawn-2/beige mutation (assumed to be caused by a different structural modification). RESULTS For the yellow phenotype, we identified a complex mutation that involves a 141,162-bp long deletion. For the fawn-2/beige phenotype, we identified a 71-kb tandem duplication that comprises one unchanged copy of ASIP and one copy present in the ITCH-ASIP fusion gene, which leads to a transcript coding for a normal ASIP protein. Although this agrees with previous reports that reported an increased level of ASIP transcripts in the skin of mutant animals, we show that in the skin from fawn-2/beige embryos, this level is higher than expected with a simple duplication of the ASIP gene. Thus, we hypothesize that the 5' region of the ITCH-ASIP fusion gene leads to a higher transcription level than the 5' region of the ASIP gene. CONCLUSIONS We were able to conclude that the fawn-2 and beige phenotypes are caused by the same allele at the ASIP locus. Both of the associated mutations fawn-2/beige and yellow lead to the formation of a fusion gene, which encodes a transcript for the ASIP protein. In both cases, transcription of ASIP depends on the promoter of a different gene, which includes alternative up-regulating sequences. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the loss of the 5' region of the ASIP gene itself has additional impacts, especially for the fawn-2/beige mutation. In addition, in several other species including mammals, the existence of other dominant gain-of-function structural modifications that are localized upstream of the ASIP coding sequences has been reported, which supports our hypothesis that repressors in the 5' region of ASIP are absent in the fawn-2/beige mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Robic
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Mireille Morisson
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Sophie Leroux
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | | | - Alain Vignal
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Noémie Thebault
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Valérie Fillon
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Francis Minvielle
- GABI, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bertrand Bed’Hom
- GABI, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Tatiana Zerjal
- GABI, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Frédérique Pitel
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
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Gagnier L, Belancio VP, Mager DL. Mouse germ line mutations due to retrotransposon insertions. Mob DNA 2019; 10:15. [PMID: 31011371 PMCID: PMC6466679 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable element (TE) insertions are responsible for a significant fraction of spontaneous germ line mutations reported in inbred mouse strains. This major contribution of TEs to the mutational landscape in mouse contrasts with the situation in human, where their relative contribution as germ line insertional mutagens is much lower. In this focussed review, we provide comprehensive lists of TE-induced mouse mutations, discuss the different TE types involved in these insertional mutations and elaborate on particularly interesting cases. We also discuss differences and similarities between the mutational role of TEs in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liane Gagnier
- Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, V5Z1L3, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Victoria P. Belancio
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane Center for Aging, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA
| | - Dixie L. Mager
- Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer and Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, V5Z1L3, Vancouver, BC Canada
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