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Garate X, Gómez-García PA, Merino MF, Angles MC, Zhu C, Castells-García A, Ed-Daoui I, Martin L, Ochiai H, Neguembor MV, Cosma MP. The relationship between nanoscale genome organization and gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells during pluripotency transition. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae476. [PMID: 38850157 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
During early development, gene expression is tightly regulated. However, how genome organization controls gene expression during the transition from naïve embryonic stem cells to epiblast stem cells is still poorly understood. Using single-molecule microscopy approaches to reach nanoscale resolution, we show that genome remodeling affects gene transcription during pluripotency transition. Specifically, after exit from the naïve pluripotency state, chromatin becomes less compacted, and the OCT4 transcription factor has lower mobility and is more bound to its cognate sites. In epiblast cells, the active transcription hallmark, H3K9ac, decreases within the Oct4 locus, correlating with reduced accessibility of OCT4 and, in turn, with reduced expression of Oct4 nascent RNAs. Despite the high variability in the distances between active pluripotency genes, distances between Nodal and Oct4 decrease during epiblast specification. In particular, highly expressed Oct4 alleles are closer to nuclear speckles during all stages of the pluripotency transition, while only a distinct group of highly expressed Nodal alleles are in close proximity to Oct4 when associated with a nuclear speckle in epiblast cells. Overall, our results provide new insights into the role of the spatiotemporal genome remodeling during mouse pluripotency transition and its correlation with the expression of key pluripotency genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena Garate
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Pablo Aurelio Gómez-García
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Manuel Fernández Merino
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Marta Cadevall Angles
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Chenggan Zhu
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Alvaro Castells-García
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Ilyas Ed-Daoui
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Laura Martin
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Hiroshi Ochiai
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan
| | - Maria Victoria Neguembor
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Maria Pia Cosma
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Yuexiu district, 510080 Guangzhou, China
- ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Meschichi A, Rosa S. Plant chromatin on the move: an overview of chromatin mobility during transcription and DNA repair. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:953-962. [PMID: 36811211 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
It has become increasingly clear in recent years that chromosomes are highly dynamic entities. Chromatin mobility and re-arrangement are involved in many biological processes, including gene regulation and the maintenance of genome stability. Despite extensive studies on chromatin mobility in yeast and animal systems, up until recently, not much had been investigated at this level in plants. For plants to achieve proper growth and development, they need to respond rapidly and appropriately to environmental stimuli. Therefore, understanding how chromatin mobility can support plant responses may offer profound insights into the functioning of plant genomes. In this review, we discuss the state of the art related to chromatin mobility in plants, including the available technologies for their role in various cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anis Meschichi
- Plant Biology Department, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Almas Allé 5, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefanie Rosa
- Plant Biology Department, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Almas Allé 5, Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Wu Y, Song Y, Soto J, Hoffman T, Zhang A, Han X, Fang Z, Eoh J, Gu L, Gu Z, Li S. Viscoelastic Extracellular Matrix Enhances Epigenetic Remodeling and Cellular Plasticity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.14.589442. [PMID: 38659850 PMCID: PMC11042188 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.14.589442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Living tissue and extracellular matrices possess viscoelastic properties, but understanding how viscoelastic matrix regulates chromatin and the epigenome is limited. Here, we find that the regulation of the epigenetic state by the viscoelastic matrix is more pronounced on softer matrices. Cells on viscoelastic matrices exhibit larger nuclei, increased nuclear lamina ruffling, loosely organized chromatin, and faster chromatin dynamics, compared to those on elastic matrices. These changes are accompanied by a global increase in euchromatic marks and a local increase in chromatin accessibility at the cis -regulatory elements associated with neuronal and pluripotent genes. Consequently, viscoelastic matrices enhanced the efficiency of reprogramming fibroblasts into neurons and induced pluripotent stem cells, respectively. Together, our findings demonstrate the key roles of matrix viscoelasticity in the regulation of epigenetic state, and uncover a new mechanism of biophysical regulation of chromatin and cell reprogramming, with implications for the design of smart materials to engineer cell fate.
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Pennarossa G, Arcuri S, Gandolfi F, Brevini TAL. Generation of Artificial Blastoids Combining miR-200-Mediated Reprogramming and Mechanical Cues. Cells 2024; 13:628. [PMID: 38607067 PMCID: PMC11011911 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In vitro-generated blastocyst-like structures are of great importance since they recapitulate specific features or processes of early embryogenesis, thus avoiding ethical concerns as well as increasing scalability and accessibility compared to the use of natural embryos. Here, we combine cell reprogramming and mechanical stimuli to create 3D spherical aggregates that are phenotypically similar to those of natural embryos. Specifically, dermal fibroblasts are reprogrammed, exploiting the miR-200 family property to induce a high plasticity state in somatic cells. Subsequently, miR-200-reprogrammed cells are either driven towards the trophectoderm (TR) lineage using an ad hoc induction protocol or encapsulated into polytetrafluoroethylene micro-bioreactors to maintain and promote pluripotency, generating inner cell mass (ICM)-like spheroids. The obtained TR-like cells and ICM-like spheroids are then co-cultured in the same micro-bioreactor and, subsequently, transferred to microwells to encourage blastoid formation. Notably, the above protocol was applied to fibroblasts obtained from young as well as aged donors, with results that highlighted miR-200's ability to successfully reprogram young and aged cells with comparable blastoid rates, regardless of the donor's cell age. Overall, the approach here described represents a novel strategy for the creation of artificial blastoids to be used in the field of assisted reproduction technologies for the study of peri- and early post-implantation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Pennarossa
- Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology and Tissue Engineering, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety and Center for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Sharon Arcuri
- Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology and Tissue Engineering, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety and Center for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Fulvio Gandolfi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Tiziana A. L. Brevini
- Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology and Tissue Engineering, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety and Center for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
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5
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Oomen ME, Torres-Padilla ME. Jump-starting life: balancing transposable element co-option and genome integrity in the developing mammalian embryo. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1721-1733. [PMID: 38528171 PMCID: PMC11015026 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00118-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Remnants of transposable elements (TEs) are widely expressed throughout mammalian embryo development. Originally infesting our genomes as selfish elements and acting as a source of genome instability, several of these elements have been co-opted as part of a complex system of genome regulation. Many TEs have lost transposition ability and their transcriptional potential has been tampered as a result of interactions with the host throughout evolutionary time. It has been proposed that TEs have been ultimately repurposed to function as gene regulatory hubs scattered throughout our genomes. In the early embryo in particular, TEs find a perfect environment of naïve chromatin to escape transcriptional repression by the host. As a consequence, it is thought that hosts found ways to co-opt TE sequences to regulate large-scale changes in chromatin and transcription state of their genomes. In this review, we discuss several examples of TEs expressed during embryo development, their potential for co-option in genome regulation and the evolutionary pressures on TEs and on our genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlies E Oomen
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, München, Germany.
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Meltzer WA, Gupta A, Lin PN, Brown RA, Benyamien-Roufaeil DS, Khatri R, Mahurkar AA, Song Y, Taylor RJ, Zalzman M. Reprogramming Chromosome Ends by Functional Histone Acetylation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3898. [PMID: 38612707 PMCID: PMC11011970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancers harness embryonic programs to evade aging and promote survival. Normally, sequences at chromosome ends called telomeres shorten with cell division, serving as a countdown clock to limit cell replication. Therefore, a crucial aspect of cancerous transformation is avoiding replicative aging by activation of telomere repair programs. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) activate a transient expression of the gene Zscan4, which correlates with chromatin de-condensation and telomere extension. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cancers reactivate ZSCAN4, which in turn regulates the phenotype of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Our study reveals a new role for human ZSCAN4 in facilitating functional histone H3 acetylation at telomere chromatin. Next-generation sequencing indicates ZSCAN4 enrichment at telomere chromatin. These changes correlate with ZSCAN4-induced histone H3 acetylation and telomere elongation, while CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of ZSCAN4 leads to reduced H3 acetylation and telomere shortening. Our study elucidates the intricate involvement of ZSCAN4 and its significant contribution to telomere chromatin remodeling. These findings suggest that ZSCAN4 induction serves as a novel link between 'stemness' and telomere maintenance. Targeting ZSCAN4 may offer new therapeutic approaches to effectively limit or enhance the replicative lifespan of stem cells and cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Alex Meltzer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Aditi Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Phyo Nay Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Robert A. Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Daniel S. Benyamien-Roufaeil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Raju Khatri
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
| | - Anup A. Mahurkar
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (A.A.M.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yang Song
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (A.A.M.); (Y.S.)
| | - Rodney J. Taylor
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
- Marlene and Stewart Greenbaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Michal Zalzman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (A.G.); (P.N.L.); (R.A.B.); (D.S.B.-R.); (R.K.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
- Marlene and Stewart Greenbaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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7
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Bren I, Tal A, Strauss C, Schlesinger S. The role of Smarcad1 in retroviral repression in mouse embryonic stem cells. Mob DNA 2024; 15:4. [PMID: 38468276 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-024-00314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) replication is suppressed in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by the Trim28-SETDB1 complex. The chromatin remodeler Smarcad1 interacts with Trim28 and was suggested to allow the deposition of the histone variant H3.3. However, the role of Trim28, H3.3, and Smarcad1 in MLV repression in ESCs still needs to be fully understood. RESULTS In this study, we used MLV to explore the role of Smarcad1 in retroviral silencing in ESCs. We show that Smarcad1 is immediately recruited to the MLV provirus. Based on the repression dynamics of a GFP-reporter MLV, our findings suggest that Smarcad1 plays a critical role in the establishment and maintenance of MLV repression, as well as other Trim28-targeted genomic loci. Furthermore, Smarcad1 is important for stabilizing and strengthening Trim28 binding to the provirus over time, and its presence around the provirus is needed for proper deposition of H3.3 on the provirus. Surprisingly, the combined depletion of Smarcad1 and Trim28 results in enhanced MLV derepression, suggesting that these two proteins may also function independently to maintain repressive chromatin states. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results of this study provide evidence for the crucial role of Smarcad1 in the silencing of retroviral elements in embryonic stem cells. Further research is needed to fully understand how Smarcad1 and Trim28 cooperate and their implications for gene expression and genomic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Bren
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ayellet Tal
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Carmit Strauss
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sharon Schlesinger
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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8
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Lin YH, Lehle JD, McCarrey JR. Source cell-type epigenetic memory persists in induced pluripotent cells but is lost in subsequently derived germline cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1306530. [PMID: 38410371 PMCID: PMC10895008 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1306530] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Retention of source cell-type epigenetic memory may mitigate the potential for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to fully achieve transitions in cell fate in vitro. While this may not preclude the use of iPSC-derived somatic cell types for therapeutic applications, it becomes a major concern impacting the potential use of iPSC-derived germline cell types for reproductive applications. The transition from a source somatic cell type to iPSCs and then on to germ-cell like cells (GCLCs) recapitulates two major epigenetic reprogramming events that normally occur during development in vivo-embryonic reprogramming in the epiblast and germline reprogramming in primordial germ cells (PGCs). We examined the extent of epigenetic and transcriptomic memory persisting first during the transition from differentiated source cell types to iPSCs, and then during the transition from iPSCs to PGC-like cells (PGCLCs). Methods: We derived iPSCs from four differentiated mouse cell types including two somatic and two germ cell types and tested the extent to which each resulting iPSC line resembled a) a validated ES cell reference line, and b) their respective source cell types, on the basis of genome-wide gene expression and DNA methylation patterns. We then induced each iPSC line to form PGCLCs, and assessed epigenomic and transcriptomic memory in each compared to endogenous PGCs/M-prospermatogonia. Results: In each iPSC line, we found residual gene expression and epigenetic programming patterns characteristic of the corresponding source differentiated cell type from which each was derived. However, upon deriving PGCLCs, we found very little evidence of lingering epigenetic or transcriptomic memory of the original source cell type. Discussion: This result indicates that derivation of iPSCs and then GCLCs from differentiated source cell types in vitro recapitulates the two-phase epigenetic reprogramming that normally occurs in vivo, and that, to a significant extent, germline cell types derived in vitro from pluripotent cells accurately recapitulate epigenetic programming and gene expression patterns corresponding to equivalent endogenous germ cell types, suggesting that they have the potential to form the basis of in vitro gametogenesis as a useful therapeutic strategy for treatment of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Huey Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Jake D Lehle
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - John R McCarrey
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Calderon A, Mestvirishvili T, Boccalatte F, Ruggles KV, David G. Chromatin accessibility and cell cycle progression are controlled by the HDAC-associated Sin3B protein in murine hematopoietic stem cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2024; 17:2. [PMID: 38254205 PMCID: PMC10804615 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-024-00526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood homeostasis requires the daily production of millions of terminally differentiated effector cells that all originate from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs are rare and exhibit unique self-renewal and multipotent properties, which depend on their ability to maintain quiescence through ill-defined processes. Defective control of cell cycle progression can eventually lead to bone marrow failure or malignancy. In particular, the molecular mechanisms tying cell cycle re-entry to cell fate commitment in HSCs remain elusive. Previous studies have identified chromatin coordination as a key regulator of differentiation in embryonic stem cells. RESULTS Here, we utilized genetic inactivation of the chromatin-associated Sin3B protein to manipulate cell cycle control and found dysregulated chromatin accessibility and cell cycle progression in HSCs. Single cell transcriptional profiling of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) inactivated for Sin3B reveals aberrant progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle, which correlates with the engagement of specific signaling pathways, including aberrant expression of cell adhesion molecules and the interferon signaling program in LT-HSCs. In addition, we uncover the Sin3B-dependent accessibility of genomic elements controlling HSC differentiation, which points to cell cycle progression possibly dictating the priming of HSCs for differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide new insights into controlled cell cycle progression as a potential regulator of HSC lineage commitment through the modulation of chromatin features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Calderon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Tamara Mestvirishvili
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Francesco Boccalatte
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Kelly V Ruggles
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Gregory David
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Urology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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10
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Zhang J, Wang Y, Guo J, Zhang N, He J, Zhou Z, Wu F. Direct Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts to Osteoblast-like Cells Using Runx2/Dlx5 Factors on Engineered Stiff Hydrogels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:59209-59223. [PMID: 38102996 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into functional cells still faces major limitations in terms of efficiency and achieving functional maturity of the reprogramed cells. While different approaches have been developed commonly based on exploiting biochemical signals, introducing appropriate mechanical cues that stimulate the reprogramming process is rarely reported. In this study, collagen-coated polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels with stiffness close to that of collagenous bone (40 kPa) were adopted to augment the direct reprogramming process of mouse fibroblasts to osteoblastic-like cells. The results suggested that culturing cells on a hydrogel substrate enhanced the overexpression of osteogenic transcription factors using nonviral vectors and improved the yield of osteoblast-like cells. Particularly, a synergistic effect on achieving osteogenic functionality has been observed for the mechanical cues and overexpression of transcriptional factors, leading to enhanced osteogenic transformation and production of bone mineral matrix. Animal experiments suggested that reprogramed cells generated on matrix hydrogels accelerated bone regeneration and stimulated ectopic osteogenesis. Mechanism analysis suggested the critical involvement of actomyosin contraction and mechanical signal-mediated pathways like the RhoA-ROCK pathway, leading to a synergistic effect on the key transcriptional processes, including chromatin remodeling, nuclear translocation, and epigenetic transition. This study provides insights into the mechanical cue-enhanced direct reprogramming and cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Yao Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Jing Guo
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Nihui Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Jing He
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
| | - Zongke Zhou
- Orthopedic Research Institute & Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Fang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, PR China
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11
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Meng L. Chromatin-modifying enzymes as modulators of nuclear size during lineage differentiation. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:384. [PMID: 37863956 PMCID: PMC10589317 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01639-z] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of nuclear size determination and alteration during normal lineage development and cancer pathologies which is not fully understood. As recently reported, chromatin modification can change nuclear morphology. Therefore, we screened a range of pharmacological chemical compounds that impact the activity of chromatin-modifying enzymes, in order to get a clue of the specific types of chromatin-modifying enzymes that remarkably effect nuclear size and shape. We found that interrupted activity of chromatin-modifying enzymes is associated with nuclear shape abnormalities. Furthermore, the activity of chromatin-modifying enzymes perturbs cell fate determination in cellular maintenance and lineage commitment. Our results indicated that chromatin-modifying enzyme regulates cell fate decision during lineage differentiation and is associate with nuclear size alteration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjun Meng
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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12
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Groves SM, Quaranta V. Quantifying cancer cell plasticity with gene regulatory networks and single-cell dynamics. FRONTIERS IN NETWORK PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 3:1225736. [PMID: 37731743 PMCID: PMC10507267 DOI: 10.3389/fnetp.2023.1225736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells can lead to complex cell state dynamics during tumor progression and acquired resistance. Highly plastic stem-like states may be inherently drug-resistant. Moreover, cell state dynamics in response to therapy allow a tumor to evade treatment. In both scenarios, quantifying plasticity is essential for identifying high-plasticity states or elucidating transition paths between states. Currently, methods to quantify plasticity tend to focus on 1) quantification of quasi-potential based on the underlying gene regulatory network dynamics of the system; or 2) inference of cell potency based on trajectory inference or lineage tracing in single-cell dynamics. Here, we explore both of these approaches and associated computational tools. We then discuss implications of each approach to plasticity metrics, and relevance to cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Groves
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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13
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Frey T, Murakami T, Maki K, Kawaue T, Tani N, Sugai A, Nakazawa N, Ishiguro K, Adachi T, Kengaku M, Ohki K, Gotoh Y, Kishi Y. Age-associated reduction of nuclear shape dynamics in excitatory neurons of the visual cortex. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13925. [PMID: 37476844 PMCID: PMC10497821 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons decline in their functionality over time, and age-related neuronal alterations are associated with phenotypes of neurodegenerative diseases. In nonneural tissues, an infolded nuclear shape has been proposed as a hallmark of aged cells and neurons with infolded nuclei have also been reported to be associated with neuronal activity. Here, we performed time-lapse imaging in the visual cortex of Nex-Cre;SUN1-GFP mice. Nuclear infolding was observed within 10 min of stimulation in young nuclei, while the aged nuclei were already infolded pre-stimulation and showed reduced dynamics of the morphology. In young nuclei, the depletion of the stimuli restored the nucleus to a spherical shape and reduced the dynamic behavior, suggesting that nuclear infolding is a reversible process. We also found the aged nucleus to be stiffer than the young one, further relating to the age-associated loss of nuclear shape dynamics. We reveal temporal changes in the nuclear shape upon external stimulation and observe that these morphological dynamics decrease with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanita Frey
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- New York University Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Tomonari Murakami
- Graduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Koichiro Maki
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Takumi Kawaue
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Naoki Tani
- Liaison Laboratory Research Promotion CenterIMEG, Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Ayaka Sugai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Naotaka Nakazawa
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
- Department of Energy and Materials, Faculty of Science and EngineeringKindai UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Kei‐ichiro Ishiguro
- Department of Chromosome BiologyInstitute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG), Kumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Taiji Adachi
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Mineko Kengaku
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Kenichi Ohki
- Graduate School of MedicineThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI‐IRCN), The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Yukiko Gotoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI‐IRCN), The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Yusuke Kishi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
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14
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Klein DC, Lardo SM, McCannell KN, Hainer SJ. FACT regulates pluripotency through proximal and distal regulation of gene expression in murine embryonic stem cells. BMC Biol 2023; 21:167. [PMID: 37542287 PMCID: PMC10403911 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The FACT complex is a conserved histone chaperone with critical roles in transcription and histone deposition. FACT is essential in pluripotent and cancer cells, but otherwise dispensable for most mammalian cell types. FACT deletion or inhibition can block induction of pluripotent stem cells, yet the mechanism through which FACT regulates cell fate decisions remains unclear. RESULTS To explore the mechanism for FACT function, we generated AID-tagged murine embryonic cell lines for FACT subunit SPT16 and paired depletion with nascent transcription and chromatin accessibility analyses. We also analyzed SPT16 occupancy using CUT&RUN and found that SPT16 localizes to both promoter and enhancer elements, with a strong overlap in binding with OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG. Over a timecourse of SPT16 depletion, nucleosomes invade new loci, including promoters, regions bound by SPT16, OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG, and TSS-distal DNaseI hypersensitive sites. Simultaneously, transcription of Pou5f1 (encoding OCT4), Sox2, Nanog, and enhancer RNAs produced from these genes' associated enhancers are downregulated. CONCLUSIONS We propose that FACT maintains cellular pluripotency through a precise nucleosome-based regulatory mechanism for appropriate expression of both coding and non-coding transcripts associated with pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Klein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Santana M Lardo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Kurtis N McCannell
- Department of Biology and Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sarah J Hainer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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15
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Miyazaki S, Yamano H, Motooka D, Tashiro F, Matsuura T, Miyazaki T, Miyazaki JI. Zfp296 knockout enhances chromatin accessibility and induces a unique state of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. Commun Biol 2023; 6:771. [PMID: 37488353 PMCID: PMC10366109 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05148-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zfp296 gene encodes a zinc finger-type protein. Its expression is high in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but rapidly decreases following differentiation. Zfp296-knockout (KO) ESCs grew as flat colonies, which were reverted to rounded colonies by exogenous expression of Zfp296. KO ESCs could not form teratomas when transplanted into mice but could efficiently contribute to germline-competent chimeric mice following blastocyst injection. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Zfp296 deficiency up- and down-regulates a distinct group of genes, among which Dppa3, Otx2, and Pou3f1 were markedly downregulated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing demonstrated that ZFP296 binding is predominantly seen in the vicinity of the transcription start sites (TSSs) of a number of genes, and ZFP296 was suggested to negatively regulate transcription. Consistently, chromatin accessibility assay clearly showed that ZFP296 binding reduces the accessibility of the TSS regions of target genes. Zfp296-KO ESCs showed increased histone H3K9 di- and trimethylation. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed interaction of ZFP296 with G9a and GLP. These results show that ZFP296 plays essential roles in maintaining the global epigenetic state of ESCs through multiple mechanisms including activation of Dppa3, attenuation of chromatin accessibility, and repression of H3K9 methylation, but that Zfp296-KO ESCs retain a unique state of pluripotency while lacking the teratoma-forming ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satsuki Miyazaki
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation Research, Center for Medical Research and Education, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yamano
- Genome Information Research Center, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Daisuke Motooka
- Genome Information Research Center, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Fumi Tashiro
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan
| | - Takumi Matsuura
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation Research, Center for Medical Research and Education, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Toray Industries, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsushi Miyazaki
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation Research, Center for Medical Research and Education, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Miyazaki
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0047, Japan.
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16
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Augsornworawat P, Hogrebe NJ, Ishahak M, Schmidt MD, Marquez E, Maestas MM, Veronese-Paniagua DA, Gale SE, Miller JR, Velazco-Cruz L, Millman JR. Single-nucleus multi-omics of human stem cell-derived islets identifies deficiencies in lineage specification. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:904-916. [PMID: 37188763 PMCID: PMC10264244 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-producing β cells created from human pluripotent stem cells have potential as a therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes, but human pluripotent stem cell-derived islets (SC-islets) still differ from their in vivo counterparts. To better understand the state of cell types within SC-islets and identify lineage specification deficiencies, we used single-nucleus multi-omic sequencing to analyse chromatin accessibility and transcriptional profiles of SC-islets and primary human islets. Here we provide an analysis that enabled the derivation of gene lists and activity for identifying each SC-islet cell type compared with primary islets. Within SC-islets, we found that the difference between β cells and awry enterochromaffin-like cells is a gradient of cell states rather than a stark difference in identity. Furthermore, transplantation of SC-islets in vivo improved cellular identities overtime, while long-term in vitro culture did not. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of chromatin and transcriptional landscapes during islet cell specification and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punn Augsornworawat
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Hogrebe
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Matthew Ishahak
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Mason D Schmidt
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Erica Marquez
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marlie M Maestas
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel A Veronese-Paniagua
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sarah E Gale
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julia R Miller
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Leonardo Velazco-Cruz
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Millman
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, MSC 8127-057-08, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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17
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Liang S, Almohammed R, Cowling VH. The RNA cap methyltransferases RNMT and CMTR1 co-ordinate gene expression during neural differentiation. Biochem Soc Trans 2023:233029. [PMID: 37145036 DOI: 10.1042/bst20221154] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of RNA cap formation has potent impacts on gene regulation, controlling which transcripts are expressed, processed and translated into protein. Recently, the RNA cap methyltransferases RNA guanine-7 methyltransferase (RNMT) and cap-specific mRNA (nucleoside-2'-O-)-methyltransferase 1 (CMTR1) have been found to be independently regulated during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation controlling the expression of overlapping and distinct protein families. During neural differentiation, RNMT is repressed and CMTR1 is up-regulated. RNMT promotes expression of the pluripotency-associated gene products; repression of the RNMT complex (RNMT-RAM) is required for repression of these RNAs and proteins during differentiation. The predominant RNA targets of CMTR1 encode the histones and ribosomal proteins (RPs). CMTR1 up-regulation is required to maintain the expression of histones and RPs during differentiation and to maintain DNA replication, RNA translation and cell proliferation. Thus the co-ordinate regulation of RNMT and CMTR1 is required for different aspects of ES cell differentiation. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which RNMT and CMTR1 are independently regulated during ES cell differentiation and explore how this influences the co-ordinated gene regulation required of emerging cell lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Liang
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, U.K
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
| | - Rajaei Almohammed
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, U.K
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
| | - Victoria H Cowling
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, U.K
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
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18
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Perovanovic J, Wu Y, Abewe H, Shen Z, Hughes EP, Gertz J, Chandrasekharan MB, Tantin D. Oct1 cooperates with the Smad family of transcription factors to promote mesodermal lineage specification. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eadd5750. [PMID: 37071732 PMCID: PMC10360295 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.add5750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
The transition between pluripotent and tissue-specific states is a key aspect of development. Understanding the pathways driving these transitions will facilitate the engineering of properly differentiated cells for experimental and therapeutic uses. Here, we showed that during mesoderm differentiation, the transcription factor Oct1 activated developmental lineage-appropriate genes that were silent in pluripotent cells. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with an inducible knockout of Oct1, we showed that Oct1 deficiency resulted in poor induction of mesoderm-specific genes, leading to impaired mesodermal and terminal muscle differentiation. Oct1-deficient cells exhibited poor temporal coordination of the induction of lineage-specific genes and showed inappropriate developmental lineage branching, resulting in poorly differentiated cell states retaining epithelial characteristics. In ESCs, Oct1 localized with the pluripotency factor Oct4 at mesoderm-associated genes and remained bound to those loci during differentiation after the dissociation of Oct4. Binding events for Oct1 overlapped with those for the histone lysine demethylase Utx, and an interaction between Oct1 and Utx suggested that these two proteins cooperate to activate gene expression. The specificity of the ubiquitous Oct1 for the induction of mesodermal genes could be partially explained by the frequent coexistence of Smad and Oct binding sites at mesoderm-specific genes and the cooperative stimulation of mesodermal gene transcription by Oct1 and Smad3. Together, these results identify Oct1 as a key mediator of mesoderm lineage-specific gene induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Perovanovic
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hosiana Abewe
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Zuolian Shen
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Erik P. Hughes
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jason Gertz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Mahesh B. Chandrasekharan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Dean Tantin
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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19
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Rodrigues A, MacQuarrie KL, Freeman E, Lin A, Willis AB, Xu Z, Alvarez AA, Ma Y, White BEP, Foltz DR, Huang S. Nucleoli and the nucleoli-centromere association are dynamic during normal development and in cancer. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:br5. [PMID: 36753381 PMCID: PMC10092642 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-06-0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are known to cluster around nucleoli in Drosophila and mammalian cells, but the significance of the nucleoli-centromere interaction remains underexplored. To determine whether the interaction is dynamic under different physiological and pathological conditions, we examined nucleolar structure and centromeres at various differentiation stages using cell culture models and the results showed dynamic changes in nucleolar characteristics and nucleoli-centromere interactions through differentiation and in cancer cells. Embryonic stem cells usually have a single large nucleolus, which is clustered with a high percentage of centromeres. As cells differentiate into intermediate states, the nucleolar number increases and the centromere association decreases. In terminally differentiated cells, including myotubes, neurons, and keratinocytes, the number of nucleoli and their association with centromeres are at the lowest. Cancer cells demonstrate the pattern of nucleoli number and nucleoli-centromere association that is akin to proliferative cell types, suggesting that nucleolar reorganization and changes in nucleoli-centromere interactions may play a role in facilitating malignant transformation. This idea is supported in a case of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma, in which induced differentiation reduces the nucleolar number and centromere association. These findings suggest active roles of nucleolar structure in centromere function and genome organization critical for cellular function in both normal development and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Rodrigues
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Kyle L. MacQuarrie
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Emma Freeman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Alicia Lin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Alexander B. Willis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Zhaofa Xu
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology and Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Angel A. Alvarez
- Stem Cell Core and Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Yongchao Ma
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology and Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Bethany E. Perez White
- Department of Dermatology and Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Daniel R. Foltz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Sui Huang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611
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20
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Bersaglieri C, Santoro R. Methods for mapping 3D-chromosome architecture around nucleoli. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 81:102171. [PMID: 37230037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The nucleolus is the largest subcompartment of the nucleus, known to be the place of ribosome biogenesis. Emerging evidence has started to implicate the nucleolus in the organization of chromosomes in the nucleus. Genomic domains contacting the nucleolus are defined as nucleolar associated domains (NADs) and are generally characterized by repressive chromatin states. However, the role of the nucleolus in genome architecture remains still not fully understood mainly because the lack of a membrane has challenged the establishment of methods for accurate identification of NADs. Here, we will discuss recent advances on methods to identify and characterize NADs, discuss their improvements relative to old methods, and highlight future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Bersaglieri
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, DMMD, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raffaella Santoro
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, DMMD, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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21
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Regulation of ribosomal RNA gene copy number, transcription and nucleolus organization in eukaryotes. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:414-429. [PMID: 36732602 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00573-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
One of the first biological machineries to be created seems to have been the ribosome. Since then, organisms have dedicated great efforts to optimize this apparatus. The ribosomal RNA (rRNA) contained within ribosomes is crucial for protein synthesis and maintenance of cellular function in all known organisms. In eukaryotic cells, rRNA is produced from ribosomal DNA clusters of tandem rRNA genes, whose organization in the nucleolus, maintenance and transcription are strictly regulated to satisfy the substantial demand for rRNA required for ribosome biogenesis. Recent studies have elucidated mechanisms underlying the integrity of ribosomal DNA and regulation of its transcription, including epigenetic mechanisms and a unique recombination and copy-number control system to stably maintain high rRNA gene copy number. In this Review, we disucss how the crucial maintenance of rRNA gene copy number through control of gene amplification and of rRNA production by RNA polymerase I are orchestrated. We also discuss how liquid-liquid phase separation controls the architecture and function of the nucleolus and the relationship between rRNA production, cell senescence and disease.
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22
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Synergistic Effect of miR-200 and Young Extracellular Matrix-based Bio-scaffolds to Reduce Signs of Aging in Senescent Fibroblasts. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:417-429. [PMID: 36029367 PMCID: PMC9418657 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10438-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aging is defined as a complex, multifaceted degenerative process that causes a gradual decline of physiological functions and a rising mortality risk with time. Stopping senescence or even rejuvenating the body represent one of the long-standing human dreams. Somatic cell nuclear transfer as well as cell reprogramming have suggested the possibility to slow or even reverse signs of aging. We exploited miR-200 family ability to induce a transient high plasticity state in human skin fibroblasts isolated from old individuals and we investigated whether this ameliorates cellular and physiological hallmarks of senescence. In addition, based on the assumption that extracellular matrix (ECM) provides biomechanical stimuli directly influencing cell behavior, we examine whether ECM-based bio-scaffolds, obtained from decellularized ovaries of young swine, stably maintain the rejuvenated phenotype acquired by cells after miR-200 exposure. The results show the existence of multiple factors that cooperate to control a unique program, driving the cell clock. In particular, miR-200 family directly regulates the molecular mechanisms erasing cell senescence. However, this effect is transient, reversible, and quickly lost. On the other hand, the use of an adequate young microenvironment stabilizes the miR-200-mediated rejuvenating effects, suggesting that synergistic interactions occur among molecular effectors and ECM-derived biomechanical stimuli. The model here described is a useful tool to better characterize these complex regulations and to finely dissect the multiple and concurring biochemical and biomechanical cues driving the cell biological clock.
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23
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Ballmer D, Tardat M, Ortiz R, Graff-Meyer A, Ozonov E, Genoud C, Peters A, Fanourgakis G. HP1 proteins regulate nucleolar structure and function by secluding pericentromeric constitutive heterochromatin. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:117-143. [PMID: 36533441 PMCID: PMC9841413 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoli are nuclear compartments regulating ribosome biogenesis and cell growth. In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), nucleoli containing transcriptionally active ribosomal genes are spatially separated from pericentromeric satellite repeat sequences packaged in largely repressed constitutive heterochromatin (PCH). To date, mechanisms underlying such nuclear partitioning and the physiological relevance thereof are unknown. Here we show that repressive chromatin at PCH ensures structural integrity and function of nucleoli during cell cycle progression. Loss of heterochromatin proteins HP1α and HP1β causes deformation of PCH, with reduced H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) and HP1γ levels, absence of H4K20me3 and upregulated major satellites expression. Spatially, derepressed PCH aberrantly associates with nucleoli accumulating severe morphological defects during S/G2 cell cycle progression. Hp1α/β deficiency reduces cell proliferation, ribosomal RNA biosynthesis and mobility of Nucleophosmin, a major nucleolar component. Nucleolar integrity and function require HP1α/β proteins to be recruited to H3K9me3-marked PCH and their ability to dimerize. Correspondingly, ESCs deficient for both Suv39h1/2 H3K9 HMTs display similar nucleolar defects. In contrast, Suv4-20h1/2 mutant ESCs lacking H4K20me3 at PCH do not. Suv39h1/2 and Hp1α/β deficiency-induced nucleolar defects are reminiscent of those defining human ribosomopathy disorders. Our results reveal a novel role for SUV39H/HP1-marked repressive constitutive heterochromatin in regulating integrity, function and physiology of nucleoli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ballmer
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland,Faculty of Sciences, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Tardat
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Ortiz
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Graff-Meyer
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Evgeniy A Ozonov
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christel Genoud
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Grigorios Fanourgakis
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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24
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Mansisidor AR, Risca VI. Chromatin accessibility: methods, mechanisms, and biological insights. Nucleus 2022; 13:236-276. [PMID: 36404679 PMCID: PMC9683059 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2022.2143106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to DNA is a prerequisite to the execution of essential cellular processes that include transcription, replication, chromosomal segregation, and DNA repair. How the proteins that regulate these processes function in the context of chromatin and its dynamic architectures is an intensive field of study. Over the past decade, genome-wide assays and new imaging approaches have enabled a greater understanding of how access to the genome is regulated by nucleosomes and associated proteins. Additional mechanisms that may control DNA accessibility in vivo include chromatin compaction and phase separation - processes that are beginning to be understood. Here, we review the ongoing development of accessibility measurements, we summarize the different molecular and structural mechanisms that shape the accessibility landscape, and we detail the many important biological functions that are linked to chromatin accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés R. Mansisidor
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Viviana I. Risca
- Laboratory of Genome Architecture and Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
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25
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New insights into the epitranscriptomic control of pluripotent stem cell fate. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:1643-1651. [PMID: 36266446 PMCID: PMC9636187 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Each cell in the human body has a distinguishable fate. Pluripotent stem cells are challenged with a myriad of lineage differentiation options. Defects are more likely to be fatal to stem cells than to somatic cells due to the broad impact of the former on early development. Hence, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that determine the fate of stem cells is needed. The mechanisms by which human pluripotent stem cells, although not fully equipped with complex chromatin structures or epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, accurately control gene expression and are important to the stem cell field. In this review, we examine the events driving pluripotent stem cell fate and the underlying changes in gene expression during early development. In addition, we highlight the role played by the epitranscriptome in the regulation of gene expression that is necessary for each fate-related event.
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26
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Liu XM, Mao Y, Wang S, Zhou J, Qian SB. METTL3 modulates chromatin and transcription dynamics during cell fate transition. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:559. [PMID: 36266520 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04590-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional programming plays a key role in determining the cell state. Timely reconfiguration of chromatin structure and attenuation of pluripotent genes are required for efficient embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation. Here, we identify METTL3, a core N6-methyladenosine (m6A) catalyzing enzyme, as a crucial modulator of dynamic transcription and chromatin accessibility upon ESC-derived cardiac differentiation. Genome-wide analysis of chromatin-associated RNAs revealed that depletion of METTL3 failed to dramatically attenuate the transcription of pluripotent genes, as well as activate nascent cardiomyocyte-specific transcripts upon differentiation. Consistently, ATAC-seq analysis showed that loss of METTL3 markedly attenuated the dynamic alteration of chromatin accessibility at both promoters and gene bodies, resulting in reduced sensitivity of ESC chromatin structure to cardiac differentiation signal. Furthermore, we found that METTL3 negatively regulated the histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K36me3, which are involved in METTL3-modulated dynamic chromatin architecture during cell state transition. Unexpectedly, using chromatin-associated m6A sequencing, we found that nuclear m6A underwent a dramatic increase upon differentiation, which correlates with the decrease of chromatin accessibility. Collectively, our findings reveal that METTL3 and nuclear m6A epitranscriptome couple with chromatin state to ensure transcriptional regulation of cell fate transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Min Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yuanhui Mao
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shen Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shu-Bing Qian
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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27
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Finn EH, Misteli T. Nuclear position modulates long-range chromatin interactions. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010451. [PMID: 36206323 PMCID: PMC9581366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome is non-randomly organized within the cell nucleus. Spatial mapping of genome folding by biochemical methods and imaging has revealed extensive variation in locus interaction frequencies between cells in a population and between homologs within an individual cell. Commonly used mapping approaches typically examine either the relative position of genomic sites to each other or the position of individual loci relative to nuclear landmarks. Whether the frequency of specific chromatin-chromatin interactions is affected by where in the nuclear space a locus is located is unknown. Here, we have simultaneously mapped at the single cell level the interaction frequencies and radial position of more than a hundred locus pairs using high-throughput imaging to ask whether the location within the nucleus affects interaction frequency. We find strong enrichment of many interactions at specific radial positions. Position-dependency of interactions was cell-type specific, correlated with local chromatin type, and cell-type-specific enriched associations were marked by increased variability, sometimes without a significant decrease in mean spatial distance. These observations demonstrate that the folding of the chromatin fiber, which brings genomically distant loci into proximity, and the position of that chromatin fiber relative to nuclear landmarks, are closely linked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H. Finn
- Program in Cell Cycle and Cancer Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EHF); (TM)
| | - Tom Misteli
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (EHF); (TM)
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28
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Nucleolus and Nucleolar Stress: From Cell Fate Decision to Disease Development. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193017. [PMID: 36230979 PMCID: PMC9563748 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides the canonical function in ribosome biogenesis, there have been significant recent advances towards the fascinating roles of the nucleolus in stress response, cell destiny decision and disease progression. Nucleolar stress, an emerging concept describing aberrant nucleolar structure and function as a result of impaired rRNA synthesis and ribosome biogenesis under stress conditions, has been linked to a variety of signaling transductions, including but not limited to Mdm2-p53, NF-κB and HIF-1α pathways. Studies have uncovered that nucleolus is a stress sensor and signaling hub when cells encounter various stress conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, DNA damage and oxidative and thermal stress. Consequently, nucleolar stress plays a pivotal role in the determination of cell fate, such as apoptosis, senescence, autophagy and differentiation, in response to stress-induced damage. Nucleolar homeostasis has been involved in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, particularly tumorigenesis, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic disorders. Mechanistic insights have revealed the indispensable role of nucleolus-initiated signaling in the progression of these diseases. Accordingly, the intervention of nucleolar stress may pave the path for developing novel therapies against these diseases. In this review, we systemically summarize recent findings linking the nucleolus to stress responses, signaling transduction and cell-fate decision, set the spotlight on the mechanisms by which nucleolar stress drives disease progression, and highlight the merit of the intervening nucleolus in disease treatment.
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29
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Ceccarelli S, Gerini G, Megiorni F, Pontecorvi P, Messina E, Camero S, Anastasiadou E, Romano E, Onesti MG, Napoli C, Marchese C. Inhibiting DNA methylation as a strategy to enhance adipose-derived stem cells differentiation: Focus on the role of Akt/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin pathways on adipogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:926180. [PMID: 36120582 PMCID: PMC9478209 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.926180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) represent a valid therapeutic option for clinical application in several diseases, due to their ability to repair damaged tissues and to mitigate the inflammatory/immune response. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms regulating ASC biology might represent the chance to modulate their in vitro characteristics and differentiation potential for regenerative medicine purposes. Herein, we investigated the effects of the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (5-aza) on proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, adipogenic differentiation and senescence of ASCs, to identify the molecular pathways involved. Through functional assays, we observed a detrimental effect of 5-aza on ASC self-renewal capacity and migration, accompanied by actin cytoskeleton reorganization, with decreased stress fibers. Conversely, 5-aza treatment enhanced ASC adipogenic differentiation, as assessed by lipid accumulation and expression of lineage-specific markers. We analyzed the involvement of the Akt/mTOR, MAPK and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in these processes. Our results indicated impairment of Akt and ERK phosphorylation, potentially explaining the reduced cell proliferation and migration. We observed a 5-aza-mediated inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway, this potentially explaining the pro-adipogenic effect of the drug. Finally, 5-aza treatment significantly induced ASC senescence, through upregulation of the p53/p21 axis. Our data may have important translational implications, by helping in clarifying the potential risks and advantages of using epigenetic treatment to improve ASC characteristics for cell-based clinical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: S. Ceccarelli ,
| | - G. Gerini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - F. Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - P. Pontecorvi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - E. Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - S. Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - E. Anastasiadou
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - E. Romano
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M. G. Onesti
- Department of Surgery “P. Valdoni”, Unit of Plastic Surgery “P. Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - C. Napoli
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences (DAMSS), University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - C. Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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30
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Liu Y, Chen C, Wang X, Sun Y, Zhang J, Chen J, Shi Y. An Epigenetic Role of Mitochondria in Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162518. [PMID: 36010594 PMCID: PMC9406960 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are not only the main energy supplier but are also the cell metabolic center regulating multiple key metaborates that play pivotal roles in epigenetics regulation. These metabolites include acetyl-CoA, α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), NAD+, and O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), which are the main substrates for DNA methylation and histone post-translation modifications, essential for gene transcriptional regulation and cell fate determination. Tumorigenesis is attributed to many factors, including gene mutations and tumor microenvironment. Mitochondria and epigenetics play essential roles in tumor initiation, evolution, metastasis, and recurrence. Targeting mitochondrial metabolism and epigenetics are promising therapeutic strategies for tumor treatment. In this review, we summarize the roles of mitochondria in key metabolites required for epigenetics modification and in cell fate regulation and discuss the current strategy in cancer therapies via targeting epigenetic modifiers and related enzymes in metabolic regulation. This review is an important contribution to the understanding of the current metabolic-epigenetic-tumorigenesis concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu’e Liu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 168 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xinye Wang
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yihong Sun
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Juxiang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 168 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yufeng Shi
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (Y.S.)
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31
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Ranjan R, Snedeker J, Wooten M, Chu C, Bracero S, Mouton T, Chen X. Differential condensation of sister chromatids acts with Cdc6 to ensure asynchronous S-phase entry in Drosophila male germline stem cell lineage. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1102-1118.e7. [PMID: 35483360 PMCID: PMC9134767 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During Drosophila melanogaster male germline stem cell (GSC) asymmetric division, preexisting old versus newly synthesized histones H3 and H4 are asymmetrically inherited. However, the biological outcomes of this phenomenon have remained unclear. Here, we tracked old and new histones throughout the GSC cell cycle through the use of high spatial and temporal resolution microscopy. We found unique features that differ between old and new histone-enriched sister chromatids, including differences in nucleosome density, chromosomal condensation, and H3 Ser10 phosphorylation. These distinct chromosomal features lead to their differential association with Cdc6, a pre-replication complex component, and subsequent asynchronous DNA replication initiation in the resulting daughter cells. Disruption of asymmetric histone inheritance abolishes differential Cdc6 association and asynchronous S-phase entry, demonstrating that histone asymmetry acts upstream of these critical cell-cycle progression events. Furthermore, disruption of these GSC-specific chromatin features leads to GSC defects, indicating a connection between histone inheritance, cell-cycle progression, and cell fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Ranjan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Jonathan Snedeker
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Matthew Wooten
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Carolina Chu
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sabrina Bracero
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Taylar Mouton
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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32
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Hanai Y, Ishihata H, Zhang Z, Maruyama R, Kasai T, Kameda H, Sugiyama T. Temporal and Locational Values of Images Affecting the Deep Learning of Cancer Stem Cell Morphology. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10050941. [PMID: 35625678 PMCID: PMC9138469 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10050941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep learning is being increasingly applied for obtaining digital microscopy image data of cells. Well-defined annotated cell images have contributed to the development of the technology. Cell morphology is an inherent characteristic of each cell type. Moreover, the morphology of a cell changes during its lifetime because of cellular activity. Artificial intelligence (AI) capable of recognizing a mouse-induced pluripotent stem (miPS) cell cultured in a medium containing Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cell culture-conditioned medium (cm), miPS-LLCcm cell, which is a cancer stem cell (CSC) derived from miPS cell, would be suitable for basic and applied science. This study aims to clarify the limitation of AI models constructed using different datasets and the versatility improvement of AI models. The trained AI was used to segment CSC in phase-contrast images using conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN). The dataset included blank cell images that were used for training the AI but they did not affect the quality of predicting CSC in phase contrast images compared with the dataset without the blank cell images. AI models trained using images of 1-day culture could predict CSC in images of 2-day culture; however, the quality of the CSC prediction was reduced. Convolutional neural network (CNN) classification indicated that miPS-LLCcm cell image classification was done based on cultivation day. By using a dataset that included images of each cell culture day, the prediction of CSC remains to be improved. This is useful because cells do not change the characteristics of stem cells owing to stem cell marker expression, even if the cell morphology changes during culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Hanai
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (Y.H.); (Z.Z.); (R.M.)
| | - Hiroaki Ishihata
- School of Computer Science, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (H.I.); (H.K.)
| | - Zaijun Zhang
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (Y.H.); (Z.Z.); (R.M.)
| | - Ryuto Maruyama
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (Y.H.); (Z.Z.); (R.M.)
| | - Tomonari Kasai
- Neutron Therapy Research Center, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikada-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan;
| | - Hiroyuki Kameda
- School of Computer Science, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (H.I.); (H.K.)
| | - Tomoyasu Sugiyama
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1401-1 Katakura-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan; (Y.H.); (Z.Z.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-42-637-2104; Fax: +81-42-637-2112
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33
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Xin Y, Wang J, Wu Y, Li Q, Dong M, Liu C, He Q, Wang R, Wang D, Jiang S, Xiao W, Tian Y, Zhang W. Identification of Nanog as a novel inhibitor of Rad51. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:193. [PMID: 35220392 PMCID: PMC8882189 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04644-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTo develop inhibitors targeting DNA damage repair pathways is important to improve the effectiveness of chemo- and radiotherapy for cancer patients. Rad51 mediates homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA damages. It is widely overexpressed in human cancers and overwhelms chemo- and radiotherapy-generated DNA damages through enhancing HR repair signaling, preventing damage-caused cancer cell death. Therefore, to identify inhibitors of Rad51 is important to achieve effective treatment of cancers. Transcription factor Nanog is a core regulator of embryonic stem (ES) cells for its indispensable role in stemness maintenance. In this study, we identified Nanog as a novel inhibitor of Rad51. It interacts with Rad51 and inhibits Rad51-mediated HR repair of DNA damage through its C/CD2 domain. Moreover, Rad51 inhibition can be achieved by nanoscale material- or cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-mediated direct delivery of Nanog-C/CD2 peptides into somatic cancer cells. Furthermore, we revealed that Nanog suppresses the binding of Rad51 to single-stranded DNAs to stall the HR repair signaling. This study provides explanation for the high γH2AX level in unperturbed ES cells and early embryos, and suggests Nanog-C/CD2 as a promising drug candidate applied to Rad51-related basic research and therapeutic application studies.
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34
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Ruff GL, Murphy KE, Smith ZR, Vertino PM, Murphy PJ. Subtype-Independent ANP32E Reduction During Breast Cancer Progression in Accordance with Chromatin Relaxation. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1342. [PMID: 34922480 PMCID: PMC8684129 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-09077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromatin state provides a clear decipherable blueprint for maintenance of transcriptional patterns, exemplifying a mitotically stable form of cellular programming in dividing cells. In this regard, genomic studies of chromatin states within cancerous tissues have the potential to uncover novel aspects of tumor biology and unique mechanisms associated with disease phenotypes and outcomes. The degree to which chromatin state differences occur in accordance with breast cancer features has not been established. METHODS We applied a series of unsupervised computational methods to identify chromatin and molecular differences associated with discrete physiologies across human breast cancer tumors. RESULTS Chromatin patterns alone are capable of stratifying tumors in association with cancer subtype and disease progression. Major differences occur at DNA motifs for the transcription factor FOXA1, in hormone receptor-positive tumors, and motifs for SOX9 in Basal-like tumors. We find that one potential driver of this effect, the histone chaperone ANP32E, is inversely correlated with tumor progression and relaxation of chromatin at FOXA1 binding sites. Tumors with high levels of ANP32E exhibit an immune response and proliferative gene expression signature, whereas tumors with low ANP32E levels appear programmed for differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that ANP32E may function through chromatin state regulation to control breast cancer differentiation and tumor plasticity. This study sets a precedent for future computational studies of chromatin changes in carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett L Ruff
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Kristin E Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Zachary R Smith
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Paula M Vertino
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA
| | - Patrick J Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
- Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14624, USA.
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35
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Lindsly S, Chen C, Liu S, Ronquist S, Dilworth S, Perlman M, Rajapakse I. 4DNvestigator: time series genomic data analysis toolbox. Nucleus 2021; 12:58-64. [PMID: 33794739 PMCID: PMC8049205 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2021.1910437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Data on genome organization and output over time, or the 4D Nucleome (4DN), require synthesis for meaningful interpretation. Development of tools for the efficient integration of these data is needed, especially for the time dimension. We present the '4DNvestigator', a user-friendly network-based toolbox for the analysis of time series genome-wide genome structure (Hi-C) and gene expression (RNA-seq) data. Additionally, we provide methods to quantify network entropy, tensor entropy, and statistically significant changes in time series Hi-C data at different genomic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Lindsly
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Can Chen
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sijia Liu
- MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, IBM Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Michigan State University, MI, USA
| | - Scott Ronquist
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Michael Perlman
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Indika Rajapakse
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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36
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Chu X, Wang J. Deciphering the molecular mechanism of the cancer formation by chromosome structural dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009596. [PMID: 34752443 PMCID: PMC8631624 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer reflects the dysregulation of the underlying gene network, which is strongly related to the 3D genome organization. Numerous efforts have been spent on experimental characterizations of the structural alterations in cancer genomes. However, there is still a lack of genomic structural-level understanding of the temporal dynamics for cancer initiation and progression. Here, we use a landscape-switching model to investigate the chromosome structural transition during the cancerization and reversion processes. We find that the chromosome undergoes a non-monotonic structural shape-changing pathway with initial expansion followed by compaction during both of these processes. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that the chromosome with a more expanding structure than those at both the normal and cancer cell during cancerization exhibits a sparse contact pattern, which shows significant structural similarity to the one at the embryonic stem cell in many aspects, including the trend of contact probability declining with the genomic distance, the global structural shape geometry and the spatial distribution of loci on the chromosome. In light of the intimate structure-function relationship at the chromosomal level, we further describe the cell state transition processes by the chromosome structural changes, suggesting an elevated cell stemness during the formation of the cancer cells. We show that cell cancerization and reversion are highly irreversible processes in terms of the chromosome structural transition pathways, spatial repositioning of chromosomal loci and hysteresis loop of contact evolution analysis. Our model draws a molecular-scale picture of cell cancerization from the chromosome structural perspective. The process contains initial reprogramming towards the stem cell followed by the differentiation towards the cancer cell, accompanied by an initial increase and subsequent decrease of the cell stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiakun Chu
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
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37
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Epigenetic features in regulation of telomeres and telomerase in stem cells. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:497-505. [PMID: 34486664 DOI: 10.1042/etls20200344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The epigenetic nature of telomeres is still controversial and different human cell lines might show diverse histone marks at telomeres. Epigenetic modifications regulate telomere length and telomerase activity that influence telomere structure and maintenance. Telomerase is responsible for telomere elongation and maintenance and is minimally composed of the catalytic protein component, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and template forming RNA component, telomerase RNA (TERC). TERT promoter mutations may underpin some telomerase activation but regulation of the gene is not completely understood due to the complex interplay of epigenetic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional modifications. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can maintain an indefinite, immortal, proliferation potential through their endogenous telomerase activity, maintenance of telomere length, and a bypass of replicative senescence in vitro. Differentiation of PSCs results in silencing of the TERT gene and an overall reversion to a mortal, somatic cell phenotype. The precise mechanisms for this controlled transcriptional silencing are complex. Promoter methylation has been suggested to be associated with epigenetic control of telomerase regulation which presents an important prospect for understanding cancer and stem cell biology. Control of down-regulation of telomerase during differentiation of PSCs provides a convenient model for the study of its endogenous regulation. Telomerase reactivation has the potential to reverse tissue degeneration, drive repair, and form a component of future tissue engineering strategies. Taken together it becomes clear that PSCs provide a unique system to understand telomerase regulation fully and drive this knowledge forward into aging and therapeutic application.
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38
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Binsila B, Selvaraju S, Ranjithkumaran R, Archana SS, Krishnappa B, Ghosh SK, Kumar H, Subbarao RB, Arangasamy A, Bhatta R. Current scenario and challenges ahead in application of spermatogonial stem cell technology in livestock. J Assist Reprod Genet 2021; 38:3155-3173. [PMID: 34661801 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-021-02334-7] [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: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the source for the mature male gamete. SSC technology in humans is mainly focusing on preserving fertility in cancer patients. Whereas in livestock, it is used for mining the factors associated with male fertility. The review discusses the present status of SSC biology, methodologies developed for in vitro culture, and challenges ahead in establishing SSC technology for the propagation of superior germplasm with special reference to livestock. METHOD Published literatures from PubMed and Google Scholar on topics of SSCs isolation, purification, characterization, short and long-term culture of SSCs, stemness maintenance, epigenetic modifications of SSCs, growth factors, and SSC cryopreservation and transplantation were used for the study. RESULT The fine-tuning of SSC isolation and culture conditions with special reference to feeder cells, growth factors, and additives need to be refined for livestock. An insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining stemness and proliferation of SSCs could facilitate the dissemination of superior germplasm through transplantation and transgenesis. The epigenetic influence on the composition and expression of the biomolecules during in vitro differentiation of cultured cells is essential for sustaining fertility. The development of surrogate males through gene-editing will be historic achievement for the foothold of the SSCs technology. CONCLUSION Detailed studies on the species-specific factors regulating the stemness and differentiation of the SSCs are required for the development of a long-term culture system and in vitro spermatogenesis in livestock. Epigenetic changes in the SSCs during in vitro culture have to be elucidated for the successful application of SSCs for improving the productivity of the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balakrishnan Binsila
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India.
| | - Sellappan Selvaraju
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Rajan Ranjithkumaran
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Santhanahalli Siddalingappa Archana
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Balaganur Krishnappa
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Subrata Kumar Ghosh
- Animal Reproduction Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 243 122, India
| | - Harendra Kumar
- Animal Reproduction Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 243 122, India
| | - Raghavendra B Subbarao
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Arunachalam Arangasamy
- Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Animal Physiology Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
| | - Raghavendra Bhatta
- Indian council of Agricultural Research-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, 560 030, India
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39
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Epigenetic Alterations in Pediatric Sleep Apnea. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179523. [PMID: 34502428 PMCID: PMC8430725 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea has significant negative effects on health and behavior in childhood including depression, failure to thrive, neurocognitive impairment, and behavioral issues. It is strongly associated with an increased risk for chronic adult disease such as obesity and diabetes, accelerated atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction. Accumulating evidence suggests that adult-onset non-communicable diseases may originate from early life through a process by which an insult applied at a critical developmental window causes long-term effects on the structure or function of an organism. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of adult disease susceptibility. Epigenetic mechanisms that influence adaptive variability include histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and DNA methylation. This review will highlight what is currently known about the phenotypic associations of epigenetic modifications in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and will emphasize the importance of epigenetic changes as both modulators of chronic disease and potential therapeutic targets.
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40
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Pettinato G, Coughlan MF, Zhang X, Chen L, Khan U, Glyavina M, Sheil CJ, Upputuri PK, Zakharov YN, Vitkin E, D’Assoro AB, Fisher RA, Itzkan I, Zhang L, Qiu L, Perelman LT. Spectroscopic label-free microscopy of changes in live cell chromatin and biochemical composition in transplantable organoids. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/34/eabj2800. [PMID: 34407934 PMCID: PMC8373132 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj2800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Organoids formed from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could be a limitless source of functional tissue for transplantations in many organs. Unfortunately, fine-tuning differentiation protocols to form large quantities of hiPSC organoids in a controlled, scalable, and reproducible manner is quite difficult and often takes a very long time. Recently, we introduced a new approach of rapid organoid formation from dissociated hiPSCs and endothelial cells using microfabricated cell-repellent microwell arrays. This approach, when combined with real-time label-free Raman spectroscopy of biochemical composition changes and confocal light scattering spectroscopic microscopy of chromatin transition, allows for monitoring live differentiating organoids without the need to sacrifice a sample, substantially shortening the time of protocol fine-tuning. We used this approach to both culture and monitor homogeneous liver organoids that have the main functional features of the human liver and which could be used for cell transplantation liver therapy in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pettinato
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark F. Coughlan
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xuejun Zhang
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liming Chen
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Umar Khan
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Glyavina
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Conor J. Sheil
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul K. Upputuri
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuri N. Zakharov
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward Vitkin
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Robert A. Fisher
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Irving Itzkan
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Corresponding author. (L.Z.); (L.Q.); (L.T.P.)
| | - Le Qiu
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Corresponding author. (L.Z.); (L.Q.); (L.T.P.)
| | - Lev T. Perelman
- Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging and Photonics, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Corresponding author. (L.Z.); (L.Q.); (L.T.P.)
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41
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Novo CL. A Tale of Two States: Pluripotency Regulation of Telomeres. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:703466. [PMID: 34307383 PMCID: PMC8300013 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.703466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Inside the nucleus, chromatin is functionally organized and maintained as a complex three-dimensional network of structures with different accessibility such as compartments, lamina associated domains, and membraneless bodies. Chromatin is epigenetically and transcriptionally regulated by an intricate and dynamic interplay of molecular processes to ensure genome stability. Phase separation, a process that involves the spontaneous organization of a solution into separate phases, has been proposed as a mechanism for the timely coordination of several cellular processes, including replication, transcription and DNA repair. Telomeres, the repetitive structures at the end of chromosomes, are epigenetically maintained in a repressed heterochromatic state that prevents their recognition as double-strand breaks (DSB), avoiding DNA damage repair and ensuring cell proliferation. In pluripotent embryonic stem cells, telomeres adopt a non-canonical, relaxed epigenetic state, which is characterized by a low density of histone methylation and expression of telomere non-coding transcripts (TERRA). Intriguingly, this telomere non-canonical conformation is usually associated with chromosome instability and aneuploidy in somatic cells, raising the question of how genome stability is maintained in a pluripotent background. In this review, we will explore how emerging technological and conceptual developments in 3D genome architecture can provide novel mechanistic perspectives for the pluripotent epigenetic paradox at telomeres. In particular, as RNA drives the formation of LLPS, we will consider how pluripotency-associated high levels of TERRA could drive and coordinate phase separation of several nuclear processes to ensure genome stability. These conceptual advances will provide a better understanding of telomere regulation and genome stability within the highly dynamic pluripotent background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Lopes Novo
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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42
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Eshghi I, Eaton JA, Zidovska A. Interphase Chromatin Undergoes a Local Sol-Gel Transition upon Cell Differentiation. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:228101. [PMID: 34152157 PMCID: PMC8405102 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.228101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cell differentiation, the process by which stem cells become specialized cells, is associated with chromatin reorganization inside the cell nucleus. Here, we measure the chromatin distribution and dynamics in embryonic stem cells in vivo before and after differentiation. We find that undifferentiated chromatin is less compact, more homogeneous, and more dynamic than differentiated chromatin. Furthermore, we present a noninvasive rheological analysis using intrinsic chromatin dynamics, which reveals that undifferentiated chromatin behaves like a Maxwell fluid, while differentiated chromatin shows a coexistence of fluidlike (sol) and solidlike (gel) phases. Our data suggest that chromatin undergoes a local sol-gel transition upon cell differentiation, corresponding to the formation of the more dense and transcriptionally inactive heterochromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iraj Eshghi
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Jonah A. Eaton
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Alexandra Zidovska
- Center for Soft Matter Research, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
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43
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Brown KE, Fisher AG. Reprogramming lineage identity through cell-cell fusion. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 70:15-23. [PMID: 34087754 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of differentiated cells to a pluripotent state through somatic cell nuclear transfer provided the first unequivocal evidence that differentiation was reversible. In more recent times, introducing a combination of key transcription factors into terminally differentiated mammalian cells was shown to drive their conversion to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These discoveries were transformative, but the relatively slow speed (2-3 weeks) and low efficiency of reprogramming (0.1-1%) made deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms difficult and complex. Cell fusion provides an alternative reprogramming approach that is both efficient and tractable, particularly when combined with modern multi-omics analysis of individual cells. Here we review the history and the recent advances in cell-cell fusion that are enabling a better understanding cell fate conversion, and we discuss how this knowledge could be used to shape improved strategies for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Brown
- Epigenetic Memory Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Amanda G Fisher
- Epigenetic Memory Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
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44
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Teschendorff AE, Feinberg AP. Statistical mechanics meets single-cell biology. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:459-476. [PMID: 33875884 PMCID: PMC10152720 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell omics is transforming our understanding of cell biology and disease, yet the systems-level analysis and interpretation of single-cell data faces many challenges. In this Perspective, we describe the impact that fundamental concepts from statistical mechanics, notably entropy, stochastic processes and critical phenomena, are having on single-cell data analysis. We further advocate the need for more bottom-up modelling of single-cell data and to embrace a statistical mechanics analysis paradigm to help attain a deeper understanding of single-cell systems biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Teschendorff
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Andrew P Feinberg
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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45
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Ghanbarzadeh Nodehi S, Shivashankar GV, Prost J, Mohammad-Rafiee F. The characteristics of nuclear membrane fluctuations in stem cells. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20201010. [PMID: 33715401 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyse the stem cell nucleus shape fluctuation spectrum obtained from optical confocal microscopy on an hour time scale with 10 s resolution. In particular, we investigate the angular and time dependencies of these fluctuations, define appropriate correlation functions that reveal the fundamentally out of equilibrium nature of the observed fluctuations as well as their global anisotropy. Langevin equations respecting the symmetry of the system allow us to model the damped oscillatory behaviour of the time correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G V Shivashankar
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, Switzerland.,Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Prost
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore.,Laboratoire Physico Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, Paris Sciences Lettres Research University, CNRS UMR168, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Farshid Mohammad-Rafiee
- Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran.,Research Center for Basic Sciences and Modern Technologies (RBST), Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
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46
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Orlando L, Tanasijevic B, Nakanishi M, Reid JC, García-Rodríguez JL, Chauhan KD, Porras DP, Aslostovar L, Lu JD, Shapovalova Z, Mitchell RR, Boyd AL, Bhatia M. Phosphorylation state of the histone variant H2A.X controls human stem and progenitor cell fate decisions. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108818. [PMID: 33691101 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Histone variants (HVs) are a subfamily of epigenetic regulators implicated in embryonic development, but their role in human stem cell fate remains unclear. Here, we reveal that the phosphorylation state of the HV H2A.X (γH2A.X) regulates self-renewal and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and leukemic progenitors. As demonstrated by CRISPR-Cas deletion, H2A.X is essential in maintaining normal hPSC behavior. However, reduced levels of γH2A.X enhances hPSC differentiation toward the hematopoietic lineage with concomitant inhibition of neural development. In contrast, activation and sustained levels of phosphorylated H2A.X enhance hPSC neural fate while suppressing hematopoiesis. This controlled lineage bias correlates to occupancy of γH2A.X at genomic loci associated with ectoderm versus mesoderm specification. Finally, drug modulation of H2A.X phosphorylation overcomes differentiation block of patient-derived leukemic progenitors. Our study demonstrates HVs may serve to regulate pluripotent cell fate and that this biology could be extended to somatic cancer stem cell control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Orlando
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Borko Tanasijevic
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Mio Nakanishi
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Jennifer C Reid
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Juan L García-Rodríguez
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Kapil Dev Chauhan
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Deanna P Porras
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Lili Aslostovar
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Justin D Lu
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Zoya Shapovalova
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Ryan R Mitchell
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Allison L Boyd
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Mickie Bhatia
- McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.
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Abstract
In the past several decades, the establishment of in vitro models of pluripotency has ushered in a golden era for developmental and stem cell biology. Research in this arena has led to profound insights into the regulatory features that shape early embryonic development. Nevertheless, an integrative theory of the epigenetic principles that govern the pluripotent nucleus remains elusive. Here, we summarize the epigenetic characteristics that define the pluripotent state. We cover what is currently known about the epigenome of pluripotent stem cells and reflect on the use of embryonic stem cells as an experimental system. In addition, we highlight insights from super-resolution microscopy, which have advanced our understanding of the form and function of chromatin, particularly its role in establishing the characteristically "open chromatin" of pluripotent nuclei. Further, we discuss the rapid improvements in 3C-based methods, which have given us a means to investigate the 3D spatial organization of the pluripotent genome. This has aided the adaptation of prior notions of a "pluripotent molecular circuitry" into a more holistic model, where hotspots of co-interacting domains correspond with the accumulation of pluripotency-associated factors. Finally, we relate these earlier hypotheses to an emerging model of phase separation, which posits that a biophysical mechanism may presuppose the formation of a pluripotent-state-defining transcriptional program.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eran Meshorer
- Department of Genetics, the Institute of Life Sciences
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 9190400
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48
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Rausch C, Weber P, Prorok P, Hörl D, Maiser A, Lehmkuhl A, Chagin VO, Casas-Delucchi CS, Leonhardt H, Cardoso MC. Developmental differences in genome replication program and origin activation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 48:12751-12777. [PMID: 33264404 PMCID: PMC7736824 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure error-free duplication of all (epi)genetic information once per cell cycle, DNA replication follows a cell type and developmental stage specific spatio-temporal program. Here, we analyze the spatio-temporal DNA replication progression in (un)differentiated mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. Whereas telomeres replicate throughout S-phase, we observe mid S-phase replication of (peri)centromeric heterochromatin in mES cells, which switches to late S-phase replication upon differentiation. This replication timing reversal correlates with and depends on an increase in condensation and a decrease in acetylation of chromatin. We further find synchronous duplication of the Y chromosome, marking the end of S-phase, irrespectively of the pluripotency state. Using a combination of single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy, we measure molecular properties of the mES cell replicon, the number of replication foci active in parallel and their spatial clustering. We conclude that each replication nanofocus in mES cells corresponds to an individual replicon, with up to one quarter representing unidirectional forks. Furthermore, with molecular combing and genome-wide origin mapping analyses, we find that mES cells activate twice as many origins spaced at half the distance than somatic cells. Altogether, our results highlight fundamental developmental differences on progression of genome replication and origin activation in pluripotent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathia Rausch
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Patrick Weber
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Paulina Prorok
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - David Hörl
- Department of Biology II, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Maiser
- Department of Biology II, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Anne Lehmkuhl
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Vadim O Chagin
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.,Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - M Cristina Cardoso
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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49
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Guillemin A, Stumpf MPH. Noise and the molecular processes underlying cell fate decision-making. Phys Biol 2021; 18:011002. [PMID: 33181489 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abc9d1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cell fate decision-making events involve the interplay of many molecular processes, ranging from signal transduction to genetic regulation, as well as a set of molecular and physiological feedback loops. Each aspect offers a rich field of investigation in its own right, but to understand the whole process, even in simple terms, we need to consider them together. Here we attempt to characterise this process by focussing on the roles of noise during cell fate decisions. We use a range of recent results to develop a view of the sequence of events by which a cell progresses from a pluripotent or multipotent to a differentiated state: chromatin organisation, transcription factor stoichiometry, and cellular signalling all change during this progression, and all shape cellular variability, which becomes maximal at the transition state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Guillemin
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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50
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Zhang H, Wu Z, Lu JY, Huang B, Zhou H, Xie W, Wang J, Shen X. DEAD-Box Helicase 18 Counteracts PRC2 to Safeguard Ribosomal DNA in Pluripotency Regulation. Cell Rep 2021; 30:81-97.e7. [PMID: 31914400 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exhibit high levels of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription and ribosome biogenesis. Here, we reveal an unexpected role for an essential DEAD-box helicase, DDX18, in antagonizing the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to prevent deposition of the repressive H3K27me3 mark onto rDNA in pluripotent cells. DDX18 binds and sequesters PRC2 in the outer layer of the nucleolus and counteracts PRC2 complex formation in vivo and in vitro. DDX18 knockdown leads to increased occupancy of PRC2 and H3K27me3 at rDNA loci, accompanied by drastically decreased rRNA transcription and reduced ribosomal protein expression and translation. Auxin-induced rapid degradation of DDX18 enhances PRC2 binding at rDNA. The inhibition of PRC2 partially rescues the effects of DDX18 depletion on rRNA transcription and ESC self-renewal. These results demonstrate a critical role for DDX18 in safeguarding the chromatin and transcriptional integrity of rDNA by counteracting the epigenetic silencing machinery to promote pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zhongyang Wu
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - J Yuyang Lu
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongwei Zhou
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute and Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wei Xie
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianlong Wang
- The Black Family Stem Cell Institute and Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaohua Shen
- Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences in School of Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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