1
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Mindel V, Brodsky S, Yung H, Manadre W, Barkai N. Revisiting the model for coactivator recruitment: Med15 can select its target sites independent of promoter-bound transcription factors. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae718. [PMID: 39187372 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Activation domains (ADs) within transcription factors (TFs) induce gene expression by recruiting coactivators such as the Mediator complex. Coactivators lack DNA binding domains (DBDs) and are assumed to passively follow their recruiting TFs. This is supported by direct AD-coactivator interactions seen in vitro but has not yet been tested in living cells. To examine that, we targeted two Med15-recruiting ADs to a range of budding yeast promoters through fusion with different DBDs. The DBD-AD fusions localized to hundreds of genomic sites but recruited Med15 and induced transcription in only a subset of bound promoters, characterized by a fuzzy-nucleosome architecture. Direct DBD-Med15 fusions shifted DBD localization towards fuzzy-nucleosome promoters, including promoters devoid of the endogenous Mediator. We propose that Med15, and perhaps other coactivators, possess inherent promoter preference and thus actively contribute to the selection of TF-induced genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Mindel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Sagie Brodsky
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Hadas Yung
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Wajd Manadre
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Naama Barkai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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2
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Yao YM, Miodownik I, O'Hagan MP, Jbara M, Afek A. Deciphering the dynamic code: DNA recognition by transcription factors in the ever-changing genome. Transcription 2024:1-25. [PMID: 39033307 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2024.2379161] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) intricately navigate the vast genomic landscape to locate and bind specific DNA sequences for the regulation of gene expression programs. These interactions occur within a dynamic cellular environment, where both DNA and TF proteins experience continual chemical and structural perturbations, including epigenetic modifications, DNA damage, mechanical stress, and post-translational modifications (PTMs). While many of these factors impact TF-DNA binding interactions, understanding their effects remains challenging and incomplete. This review explores the existing literature on these dynamic changes and their potential impact on TF-DNA interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Minyi Yao
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Irina Miodownik
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael P O'Hagan
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Muhammad Jbara
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ariel Afek
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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3
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Jensen CL, Chen LF, Swigut T, Crocker OJ, Yao D, Bassik MC, Ferrell JE, Boettiger AN, Wysocka J. Long range regulation of transcription scales with genomic distance in a gene specific manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.19.604327. [PMID: 39071420 PMCID: PMC11275926 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.19.604327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
While critical for tuning the timing and level of transcription, enhancer communication with distal promoters is not well understood. Here we bypass the need for sequence-specific transcription factors and recruit activators directly using CARGO-VPR, an approach for targeting dCas9-VPR using a multiplexed array of RNA guides. We show that this approach achieves effective activator recruitment to arbitrary genomic sites, even those inaccessible by single dCas9. We utilize CARGO-VPR across the Prdm8-Fgf5 locus in mESCs, where neither gene is expressed. We demonstrate that while activator recruitment to any tested region results in transcriptional induction of at least one gene, the expression level strongly depends on the genomic distance between the promoter and activator recruitment site. However, the expression-distance relationship for each gene scales distinctly in a manner not attributable to differences in 3D contact frequency, promoter DNA sequence or presence of the repressive chromatin marks at the locus.
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4
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Nemčko F, Himmelsbach M, Loubiere V, Yelagandula R, Pagani M, Fasching N, Brennecke J, Elling U, Stark A, Ameres SL. Proteome-scale tagging and functional screening in mammalian cells by ORFtag. Nat Methods 2024:10.1038/s41592-024-02339-x. [PMID: 38969721 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The systematic determination of protein function is a key goal of modern biology, but remains challenging with current approaches. Here we present ORFtag, a versatile, cost-effective and highly efficient method for the massively parallel tagging and functional interrogation of proteins at the proteome scale. ORFtag uses retroviral vectors bearing a promoter, peptide tag and splice donor to generate fusions between the tag and endogenous open reading frames (ORFs). We demonstrate the utility of ORFtag through functional screens for transcriptional activators, repressors and posttranscriptional regulators in mouse embryonic stem cells. Each screen recovers known and identifies new regulators, including long ORFs inaccessible by other methods. Among other hits, we find that Zfp574 is a highly selective transcriptional activator and that oncogenic fusions often function as transactivators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Nemčko
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Moritz Himmelsbach
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent Loubiere
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ramesh Yelagandula
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Cell Fate and Disease, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
| | - Michaela Pagani
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina Fasching
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- QUANTRO Therapeutics GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julius Brennecke
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ulrich Elling
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Stefan L Ameres
- Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Bell CC, Balic JJ, Talarmain L, Gillespie A, Scolamiero L, Lam EYN, Ang CS, Faulkner GJ, Gilan O, Dawson MA. Comparative cofactor screens show the influence of transactivation domains and core promoters on the mechanisms of transcription. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1181-1192. [PMID: 38769457 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01749-z] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic transcription factors (TFs) activate gene expression by recruiting cofactors to promoters. However, the relationships between TFs, promoters and their associated cofactors remain poorly understood. Here we combine GAL4-transactivation assays with comparative CRISPR-Cas9 screens to identify the cofactors used by nine different TFs and core promoters in human cells. Using this dataset, we associate TFs with cofactors, classify cofactors as ubiquitous or specific and discover transcriptional co-dependencies. Through a reductionistic, comparative approach, we demonstrate that TFs do not display discrete mechanisms of activation. Instead, each TF depends on a unique combination of cofactors, which influences distinct steps in transcription. By contrast, the influence of core promoters appears relatively discrete. Different promoter classes are constrained by either initiation or pause-release, which influences their dynamic range and compatibility with cofactors. Overall, our comparative cofactor screens characterize the interplay between TFs, cofactors and core promoters, identifying general principles by which they influence transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles C Bell
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Jesse J Balic
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laure Talarmain
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea Gillespie
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura Scolamiero
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Enid Y N Lam
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ching-Seng Ang
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, TRI Building, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Omer Gilan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark A Dawson
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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6
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Wang S, Wang W. Interpretable prediction of mRNA abundance from promoter sequence using contextual regression models. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae055. [PMID: 38807713 PMCID: PMC11131020 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
While machine learning models have been successfully applied to predicting gene expression from promoter sequences, it remains a great challenge to derive intuitive interpretation of the model and reveal DNA motif grammar such as motif cooperation and distance constraint between motif sites. Previous interpretation approaches are often time-consuming or have difficulty to learn the combinatory rules. In this work, we designed interpretable neural network models to predict the mRNA expression levels from DNA sequences. By applying the Contextual Regression framework we developed, we extracted weighted features to cluster samples into different groups, which have different gene expression levels. We performed motif analysis in each cluster and found motifs with active or repressive regulation on gene expression. By comparing the co-occurrence locations of discovered motifs, we also uncovered multiple grammars of motif combination including communities of cooperative motifs and distance constraints between motif pairs. These results revealed new insights of the regulatory architecture of promoter sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0359, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0359, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0359, USA
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7
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Zhimulev I, Vatolina T, Levitsky V, Tsukanov A. Developmental and Housekeeping Genes: Two Types of Genetic Organization in the Drosophila Genome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4068. [PMID: 38612878 PMCID: PMC11012173 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074068] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We developed a procedure for locating genes on Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes and described three types of chromosome structures (gray bands, black bands, and interbands), which differed markedly in morphological and genetic properties. This was reached through the use of our original methods of molecular and genetic analysis, electron microscopy, and bioinformatics data processing. Analysis of the genome-wide distribution of these properties led us to a bioinformatics model of the Drosophila genome organization, in which the genome was divided into two groups of genes. One was constituted by 65, in which the genome was divided into two groups, 62 genes that are expressed in most cell types during life cycle and perform basic cellular functions (the so-called "housekeeping genes"). The other one was made up of 3162 genes that are expressed only at particular stages of development ("developmental genes"). These two groups of genes are so different that we may state that the genome has two types of genetic organization. Different are the timings of their expression, chromatin packaging levels, the composition of activating and deactivating proteins, the sizes of these genes, the lengths of their introns, the organization of the promoter regions of the genes, the locations of origin recognition complexes (ORCs), and DNA replication timings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Zhimulev
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Tatyana Vatolina
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Victor Levitsky
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.L.); (A.T.)
| | - Anton Tsukanov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (V.L.); (A.T.)
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8
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Kwak IY, Kim BC, Lee J, Kang T, Garry DJ, Zhang J, Gong W. Proformer: a hybrid macaron transformer model predicts expression values from promoter sequences. BMC Bioinformatics 2024; 25:81. [PMID: 38378442 PMCID: PMC10877777 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-024-05645-5] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The breakthrough high-throughput measurement of the cis-regulatory activity of millions of randomly generated promoters provides an unprecedented opportunity to systematically decode the cis-regulatory logic that determines the expression values. We developed an end-to-end transformer encoder architecture named Proformer to predict the expression values from DNA sequences. Proformer used a Macaron-like Transformer encoder architecture, where two half-step feed forward (FFN) layers were placed at the beginning and the end of each encoder block, and a separable 1D convolution layer was inserted after the first FFN layer and in front of the multi-head attention layer. The sliding k-mers from one-hot encoded sequences were mapped onto a continuous embedding, combined with the learned positional embedding and strand embedding (forward strand vs. reverse complemented strand) as the sequence input. Moreover, Proformer introduced multiple expression heads with mask filling to prevent the transformer models from collapsing when training on relatively small amount of data. We empirically determined that this design had significantly better performance than the conventional design such as using the global pooling layer as the output layer for the regression task. These analyses support the notion that Proformer provides a novel method of learning and enhances our understanding of how cis-regulatory sequences determine the expression values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Youp Kwak
- Department of Applied Statistics, Chung‑Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong-Chan Kim
- Department of Applied Statistics, Chung‑Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Lee
- Department of Applied Statistics, Chung‑Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Taein Kang
- Department of Applied Statistics, Chung‑Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Daniel J Garry
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Jianyi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Wuming Gong
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, 2231 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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9
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Kawasaki K, Fukaya T. Regulatory landscape of enhancer-mediated transcriptional activation. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00020-5. [PMID: 38355349 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are noncoding regulatory elements that instruct spatial and temporal specificity of gene transcription in response to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic signals during development. Although it has long been postulated that enhancers physically interact with target promoters through the formation of stable loops, recent studies have changed this static view: sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) and coactivators are dynamically recruited to enhancers and assemble so-called transcription hubs. Dynamic assembly of transcription hubs appears to serve as a key scaffold to integrate regulatory information encoded by surrounding genome and biophysical properties of transcription machineries. In this review, we outline emerging new models of transcriptional regulation by enhancers and discuss future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Kawasaki
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Takashi Fukaya
- Laboratory of Transcription Dynamics, Research Center for Biological Visualization, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
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10
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Chen C, Wang Z, Kang M, Lee KB, Ge X. High-fidelity large-diversity monoclonal mammalian cell libraries by cell cycle arrested recombinase-mediated cassette exchange. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e113. [PMID: 37941133 PMCID: PMC10711435 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian cells carrying defined genetic variations have shown great potentials in both fundamental research and therapeutic development. However, their full use was limited by lack of a robust method to construct large monoclonal high-quality combinatorial libraries. This study developed cell cycle arrested recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (aRMCE), able to provide monoclonality, precise genomic integration and uniform transgene expression. Via optimized nocodazole-mediated mitotic arrest, 20% target gene replacement efficiency was achieved without antibiotic selection, and the improved aRMCE efficiency was applicable to a variety of tested cell clones, transgene targets and transfection methods. As a demonstration of this versatile method, we performed directed evolution of fragment crystallizable (Fc), for which error-prone libraries of over 107 variants were constructed and displayed as IgG on surface of CHO cells. Diversities of constructed libraries were validated by deep sequencing, and panels of novel Fc mutants were identified showing improved binding towards specific Fc gamma receptors and enhanced effector functions. Due to its large cargo capacity and compatibility with different mutagenesis approaches, we expect this mammalian cell platform technology has broad applications for directed evolution, multiplex genetic assays, cell line development and stem cell engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Chen
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Zening Wang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Minhyo Kang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Ki Baek Lee
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xin Ge
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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11
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Wang S, Wang YF, Yang G, Zhang HH, Yuan HF, Hou CY, Zhao LN, Suo YH, Sun J, Sun LL, Lv P, Sun Y, Zhang NN, Zhang XD, Lu W. Heat shock protein family A member 8 serving as a co-activator of transcriptional factor ETV4 up-regulates PHLDA2 to promote the growth of liver cancer. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:2525-2536. [PMID: 37474643 PMCID: PMC10692233 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01133-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8) participates in the folding or degradation of misfolded proteins under stress and plays critical roles in cancer. In this study, we investigated the function of HSPA8 in the development of liver cancer. By analyzing the TCGA transcriptome dataset, we found that HSPA8 was upregulated in 134 clinical liver cancer tissue samples, and positively correlated with poor prognosis. IHC staining showed the nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of HSPA8 in liver cancer cells. Knockdown of HSPA8 resulted in a decrease in the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh-7 cells. ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis revealed that HSPA8 bound to the promoter of pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 (PHLDA2) and regulated its expression. The transcription factor ETV4 in HepG2 cells activated PHLDA2 transcription. HSPA8 and ETV4 could interact with each other in the cells and colocalize in the nucleus. From a functional perspective, we demonstrated that HSPA8 upregulated PHDLA2 through the coactivating transcription factor ETV4 to enhance the growth of liver cancer in vitro and in vivo. From a therapeutic perspective, we identified both HSPA8 and PHDLA2 as novel targets in the treatment of HCC. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that HSPA8 serves as a coactivator of ETV4 and upregulates PHLDA2, leading to the growth of HCC, and is a potential therapeutic target in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yu-Fei Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Hui-Hui Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Hong-Feng Yuan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Chun-Yu Hou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Li-Na Zhao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yu-Hong Suo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Jiao Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Lin-Lin Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Pan Lv
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China.
| | - Ning-Ning Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China.
| | - Xiao-Dong Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Tianjin Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute, and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, China.
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300060, China.
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12
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Mulet-Lazaro R, Delwel R. From Genotype to Phenotype: How Enhancers Control Gene Expression and Cell Identity in Hematopoiesis. Hemasphere 2023; 7:e969. [PMID: 37953829 PMCID: PMC10635615 DOI: 10.1097/hs9.0000000000000969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood comprises a wide array of specialized cells, all of which share the same genetic information and ultimately derive from the same precursor, the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). This diversity of phenotypes is underpinned by unique transcriptional programs gradually acquired in the process known as hematopoiesis. Spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression depends on many factors, but critical among them are enhancers-sequences of DNA that bind transcription factors and increase transcription of genes under their control. Thus, hematopoiesis involves the activation of specific enhancer repertoires in HSCs and their progeny, driving the expression of sets of genes that collectively determine morphology and function. Disruption of this tightly regulated process can have catastrophic consequences: in hematopoietic malignancies, dysregulation of transcriptional control by enhancers leads to misexpression of oncogenes that ultimately drive transformation. This review attempts to provide a basic understanding of enhancers and their role in transcriptional regulation, with a focus on normal and malignant hematopoiesis. We present examples of enhancers controlling master regulators of hematopoiesis and discuss the main mechanisms leading to enhancer dysregulation in leukemia and lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud Delwel
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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13
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Bernardini A, Hollinger C, Willgenss D, Müller F, Devys D, Tora L. Transcription factor IID parks and drives preinitiation complexes at sharp or broad promoters. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:839-848. [PMID: 37574371 PMCID: PMC10529448 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Core promoters are sites where transcriptional regulatory inputs of a gene are integrated to direct the assembly of the preinitiation complex (PIC) and RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription output. Until now, core promoter functions have been investigated by distinct methods, including Pol II transcription initiation site mappings and structural characterization of PICs on distinct promoters. Here, we bring together these previously unconnected observations and hypothesize how, on metazoan TATA promoters, the precisely structured building up of transcription factor (TF) IID-based PICs results in sharp transcription start site (TSS) selection; or, in contrast, how the less strictly controlled positioning of the TATA-less promoter DNA relative to TFIID-core PIC components results in alternative broad TSS selections by Pol II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bernardini
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67404 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, 67404 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, 67404 Illkirch, France; Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France
| | | | | | - Ferenc Müller
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Didier Devys
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67404 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, 67404 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, 67404 Illkirch, France; Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France.
| | - László Tora
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67404 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, 67404 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, 67404 Illkirch, France; Université de Strasbourg, 67404 Illkirch, France.
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14
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Shi J, Liu Z, Li W, Wang D. Selenium Donor Inhibited Hepatitis B Virus Associated Hepatotoxicity via the Apoptosis and Ferroptosis Pathways. Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) 2023; 2023:6681065. [PMID: 37680557 PMCID: PMC10482541 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6681065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Methods The serum selenium level was determined in 45 patients with HBV-positive HCC (HBV+-HCC group), 45 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB group), and 45 healthy cases (HC group). The sodium selenite (Na2SeO3)-treated HepG2.2.15 cells were used to observe the regulatory role of selenium on HBV replication. D-GalN/erastin-added HL7702 was used to determine the regulatory roles of Na2SeO3 on hepatotoxicity or hepatocyte ferroptosis. The wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and HBx-Tg mice were received lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-GalN, together with or without Na2SeO3 administration for indicated period. Following euthanasia, the blood and liver tissue samples were collected, and specific markers were evaluated subsequently. Results The serum selenium level was downregulated in patients with HBV-positive HCC (HBV+-HCC group) (57.2 ± 22.5 μg/L vs. 91.8 ± 43.9 μg/L, P < 0.001), and its higher level could provide a better prognosis in these patients. The treatment using Na2SeO3, a selenium donor, at high concentration (5 μM), suppressed the HBV replication by about 50% in HepG2.2.15 cells (P < 0.001), through promoting apoptotic cell death and inhibiting cellular inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (cIAPs). In addition, low-dose (500 nM) Na2SeO3 could almost totally reversed the hepatotoxicity induced by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) (P < 0.001), which were the main causes of HCC in patients. Studies at the cellular levels showed that low-dose Na2SeO3 inhibited the HBx-related hepatotoxicity by blocking ferroptosis, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) mediated this regulatory role. Mice model results confirmed that the treatment with Na2SeO3 could mitigated LPS/D-GalN-induced hepatic injury through ferroptosis pathways. Conclusion Selenium regulated the dual cell death in different HCC stages via different signaling pathways, which could partly explain the anti-HBV and anti-HCC properties of selenium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingdong Shi
- General Surgery Department, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- The Eighth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Weina Li
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250013, Shandong, China
| | - Di Wang
- The Eighth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China
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15
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Guzman C, Duttke S, Zhu Y, De Arruda Saldanha C, Downes N, Benner C, Heinz S. Combining TSS-MPRA and sensitive TSS profile dissimilarity scoring to study the sequence determinants of transcription initiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e80. [PMID: 37403796 PMCID: PMC10450201 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad562] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) can be classified by the shapes of their transcription start site (TSS) profiles, which are indicative of distinct regulatory mechanisms. Massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) are increasingly being used to study CRE regulatory mechanisms, yet the degree to which MPRAs replicate individual endogenous TSS profiles has not been determined. Here, we present a new low-input MPRA protocol (TSS-MPRA) that enables measuring TSS profiles of episomal reporters as well as after lentiviral reporter chromatinization. To sensitively compare MPRA and endogenous TSS profiles, we developed a novel dissimilarity scoring algorithm (WIP score) that outperforms the frequently used earth mover's distance on experimental data. Using TSS-MPRA and WIP scoring on 500 unique reporter inserts, we found that short (153 bp) MPRA promoter inserts replicate the endogenous TSS patterns of ∼60% of promoters. Lentiviral reporter chromatinization did not improve fidelity of TSS-MPRA initiation patterns, and increasing insert size frequently led to activation of extraneous TSS in the MPRA that are not active in vivo. We discuss the implications of our findings, which highlight important caveats when using MPRAs to study transcription mechanisms. Finally, we illustrate how TSS-MPRA and WIP scoring can provide novel insights into the impact of transcription factor motif mutations and genetic variants on TSS patterns and transcription levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Guzman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate Program in Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, U.C. San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sascha Duttke
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yixin Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Camila De Arruda Saldanha
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nicholas L Downes
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christopher Benner
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sven Heinz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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16
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Fan K, Pfister E, Weng Z. Toward a comprehensive catalog of regulatory elements. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1091-1111. [PMID: 36935423 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02519-3] [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: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory elements are the genomic regions that interact with transcription factors to control cell-type-specific gene expression in different cellular environments. A precise and complete catalog of functional elements encoded by the human genome is key to understanding mammalian gene regulation. Here, we review the current state of regulatory element annotation. We first provide an overview of assays for characterizing functional elements, including genome, epigenome, transcriptome, three-dimensional chromatin interaction, and functional validation assays. We then discuss computational methods for defining regulatory elements, including peak-calling and other statistical modeling methods. Finally, we introduce several high-quality lists of regulatory element annotations and suggest potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Fan
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, ASC5-1069, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Edith Pfister
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, ASC5-1069, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, ASC5-1069, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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17
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Jacobs J, Pagani M, Wenzl C, Stark A. Widespread regulatory specificities between transcriptional co-repressors and enhancers in Drosophila. Science 2023; 381:198-204. [PMID: 37440660 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf6149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression is controlled by the precise activation and repression of transcription. Repression is mediated by specialized transcription factors (TFs) that recruit co-repressors (CoRs) to silence transcription, even in the presence of activating cues. However, whether CoRs can dominantly silence all enhancers or display distinct specificities is unclear. In this work, we report that most enhancers in Drosophila can be repressed by only a subset of CoRs, and enhancers classified by CoR sensitivity show distinct chromatin features, function, TF motifs, and binding. Distinct TF motifs render enhancers more resistant or sensitive to specific CoRs, as we demonstrate by motif mutagenesis and addition. These CoR-enhancer compatibilities constitute an additional layer of regulatory specificity that allows differential regulation at close genomic distances and is indicative of distinct mechanisms of transcriptional repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Jacobs
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Pagani
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Wenzl
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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18
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Maytum A, Edginton-White B, Bonifer C. Identification and characterization of enhancer elements controlling cell type-specific and signalling dependent chromatin programming during hematopoietic development. Stem Cell Investig 2023; 10:14. [PMID: 37404470 PMCID: PMC10316067 DOI: 10.21037/sci-2023-011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of multi-cellular organisms from a single fertilized egg requires to differentially execute the information encoded in our DNA. This complex process is regulated by the interplay of transcription factors with a chromatin environment, both of which provide the epigenetic information maintaining cell-type specific gene expression patterns. Moreover, transcription factors and their target genes form vast interacting gene regulatory networks which can be exquisitely stable. However, all developmental processes originate from pluripotent precursor cell types. The production of terminally differentiated cells from such cells, therefore, requires successive changes of cell fates, meaning that genes relevant for the next stage of differentiation must be switched on and genes not relevant anymore must be switched off. The stimulus for the change of cell fate originates from extrinsic signals which set a cascade of intracellular processes in motion that eventually terminate at the genome leading to changes in gene expression and the development of alternate gene regulatory networks. How developmental trajectories are encoded in the genome and how the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic processes regulates development is one of the major questions in developmental biology. The development of the hematopoietic system has long served as model to understand how changes in gene regulatory networks drive the differentiation of the various blood cell types. In this review, we highlight the main signals and transcription factors and how they are integrated at the level of chromatin programming and gene expression control. We also highlight recent studies identifying the cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers at the global level and explain how their developmental activity is regulated by the cooperation of cell-type specific and ubiquitous transcription factors with extrinsic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Maytum
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ben Edginton-White
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Constanze Bonifer
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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19
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Mach P, Giorgetti L. Integrative approaches to study enhancer-promoter communication. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 80:102052. [PMID: 37257410 PMCID: PMC10293802 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal control of gene expression in complex multicellular organisms relies on noncoding regulatory sequences such as enhancers, which activate transcription of target genes often over large genomic distances. Despite the advances in the identification and characterization of enhancers, the principles and mechanisms by which enhancers select and control their target genes remain largely unknown. Here, we review recent interdisciplinary and quantitative approaches based on emerging techniques that aim to address open questions in the field, notably how regulatory information is encoded in the DNA sequence, how this information is transferred from enhancers to promoters, and how these processes are regulated in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Mach
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. https://twitter.com/@MachPia
| | - Luca Giorgetti
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
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20
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Alfonso-Gonzalez C, Legnini I, Holec S, Arrigoni L, Ozbulut HC, Mateos F, Koppstein D, Rybak-Wolf A, Bönisch U, Rajewsky N, Hilgers V. Sites of transcription initiation drive mRNA isoform selection. Cell 2023; 186:2438-2455.e22. [PMID: 37178687 PMCID: PMC10228280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The generation of distinct messenger RNA isoforms through alternative RNA processing modulates the expression and function of genes, often in a cell-type-specific manner. Here, we assess the regulatory relationships between transcription initiation, alternative splicing, and 3' end site selection. Applying long-read sequencing to accurately represent even the longest transcripts from end to end, we quantify mRNA isoforms in Drosophila tissues, including the transcriptionally complex nervous system. We find that in Drosophila heads, as well as in human cerebral organoids, 3' end site choice is globally influenced by the site of transcription initiation (TSS). "Dominant promoters," characterized by specific epigenetic signatures including p300/CBP binding, impose a transcriptional constraint to define splice and polyadenylation variants. In vivo deletion or overexpression of dominant promoters as well as p300/CBP loss disrupted the 3' end expression landscape. Our study demonstrates the crucial impact of TSS choice on the regulation of transcript diversity and tissue identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Holec
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Arrigoni
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hasan Can Ozbulut
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fernando Mateos
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David Koppstein
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bönisch
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Charitépl. 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK); National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Hilgers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centre CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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21
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Durrant MG, Fanton A, Tycko J, Hinks M, Chandrasekaran SS, Perry NT, Schaepe J, Du PP, Lotfy P, Bassik MC, Bintu L, Bhatt AS, Hsu PD. Systematic discovery of recombinases for efficient integration of large DNA sequences into the human genome. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:488-499. [PMID: 36217031 PMCID: PMC10083194 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01494-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Large serine recombinases (LSRs) are DNA integrases that facilitate the site-specific integration of mobile genetic elements into bacterial genomes. Only a few LSRs, such as Bxb1 and PhiC31, have been characterized to date, with limited efficiency as tools for DNA integration in human cells. In this study, we developed a computational approach to identify thousands of LSRs and their DNA attachment sites, expanding known LSR diversity by >100-fold and enabling the prediction of their insertion site specificities. We tested their recombination activity in human cells, classifying them as landing pad, genome-targeting or multi-targeting LSRs. Overall, we achieved up to seven-fold higher recombination than Bxb1 and genome integration efficiencies of 40-75% with cargo sizes over 7 kb. We also demonstrate virus-free, direct integration of plasmid or amplicon libraries for improved functional genomics applications. This systematic discovery of recombinases directly from microbial sequencing data provides a resource of over 60 LSRs experimentally characterized in human cells for large-payload genome insertion without exposed DNA double-stranded breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Durrant
- Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alison Fanton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Josh Tycko
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michaela Hinks
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sita S Chandrasekaran
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas T Perry
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Julia Schaepe
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Peter P Du
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Peter Lotfy
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Lacramioara Bintu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Ami S Bhatt
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine (Hematology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Patrick D Hsu
- Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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22
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Das M, Hossain A, Banerjee D, Praul CA, Girirajan S. Challenges and considerations for reproducibility of STARR-seq assays. Genome Res 2023; 33:479-495. [PMID: 37130797 PMCID: PMC10234304 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277204.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput methods such as RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and ATAC-seq have well-established guidelines, commercial kits, and analysis pipelines that enable consistency and wider adoption for understanding genome function and regulation. STARR-seq, a popular assay for directly quantifying the activities of thousands of enhancer sequences simultaneously, has seen limited standardization across studies. The assay is long, with more than 250 steps, and frequent customization of the protocol and variations in bioinformatics methods raise concerns for reproducibility of STARR-seq studies. Here, we assess each step of the protocol and analysis pipelines from published sources and in-house assays, and identify critical steps and quality control (QC) checkpoints necessary for reproducibility of the assay. We also provide guidelines for experimental design, protocol scaling, customization, and analysis pipelines for better adoption of the assay. These resources will allow better optimization of STARR-seq for specific research needs, enable comparisons and integration across studies, and improve the reproducibility of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreya Das
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
- Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Ayaan Hossain
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Deepro Banerjee
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Craig Alan Praul
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
- Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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23
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Kim S, Wysocka J. Deciphering the multi-scale, quantitative cis-regulatory code. Mol Cell 2023; 83:373-392. [PMID: 36693380 PMCID: PMC9898153 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering the cis-regulatory code that governs when and how much each gene is transcribed in a given genome and cellular state remains a central goal of biology. Here, we discuss major layers of regulation that influence how transcriptional outputs are encoded by DNA sequence and cellular context. We first discuss how transcription factors bind specific DNA sequences in a dosage-dependent and cooperative manner and then proceed to the cofactors that facilitate transcription factor function and mediate the activity of modular cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers, silencers, and promoters. We then consider the complex and poorly understood interplay of these diverse elements within regulatory landscapes and its relationships with chromatin states and nuclear organization. We propose that a mechanistically informed, quantitative model of transcriptional regulation that integrates these multiple regulatory layers will be the key to ultimately cracking the cis-regulatory code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungsoo Kim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, 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
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, 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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24
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Klaus L, de Almeida BP, Vlasova A, Nemčko F, Schleiffer A, Bergauer K, Hofbauer L, Rath M, Stark A. Systematic identification and characterization of repressive domains in Drosophila transcription factors. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112100. [PMID: 36545802 PMCID: PMC9890238 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
All multicellular life relies on differential gene expression, determined by regulatory DNA elements and DNA-binding transcription factors that mediate activation and repression via cofactor recruitment. While activators have been extensively characterized, repressors are less well studied: the identities and properties of their repressive domains (RDs) are typically unknown and the specific co-repressors (CoRs) they recruit have not been determined. Here, we develop a high-throughput, next-generation sequencing-based screening method, repressive-domain (RD)-seq, to systematically identify RDs in complex DNA-fragment libraries. Screening more than 200,000 fragments covering the coding sequences of all transcription-related proteins in Drosophila melanogaster, we identify 195 RDs in known repressors and in proteins not previously associated with repression. Many RDs contain recurrent short peptide motifs, which are conserved between fly and human and are required for RD function, as demonstrated by motif mutagenesis. Moreover, we show that RDs that contain one of five distinct repressive motifs interact with and depend on different CoRs, such as Groucho, CtBP, Sin3A, or Smrter. These findings advance our understanding of repressors, their sequences, and the functional impact of sequence-altering mutations and should provide a valuable resource for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loni Klaus
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD ProgramDoctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Bernardo P de Almeida
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD ProgramDoctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Anna Vlasova
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Filip Nemčko
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD ProgramDoctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Katharina Bergauer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Lorena Hofbauer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD ProgramDoctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Martina Rath
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP)Vienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
- Medical University of ViennaVienna BioCenter (VBC)ViennaAustria
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25
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A single-cell massively parallel reporter assay detects cell-type-specific gene regulation. Nat Genet 2023; 55:346-354. [PMID: 36635387 PMCID: PMC9931678 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Massively parallel reporter gene assays are key tools in regulatory genomics but cannot be used to identify cell-type-specific regulatory elements without performing assays serially across different cell types. To address this problem, we developed a single-cell massively parallel reporter assay (scMPRA) to measure the activity of libraries of cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) across multiple cell types simultaneously. We assayed a library of core promoters in a mixture of HEK293 and K562 cells and showed that scMPRA is a reproducible, highly parallel, single-cell reporter gene assay that detects cell-type-specific cis-regulatory activity. We then measured a library of promoter variants across multiple cell types in live mouse retinas and showed that subtle genetic variants can produce cell-type-specific effects on cis-regulatory activity. We anticipate that scMPRA will be widely applicable for studying the role of CRSs across diverse cell types.
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26
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Lyons H, Veettil RT, Pradhan P, Fornero C, De La Cruz N, Ito K, Eppert M, Roeder RG, Sabari BR. Functional partitioning of transcriptional regulators by patterned charge blocks. Cell 2023; 186:327-345.e28. [PMID: 36603581 PMCID: PMC9910284 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Components of transcriptional machinery are selectively partitioned into specific condensates, often mediated by protein disorder, yet we know little about how this specificity is achieved. Here, we show that condensates composed of the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of MED1 selectively partition RNA polymerase II together with its positive allosteric regulators while excluding negative regulators. This selective compartmentalization is sufficient to activate transcription and is required for gene activation during a cell-state transition. The IDRs of partitioned proteins are necessary and sufficient for selective compartmentalization and require alternating blocks of charged amino acids. Disrupting this charge pattern prevents partitioning, whereas adding the pattern to proteins promotes partitioning with functional consequences for gene activation. IDRs with similar patterned charge blocks show similar partitioning and function. These findings demonstrate that disorder-mediated interactions can selectively compartmentalize specific functionally related proteins from a complex mixture of biomolecules, leading to regulation of a biochemical pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heankel Lyons
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Reshma T Veettil
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Prashant Pradhan
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Christy Fornero
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nancy De La Cruz
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mikayla Eppert
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Robert G Roeder
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Benjamin R Sabari
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, Division of Basic Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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27
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Horowitz BB, Nanda S, Walhout AJ. A Transcriptional Cofactor Regulatory Network for the C. elegans Intestine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.05.522920. [PMID: 36711629 PMCID: PMC9881946 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.05.522920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin modifiers and transcriptional cofactors (collectively referred to as CFs) work with DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) to regulate gene expression. In multicellular eukaryotes, distinct tissues each execute their own gene expression program for accurate differentiation and subsequent functionality. While the function of TFs in differential gene expression has been studied in detail in many systems, the contribution of CFs has remained less explored. Here we uncovered the contributions of CFs to gene regulation in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine. We first annotated 366 CFs encoded by the C. elegans genome and assembled a library of 335 RNAi clones. Using this library, we analyzed the effects of individually depleting these CFs on the expression of 19 fluorescent transcriptional reporters in the intestine and identified 216 regulatory interactions. We found that different CFs interact specifically with different promoters, and that both essential and intestinally expressed CFs exhibit the highest proportion of interactions. We did not find all members of CF complexes acting on the same set of reporters but instead found diversity in the promoter targets of each complex component. Finally, we found that previously identified activation mechanisms for the acdh-1 promoter use different CFs and TFs. Overall, we demonstrate that CFs function specifically rather than ubiquitously at intestinal promoters and provide an RNAi resource for reverse genetic screens.
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28
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Kreibich E, Krebs AR. Cofactors: a new layer of specificity to enhancer regulation. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:993-995. [PMID: 35970663 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cofactors are essential effectors of the transcription control machinery. How this functionally diverse group of factors is used in the genome remains elusive. A recent study by Neumayr, Haberle et al. sheds light on this question, showing that enhancers depend on defined combinations of cofactors for their activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Kreibich
- EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arnaud R Krebs
- EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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29
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Jullien D, Guillou E, Bernat-Fabre S, Payet A, Bourbon HMG, Boube M. Inducible degradation of the Drosophila Mediator subunit Med19 reveals its role in regulating developmental but not constitutively-expressed genes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275613. [PMID: 36445897 PMCID: PMC9707739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The multi-subunit Mediator complex plays a critical role in gene expression by bridging enhancer-bound transcription factors and the RNA polymerase II machinery. Although experimental case studies suggest differential roles of Mediator subunits, a comprehensive view of the specific set of genes regulated by individual subunits in a developing tissue is still missing. Here we address this fundamental question by focusing on the Med19 subunit and using the Drosophila wing imaginal disc as a developmental model. By coupling auxin-inducible degradation of endogenous Med19 in vivo with RNA-seq, we got access to the early consequences of Med19 elimination on gene expression. Differential gene expression analysis reveals that Med19 is not globally required for mRNA transcription but specifically regulates positively or negatively less than a quarter of the expressed genes. By crossing our transcriptomic data with those of Drosophila gene expression profile database, we found that Med19-dependent genes are highly enriched with spatially-regulated genes while the expression of most constitutively expressed genes is not affected upon Med19 loss. Whereas globally downregulation does not exceed upregulation, we identified a functional class of genes encoding spatially-regulated transcription factors, and more generally developmental regulators, responding unidirectionally to Med19 loss with an expression collapse. Moreover, we show in vivo that the Notch-responsive wingless and the E(spl)-C genes require Med19 for their expression. Combined with experimental evidences suggesting that Med19 could function as a direct transcriptional effector of Notch signaling, our data support a model in which Med19 plays a critical role in the transcriptional activation of developmental genes in response to cell signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Jullien
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (MB); (DJ)
| | - Emmanuelle Guillou
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Sandra Bernat-Fabre
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Adeline Payet
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Henri-Marc G. Bourbon
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Muriel Boube
- Center for Integrative Biology, Molecular Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Unit UMR 5077, Federal University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- RESTORE Research Center, Université de Toulouse, INSERM 1301, CNRS 5070, EFS, ENVT, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail: (MB); (DJ)
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30
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van den Elzen AMG, Watson MJ, Thoreen CC. mRNA 5' terminal sequences drive 200-fold differences in expression through effects on synthesis, translation and decay. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010532. [PMID: 36441824 PMCID: PMC9731452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA regulatory sequences control gene expression at multiple levels including translation initiation and mRNA decay. The 5' terminal sequences of mRNAs have unique regulatory potential because of their proximity to key post-transcriptional regulators. Here we have systematically probed the function of 5' terminal sequences in gene expression in human cells. Using a library of reporter mRNAs initiating with all possible 7-mer sequences at their 5' ends, we find an unexpected impact on transcription that underlies 200-fold differences in mRNA expression. Library sequences that promote high levels of transcription mirrored those found in native mRNAs and define two basic classes with similarities to classic Initiator (Inr) and TCT core promoter motifs. By comparing transcription, translation and decay rates, we identify sequences that are optimized for both efficient transcription and growth-regulated translation and stability, including variants of terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) motifs. We further show that 5' sequences of endogenous mRNAs are enriched for multi-functional TCT/TOP hybrid sequences. Together, our results reveal how 5' sequences define two general classes of mRNAs with distinct growth-responsive profiles of expression across synthesis, translation and decay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia M. G. van den Elzen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Maegan J. Watson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Carson C. Thoreen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Herman N, Kadener S, Shifman S. The chromatin factor ROW cooperates with BEAF-32 in regulating long-range inducible genes. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54720. [PMID: 36245419 PMCID: PMC9724677 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254720] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulator proteins located at the boundaries of topological associated domains (TAD) are involved in higher-order chromatin organization and transcription regulation. However, it is still not clear how long-range contacts contribute to transcriptional regulation. Here, we show that relative-of-WOC (ROW) is essential for the long-range transcription regulation mediated by the boundary element-associated factor of 32kD (BEAF-32). We find that ROW physically interacts with heterochromatin proteins (HP1b and HP1c) and the insulator protein (BEAF-32). These proteins interact at TAD boundaries where ROW, through its AT-hook motifs, binds AT-rich sequences flanked by BEAF-32-binding sites and motifs. Knockdown of row downregulates genes that are long-range targets of BEAF-32 and bound indirectly by ROW (without binding motif). Analyses of high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data reveal long-range interactions between promoters of housekeeping genes bound directly by ROW and promoters of developmental genes bound indirectly by ROW. Thus, our results show cooperation between BEAF-32 and the ROW complex, including HP1 proteins, to regulate the transcription of developmental and inducible genes through long-range interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neta Herman
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | | | - Sagiv Shifman
- Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
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32
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Hendy O, Serebreni L, Bergauer K, Muerdter F, Huber L, Nemčko F, Stark A. Developmental and housekeeping transcriptional programs in Drosophila require distinct chromatin remodelers. Mol Cell 2022; 82:3598-3612.e7. [PMID: 36113480 PMCID: PMC7614073 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Gene transcription is a highly regulated process in all animals. In Drosophila, two major transcriptional programs, housekeeping and developmental, have promoters with distinct regulatory compatibilities and nucleosome organization. However, it remains unclear how the differences in chromatin structure relate to the distinct regulatory properties and which chromatin remodelers are required for these programs. Using rapid degradation of core remodeler subunits in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells, we demonstrate that developmental gene transcription requires SWI/SNF-type complexes, primarily to maintain distal enhancer accessibility. In contrast, wild-type-level housekeeping gene transcription requires the Iswi and Ino80 remodelers to maintain nucleosome positioning and phasing at promoters. These differential remodeler dependencies relate to different DNA-sequence-intrinsic nucleosome affinities, which favor a default ON state for housekeeping but a default OFF state for developmental gene transcription. Overall, our results demonstrate how different transcription-regulatory strategies are implemented by DNA sequence, chromatin structure, and remodeler activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hendy
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonid Serebreni
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Bergauer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Muerdter
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Huber
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Filip Nemčko
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna 1030, Austria.
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33
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Isbel L, Grand RS, Schübeler D. Generating specificity in genome regulation through transcription factor sensitivity to chromatin. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:728-740. [PMID: 35831531 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00512-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell type-specific gene expression relies on transcription factors (TFs) binding DNA sequence motifs embedded in chromatin. Understanding how motifs are accessed in chromatin is crucial to comprehend differential transcriptional responses and the phenotypic impact of sequence variation. Chromatin obstacles to TF binding range from DNA methylation to restriction of DNA access by nucleosomes depending on their position, composition and modification. In vivo and in vitro approaches now enable the study of TF binding in chromatin at unprecedented resolution. Emerging insights suggest that TFs vary in their ability to navigate chromatin states. However, it remains challenging to link binding and transcriptional outcomes to molecular characteristics of TFs or the local chromatin substrate. Here, we discuss our current understanding of how TFs access DNA in chromatin and novel techniques and directions towards a better understanding of this critical step in genome regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Isbel
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ralph S Grand
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.,Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Schübeler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland. .,Faculty of Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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34
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Bergman DT, Jones TR, Liu V, Ray J, Jagoda E, Siraj L, Kang HY, Nasser J, Kane M, Rios A, Nguyen TH, Grossman SR, Fulco CP, Lander ES, Engreitz JM. Compatibility rules of human enhancer and promoter sequences. Nature 2022; 607:176-184. [PMID: 35594906 PMCID: PMC9262863 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04877-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation in the human genome is controlled by distal enhancers that activate specific nearby promoters1. A proposed model for this specificity is that promoters have sequence-encoded preferences for certain enhancers, for example, mediated by interacting sets of transcription factors or cofactors2. This 'biochemical compatibility' model has been supported by observations at individual human promoters and by genome-wide measurements in Drosophila3-9. However, the degree to which human enhancers and promoters are intrinsically compatible has not yet been systematically measured, and how their activities combine to control RNA expression remains unclear. Here we design a high-throughput reporter assay called enhancer × promoter self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (ExP STARR-seq) and applied it to examine the combinatorial compatibilities of 1,000 enhancer and 1,000 promoter sequences in human K562 cells. We identify simple rules for enhancer-promoter compatibility, whereby most enhancers activate all promoters by similar amounts, and intrinsic enhancer and promoter activities multiplicatively combine to determine RNA output (R2 = 0.82). In addition, two classes of enhancers and promoters show subtle preferential effects. Promoters of housekeeping genes contain built-in activating motifs for factors such as GABPA and YY1, which decrease the responsiveness of promoters to distal enhancers. Promoters of variably expressed genes lack these motifs and show stronger responsiveness to enhancers. Together, this systematic assessment of enhancer-promoter compatibility suggests a multiplicative model tuned by enhancer and promoter class to control gene transcription in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew T Bergman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | | | - Vincent Liu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Judhajeet Ray
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Evelyn Jagoda
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Layla Siraj
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Helen Y Kang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- BASE Initiative, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Nasser
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael Kane
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Antonio Rios
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tung H Nguyen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Charles P Fulco
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse M Engreitz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- BASE Initiative, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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35
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Song H, Yang Y, Li H, Du J, Hu Z, Chen Y, Yang N, Mei M, Xiong Z, Tang K, Yi L, Zhang Y, Yang S. Determination of Nucleotide Sequences within Promoter Regions Affecting Promoter Compatibility between Zymomonas mobilis and Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2811-2819. [PMID: 35771099 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A promoter plays a crucial role in controlling the expression of the target gene in cells, thus being one of the key biological parts for synthetic biology practices. Although significant efforts have been made to identify and characterize promoters with different strengths in various microorganisms, the compatibility of promoters within different hosts still lacks investigation. In this study, we chose the native Pgap promoter of Zymomonas mobilis to investigate nucleotide sequences within promoter regions affecting promoter compatibility between Escherichia coli and Z. mobilis. Pgap is one of the strongest promotors in Z. mobilis that has many excellent characteristics to be developed as microbial cell factories. Using EGFP as a reporter, a Z. mobilis-derived Pgap mutant library was constructed and sorted in E. coli, with candidate promoters exhibiting high fluorescence intensity collected. A total of 53 variants were finally selected and sequenced by Sanger sequencing. The sequencing results grouped these variants into 12 different Pgap variant types, among which seven types presented higher promoter strength than native Pgap in E. coli. The next-generation sequencing technique was then employed to identify key mutations within the Pgap promoter region that affect the promoter compatibility. Finally, six important sites were identified and confirmed to help increase Pgap strength in E. coli while keeping similar strength of native Pgap in Z. mobilis. Compared to native Pgap, synthetic promoters combining these sites had enhanced strength; especially, Pgap-6M combining all six sites exhibited 20-fold greater strength than native Pgap in E. coli. This study thus not only determined six important sites affecting promoter compatibility but also confirmed a series of Pgap promoter variants with strong promoter activity in both E. coli and Z. mobilis. In addition, a strategy was established in this study to investigate and determine nucleotide sequences in promoter regions affecting promoter compatibility, which can be applied in other microorganisms to help reveal universal factors affecting promoter compatibility and design promoters with desired strengths among different microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyue Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yongfu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jun Du
- Beijing Tsingke Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 101111, China
| | - Zhousheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yunhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Ning Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Meng Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Ke Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Li Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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36
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Abstract
Enhancers control the establishment of spatiotemporal gene expression patterns throughout development. Over the past decade, the development of new technologies has improved our capacity to link enhancers with their target genes based on their colocalization within the same topological domains. However, the mechanisms that regulate how enhancers specifically activate some genes but not others within a given domain remain unclear. In this Review, we discuss recent insights into the factors controlling enhancer specificity, including the genetic composition of enhancers and promoters, the linear and 3D distance between enhancers and their target genes, and cell-type specific chromatin landscapes. We also discuss how elucidating the molecular principles of enhancer specificity might help us to better understand and predict the pathological consequences of human genetic, epigenetic and structural variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Pachano
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC/Universidad de Cantabria/SODERCAN, Albert Einstein 22, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Endika Haro
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC/Universidad de Cantabria/SODERCAN, Albert Einstein 22, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Alvaro Rada-Iglesias
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC/Universidad de Cantabria/SODERCAN, Albert Einstein 22, 39011 Santander, Spain
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37
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Differential cofactor dependencies define distinct types of human enhancers. Nature 2022; 606:406-413. [PMID: 35650434 PMCID: PMC7613064 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04779-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
All multicellular organisms rely on differential gene transcription regulated by genomic enhancers, which function through cofactors that are recruited by transcription factors1,2. Emerging evidence suggests that not all cofactors are required at all enhancers3-5, yet whether these observations reflect more general principles or distinct types of enhancers remained unknown. Here we categorized human enhancers by their cofactor dependencies and show that these categories provide a framework to understand the sequence and chromatin diversity of enhancers and their roles in different gene-regulatory programmes. We quantified enhancer activities along the entire human genome using STARR-seq6 in HCT116 cells, following the rapid degradation of eight cofactors. This analysis identified different types of enhancers with distinct cofactor requirements, sequences and chromatin properties. Some enhancers were insensitive to the depletion of the core Mediator subunit MED14 or the bromodomain protein BRD4 and regulated distinct transcriptional programmes. In particular, canonical Mediator7 seemed dispensable for P53-responsive enhancers, and MED14-depleted cells induced endogenous P53 target genes. Similarly, BRD4 was not required for the transcription of genes that bear CCAAT boxes and a TATA box (including histone genes and LTR12 retrotransposons) or for the induction of heat-shock genes. This categorization of enhancers through cofactor dependencies reveals distinct enhancer types that can bypass broadly utilized cofactors, which illustrates how alternative ways to activate transcription separate gene expression programmes and provide a conceptual framework to understand enhancer function and regulatory specificity.
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38
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DeepSTARR predicts enhancer activity from DNA sequence and enables the de novo design of synthetic enhancers. Nat Genet 2022; 54:613-624. [PMID: 35551305 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01048-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer sequences control gene expression and comprise binding sites (motifs) for different transcription factors (TFs). Despite extensive genetic and computational studies, the relationship between DNA sequence and regulatory activity is poorly understood, and de novo enhancer design has been challenging. Here, we built a deep-learning model, DeepSTARR, to quantitatively predict the activities of thousands of developmental and housekeeping enhancers directly from DNA sequence in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. The model learned relevant TF motifs and higher-order syntax rules, including functionally nonequivalent instances of the same TF motif that are determined by motif-flanking sequence and intermotif distances. We validated these rules experimentally and demonstrated that they can be generalized to humans by testing more than 40,000 wildtype and mutant Drosophila and human enhancers. Finally, we designed and functionally validated synthetic enhancers with desired activities de novo.
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39
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Martinez-Ara M, Comoglio F, van Arensbergen J, van Steensel B. Systematic analysis of intrinsic enhancer-promoter compatibility in the mouse genome. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2519-2531.e6. [PMID: 35594855 PMCID: PMC9278412 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Martinez-Ara
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Federico Comoglio
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joris van Arensbergen
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bas van Steensel
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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40
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Galouzis CC, Furlong EEM. Regulating specificity in enhancer-promoter communication. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2022; 75:102065. [PMID: 35240372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Enhancers are cis-regulatory elements that can activate transcription remotely to regulate a specific pattern of a gene's expression. Genes typically have many enhancers that are often intermingled in the loci of other genes. To regulate expression, enhancers must therefore activate their correct promoter while ignoring others that may be in closer linear proximity. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which enhancers engage with promoters, including recent findings on the role of cohesin and the Mediator complex, and how this specificity in enhancer-promoter communication is encoded. Genetic dissection of model loci, in addition to more recent findings using genome-wide approaches, highlight the core promoter sequence, its accessibility, cofactor-promoter preference, in addition to the surrounding genomic context, as key components.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eileen E M Furlong
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
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41
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Abstract
In this issue of Molecular Cell, Alerasool et al. (2022) present a proteome-scale functional screen to systematically uncover human proteins that can activate transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Nemčko
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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42
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Chekunova AI, Sorokina SY, Sivoplyas EA, Bakhtoyarov GN, Proshakov PA, Fokin AV, Melnikov AI, Kulikov AM. Episodes of Rapid Recovery of the Functional Activity of the ras85D Gene in the Evolutionary History of Phylogenetically Distant Drosophila Species. Front Genet 2022; 12:807234. [PMID: 35096018 PMCID: PMC8790561 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.807234] [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: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As assemblies of genomes of new species with varying degrees of relationship appear, it becomes obvious that structural rearrangements of the genome, such as inversions, translocations, and transposon movements, are an essential and often the main source of evolutionary variation. In this regard, the following questions arise. How conserved are the regulatory regions of genes? Do they have a common evolutionary origin? And how and at what rate is the functional activity of genes restored during structural changes in the promoter region? In this article, we analyze the evolutionary history of the formation of the regulatory region of the ras85D gene in different lineages of the genus Drosophila, as well as the participation of mobile elements in structural rearrangements and in the replacement of specific areas of the promoter region with those of independent evolutionary origin. In the process, we substantiate hypotheses about the selection of promoter elements from a number of frequently repeated motifs with different degrees of degeneracy in the ancestral sequence, as well as about the restoration of the minimum required set of regulatory sequences using a conversion mechanism or similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- A I Chekunova
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - S Yu Sorokina
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - E A Sivoplyas
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Biology and Chemistry of Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU), Moscow, Russia
| | - G N Bakhtoyarov
- Laboratory of Genetics of DNA Containing Viruses, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «I. Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera», Moscow, Russia
| | - P A Proshakov
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Fokin
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A I Melnikov
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A M Kulikov
- Evolutionary Genetics of Development, N.K. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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43
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Zhang X, Hu Y, Liu G, Liu M, Li Z, Zhao J, Song X, Zhong Y, Qu Y, Wang L, Qin Y. The complex Tup1-Cyc8 bridges transcription factor ClrB and putative histone methyltransferase LaeA to activate the expression of cellulolytic genes. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1002-1022. [PMID: 35072962 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The degradation of lignocellulosic biomass by cellulolytic enzymes is involved in the global carbon cycle. The hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars is potential as excellent industrial resource to produce a variety of chemical products. The production of cellulolytic enzymes is regulated mainly at the transcriptional level in filamentous fungi. Transcription factor ClrB and the putative histone methyltransferase LaeA, are both necessary for the expression of cellulolytic genes. However, the mechanism by which transcription factors and methyltransferase coordinately regulate cellulolytic genes is still unknown. Here, we reveal a transcriptional regulatory mechanism involving Penicillium oxalicum transcription factor ClrB (PoClrB), complex Tup1-Cyc8, and putative histone methyltransferase LaeA (PoLaeA). As the transcription factor, PoClrB binds the targeted promoters of cellulolytic genes, recruits PoTup1-Cyc8 complex via direct interaction with PoTup1. PoTup1 interacts with PoCyc8 to form the coactivator complex PoTup1-Cyc8. Then, PoTup1 recruits putative histone methyltransferase PoLaeA to modify the chromatin structure of the upstream region of cellulolytic genes, thereby facilitating the binding of transcription machinery to activating the corresponding cellulolytic gene expression. Our results contribute to a better understanding of complex transcriptional regulation mechanisms of cellulolytic genes and will be valuable for lignocellulosic biorefining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujun Zhang
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Yueyan Hu
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Guodong Liu
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhonghai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin Song
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yaohua Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yinbo Qu
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lushan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuqi Qin
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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44
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Alerasool N, Leng H, Lin ZY, Gingras AC, Taipale M. Identification and functional characterization of transcriptional activators in human cells. Mol Cell 2022; 82:677-695.e7. [PMID: 35016035 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcription is orchestrated by thousands of transcription factors (TFs) and chromatin-associated proteins, but how these are causally connected to transcriptional activation is poorly understood. Here, we conduct an unbiased proteome-scale screen to systematically uncover human proteins that activate transcription in a natural chromatin context. By combining interaction proteomics and chemical inhibitors, we delineate the preference of these transcriptional activators for specific co-activators, highlighting how even closely related TFs can function via distinct cofactors. We also identify potent transactivation domains among the hits and use AlphaFold2 to predict and experimentally validate interaction interfaces of two activation domains with BRD4. Finally, we show that many novel activators are partners in fusion events in tumors and functionally characterize a myofibroma-associated fusion between SRF and C3orf62, a potent p300-dependent activator. Our work provides a functional catalog of potent transactivators in the human proteome and a platform for discovering transcriptional regulators at genome scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nader Alerasool
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - He Leng
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Zhen-Yuan Lin
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada.
| | - Mikko Taipale
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada.
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45
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Hong CKY, Cohen BA. Genomic environments scale the activities of diverse core promoters. Genome Res 2022; 32:85-96. [PMID: 34961747 PMCID: PMC8744677 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276025.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A classical model of gene regulation is that enhancers provide specificity whereas core promoters provide a modular site for the assembly of the basal transcriptional machinery. However, examples of core promoter specificity have led to an alternate hypothesis in which specificity is achieved by core promoters with different sequence motifs that respond differently to genomic environments containing different enhancers and chromatin landscapes. To distinguish between these models, we measured the activities of hundreds of diverse core promoters in four different genomic locations and, in a complementary experiment, six different core promoters at thousands of locations across the genome. Although genomic locations had large effects on expression, the intrinsic activities of different classes of promoters were preserved across genomic locations, suggesting that core promoters are modular regulatory elements whose activities are independently scaled up or down by different genomic locations. This scaling of promoter activities is nonlinear and depends on the genomic location and the strength of the core promoter. Our results support the classical model of regulation in which diverse core promoter motifs set the intrinsic strengths of core promoters, which are then amplified or dampened by the activities of their genomic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarice K Y Hong
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Barak A Cohen
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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46
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Greulich F, Bielefeld KA, Scheundel R, Mechtidou A, Strickland B, Uhlenhaut NH. Enhancer RNA Expression in Response to Glucocorticoid Treatment in Murine Macrophages. Cells 2021; 11:28. [PMID: 35011590 PMCID: PMC8744892 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are potent anti-inflammatory drugs; however, their molecular mode of action remains complex and elusive. They bind to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a nuclear receptor that controls gene expression in almost all tissues in a cell type-specific manner. While GR's transcriptional targets mediate beneficial reactions in immune cells, they also harbor the potential of adverse metabolic effects in other cell types such as hepatocytes. Here, we have profiled nascent transcription upon glucocorticoid stimulation in LPS-activated primary murine macrophages using 4sU-seq. We compared our results to publicly available nascent transcriptomics data from murine liver and bioinformatically identified non-coding RNAs transcribed from intergenic GR binding sites in a tissue-specific fashion. These tissue-specific enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) correlate with target gene expression, reflecting cell type-specific glucocorticoid responses. We further associate GR-mediated eRNA expression with changes in H3K27 acetylation and BRD4 recruitment in inflammatory macrophages upon glucocorticoid treatment. In summary, we propose a common mechanism by which GR-bound enhancers regulate target gene expression by changes in histone acetylation, BRD4 recruitment and eRNA expression. We argue that local eRNAs are potential therapeutic targets downstream of GR signaling which may modulate glucocorticoid response in a cell type-specific way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Greulich
- Metabolic Programming, TUM School of Life Sciences, ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (F.G.); (R.S.); (B.S.)
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (IDO, IDC, IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich HMGU, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Kirsten Adele Bielefeld
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (IDO, IDC, IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich HMGU, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Ronny Scheundel
- Metabolic Programming, TUM School of Life Sciences, ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (F.G.); (R.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Aikaterini Mechtidou
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (IDO, IDC, IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich HMGU, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Benjamin Strickland
- Metabolic Programming, TUM School of Life Sciences, ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (F.G.); (R.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Nina Henriette Uhlenhaut
- Metabolic Programming, TUM School of Life Sciences, ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; (F.G.); (R.S.); (B.S.)
- Helmholtz Diabetes Center (IDO, IDC, IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich HMGU, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.A.B.); (A.M.)
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47
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Glaser LV, Steiger M, Fuchs A, van Bömmel A, Einfeldt E, Chung HR, Vingron M, Meijsing SH. Assessing genome-wide dynamic changes in enhancer activity during early mESC differentiation by FAIRE-STARR-seq. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12178-12195. [PMID: 34850108 PMCID: PMC8643627 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can differentiate into any given cell type and therefore represent a versatile model to study the link between gene regulation and differentiation. To quantitatively assess the dynamics of enhancer activity during the early stages of murine ESC differentiation, we analyzed accessible genomic regions using STARR-seq, a massively parallel reporter assay. This resulted in a genome-wide quantitative map of active mESC enhancers, in pluripotency and during the early stages of differentiation. We find that only a minority of accessible regions is active and that such regions are enriched near promoters, characterized by specific chromatin marks, enriched for distinct sequence motifs, and modeling shows that active regions can be predicted from sequence alone. Regions that change their activity upon retinoic acid-induced differentiation are more prevalent at distal intergenic regions when compared to constitutively active enhancers. Further, analysis of differentially active enhancers verified the contribution of individual TF motifs toward activity and inducibility as well as their role in regulating endogenous genes. Notably, the activity of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) occupied regions can either increase or decrease upon the addition of its ligand, retinoic acid, with the direction of the change correlating with spacing and orientation of the RARα consensus motif and the co-occurrence of additional sequence motifs. Together, our genome-wide enhancer activity map elucidates features associated with enhancer activity levels, identifies regulatory regions disregarded by computational prediction tools, and provides a resource for future studies into regulatory elements in mESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura V Glaser
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mara Steiger
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alisa Fuchs
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- The Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alena van Bömmel
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Edda Einfeldt
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ho-Ryun Chung
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Philipps University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastiaan H Meijsing
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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48
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Zboril E, Yoo H, Chen L, Liu Z. Dynamic Interactions of Transcription Factors and Enhancer Reprogramming in Cancer Progression. Front Oncol 2021; 11:753051. [PMID: 34616687 PMCID: PMC8488287 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.753051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While improved tumor treatment has significantly reduced the overall mortality rates, invasive progression including recurrence, therapy resistance and metastasis contributes to the majority of deaths caused by cancer. Enhancers are essential distal DNA regulatory elements that control temporal- or spatial-specific gene expression patterns during development and other biological processes. Genome-wide sequencing has revealed frequent alterations of enhancers in cancers and reprogramming of distal enhancers has emerged as one of the important features for tumors. In this review, we will discuss tumor progression-associated enhancer dynamics, its transcription factor (TF) drivers and how enhancer reprogramming modulates gene expression during cancer invasive progression. Additionally, we will explore recent advancements in contemporary technology including single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and CUT&RUN, which have permitted integrated studies of enhancer reprogramming in vivo. Given the essential roles of enhancer dynamics and its drivers in controlling cancer progression and treatment outcome, understanding these changes will be paramount in mitigating invasive events and discovering novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zboril
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Hannah Yoo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Lizhen Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Zhijie Liu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Sloutskin A, Shir-Shapira H, Freiman RN, Juven-Gershon T. The Core Promoter Is a Regulatory Hub for Developmental Gene Expression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:666508. [PMID: 34568311 PMCID: PMC8461331 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.666508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of multicellular organisms and the uniqueness of each cell are achieved by distinct transcriptional programs. Multiple processes that regulate gene expression converge at the core promoter region, an 80 bp region that directs accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II (Pol II). In recent years, it has become apparent that the core promoter region is not a passive DNA component, but rather an active regulatory module of transcriptional programs. Distinct core promoter compositions were demonstrated to result in different transcriptional outputs. In this mini-review, we focus on the role of the core promoter, particularly its downstream region, as the regulatory hub for developmental genes. The downstream core promoter element (DPE) was implicated in the control of evolutionarily conserved developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) governing body plan in both the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes. Notably, the composition of the basal transcription machinery is not universal, but rather promoter-dependent, highlighting the importance of specialized transcription complexes and their core promoter target sequences as key hubs that drive embryonic development, differentiation and morphogenesis across metazoan species. The extent of transcriptional activation by a specific enhancer is dependent on its compatibility with the relevant core promoter. The core promoter content also regulates transcription burst size. Overall, while for many years it was thought that the specificity of gene expression is primarily determined by enhancers, it is now clear that the core promoter region comprises an important regulatory module in the intricate networks of developmental gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sloutskin
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hila Shir-Shapira
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Richard N. Freiman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Tamar Juven-Gershon
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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A Comprehensive Toolbox to Analyze Enhancer-Promoter Functions. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34382181 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1597-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge in gene transcription and chromatin regulation has been intensely studied for decades, but thanks to next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques there has been a major leap forward in the last few years. Historically, identification of specific enhancer elements has led to the identification of master transcription factors (TFs) in the 1990s. Genetic and biochemical experiments have identified the key regulators controlling RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription and structurally analyses have elucidated detailed mechanisms. NGS and the development of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) have accelerated the gain of knowledge in the recent years. By now, we have a dazzling wealth of techniques that are currently used to put gene expression into a genome-wide context. This book is an attempt to assemble useful protocols for many researchers within and nearby research areas. In general, these innovative techniques focus on enhancer and promoter studies. The techniques should also be of interest for related fields such as DNA repair and replication.
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