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Gao C, Gao X, Gao F, Du X, Wu S. A CRISPR/Cas9 screen in embryonic stem cells reveals that Mdm2 regulates totipotency exit. Commun Biol 2024; 7:809. [PMID: 38961268 PMCID: PMC11222520 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06507-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
During early embryonic development, the transition from totipotency to pluripotency is a fundamental and critical process for proper development. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing this transition remain elusive. Here, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen to investigate the 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs) phenotype in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). This effort led to the identification of ten regulators that play a pivotal role in determining cell fate during this transition. Notably, our study revealed Mdm2 as a significant negative regulator of 2CLCs, as perturbation of Mdm2 resulted in a higher proportion of 2CLCs. Mdm2 appears to influence cell fate through its impact on cell cycle progression and H3K27me3 epigenetic modifications. In summary, the results of our CRISPR/Cas9 screen have uncovered several genes with distinct functions in regulating totipotency and pluripotency at various levels, offering a valuable resource for potential targets in future molecular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Xuguang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China.
| | - Sen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China.
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2
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Du Z, Lin M, Li Q, Guo D, Xue Y, Liu W, Shi H, Chen T, Dan J. The totipotent 2C-like state safeguards genomic stability of mouse embryonic stem cells. J Cell Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38860420 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) sporadically transition to a transient totipotent state that resembles blastomeres of the two-cell (2C) embryo stage, which has been proposed to contribute to exceptional genomic stability, one of the key features of mESCs. However, the biological significance of the rare population of 2C-like cells (2CLCs) in ESC cultures remains to be tested. Here we generated an inducible reporter cell system for specific elimination of 2CLCs from the ESC cultures to disrupt the equilibrium between ESCs and 2CLCs. We show that removing 2CLCs from the ESC cultures leads to dramatic accumulation of DNA damage, genomic mutations, and rearrangements, indicating impaired genomic instability. Furthermore, 2CLCs removal results in increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation of mESCs in both serum/LIF and 2i/LIF culture conditions. Unexpectedly, p53 deficiency results in defective response to DNA damage, leading to early accumulation of DNA damage, micronuclei, indicative of genomic instability, cell apoptosis, and reduced self-renewal capacity of ESCs when devoid of 2CLCs in cultures. Together, our data reveal that transition to the privileged 2C-like state is a major component of the intrinsic mechanisms that maintain the exceptional genomic stability of mESCs for long-term self-renewal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeling Du
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Meiqi Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Qiaohua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Dan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Yanna Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Hong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
| | - Taiping Chen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jiameng Dan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, China
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3
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Do BT, Hsu PP, Vermeulen SY, Wang Z, Hirz T, Abbott KL, Aziz N, Replogle JM, Bjelosevic S, Paolino J, Nelson SA, Block S, Darnell AM, Ferreira R, Zhang H, Milosevic J, Schmidt DR, Chidley C, Harris IS, Weissman JS, Pikman Y, Stegmaier K, Cheloufi S, Su XA, Sykes DB, Vander Heiden MG. Nucleotide depletion promotes cell fate transitions by inducing DNA replication stress. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00327-7. [PMID: 38823395 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Control of cellular identity requires coordination of developmental programs with environmental factors such as nutrient availability, suggesting that perturbing metabolism can alter cell state. Here, we find that nucleotide depletion and DNA replication stress drive differentiation in human and murine normal and transformed hematopoietic systems, including patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia (AML) xenografts. These cell state transitions begin during S phase and are independent of ATR/ATM checkpoint signaling, double-stranded DNA break formation, and changes in cell cycle length. In systems where differentiation is blocked by oncogenic transcription factor expression, replication stress activates primed regulatory loci and induces lineage-appropriate maturation genes despite the persistence of progenitor programs. Altering the baseline cell state by manipulating transcription factor expression causes replication stress to induce genes specific for alternative lineages. The ability of replication stress to selectively activate primed maturation programs across different contexts suggests a general mechanism by which changes in metabolism can promote lineage-appropriate cell state transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Do
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peggy P Hsu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Rogel Cancer Center and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Sidney Y Vermeulen
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zhishan Wang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Taghreed Hirz
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Keene L Abbott
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Najihah Aziz
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joseph M Replogle
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stefan Bjelosevic
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan Paolino
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Samantha A Nelson
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Samuel Block
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alicia M Darnell
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Raphael Ferreira
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hanyu Zhang
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jelena Milosevic
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Daniel R Schmidt
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christopher Chidley
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Isaac S Harris
- Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yana Pikman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sihem Cheloufi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Stem Cell Center, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Xiaofeng A Su
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02113, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Matthew G Vander Heiden
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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4
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Ubieto-Capella P, Ximénez-Embún P, Giménez-Llorente D, Losada A, Muñoz J, Méndez J. A rewiring of DNA replication mediated by MRE11 exonuclease underlies primed-to-naive cell de-differentiation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114024. [PMID: 38581679 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114024] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) in the primed pluripotency state, which resembles the post-implantation epiblast, can be de-differentiated in culture to a naive state that resembles the pre-implantation inner cell mass. We report that primed-to-naive mESC transition entails a significant slowdown of DNA replication forks and the compensatory activation of dormant origins. Using isolation of proteins on nascent DNA coupled to mass spectrometry, we identify key changes in replisome composition that are responsible for these effects. Naive mESC forks are enriched in MRE11 nuclease and other DNA repair proteins. MRE11 is recruited to newly synthesized DNA in response to transcription-replication conflicts, and its inhibition or genetic downregulation in naive mESCs is sufficient to restore the fork rate of primed cells. Transcriptomic analyses indicate that MRE11 exonuclease activity is required for the complete primed-to-naive mESC transition, demonstrating a direct link between DNA replication dynamics and the mESC de-differentiation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Ubieto-Capella
- DNA Replication Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Ximénez-Embún
- Proteomics Unit-ProteoRed-ISCIII, Biotechnology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Giménez-Llorente
- Chromosome Dynamics Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Losada
- Chromosome Dynamics Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Muñoz
- Proteomics Unit-ProteoRed-ISCIII, Biotechnology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Méndez
- DNA Replication Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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5
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Vega-Sendino M, Ruiz S. Transition from totipotency to pluripotency in mice: insights into molecular mechanisms. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:231-239. [PMID: 38288760 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230442] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to develop into a full organism and, in mammals, is strictly associated with the early stages of development following fertilization. This unlimited developmental potential becomes quickly restricted as embryonic cells transition into a pluripotent state. The loss of totipotency seems a consequence of the zygotic genome activation (ZGA), a process that determines the switch from maternal to embryonic transcription, which in mice takes place following the first cleavage. ZGA confers to the totipotent cell a transient transcriptional profile characterized by the expression of stage-specific genes and a set of transposable elements that prepares the embryo for subsequent development. The timely silencing of this transcriptional program during the exit from totipotency is required to ensure proper development. Importantly, the molecular mechanisms regulating the transition from totipotency to pluripotency have remained elusive due to the scarcity of embryonic material. However, the development of new in vitro totipotent-like models together with advances in low-input genome-wide technologies, are providing a better mechanistic understanding of how this important transition is achieved. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular determinants that regulate the exit from totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vega-Sendino
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20814, U.S.A
| | - Sergio Ruiz
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20814, U.S.A
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6
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Varineau JE, Calo E. A common cellular response to broad splicing perturbations is characterized by metabolic transcript downregulation driven by the Mdm2-p53 axis. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050356. [PMID: 38426258 PMCID: PMC10924232 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Disruptions in core cellular processes elicit stress responses that drive cell-state changes leading to organismal phenotypes. Perturbations in the splicing machinery cause widespread mis-splicing, resulting in p53-dependent cell-state changes that give rise to cell-type-specific phenotypes and disease. However, a unified framework for how cells respond to splicing perturbations, and how this response manifests itself in nuanced disease phenotypes, has yet to be established. Here, we show that a p53-stabilizing Mdm2 alternative splicing event and the resulting widespread downregulation of metabolic transcripts are common events that arise in response to various splicing perturbations in both cellular and organismal models. Together, our results classify a common cellular response to splicing perturbations, put forth a new mechanism behind the cell-type-specific phenotypes that arise when splicing is broadly disrupted, and lend insight into the pleiotropic nature of the effects of p53 stabilization in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade E. Varineau
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eliezer Calo
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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7
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Wu B, Wang Y, Wei X, Zhang J, Wu J, Cao G, Zhang Y, Liu J, Li X, Bao S. NELFA and BCL2 induce the 2C-like state in mouse embryonic stem cells in a chemically defined medium. Cell Prolif 2024; 57:e13534. [PMID: 37592709 PMCID: PMC10849787 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13534] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A minority of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) display totipotent features resembling 2-cell stage embryos and are known as 2-cell-like (2C-like) cells. However, how ESCs transit into this 2C-like state remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the overexpression of negative elongation factor A (Nelfa), a maternally provided factor, enhances the conversion of ESCs into 2C-like cells in chemically defined conditions, while the deletion of endogenous Nelfa does not block this transition. We also demonstrate that Nelfa overexpression significantly enhances somatic cell reprogramming efficiency. Interestingly, we found that the co-overexpression of Nelfa and Bcl2 robustly activates the 2C-like state in ESCs and endows the cells with dual cell fate potential. We further demonstrate that Bcl2 overexpression upregulates endogenous Nelfa expression and can induce the 2C-like state in ESCs even in the absence of Nelfa. Our findings highlight the importance of BCL2 in the regulation of the 2C-like state and provide insights into the mechanism underlying the roles of Nelfa and Bcl2 in the establishment and regulation of the totipotent state in mouse ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojiang Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Yanqiu Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Xinhua Wei
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Jingcheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Jiahui Wu
- School of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Guifang Cao
- School of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Inner Mongolia Saikexing Institute of Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology in Domestic AnimalHohhotChina
| | - Yong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Xihe Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Inner Mongolia Saikexing Institute of Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology in Domestic AnimalHohhotChina
| | - Siqin Bao
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
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8
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Yakhou L, Azogui A, Therizols P, Defossez PA. [Using 2C-like cells to understand embryonic totipotency]. Med Sci (Paris) 2024; 40:147-153. [PMID: 38411422 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2023217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Totipotency is the ability of a cell to generate a whole organism, a property that characterizes the first embryonic cells, such as the zygote and the blastomeres. This review provides a retrospective on the progress made in the last decade in the study of totipotency, especially with the discovery of mouse ES cells expressing markers of the 2-cell stage (2C-like cells). This model has greatly contributed to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in totipotency (pioneer factors, epigenetic regulation, splicing, nuclear maturation). 2C-like cells have also paved the way for the development of new cellular models of human totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lounis Yakhou
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Anaelle Azogui
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Pierre Therizols
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Pierre-Antoine Defossez
- Équipe dynamiquede la méthylation de l'ADN des génomes eucaryotes, Centre épigénétique et destin cellulaire, UMR7216 CNRS, université Paris-Cité, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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9
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Zheng D, Wondergem A, Kloet S, Willemsen I, Balog J, Tapscott SJ, Mahfouz A, van den Heuvel A, van der Maarel SM. snRNA-seq analysis in multinucleated myogenic FSHD cells identifies heterogeneous FSHD transcriptome signatures associated with embryonic-like program activation and oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:284-298. [PMID: 37934801 PMCID: PMC10800016 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The sporadic nature of DUX4 expression in FSHD muscle challenges comparative transcriptome analyses between FSHD and control samples. A variety of DUX4 and FSHD-associated transcriptional changes have been identified, but bulk RNA-seq strategies prohibit comprehensive analysis of their spatiotemporal relation, interdependence and role in the disease process. In this study, we used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of nuclei isolated from patient- and control-derived multinucleated primary myotubes to investigate the cellular heterogeneity in FSHD. Taking advantage of the increased resolution in snRNA-sequencing of fully differentiated myotubes, two distinct populations of DUX4-affected nuclei could be defined by their transcriptional profiles. Our data provides insights into the differences between these two populations and suggests heterogeneity in two well-known FSHD-associated transcriptional aberrations: increased oxidative stress and inhibition of myogenic differentiation. Additionally, we provide evidence that DUX4-affected nuclei share transcriptome features with early embryonic cells beyond the well-described cleavage stage, progressing into the 8-cell and blastocyst stages. Altogether, our data suggests that the FSHD transcriptional profile is defined by a mixture of individual and sometimes mutually exclusive DUX4-induced responses and cellular state-dependent downstream effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Zheng
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annelot Wondergem
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Susan Kloet
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Iris Willemsen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ahmed Mahfouz
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Van Mourik Broekmanweg 2628 XE, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Anita van den Heuvel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Silvère M van der Maarel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
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10
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Lu X. Regulation of endogenous retroviruses in murine embryonic stem cells and early embryos. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad052. [PMID: 37604781 PMCID: PMC10794949 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are important components of transposable elements that constitute ∼40% of the mouse genome. ERVs exhibit dynamic expression patterns during early embryonic development and are engaged in numerous biological processes. Therefore, ERV expression must be closely monitored in cells. Most studies have focused on the regulation of ERV expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and during early embryonic development. This review touches on the classification, expression, and functions of ERVs in mouse ESCs and early embryos and mainly discusses ERV modulation strategies from the perspectives of transcription, epigenetic modification, nucleosome/chromatin assembly, and post-transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
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11
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Torre D, Fstkchyan YS, Ho JSY, Cheon Y, Patel RS, Degrace EJ, Mzoughi S, Schwarz M, Mohammed K, Seo JS, Romero-Bueno R, Demircioglu D, Hasson D, Tang W, Mahajani SU, Campisi L, Zheng S, Song WS, Wang YC, Shah H, Francoeur N, Soto J, Salfati Z, Weirauch MT, Warburton P, Beaumont K, Smith ML, Mulder L, Villalta SA, Kessenbrock K, Jang C, Lee D, De Rubeis S, Cobos I, Tam O, Hammell MG, Seldin M, Shi Y, Basu U, Sebastiano V, Byun M, Sebra R, Rosenberg BR, Benner C, Guccione E, Marazzi I. Nuclear RNA catabolism controls endogenous retroviruses, gene expression asymmetry, and dedifferentiation. Mol Cell 2023; 83:4255-4271.e9. [PMID: 37995687 PMCID: PMC10842741 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.10.036] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of ancient parasitic infections and comprise sizable portions of most genomes. Although epigenetic mechanisms silence most ERVs by generating a repressive environment that prevents their expression (heterochromatin), little is known about mechanisms silencing ERVs residing in open regions of the genome (euchromatin). This is particularly important during embryonic development, where induction and repression of distinct classes of ERVs occur in short temporal windows. Here, we demonstrate that transcription-associated RNA degradation by the nuclear RNA exosome and Integrator is a regulatory mechanism that controls the productive transcription of most genes and many ERVs involved in preimplantation development. Disrupting nuclear RNA catabolism promotes dedifferentiation to a totipotent-like state characterized by defects in RNAPII elongation and decreased expression of long genes (gene-length asymmetry). Our results indicate that RNA catabolism is a core regulatory module of gene networks that safeguards RNAPII activity, ERV expression, cell identity, and developmental potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Torre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yesai S Fstkchyan
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jessica Sook Yuin Ho
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Youngseo Cheon
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Roosheel S Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Emma J Degrace
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Slim Mzoughi
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Megan Schwarz
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kevin Mohammed
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ji-Seon Seo
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Raquel Romero-Bueno
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Deniz Demircioglu
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dan Hasson
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Weijing Tang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sameehan U Mahajani
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Laura Campisi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Simin Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Won-Suk Song
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ying-Chih Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hardik Shah
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nancy Francoeur
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Juan Soto
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Zelda Salfati
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Peter Warburton
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kristin Beaumont
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Melissa L Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Lubbertus Mulder
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - S Armando Villalta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Kai Kessenbrock
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Cholsoon Jang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Daeyoup Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Inma Cobos
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Oliver Tam
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - Marcus Seldin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Yongsheng Shi
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Uttiya Basu
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Vittorio Sebastiano
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Minji Byun
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Brad R Rosenberg
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chris Benner
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics (COGIT), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Ivan Marazzi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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12
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Daman K, Yan J, Burzenski LM, Kady J, Shultz LD, Brehm MA, Emerson CP. A human immune/muscle xenograft model of FSHD muscle pathology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.17.567590. [PMID: 38014123 PMCID: PMC10680822 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.567590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) disease progression is associated with muscle inflammation, although its role in FSHD muscle pathology is unknown. Methods We have developed a novel humanized mouse strain, NSG-SGM3-W41, that supports the co- engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and muscle myoblasts as an experimental model to investigate the role of innate immunity in FSHD muscle pathology. Results The NSG-SGM3-W41 mouse supports the selective expansion of human innate immune cell lineages following engraftment of human HSCs and the co-engraftment and differentiation of patient-derived FSHD or control muscle myoblasts. Immunohistological and NanoString RNA expression assays establish that muscle xenografts from three FSHD subjects were immunogenic compared to those from unaffected first-degree relatives. FSHD muscle xenografts preferentially accumulated human macrophages and B cells and expressed early complement genes of the classical and alternative pathways including complement factor C3 protein, which is a mediator of early complement function through opsonization to mark damaged cells for macrophage engulfment. FSHD muscle xenografts also underwent immune donor dependent muscle turnover as assayed by human spectrin β1 immunostaining of muscle fibers and by NanoString RNA expression assays of muscle differentiation genes. Conclusions The NSG-SGM3-W41 mouse provides an experimental model to investigate the role of innate immunity and complement in FSHD muscle pathology and to develop FSHD therapeutics targeting DUX4 and the innate immunity inflammatory responses.
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13
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Pezic D, Weeks S, Varsally W, Dewari PS, Pollard S, Branco MR, Hadjur S. The N-terminus of Stag1 is required to repress the 2C program by maintaining rRNA expression and nucleolar integrity. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:2154-2173. [PMID: 37802073 PMCID: PMC10679541 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of how STAG proteins contribute to cell identity and disease have largely been studied from the perspective of chromosome topology and protein-coding gene expression. Here, we show that STAG1 is the dominant paralog in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and is required for pluripotency. mESCs express a wide diversity of naturally occurring Stag1 isoforms, resulting in complex regulation of both the levels of STAG paralogs and the proportion of their unique terminal ends. Skewing the balance of these isoforms impacts cell identity. We define a novel role for STAG1, in particular its N-terminus, in regulating repeat expression, nucleolar integrity, and repression of the two-cell (2C) state to maintain mESC identity. Our results move beyond protein-coding gene regulation via chromatin loops to new roles for STAG1 in nucleolar structure and function, and offer fresh perspectives on how STAG proteins, known to be cancer targets, contribute to cell identity and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dubravka Pezic
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | - Samuel Weeks
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | - Wazeer Varsally
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | - Pooran S Dewari
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steven Pollard
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Miguel R Branco
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, QMUL, London, UK
| | - Suzana Hadjur
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK.
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14
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Smith AA, Nip Y, Bennett SR, Hamm DC, Lemmers RJLF, van der Vliet PJ, Setty M, van der Maarel SM, Tapscott SJ. DUX4 expression in cancer induces a metastable early embryonic totipotent program. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113114. [PMID: 37691147 PMCID: PMC10578318 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor DUX4 regulates a portion of the zygotic gene activation (ZGA) program in the early embryo. Many cancers express DUX4 but it is unknown whether this generates cells similar to early embryonic stem cells. Here we identified cancer cell lines that express DUX4 and showed that DUX4 is transiently expressed in a small subset of the cells. DUX4 expression activates the DUX4-regulated ZGA transcriptional program, the subsequent 8C-like program, and markers of early embryonic lineages, while suppressing steady-state and interferon-induced MHC class I expression. Although DUX4 was expressed in a small number of cells under standard culture conditions, DNA damage or changes in growth conditions increased the fraction of cells expressing DUX4 and its downstream programs. Our demonstration that transient expression of endogenous DUX4 in cancer cells induces a metastable early embryonic stem cell program and suppresses antigen presentation has implications for cancer growth, progression, and immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A Smith
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yee Nip
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sean R Bennett
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Danielle C Hamm
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Richard J L F Lemmers
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Manu Setty
- Basic Sciences Division and Translational Science IRC, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98105, USA.
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15
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Canat A, Atilla D, Torres‐Padilla M. Hyperosmotic stress induces 2-cell-like cells through ROS and ATR signaling. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56194. [PMID: 37432066 PMCID: PMC10481651 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256194] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) display pluripotency features characteristic of the inner cell mass of the blastocyst. Mouse embryonic stem cell cultures are highly heterogeneous and include a rare population of cells, which recapitulate characteristics of the 2-cell embryo, referred to as 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs). Whether and how ESC and 2CLC respond to environmental cues has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigate the impact of mechanical stress on the reprogramming of ESC to 2CLC. We show that hyperosmotic stress induces 2CLC and that this induction can occur even after a recovery time from hyperosmotic stress, suggesting a memory response. Hyperosmotic stress in ESCs leads to accumulation of reactive-oxygen species (ROS) and ATR checkpoint activation. Importantly, preventing either elevated ROS levels or ATR activation impairs hyperosmotic-mediated 2CLC induction. We further show that ROS generation and the ATR checkpoint act within the same molecular pathway in response to hyperosmotic stress to induce 2CLCs. Altogether, these results shed light on the response of ESC to mechanical stress and on our understanding of 2CLC reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Canat
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES)Helmholtz Zentrum MünchenMünchenGermany
| | - Derya Atilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES)Helmholtz Zentrum MünchenMünchenGermany
| | - Maria‐Elena Torres‐Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES)Helmholtz Zentrum MünchenMünchenGermany
- Faculty of BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians UniversitätMünchenGermany
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16
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Hamm DC, Paatela EM, Bennett SR, Wong CJ, Campbell AE, Wladyka CL, Smith AA, Jagannathan S, Hsieh AC, Tapscott SJ. The transcription factor DUX4 orchestrates translational reprogramming by broadly suppressing translation efficiency and promoting expression of DUX4-induced mRNAs. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002317. [PMID: 37747887 PMCID: PMC10553841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002317] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational control is critical for cell fate transitions during development, lineage specification, and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that the transcription factor double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4), and its previously characterized transcriptional program, broadly regulates translation to change the cellular proteome. DUX4 is a key regulator of zygotic genome activation in human embryos, whereas misexpression of DUX4 causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and is associated with MHC-I suppression and immune evasion in cancer. We report that translation initiation and elongation factors are disrupted downstream of DUX4 expression in human myoblasts. Genome-wide translation profiling identified mRNAs susceptible to DUX4-induced translation inhibition, including those encoding antigen presentation factors and muscle lineage proteins, while DUX4-induced mRNAs were robustly translated. Endogenous expression of DUX4 in human FSHD myotubes and cancer cell lines also correlated with reduced protein synthesis and MHC-I presentation. Our findings reveal that DUX4 orchestrates cell state conversion by suppressing the cellular proteome while maintaining translation of DUX4-induced mRNAs to promote an early developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C. Hamm
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Paatela
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sean R. Bennett
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Chao-Jen Wong
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Cynthia L. Wladyka
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Andrew A. Smith
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Hsieh
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Tapscott
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
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17
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Nakatani T, Torres-Padilla ME. Regulation of mammalian totipotency: a molecular perspective from in vivo and in vitro studies. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102083. [PMID: 37421903 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, cells acquire totipotency at fertilization. Embryonic genome activation (EGA), which occurs at the 2-cell stage in the mouse and 4- to 8-cell stage in humans, occurs during the time window at which embryonic cells are totipotent and thus it is thought that EGA is mechanistically linked to the foundations of totipotency. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the establishment of totipotency and EGA had been elusive for a long time, however, recent advances have been achieved with the establishment of new cell lines with greater developmental potential and the application of novel low-input high-throughput techniques in embryos. These have unveiled several principles of totipotency related to its epigenetic makeup but also to characteristic features of totipotent cells. In this review, we summarize and discuss current views exploring some of the key drivers of totipotency from both in vitro cell culture models and embryogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsunetoshi Nakatani
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, München, Germany.
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18
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Taubenschmid-Stowers J, Reik W. Human 8-cell embryo-like cells from pluripotent stem cells. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 81:102066. [PMID: 37356343 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
The totipotent embryo initiates transcription during zygotic or embryonic genome activation (EGA, ZGA). ZGA occurs at the 8-cell stage in humans and its failure leads to developmental arrest. Understanding the molecular pathways underlying ZGA and totipotency is essential to comprehend human development. Recently, human 8-cell-like cells (8CLCs) have been discovered in vitro that resemble the 8-cell embryo. 8CLCs exist among naive pluripotent stem cells and can be induced genetically or chemically. Their ZGA-like transcriptome, transposable element activation, 8-cell embryo-specific protein expression, and developmental properties make them an exceptional model system to study early embryonic cell-state transitions and human totipotency programs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wolf Reik
- Altos Labs Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge, UK; Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. https://twitter.com/@ReikLab
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19
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Gupta N, Yakhou L, Albert JR, Azogui A, Ferry L, Kirsh O, Miura F, Battault S, Yamaguchi K, Laisné M, Domrane C, Bonhomme F, Sarkar A, Delagrange M, Ducos B, Cristofari G, Ito T, Greenberg MVC, Defossez PA. A genome-wide screen reveals new regulators of the 2-cell-like cell state. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1105-1118. [PMID: 37488355 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01038-z] [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: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, only the zygote and blastomeres of the early embryo are totipotent. This totipotency is mirrored in vitro by mouse '2-cell-like cells' (2CLCs), which appear at low frequency in cultures of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Because totipotency is not completely understood, we carried out a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen in mouse ESCs, searching for mutants that reactivate the expression of Dazl, a gene expressed in 2CLCs. Here we report the identification of four mutants that reactivate Dazl and a broader 2-cell-like signature: the E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor SPOP, the Zinc-Finger transcription factor ZBTB14, MCM3AP, a component of the RNA processing complex TREX-2, and the lysine demethylase KDM5C. All four factors function upstream of DPPA2 and DUX, but not via p53. In addition, SPOP binds DPPA2, and KDM5C interacts with ncPRC1.6 and inhibits 2CLC gene expression in a catalytic-independent manner. These results extend our knowledge of totipotency, a key phase of organismal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Gupta
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France.
- Joint AZ CRUK Functional Genomics Centre, The Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Lounis Yakhou
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Anaelle Azogui
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Laure Ferry
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Kirsh
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fumihito Miura
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Sarah Battault
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Kosuke Yamaguchi
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marthe Laisné
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Cécilia Domrane
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Bonhomme
- Epigenetic Chemical Biology, UMR3523, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Arpita Sarkar
- IRCAN, Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Nice, France
| | - Marine Delagrange
- High Throughput qPCR Facility, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS CNRS UMR8023, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Ducos
- High Throughput qPCR Facility, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS CNRS UMR8023, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | | | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Biochemistry, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
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20
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Shi DD, Savani MR, Abdullah KG, McBrayer SK. Emerging roles of nucleotide metabolism in cancer. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:624-635. [PMID: 37173188 PMCID: PMC10967252 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotides are substrates for multiple anabolic pathways, most notably DNA and RNA synthesis. Since nucleotide synthesis inhibitors began to be used for cancer therapy in the 1950s, our understanding of how nucleotides function in tumor cells has evolved, prompting a resurgence of interest in targeting nucleotide metabolism for cancer therapy. In this review, we discuss recent advances that challenge the idea that nucleotides are mere building blocks for the genome and transcriptome and highlight ways that these metabolites support oncogenic signaling, stress resistance, and energy homeostasis in tumor cells. These findings point to a rich network of processes sustained by aberrant nucleotide metabolism in cancer and reveal new therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana D Shi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Milan R Savani
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kalil G Abdullah
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Hillman Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Samuel K McBrayer
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Harrold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
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21
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Moritz L, Schon SB, Rabbani M, Sheng Y, Agrawal R, Glass-Klaiber J, Sultan C, Camarillo JM, Clements J, Baldwin MR, Diehl AG, Boyle AP, O'Brien PJ, Ragunathan K, Hu YC, Kelleher NL, Nandakumar J, Li JZ, Orwig KE, Redding S, Hammoud SS. Sperm chromatin structure and reproductive fitness are altered by substitution of a single amino acid in mouse protamine 1. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1077-1091. [PMID: 37460896 PMCID: PMC10833441 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Conventional dogma presumes that protamine-mediated DNA compaction in sperm is achieved by electrostatic interactions between DNA and the arginine-rich core of protamines. Phylogenetic analysis reveals several non-arginine residues conserved within, but not across species. The significance of these residues and their post-translational modifications are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of K49, a rodent-specific lysine residue in protamine 1 (P1) that is acetylated early in spermiogenesis and retained in sperm. In sperm, alanine substitution (P1(K49A)) decreases sperm motility and male fertility-defects that are not rescued by arginine substitution (P1(K49R)). In zygotes, P1(K49A) leads to premature male pronuclear decompaction, altered DNA replication, and embryonic arrest. In vitro, P1(K49A) decreases protamine-DNA binding and alters DNA compaction and decompaction kinetics. Hence, a single amino acid substitution outside the P1 arginine core is sufficient to profoundly alter protein function and developmental outcomes, suggesting that protamine non-arginine residues are essential for reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Moritz
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Samantha B Schon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mashiat Rabbani
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yi Sheng
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ritvija Agrawal
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Juniper Glass-Klaiber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Caleb Sultan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeannie M Camarillo
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and the National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jourdan Clements
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael R Baldwin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adam G Diehl
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan P Boyle
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Patrick J O'Brien
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and the National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jayakrishnan Nandakumar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jun Z Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kyle E Orwig
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sy Redding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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22
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Li Z, Xu H, Li J, Xu X, Wang J, Wu D, Zhang J, Liu J, Xue Z, Zhan G, Tan BCP, Chen D, Chan YS, Ng HH, Liu W, Hsu CH, Zhang D, Shen Y, Liang H. Selective binding of retrotransposons by ZFP352 facilitates the timely dissolution of totipotency network. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3646. [PMID: 37339952 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39344-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of new stem cell fates relies on the dissolution of the prior regulatory network sustaining the existing cell fates. Currently, extensive insights have been revealed for the totipotency regulatory network around the zygotic genome activation (ZGA) period. However, how the dissolution of the totipotency network is triggered to ensure the timely embryonic development following ZGA is largely unknown. In this study, we identify the unexpected role of a highly expressed 2-cell (2C) embryo specific transcription factor, ZFP352, in facilitating the dissolution of the totipotency network. We find that ZFP352 has selective binding towards two different retrotransposon sub-families. ZFP352 coordinates with DUX to bind the 2C specific MT2_Mm sub-family. On the other hand, without DUX, ZFP352 switches affinity to bind extensively onto SINE_B1/Alu sub-family. This leads to the activation of later developmental programs like ubiquitination pathways, to facilitate the dissolution of the 2C state. Correspondingly, depleting ZFP352 in mouse embryos delays the 2C to morula transition process. Thus, through a shift of binding from MT2_Mm to SINE_B1/Alu, ZFP352 can trigger spontaneous dissolution of the totipotency network. Our study highlights the importance of different retrotransposons sub-families in facilitating the timely and programmed cell fates transition during early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyi Li
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jiaqun Li
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Junjiao Wang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Danya Wu
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jiateng Zhang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Ziwei Xue
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Guankai Zhan
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, and Department of Environmental Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Bobby Cheng Peow Tan
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Di Chen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Yun-Shen Chan
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou, 510005, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huck Hui Ng
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117597, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Wanlu Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Rd., Haining, 314400, China
| | - Chih-Hung Hsu
- Women's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, and Department of Environmental Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory of Precision Disease Therapeutics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, 138672, Singapore, Singapore.
- Vision Medicals Co., Ltd, G10 BLDG, Huaxin Park, 31 Kefeng Ave, Gaungzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Hongqing Liang
- Division of Human Reproduction and Developmental Genetics, Women's Hospital, and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
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23
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Smith CM, Grow EJ, Shadle SC, Cairns BR. Multiple repeat regions within mouse DUX recruit chromatin regulators to facilitate an embryonic gene expression program. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.29.534786. [PMID: 37034731 PMCID: PMC10081216 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.29.534786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The embryonic transcription factor DUX regulates chromatin opening and gene expression in totipotent cleavage-stage mouse embryos, and its expression in embryonic stem cells promotes their conversion to 2-cell embryo-like cells (2CLCs) with extraembryonic potential. However, little is known regarding which domains within mouse DUX interact with particular chromatin and transcription regulators. Here, we reveal that the C-terminus of mouse DUX contains five uncharacterized ~100 amino acid (aa) repeats followed by an acidic 14 amino acid tail. Unexpectedly, structure-function approaches classify two repeats as 'active' and three as 'inactive' in cleavage/2CLC transcription program enhancement, with differences narrowed to a key 6 amino acid section. Our proximity dependent biotin ligation (BioID) approach identified factors selectively associated with active DUX repeat derivatives (including the 14aa 'tail'), including transcription and chromatin factors such as SWI/SNF (BAF) complex, as well as nucleolar factors that have been previously implicated in regulating the Dux locus. Finally, our mechanistic studies reveal cooperativity between DUX active repeats and the acidic tail in cofactor recruitment, DUX target opening, and transcription. Taken together, we provide several new insights into DUX structure-function, and mechanisms of chromatin and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Smith
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Edward J. Grow
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Green Center for Reproductive Biological Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sean C. Shadle
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bradley R. Cairns
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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24
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Guo SM, Zhang YR, Ma BX, Zhou LQ, Yin Y. Regulation of cleavage embryo genes upon DRP1 inhibition in mouse embryonic stem cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1191797. [PMID: 37255603 PMCID: PMC10225531 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1191797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic-related protein 1 (DRP1) is a key protein of mitochondrial fission. In this study, we found that inhibition of activity of DRP1 led to increased levels of cleavage embryo genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which might reflect a transient totipotency status derived from pluripotency. This result indicates that DRP1 inhibition in mESCs leads to a tendency to obtain a new expression profile similar to that of the 2C-like state. Meanwhile, we also noticed that the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway and its related enzymes were significantly downregulated, and the key glycolytic enzymes were also downregulated in various 2C-like cells. Moreover, when DRP1 activity was inhibited from the late zygote when cleavage embryo genes started to express, development of early embryos was inhibited, and these cleavage embryo genes failed to be efficiently silenced at the late 2-cell (2C) stage. Taken together, our result shows that DRP1 plays an important role in silencing cleavage embryo genes for totipotency-to-pluripotency transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Meng Guo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi-Ran Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing-Xin Ma
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Quan Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Yin
- School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Genomics and Proteomics Research, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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25
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Padberg GW, van Engelen BGM, Voermans NC. Facioscapulohumeral Disease as a myodevelopmental disease: Applying Ockham's razor to its various features. J Neuromuscul Dis 2023; 10:411-425. [PMID: 36872787 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-221624] [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: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an exclusively human neuromuscular disease. In the last decades the cause of FSHD was identified: the loss of epigenetic repression of the D4Z4 repeat on chromosome 4q35 resulting in inappropriate transcription of DUX4. This is a consequence of a reduction of the array below 11 units (FSHD1) or of a mutation in methylating enzymes (FSHD2). Both require the presence of a 4qA allele and a specific centromeric SSLP haplotype. Muscles become involved in a rostro-caudally order with an extremely variable progression rate. Mild disease and non-penetrance in families with affected individuals is common. Furthermore, 2% of the Caucasian population carries the pathological haplotype without clinical features of FSHD.In order to explain the various features of FSHD we applied Ockham's Razor to all possible scenarios and removed unnecessary complexities. We postulate that early in embryogenesis a few cells escape epigenetic silencing of the D4Z4 repeat. Their number is assumed to be roughly inversely related to the residual D4Z4 repeat size. By asymmetric cell division, they produce a rostro-caudal and medio-lateral decreasing gradient of weakly D4Z4-repressed mesenchymal stem cells. The gradient tapers towards an end as each cell-division allows renewed epigenetic silencing. Over time, this spatial gradient translates into a temporal gradient based on a decreasing number of weakly silenced stem cells. These cells contribute to a mildly abnormal myofibrillar structure of the fetal muscles. They also form a downward tapering gradient of epigenetically weakly repressed satellite cells. When activated by mechanical trauma, these satellite cells de-differentiate and express DUX4. When fused to myofibrils they contribute to muscle cell death in various ways. Over time and dependent on how far the gradient reaches the FSHD phenotype becomes progressively manifest. We thus hypothesize FSHD to be a myodevelopmental disease with a lifelong attempt to restore DUX4 repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Padberg
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - B G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N C Voermans
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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26
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Sakashita A, Kitano T, Ishizu H, Guo Y, Masuda H, Ariura M, Murano K, Siomi H. Transcription of MERVL retrotransposons is required for preimplantation embryo development. Nat Genet 2023; 55:484-495. [PMID: 36864102 PMCID: PMC10011141 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01324-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is a critical postfertilization step that promotes totipotency and allows different cell fates to emerge in the developing embryo. MERVL (murine endogenous retrovirus-L) is transiently upregulated at the two-cell stage during ZGA. Although MERVL expression is widely used as a marker of totipotency, the role of this retrotransposon in mouse embryogenesis remains elusive. Here, we show that full-length MERVL transcripts, but not encoded retroviral proteins, are essential for accurate regulation of the host transcriptome and chromatin state during preimplantation development. Both knockdown and CRISPRi-based repression of MERVL result in embryonic lethality due to defects in differentiation and genomic stability. Furthermore, transcriptome and epigenome analysis revealed that loss of MERVL transcripts led to retention of an accessible chromatin state at, and aberrant expression of, a subset of two-cell-specific genes. Taken together, our results suggest a model in which an endogenous retrovirus plays a key role in regulating host cell fate potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Sakashita
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Kitano
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Ishizu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Youjia Guo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Harumi Masuda
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Ariura
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensaku Murano
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Siomi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
- Human Biology Microbiome Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
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27
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Inoue K, Bostan H, Browne MR, Bevis OF, Bortner CD, Moore SA, Stence AA, Martin NP, Chen SH, Burkholder AB, Li JL, Shaw ND. DUX4 double whammy: The transcription factor that causes a rare muscular dystrophy also kills the precursors of the human nose. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq7744. [PMID: 36800423 PMCID: PMC9937577 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq7744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
SMCHD1 mutations cause congenital arhinia (absent nose) and a muscular dystrophy called FSHD2. In FSHD2, loss of SMCHD1 repressive activity causes expression of double homeobox 4 (DUX4) in muscle tissue, where it is toxic. Studies of arhinia patients suggest a primary defect in nasal placode cells (human nose progenitors). Here, we show that upon SMCHD1 ablation, DUX4 becomes derepressed in H9 human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as they differentiate toward a placode cell fate, triggering cell death. Arhinia and FSHD2 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) express DUX4 when converted to placode cells and demonstrate variable degrees of cell death, suggesting an environmental disease modifier. HSV-1 may be one such modifier as herpesvirus infection amplifies DUX4 expression in SMCHD1 KO hESC and patient iPSC. These studies suggest that arhinia, like FSHD2, is due to compromised SMCHD1 repressive activity in a cell-specific context and provide evidence for an environmental modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Inoue
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Hamed Bostan
- Integrative Bioinformatics, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - MaKenna R. Browne
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Owen F. Bevis
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Carl D. Bortner
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Steven A. Moore
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Aaron A. Stence
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | | | - Shih-Heng Chen
- Viral Vector Core, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Jian-Liang Li
- Integrative Bioinformatics, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Natalie D. Shaw
- Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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28
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Yi Y, Zeng Y, Sam TW, Hamashima K, Tan RJR, Warrier T, Phua JX, Taneja R, Liou YC, Li H, Xu J, Loh YH. Ribosomal proteins regulate 2-cell-stage transcriptome in mouse embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:463-474. [PMID: 36638791 PMCID: PMC9968990 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
A rare sub-population of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), the 2-cell-like cell, is defined by the expression of MERVL and 2-cell-stage-specific transcript (2C transcript). Here, we report that the ribosomal proteins (RPs) RPL14, RPL18, and RPL23 maintain the identity of mESCs and regulate the expression of 2C transcripts. Disregulation of the RPs induces DUX-dependent expression of 2C transcripts and alters the chromatin landscape. Mechanically, knockdown (KD) of RPs triggers the binding of RPL11 to MDM2, an interaction known to prevent P53 protein degradation. Increased P53 protein upon RP KD further activates its downstream pathways, including DUX. Our study delineates the critical roles of RPs in 2C transcript activation, ascribing a novel function to these essential proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Yi
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Yingying Zeng
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Tsz Wing Sam
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
| | - Kiyofumi Hamashima
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Rachel Jun Rou Tan
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Tushar Warrier
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Jun Xiang Phua
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Reshma Taneja
- Department of Physiology, Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
| | - Yih-Cherng Liou
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore
| | - Hu Li
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Plant Systems Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for BioImaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China.
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- Cell Fate Engineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Division of Cell Biology and Therapies, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117558, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore.
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29
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Zhang X, Zhang C, Zhou D, Zhang T, Chen X, Ren J, He C, Meng F, Zhou Q, Yang Q, Dai C, Lin G, Zeng S, Leng L. Telomeres cooperate in zygotic genome activation by affecting DUX4/ Dux transcription. iScience 2023; 26:106158. [PMID: 36843839 PMCID: PMC9950522 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106158] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is initiated once the genome chromatin state is organized in the newly formed zygote. Telomeres are specialized chromatin structures at the ends of chromosomes and are reset during early embryogenesis, while the details and significance of telomere changes in preimplantation embryos remain unclear. We demonstrated that the telomere length was shortened in the minor ZGA stage and significantly elongated in the major ZGA stage of human and mouse embryos. Expression of the ZGA pioneer factor DUX4/Dux was negatively correlated with the telomere length. ATAC sequencing data revealed that the chromatin accessibility peaks on the DUX4 promoter region (i.e., the subtelomere of chromosome 4q) were transiently augmented in human minor ZGA. Reduction of telomeric heterochromatin H3K9me3 in the telomeric region also synergistically activated DUX4 expression with p53 in human embryonic stem cells. We propose herein that telomeres regulate the expression of DUX4/Dux through chromatin remodeling and are thereby involved in ZGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Zhang
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China,Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Changquan Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Di Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China
| | - Tianlei Zhang
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Xueqin Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinlin Ren
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China
| | - Caixia He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Meng
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Qinwei Zhou
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Qiaohui Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Congling Dai
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Lin
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
| | - Sicong Zeng
- Hospital of Hunan Guangxiu, Hunan Normal University, Hunan 410001, China,Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
| | - Lizhi Leng
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, Hunan 410008, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China,Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Development and Carcinogenesis, Changsha, China,Corresponding author
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30
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Tihaya MS, Mul K, Balog J, de Greef JC, Tapscott SJ, Tawil R, Statland JM, van der Maarel SM. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: the road to targeted therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:91-108. [PMID: 36627512 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the molecular understanding of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) have revealed that FSHD results from epigenetic de-repression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle, which encodes a transcription factor that is active in early embryonic development but is normally silenced in almost all somatic tissues. These advances also led to the identification of targets for disease-altering therapies for FSHD, as well as an improved understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and factors that influence its progression. Together, these developments led the FSHD research community to shift its focus towards the development of disease-modifying treatments for FSHD. This Review presents advances in the molecular and clinical understanding of FSHD, discusses the potential targeted therapies that are currently being explored, some of which are already in clinical trials, and describes progress in the development of FSHD-specific outcome measures and assessment tools for use in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara S Tihaya
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karlien Mul
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica C de Greef
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Statland
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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Li L, Li P, Chen J, Li L, Shen Y, Zhu Y, Liu J, Lv L, Mao S, Chen F, Hu G, Yuan K. Rif1 interacts with non-canonical polycomb repressive complex PRC1.6 to regulate mouse embryonic stem cells fate potential. CELL REGENERATION 2022; 11:25. [PMID: 35915272 PMCID: PMC9343540 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-022-00124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) cycle in and out of a transient 2-cell (2C)-like totipotent state, driven by a complex genetic circuit involves both the coding and repetitive sections of the genome. While a vast array of regulators, including the multi-functional protein Rif1, has been reported to influence the switch of fate potential, how they act in concert to achieve this cellular plasticity remains elusive. Here, by modularizing the known totipotency regulatory factors, we identify an unprecedented functional connection between Rif1 and the non-canonical polycomb repressive complex PRC1.6. Downregulation of the expression of either Rif1 or PRC1.6 subunits imposes similar impacts on the transcriptome of mESCs. The LacO-LacI induced ectopic colocalization assay detects a specific interaction between Rif1 and Pcgf6, bolstering the intactness of the PRC1.6 complex. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis further reveals that Rif1 is required for the accurate targeting of Pcgf6 to a group of genomic loci encompassing many genes involved in the regulation of the 2C-like state. Depletion of Rif1 or Pcgf6 not only activates 2C genes such as Zscan4 and Zfp352, but also derepresses a group of the endogenous retroviral element MERVL, a key marker for totipotency. Collectively, our findings discover that Rif1 can serve as a novel auxiliary component in the PRC1.6 complex to restrain the genetic circuit underlying totipotent fate potential, shedding new mechanistic insights into its function in regulating the cellular plasticity of embryonic stem cells.
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32
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Xu H, Liang H. The regulation of totipotency transcription: Perspective from in vitro and in vivo totipotency. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1024093. [DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1024093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Totipotency represents the highest developmental potency. By definition, totipotent stem cells are capable of giving rise to all embryonic and extraembryonic cell types. In mammalian embryos, totipotency occurs around the zygotic genome activation period, which is around the 2-cell stage in mouse embryo or the 4-to 8-cell stage in human embryo. Currently, with the development of in vitro totipotent-like models and the advances in small-scale genomic methods, an in-depth mechanistic understanding of the totipotency state and regulation was enabled. In this review, we explored and summarized the current views about totipotency from various angles, including genetic and epigenetic aspects. This will hopefully formulate a panoramic view of totipotency from the available research works until now. It can also help delineate the scaffold and formulate new hypotheses on totipotency for future research works.
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33
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PIM3-AMPK-HDAC4/5 axis restricts MuERVL-marked 2-cell-like state in embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2256-2271. [PMID: 36150380 PMCID: PMC9561635 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A minority of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) marked by endogenous retrovirus MuERVL are totipotent 2-cell-like cells. However, the majority of ESCs repress MuERVL. Currently, it is still unclear regarding the signaling pathway(s) repressing the MuERVL-associated 2-cell-like state of ESCs. Here, we identify the PIM3-downstream signaling axis as a key route to repress MuERVL and 2-cell-like state. Downregulation, deletion, or inhibition of PIM3 activated MuERVL, 2-cell genes, and trophectodermal genes in ESCs. By screening PIM3-regulated pathways, we discovered AMPK as its key target. The loss of Pim3 caused an increase in AMPK phosphorylation, which phosphorylated HDAC4/5 and triggered their transfer out of the nucleus in Pim3−/− ESCs. The reduction of nuclear HDAC4/5 caused increased H3K9ac and reduced H3K9me1/2 enrichment on MuERVL, thus activating MuERVL and 2-cell-like state. In summary, our study uncovers a novel axis by which PIM3 suppresses 2-cell marker MuERVL and totipotent state in ESCs. PIM3 signaling pathway represses MuERVL and 2-cell-like state Pim3 loss promotes AMPK phosphorylation, which activates MuERVL Phosphorylated AMPK mediates HDAC4/5 export from the nucleus HDAC4/5 repress MuERVL through modulating H3K9ac and H3K9me1/2
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34
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Yu X, Liang S, Chen M, Yu H, Li R, Qu Y, Kong X, Guo R, Zheng R, Izsvák Z, Sun C, Yang M, Wang J. Recapitulating early human development with 8C-like cells. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110994. [PMID: 35732112 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In human embryos, major zygotic genome activation (ZGA) initiates at the eight-cell (8C) stage. Abnormal ZGA leads to developmental defects and even contributes to the failure of human blastocyst formation or implantation. An in vitro cell model mimicking human 8C blastomeres would be invaluable to understanding the mechanisms regulating key biological events during early human development. Using the non-canonical promoter of LEUTX that putatively regulates human ZGA, we developed an 8C::mCherry reporter, which specifically marks the 8C state, to isolate rare 8C-like cells (8CLCs) from human preimplantation epiblast-like stem cells. The 8CLCs express a panel of human ZGA genes and have a unique transcriptome resembling that of the human 8C embryo. Using the 8C::mCherry reporter, we further optimize the chemical-based culture condition to increase and maintain the 8CLC population. Functionally, 8CLCs can self-organize to form blastocyst-like structures. The discovery and maintenance of 8CLCs provide an opportunity to recapitulate early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Yu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shiqi Liang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Manqi Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hanwen Yu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ruiqi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yuliang Qu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xuhui Kong
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ruirui Guo
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rongyan Zheng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chuanbo Sun
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, China.
| | - Mingzhu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
| | - Jichang Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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35
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Zhang C, Wen H, Liu S, Fu E, Yu L, Chen S, Han Q, Li Z, Liu N. Maternal Factor Dppa3 Activates 2C-Like Genes and Depresses DNA Methylation in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:882671. [PMID: 35721479 PMCID: PMC9203971 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.882671] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) contain a rare cell population of “two-cell embryonic like” cells (2CLCs) that display similar features to those found in the two-cell (2C) embryo and thus represent an in vitro model for studying the progress of zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the positive regulator determinants of the 2CLCs’ conversion and ZGA have not been completely elucidated. Here, we identify a new regulator promoting 2CLCs and ZGA transcripts. Through a combination of overexpression (OE), knockdown (KD), together with transcriptional analysis and methylome analysis, we find that Dppa3 regulates the 2CLC-associated transcripts, DNA methylation, and 2CLC population in ESCs. The differentially methylated regions (DMRs) analysis identified 6,920 (98.2%) hypomethylated, whilst only 129 (1.8%) hypermethylated, regions in Dppa3 OE ESCs, suggesting that Dppa3 facilitates 2CLCs reprogramming. The conversion to 2CLCs by overexpression of Dppa3 is also associated with DNA damage response. Dppa3 knockdown manifest impairs transition into the 2C-like state. Global DNA methylome and chromatin state analysis of Dppa3 OE ESCs reveal that Dppa3 facilitates the chromatin configuration to 2CLCs reversion. Our finding for the first time elucidates a novel role of Dppa3 in mediating the 2CLC conversion, and suggests that Dppa3 is a new regulator for ZGA progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanyu Zhang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hang Wen
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Siying Liu
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Enze Fu
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lu Yu
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shang Chen
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qingsheng Han
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zongjin Li
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Zongjin Li, ; Na Liu,
| | - Na Liu
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Zongjin Li, ; Na Liu,
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36
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Olbrich T, Ruiz S. Genome architecture and totipotency: An intertwined relation during early embryonic development. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200029. [PMID: 35560026 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200029] [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: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomes are not randomly packed and positioned into the nucleus but folded in higher-order chromatin structures with defined functions. However, the genome of a fertilized embryo undergoes a dramatic epigenetic reprogramming characterized by extensive chromatin relaxation and the lack of a defined three-dimensional structure. This reprogramming is followed by a slow genome refolding that gradually strengthens the chromatin architecture during preimplantation development. Interestingly, genome refolding during early development coincides with a progressive loss of developmental potential suggesting a link between chromatin organization and cell plasticity. In agreement, loss of chromatin architecture upon depletion of the insulator transcription factor CTCF in embryonic stem cells led to the upregulation of the transcriptional program found in totipotent cells of the embryo, those with the highest developmental potential. This essay will discuss the impact of genome folding in controlling the expression of transcriptional programs involved in early development and their plastic-associated features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Olbrich
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sergio Ruiz
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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37
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Xu Y, Zhao J, Ren Y, Wang X, Lyu Y, Xie B, Sun Y, Yuan X, Liu H, Yang W, Fu Y, Yu Y, Liu Y, Mu R, Li C, Xu J, Deng H. Derivation of totipotent-like stem cells with blastocyst-like structure forming potential. Cell Res 2022; 32:513-529. [PMID: 35508506 PMCID: PMC9160264 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-022-00668-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is challenging to derive totipotent stem cells in vitro that functionally and molecularly resemble cells from totipotent embryos. Here, we report that a chemical cocktail enables the derivation of totipotent-like stem cells, designated as totipotent potential stem (TPS) cells, from 2-cell mouse embryos and extended pluripotent stem cells, and that these TPS cells can be stably maintained long term in vitro. TPS cells shared features with 2-cell mouse embryos in terms of totipotency markers, transcriptome, chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation patterns. In vivo chimera formation assays show that these cells have embryonic and extraembryonic developmental potentials at the single-cell level. Moreover, TPS cells can be induced into blastocyst-like structures resembling preimplantation mouse blastocysts. Mechanistically, inhibition of HDAC1/2 and DOT1L activity and activation of RARγ signaling are important for inducing and maintaining totipotent features of TPS cells. Our study opens up a new path toward fully capturing totipotent stem cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxing Xu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingru Zhao
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yixuan Ren
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuyang Wang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Lyu
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bingqing Xie
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiandun Yuan
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyin Liu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weifeng Yang
- Beijing Vitalstar Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yenan Fu
- Program for Cancer and Cell Biology, Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, PKU International Cancer Institute; MOE Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Yu
- Program for Cancer and Cell Biology, Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, PKU International Cancer Institute; MOE Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yinan Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Mu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Li
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Hongkui Deng
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center and the MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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38
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Zhang T, Zheng R, Li M, Yan C, Lan X, Tong B, Lu P, Jiang W. Active endogenous retroviral elements in human pluripotent stem cells play a role in regulating host gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4959-4973. [PMID: 35451484 PMCID: PMC9122532 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses, also called LTR elements, can be bound by transcription factors and marked by different histone modifications in different biological contexts. Recently, individual LTR or certain subclasses of LTRs such as LTR7/HERVH and LTR5_Hs/HERVK families have been identified as cis-regulatory elements. However, there are still many LTR elements with unknown functions. Here, we dissected the landscape of histone modifications and regulatory map of LTRs by integrating 98 ChIP-seq data in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and annotated the active LTRs enriching enhancer/promoter-related histone marks. Notably, we found that MER57E3 functionally acted as proximal regulatory element to activate respective ZNF gene. Additionally, HERVK transcript could mainly function in nucleus to activate the adjacent genes. Since LTR5_Hs/LTR5 was bound by many early embryo-specific transcription factors, we further investigated the expression dynamics in different pluripotent states. LTR5_Hs/LTR5/HERVK exhibited higher expression level in naïve ESCs and extended pluripotent stem cells (EPSCs). Functionally, the LTR5_Hs/LTR5 with high activity could serve as a distal enhancer to regulate the host genes. Ultimately, our study not only provides a comprehensive regulatory map of LTRs in human ESCs, but also explores the regulatory models of MER57E3 and LTR5_Hs/LTR5 in host genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhe Zhang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Ran Zheng
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Mao Li
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Chenchao Yan
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xianchun Lan
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bei Tong
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Pei Lu
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.,Human Genetics Resource Preservation Center of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
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39
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Transcriptome analysis from muscle biopsy tissues in late-onset myopathies identifies potential biomarkers correlating to muscle pathology. Neuromuscul Disord 2022; 32:643-653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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40
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Nakatani T, Lin J, Ji F, Ettinger A, Pontabry J, Tokoro M, Altamirano-Pacheco L, Fiorentino J, Mahammadov E, Hatano Y, Van Rechem C, Chakraborty D, Ruiz-Morales ER, Arguello Pascualli PY, Scialdone A, Yamagata K, Whetstine JR, Sadreyev RI, Torres-Padilla ME. DNA replication fork speed underlies cell fate changes and promotes reprogramming. Nat Genet 2022; 54:318-327. [PMID: 35256805 PMCID: PMC8920892 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01023-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Totipotency emerges in early embryogenesis, but its molecular underpinnings remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we employed DNA fiber analysis to investigate how pluripotent stem cells are reprogrammed into totipotent-like 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs). We show that totipotent cells of the early mouse embryo have slow DNA replication fork speed and that 2CLCs recapitulate this feature, suggesting that fork speed underlies the transition to a totipotent-like state. 2CLCs emerge concomitant with DNA replication and display changes in replication timing (RT), particularly during the early S-phase. RT changes occur prior to 2CLC emergence, suggesting that RT may predispose to gene expression changes and consequent reprogramming of cell fate. Slowing down replication fork speed experimentally induces 2CLCs. In vivo, slowing fork speed improves the reprogramming efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Our data suggest that fork speed regulates cellular plasticity and that remodeling of replication features leads to changes in cell fate and reprogramming. Totipotent cells in mouse embryos and 2-cell-like cells have slow DNA replication fork speed. Perturbations that slow replication fork speed promote 2-cell-like cell emergence and improve somatic cell nuclear transfer reprogramming and formation of induced pluripotent stem cell colonies.
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41
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Xie SQ, Leeke BJ, Whilding C, Wagner RT, Garcia-Llagostera F, Low Y, Chammas P, Cheung NTF, Dormann D, McManus MT, Percharde M. Nucleolar-based Dux repression is essential for embryonic two-cell stage exit. Genes Dev 2022; 36:331-347. [PMID: 35273077 PMCID: PMC8973846 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349172.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Upon fertilization, the mammalian embryo must switch from dependence on maternal transcripts to transcribing its own genome, and in mice this involves the transient up-regulation of MERVL transposons and MERVL-driven genes at the two-cell stage. The mechanisms and requirement for MERVL and two-cell (2C) gene up-regulation are poorly understood. Moreover, this MERVL-driven transcriptional program must be rapidly shut off to allow two-cell exit and developmental progression. Here, we report that robust ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis and nucleolar maturation are essential for exit from the 2C state. 2C-like cells and two-cell embryos show similar immature nucleoli with altered structure and reduced rRNA output. We reveal that nucleolar disruption via blocking RNA polymerase I activity or preventing nucleolar phase separation enhances conversion to a 2C-like state in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by detachment of the MERVL activator Dux from the nucleolar surface. In embryos, nucleolar disruption prevents proper nucleolar maturation and Dux silencing and leads to two- to four-cell arrest. Our findings reveal an intriguing link between rRNA synthesis, nucleolar maturation, and gene repression during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Q Xie
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Bryony J Leeke
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Chad Whilding
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan T Wagner
- University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 91413, USA
| | - Ferran Garcia-Llagostera
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - YiXuan Low
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Chammas
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan T-F Cheung
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Dormann
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T McManus
- University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 91413, USA
| | - Michelle Percharde
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
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42
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Ren W, Gao L, Mou Y, Deng W, Hua J, Yang F. DUX: One Transcription Factor Controls 2-Cell-like Fate. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042067. [PMID: 35216182 PMCID: PMC8877164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The double homeobox (Dux) gene, encoding a double homeobox transcription factor, is one of the key drivers of totipotency in mice. Recent studies showed Dux was temporally expressed at the 2-cell stage and acted as a transcriptional activator during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in embryos. A similar activation occurs in mouse embryonic stem cells, giving rise to 2-cell-like cells (2CLCs). Though the molecular mechanism underlying this expanded 2CLC potency caused by Dux activation has been partially revealed, the regulation mechanisms controlling Dux expression remain elusive. Here, we discuss the latest advancements in the multiple levels of regulation of Dux expression, as well as Dux function in 2CLCs transition, aiming to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the mechanisms that regulate totipotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ren
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- College of Innovation and Experiment, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Leilei Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Yaling Mou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Wen Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Correspondence: (W.D.); (F.Y.)
| | - Jinlian Hua
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Fan Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China; (W.R.); (L.G.); (Y.M.); (J.H.)
- Shaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Correspondence: (W.D.); (F.Y.)
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43
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The evolution of DUX4 gene regulation and its implication for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166367. [PMID: 35158020 PMCID: PMC9173005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166367] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Double homeobox 4 (DUX4) is an early embryonic transcription factor whose expression in the skeletal muscle causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Despite decades of research, our knowledge of FSHD and DUX4 biology is incomplete, and the disease has currently no cures or targeted therapies. The unusual evolutionary origin of DUX4, its extensive epigenetic and post-transcriptional gene regulation, and various feedback regulatory loops that control its expression and function all contribute to the highly complex nature of FSHD pathogenesis. In this minireview, I synthesize the current state of knowledge in DUX4 and FSHD biology to highlight key areas where further research is needed to better understand DUX4 regulation. I also emphasize post-transcriptional regulation of and by DUX4 via changes in RNA and protein stability that might underlie key features of FSHD pathophysiology. Finally, I discuss the various feedback loops involved in DUX4 regulation and the context-specific consequences of its expression, which could be key to developing novel therapeutic approaches to combat FSHD.
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44
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Raj S, Jaiswal SK, DePamphilis ML. Cell Death and the p53 Enigma During Mammalian Embryonic Development. Stem Cells 2022; 40:227-238. [PMID: 35304609 PMCID: PMC9199838 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac003] [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: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Twelve forms of programmed cell death (PCD) have been described in mammalian cells, but which of them occurs during embryonic development and the role played by the p53 transcription factor and tumor suppressor remains enigmatic. Although p53 is not required for mouse embryonic development, some studies conclude that PCD in pluripotent embryonic stem cells from mice (mESCs) or humans (hESCs) is p53-dependent whereas others conclude that it is not. Given the importance of pluripotent stem cells as models of embryonic development and their applications in regenerative medicine, resolving this enigma is essential. This review reconciles contradictory results based on the facts that p53 cannot induce lethality in mice until gastrulation and that experimental conditions could account for differences in results with ESCs. Consequently, activation of the G2-checkpoint in mouse ESCs is p53-independent and generally, if not always, results in noncanonical apoptosis. Once initiated, PCD occurs at equivalent rates and to equivalent extents regardless of the presence or absence of p53. However, depending on experimental conditions, p53 can accelerate initiation of PCD in ESCs and late-stage blastocysts. In contrast, DNA damage following differentiation of ESCs in vitro or formation of embryonic fibroblasts in vivo induces p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonam Raj
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sushil K Jaiswal
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA,Present address: National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Melvin L DePamphilis
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA,Corresponding author: Melvin L. DePamphilis, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bldg. 6A, Rm 3A15, 6 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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45
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Kubinyecz O, Santos F, Drage D, Reik W, Eckersley-Maslin MA. Maternal Dppa2 and Dppa4 are dispensable for zygotic genome activation but important for offspring survival. Development 2021; 148:273814. [PMID: 34931676 PMCID: PMC8722389 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) represents the initiation of transcription following fertilisation. Despite its importance, we know little of the molecular events that initiate mammalian ZGA in vivo. Recent in vitro studies in mouse embryonic stem cells have revealed developmental pluripotency associated 2 and 4 (Dppa2/4) as key regulators of ZGA-associated transcription. However, their roles in initiating ZGA in vivo remain unexplored. We reveal that Dppa2/4 proteins are present in the nucleus at all stages of preimplantation development and associate with mitotic chromatin. We generated conditional single and double maternal knockout mouse models to deplete maternal stores of Dppa2/4. Importantly, Dppa2/4 maternal knockout mice were fertile when mated with wild-type males. Immunofluorescence and transcriptome analyses of two-cell embryos revealed that, although ZGA took place, there were subtle defects in embryos that lacked maternal Dppa2/4. Strikingly, heterozygous offspring that inherited the null allele maternally had higher preweaning lethality than those that inherited the null allele paternally. Together, our results show that although Dppa2/4 are dispensable for ZGA transcription, maternal stores have an important role in offspring survival, potentially via epigenetic priming of developmental genes. Summary: Conditional knockout mouse models reveal maternal stores of Dppa2 and Dppa4 are dispensable for zygotic genome activation, contrasting findings in embryonic stem cells. However, both maternal and zygotic Dppa2/4 are required for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Kubinyecz
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Fatima Santos
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Deborah Drage
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Wolf Reik
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.,Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK.,Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Melanie A Eckersley-Maslin
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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46
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Chen Z, Xie Z, Zhang Y. DPPA2 and DPPA4 are dispensable for mouse zygotic genome activation and pre-implantation development. Development 2021; 148:273813. [PMID: 34878123 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How maternal factors in oocytes initiate zygotic genome activation (ZGA) remains elusive in mammals, partly due to the challenge of de novo identification of key factors using scarce materials. Two-cell (2C)-like cells have been widely used as an in vitro model in order to understand mouse ZGA and totipotency because of their expression of a group of two-cell embryo-specific genes and their simplicity for genetic manipulation. Recent studies indicate that DPPA2 and DPPA4 are required for establishing the 2C-like state in mouse embryonic stem cells in a DUX-dependent manner. These results suggest that DPPA2 and DPPA4 are essential maternal factors that regulate Dux and ZGA in embryos. By analyzing maternal knockout and maternal-zygotic knockout embryos, we unexpectedly found that DPPA2 and DPPA4 are dispensable for Dux activation, ZGA and pre-implantation development. Our study suggests that 2C-like cells do not fully recapitulate two-cell embryos in terms of regulation of two-cell embryo-specific genes, and, therefore, caution should be taken when studying ZGA and totipotency using 2C-like cells as the model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Zhenfei Xie
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, WAB-149G, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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47
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Mocciaro E, Runfola V, Ghezzi P, Pannese M, Gabellini D. DUX4 Role in Normal Physiology and in FSHD Muscular Dystrophy. Cells 2021; 10:3322. [PMID: 34943834 PMCID: PMC8699294 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, the sequence-specific transcription factor double homeobox 4 (DUX4) has gone from being an obscure entity to being a key factor in important physiological and pathological processes. We now know that expression of DUX4 is highly regulated and restricted to the early steps of embryonic development, where DUX4 is involved in transcriptional activation of the zygotic genome. While DUX4 is epigenetically silenced in most somatic tissues of healthy humans, its aberrant reactivation is associated with several diseases, including cancer, viral infection and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). DUX4 is also translocated, giving rise to chimeric oncogenic proteins at the basis of sarcoma and leukemia forms. Hence, understanding how DUX4 is regulated and performs its activity could provide relevant information, not only to further our knowledge of human embryonic development regulation, but also to develop therapeutic approaches for the diseases associated with DUX4. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the cellular and molecular processes regulated by DUX4 with a special emphasis on FSHD muscular dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Davide Gabellini
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (V.R.); (P.G.); (M.P.)
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48
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Ribosomal stress induces 2-cell embryo-like state transition of the mouse ESCs through p53 activation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 579:175-180. [PMID: 34607171 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.09.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) maintain a pluripotent state and genome integrity in long-term culture. A rare population of ESCs showing 2-cell embryo-specific gene expression is believed to play critical roles in sustainable pluripotency and genome stability. However, the molecular mechanism controlling this transition to a 2-cell embryo-like (2CL) state remains unclear. We carried out screening to search for the factors involved in 2CL state induction and found a ribosomal RNA processing factor, Pum3 to be a candidate. Increased 2CL state population accompanied with an accumulation of pre-ribosomal RNA and activated p53 in the Pum3-KO ESC. Furthermore, the increase of 2CL state cells in the Pum3-KO ESCs was completely abrogated by the deletion of p53. The DNA damage induced by the Ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation and Zeocin promoted the transition to a 2CL state in a p53-dependent manner. Thus, our study provides new insights into a 2CL state transition mechanism through stress-dependent p53 activation of ESCs.
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49
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Transposable Element Dynamics and Regulation during Zygotic Genome Activation in Mammalian Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Model Systems. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:1624669. [PMID: 34691189 PMCID: PMC8536462 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1624669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences capable of duplicating and reintegrating at new regions within the genome. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that these elements play important roles in host genome evolution, despite being traditionally viewed as parasitic elements. To prevent ectopic activation of TE transposition and transcription, they are epigenetically silenced in most somatic tissues. Intriguingly, a specific class of TEs-retrotransposons-is transiently expressed at discrete phases during mammalian development and has been linked to the establishment of totipotency during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). While mechanisms controlling TE regulation in somatic tissues have been extensively studied, the significance underlying the unique transcriptional reactivation of retrotransposons during ZGA is only beginning to be uncovered. In this review, we summarize the expression dynamics of key retrotransposons during ZGA, focusing on findings from in vivo totipotent embryos and in vitro totipotent-like embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We then dissect the functions of retrotransposons and discuss how their transcriptional activities are finetuned during early stages of mammalian development.
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50
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Jaiswal SK, Raj S, DePamphilis ML. Developmental Acquisition of p53 Functions. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111675. [PMID: 34828285 PMCID: PMC8622856 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Remarkably, the p53 transcription factor, referred to as “the guardian of the genome”, is not essential for mammalian development. Moreover, efforts to identify p53-dependent developmental events have produced contradictory conclusions. Given the importance of pluripotent stem cells as models of mammalian development, and their applications in regenerative medicine and disease, resolving these conflicts is essential. Here we attempt to reconcile disparate data into justifiable conclusions predicated on reports that p53-dependent transcription is first detected in late mouse blastocysts, that p53 activity first becomes potentially lethal during gastrulation, and that apoptosis does not depend on p53. Furthermore, p53 does not regulate expression of genes required for pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs); it contributes to ESC genomic stability and differentiation. Depending on conditions, p53 accelerates initiation of apoptosis in ESCs in response to DNA damage, but cell cycle arrest as well as the rate and extent of apoptosis in ESCs are p53-independent. In embryonic fibroblasts, p53 induces cell cycle arrest to allow repair of DNA damage, and cell senescence to prevent proliferation of cells with extensive damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil K. Jaiswal
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sonam Raj
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Melvin L. DePamphilis
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Correspondence:
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