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Tsiami F, Lago C, Pozza N, Piccioni F, Zhao X, Lülsberg F, Root DE, Tiberi L, Kool M, Schittenhelm J, Bandopadhayay P, Segal RA, Tabatabai G, Merk DJ. Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens identify DNMT1 as a druggable dependency in sonic hedgehog medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:125. [PMID: 39107797 PMCID: PMC11304869 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01831-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog subgroup of medulloblastoma (SHH-MB) is characterized by aberrant activation of the SHH signaling pathway. An inhibition of the positive SHH regulator Smoothened (SMO) has demonstrated promising clinical efficacy. Yet, primary and acquired resistance to SMO inhibitors limit their efficacy. An understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance to therapy is warranted to bridge this unmet need. Here, we make use of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in murine SMB21 and human DAOY cells, in order to unravel genetic dependencies and drug-related genetic interactors that could serve as alternative therapeutic targets for SHH-MB. Our screens reinforce SMB21 cells as a faithful model system for SHH-MB, as opposed to DAOY cells, and identify members of the epigenetic machinery including DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) as druggable targets in SHH-dependent tumors. We show that Dnmt1 plays a crucial role in normal murine cerebellar development and is required for SHH-MB growth in vivo. Additionally, DNMT1 pharmacological inhibition alone and in combination with SMO inhibition effectively inhibits tumor growth in murine and human SHH-MB cell models and prolongs survival of SHH-MB mouse models by inhibiting SHH signaling output downstream of SMO. In conclusion, our data highlight the potential of inhibiting epigenetic regulators as a novel therapeutic avenue in SMO-inhibitor sensitive as well as resistant SHH-MBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Tsiami
- Department of Neurology and Interdisciplinary Neuro-Oncology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Chiara Lago
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, CIBIO, Trento, Italy
| | - Noemi Pozza
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, CIBIO, Trento, Italy
| | - Federica Piccioni
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Merck Research Laboratories, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xuesong Zhao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fabienne Lülsberg
- Institute for Anatomy, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - David E Root
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Luca Tiberi
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, CIBIO, Trento, Italy
| | - Marcel Kool
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KITZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jens Schittenhelm
- Department of Pathology and Neuropathology, Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen Stuttgart, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pratiti Bandopadhayay
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children´S Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind A Segal
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ghazaleh Tabatabai
- Department of Neurology and Interdisciplinary Neuro-Oncology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen Stuttgart, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Tübingen, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel J Merk
- Department of Neurology and Interdisciplinary Neuro-Oncology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
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Mei X, Shi W, Zhao W, Luo H, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Sheng Z, Wang D, Zhu XQ, Huang W. Fasciola gigantica excretory-secretory products (FgESPs) modulate the differentiation and immune functions of buffalo dendritic cells through a mechanism involving DNMT1 and TET1. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:355. [PMID: 32680546 PMCID: PMC7368760 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04220-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fasciola gigantica infection threatens the health of both humans and animals in the world. The excretory/secretory products (ESPs) of this fluke has been reported to impair the activation and maturation of immune cells. We have previously shown the influence of F. gigantica ESPs (FgESPs) on the maturation of buffalo dendritic cells (DCs). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the potency of FgESPs in shifting the differentiation and immune functions of buffalo DCs. Methods Buffalo DCs were incubated with FgESPs directly or further co-cultured with lymphocytes in vitro. qRT-PCR was employed to determine the gene expression profile of DCs or the mixed cells, and an ELISA was used to measure cytokine levels in the supernatants. Hoechst and Giemsa staining assays, transmission electron microscopy, caspase-3/7 activity test and histone methylation test were performed to determine DC phenotyping, apoptosis and methylation. To investigate the mechanism involved with DNA methylation, a Co-IP assay and immunofluorescent staining assay were performed to observe if there was any direct interaction between FgESPs and DNMT1/TET1 in buffalo DCs, while RNAi technology was employed to knockdown DNMT1 and TET1 in order to evaluate any different influence of FgESPs on DCs when these genes were absent. Results qRT-PCR and ELISA data together demonstrated the upregulation of DC2 and Th2/Treg markers in DCs alone and DCs with a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), suggesting a bias of DC2 that potentially directed Th2 differentiation in vitro. DC apoptosis was also found and evidenced morphologically and biochemically, which might be a source of tolerogenic DCs that led to Treg differentiation. In addition, FgESPs induced methylation level changes of histones H3K4 and H3K9, which correlate with DNA methylation. Co-IP and immunofluorescent subcellular localization assays showed no direct interaction between the FgESPs and DNMT1/TET1 in buffalo DCs. The productions of IL-6 and IL-12 were found separately altered by the knockdown of DNMT1 and TET1 in DCs after FgESPs treatment. Conclusions FgESPs may induce the DC2 phenotype or the apoptosis of buffalo DCs to induce the downstream Th2/Treg response of T cells, possibly through a DNMT1- or TET1-dependent manner(s).![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefang Mei
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Shi
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenping Zhao
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Honglin Luo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Guangxi Institute of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoyao Zhang
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Yurui Wang
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoan Sheng
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongying Wang
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weiyi Huang
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530005, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.
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Larsen K, Kristensen KK, Callesen H. DNA methyltransferases and tRNA methyltransferase DNMT2 in developing pig brain - expression and promoter methylation. GENE REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Abstract
SummaryNutrition influences the microenvironment in the proximity of oocyte and affects early embryonic development. Elevated blood urea nitrogen, even in healthy dairy cows, is associated with reduced fertility and there is high correlation between blood urea levels and follicular fluid urea levels. Using a docking calculation (in silico), urea showed a favorable binding activity towards the ZP-N domain of ZP3, that of ZP2, and towards the predicted full-length sperm receptor ZP3. Supplementation of oocyte maturation medium with nutrition-related levels of urea (20 or 40 mg/dl as seen in healthy dairy cows fed on low or high dietary protein, respectively) dose-dependently increased: (i) the proportion of oocytes that remained uncleaved; and (ii) oocyte degeneration; and reduced cleavage, blastocyst and hatching rates. High levels of urea induced shrinkage in oocytes, visualised using scanning electron microscopy. Urea downregulated NANOG while dose-dependently upregulating OCT4, DNMT1, and BCL2 expression. Urea at 20 mg/dl induced BAX expression. Using mathematical modelling, the rate of oocyte degeneration was sensitive to urea levels; while cleavage, blastocyst and hatching rates exhibited negative sensitivity. The present data imply a novel role for urea in reducing oocyte competence and changing gene expression in the resultant embryos.
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Wu FR, Li DK, Su MM, Liu Y, Ding B, Wang R, Li WY. Oral administration of Schisandra chinensis extract suppresses Dnmt1 expression in Kunming mice ovaries. Genes Genomics 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-016-0399-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Breton CV, Yao J, Millstein J, Gao L, Siegmund KD, Mack W, Whitfield-Maxwell L, Lurmann F, Hodis H, Avol E, Gilliland FD. Prenatal Air Pollution Exposures, DNA Methyl Transferase Genotypes, and Associations with Newborn LINE1 and Alu Methylation and Childhood Blood Pressure and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in the Children's Health Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1905-1912. [PMID: 27219456 PMCID: PMC5132634 DOI: 10.1289/ehp181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although exposure to ambient air pollutants increases cardiovascular disease risk in adults little is known about the effects of prenatal exposure. Genetic variation and epigenetic alterations are two mechanisms that may influence the effects of early-life exposures on cardiovascular phenotypes. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether genetic and epigenetic variation modify associations between prenatal air pollution on markers of cardiovascular risk in childhood. METHODS We used linear regression analysis to investigate the associations between prenatal pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3), long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE1) and AluYb8 DNA methylation levels measured in newborn blood spot tests, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and blood pressure (BP) in 459 participants as part of the Children's Health Study. Interaction terms were also included to test for effect modification of these associations by genetic variation in methylation reprogramming genes. RESULTS Prenatal exposure to NO2 in the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with higher systolic BP in 11-year-old children. Prenatal exposure to multiple air pollutants in the first trimester was associated with lower DNA methylation in LINE1, whereas later exposure to O3 was associated with higher LINE1 methylation levels in newborn blood spots. The magnitude of associations with prenatal air pollution varied according to genotype for 11 SNPs within DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), DNA methyltransferase 3 Beta (DNMT3B), Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2), and Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) genes. Although first-trimester O3 exposure was not associated with CIMT and systolic BP overall, associations within strata of DNMT1 or DNMT3B were observed, and the magnitude and the direction of these associations depended on DNMT1 genotypes. CONCLUSIONS Genetic and epigenetic variation in DNA methylation reprogramming genes and in LINE1 retrotransposons may play important roles in downstream cardiovascular consequences of prenatal air pollution exposure. Citation: Breton CV, Yao J, Millstein J, Gao L, Siegmund KD, Mack W, Whitfield-Maxwell L, Lurmann F, Hodis H, Avol E, Gilliland FD. 2016. Prenatal air pollution exposures, DNA methyl transferase genotypes, and associations with newborn LINE1 and Alu methylation and childhood blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness in the Children's Health Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1905-1912; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP181.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
- Address correspondence to C.V. Breton, Department of Preventive Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, 2001 N. Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA. Telephone: (323) 442-7383. E-mail:
| | - Jin Yao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
| | | | - Lu Gao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
| | | | - Wendy Mack
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lora Whitfield-Maxwell
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Fred Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology, Inc., Petaluma, California, USA
| | - Howard Hodis
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ed Avol
- Department of Preventive Medicine, and
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Gene expression, oocyte nuclear maturation and developmental competence of bovine oocytes and embryos produced after in vivo and in vitro heat shock. ZYGOTE 2016; 24:748-59. [PMID: 27019120 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199416000071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Three assays were performed. In assay 1, oocytes harvested during the winter months were subjected to kinetic heat shock by stressing the oocytes at 39.5°C (HS1) or at 40.5°C (HS2) for either 6, 12, 18 or 24 h and then matured at control temperature (38.5°C). The nuclear maturation rates (NMR) of all oocytes were recorded after 24 h. In assay 2, oocytes collected year-round maturated, were implanted via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and developed for 9 days. Gene expression analysis was performed on target genes (Cx43, CDH1, DNMT1, HSPA14) with reference to the two housekeeping genes (GAPDH and SDHA) in embryos. Similarly, in assay 3, genetic analysis was performed on the embryos produced from heat-stressed oocytes (from HS1 and HS2). In assay 1, the duration of heat stress resulted in a significant decline in NMR (P < 0.05) with HS1 for maturated oocytes at 86.4 ± 4.3; 65.5 ± 0.7; 51.3 ± 0.9; 38.1 ± 1.9 and 36.3 ± 0.9, for control, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h and 24 h, respectively. For assays 2 and 3, results demonstrated that DNMT1, Cx43 and HSPA14 were down-regulated in the embryos produced in the warm with respect to the cold months (P < 0.05). A constant up- and down-regulation of DNMT1 and HSPA14 genes were observed in both HS-treated samples. Also, an inconsistent pattern of gene expression was observed in Cx43 and CDH1 genes (P < 0.05). Targeted gene expression was aberrant in embryo development, which can provide evidence on early embryo arrest and slowed embryo development.
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