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Malfait J, Wan J, Spicuglia S. Epromoters are new players in the regulatory landscape with potential pleiotropic roles. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300012. [PMID: 37246247 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression during normal development and cell differentiation is achieved by the combined action of proximal (promoters) and distal (enhancers) cis-regulatory elements. Recent studies have reported that a subset of promoters, termed Epromoters, works also as enhancers to regulate distal genes. This new paradigm opened novel questions regarding the complexity of our genome and raises the possibility that genetic variation within Epromoters has pleiotropic effects on various physiological and pathological traits by differentially impacting multiple proximal and distal genes. Here, we discuss the different observations pointing to an important role of Epromoters in the regulatory landscape and summarize the evidence supporting a pleiotropic impact of these elements in disease. We further hypothesize that Epromoter might represent a major contributor to phenotypic variation and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Malfait
- Aix-Marseille University, Inserm, TAGC, UMR1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labélisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, LIGUE, Marseille, France
| | - Jing Wan
- Aix-Marseille University, Inserm, TAGC, UMR1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labélisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, LIGUE, Marseille, France
| | - Salvatore Spicuglia
- Aix-Marseille University, Inserm, TAGC, UMR1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labélisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, LIGUE, Marseille, France
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2
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Li JR, Tang M, Li Y, Amos CI, Cheng C. Genetic variants associated mRNA stability in lung. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:196. [PMID: 35272635 PMCID: PMC8915503 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08405-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) analyses have been widely used to identify genetic variants associated with gene expression levels to understand what molecular mechanisms underlie genetic traits. The resultant eQTLs might affect the expression of associated genes through transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation. In this study, we attempt to distinguish these two types of regulation by identifying genetic variants associated with mRNA stability of genes (stQTLs). Results Here, we presented a computational framework that takes advantage of recently developed methods to infer the mRNA stability of genes based on RNA-seq data and performed association analysis to identify stQTLs. Using the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) lung RNA-Seq data, we identified a total of 142,801 stQTLs for 3942 genes and 186,132 eQTLs for 4751 genes from 15,122,700 genetic variants for 13,476 genes on the autosomes, respectively. Interestingly, our results indicated that stQTLs were enriched in the CDS and 3’UTR regions, while eQTLs are enriched in the CDS, 3’UTR, 5’UTR, and upstream regions. We also found that stQTLs are more likely than eQTLs to overlap with RNA binding protein (RBP) and microRNA (miRNA) binding sites. Our analyses demonstrate that simultaneous identification of stQTLs and eQTLs can provide more mechanistic insight on the association between genetic variants and gene expression levels. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08405-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Rong Li
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mabel Tang
- Department of BioSciences, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yafang Li
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher I Amos
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chao Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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3
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Santiago-Algarra D, Souaid C, Singh H, Dao LTM, Hussain S, Medina-Rivera A, Ramirez-Navarro L, Castro-Mondragon JA, Sadouni N, Charbonnier G, Spicuglia S. Epromoters function as a hub to recruit key transcription factors required for the inflammatory response. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6660. [PMID: 34795220 PMCID: PMC8602369 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26861-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression is controlled by the involvement of gene-proximal (promoters) and distal (enhancers) regulatory elements. Our previous results demonstrated that a subset of gene promoters, termed Epromoters, work as bona fide enhancers and regulate distal gene expression. Here, we hypothesized that Epromoters play a key role in the coordination of rapid gene induction during the inflammatory response. Using a high-throughput reporter assay we explored the function of Epromoters in response to type I interferon. We find that clusters of IFNa-induced genes are frequently associated with Epromoters and that these regulatory elements preferentially recruit the STAT1/2 and IRF transcription factors and distally regulate the activation of interferon-response genes. Consistently, we identified and validated the involvement of Epromoter-containing clusters in the regulation of LPS-stimulated macrophages. Our findings suggest that Epromoters function as a local hub recruiting the key TFs required for coordinated regulation of gene clusters during the inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Santiago-Algarra
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Charbel Souaid
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Himanshu Singh
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Lan T M Dao
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- Vinmec Research Institute of Stem cell and Gene technology, Vinmec Healthcare System, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Saadat Hussain
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Alejandra Medina-Rivera
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Mexico
| | - Lucia Ramirez-Navarro
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Mexico
| | - Jaime A Castro-Mondragon
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), Nordic EMBL Partnership, University of Oslo, 0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nori Sadouni
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Charbonnier
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Spicuglia
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, TAGC, UMR 1090, Marseille, France.
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
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4
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Ray-Jones H, Spivakov M. Transcriptional enhancers and their communication with gene promoters. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6453-6485. [PMID: 34414474 PMCID: PMC8558291 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03903-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancers play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of gene expression programmes, particularly in metazoa. How these elements control their target genes in the right place and time is one of the most pertinent questions in functional genomics, with wide implications for most areas of biology. Here, we synthesise classic and recent evidence on the regulatory logic of enhancers, including the principles of enhancer organisation, factors that facilitate and delimit enhancer-promoter communication, and the joint effects of multiple enhancers. We show how modern approaches building on classic insights have begun to unravel the complexity of enhancer-promoter relationships, paving the way towards a quantitative understanding of gene control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Ray-Jones
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Mikhail Spivakov
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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5
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Li X, Pan X, Zhou H, Wang P, Gao Y, Shang S, Guo S, Sun J, Xiong Z, Ning S, Zhi H, Li X. Comprehensive characterization genetic regulation and chromatin landscape of enhancer-associated long non-coding RNAs and their implication in human cancer. Brief Bioinform 2021; 23:6375264. [PMID: 34581409 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab401] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that emanate from enhancer regions (defined as enhancer-associated lncRNAs, or elncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators in disease progression. However, their biological characteristics and clinical relevance have not been fully portrayed. Here, based on the traditional expression quantitative loci (eQTL) and our optimized residual eQTL method, we comprehensively described the genetic effect on elncRNA expression in more than 300 lymphoblastoid cell lines. Meanwhile, a chromatin atlas of elncRNAs relative to the genetic regulation state was depicted. By applying the maximum likelihood estimate method, we successfully identified causal elncRNAs for protein-coding gene expression reprogramming and showed their associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) favor binding of transcription factors. Further epigenome analysis revealed two immune-associated elncRNAs AL662844.4 and LINC01215 possess high levels of H3K27ac and H3K4me1 in human cancer. Besides, pan-cancer analysis of 3D genome, transcriptome, and regulatome data showed they potentially regulate tumor-immune cell interaction through affecting MHC class I genes and CD47, respectively. Moreover, our study showed there exist associations between elncRNA and patient survival. Finally, we made a user-friendly web interface available for exploring the regulatory relationship of SNP-elncRNA-protein-coding gene triplets (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/elncVarReg). Our study provides critical mechanistic insights for elncRNA function and illustrates their implications in human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Xu Pan
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Hanxiao Zhou
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Yue Gao
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Shipeng Shang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Shuang Guo
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Jie Sun
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Zhiying Xiong
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Shangwei Ning
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Hui Zhi
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
| | - Xia Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China
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6
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Jerkovic I, Cavalli G. Understanding 3D genome organization by multidisciplinary methods. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:511-528. [PMID: 33953379 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00362-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how chromatin is folded in the nucleus is fundamental to understanding its function. Although 3D genome organization has been historically difficult to study owing to a lack of relevant methodologies, major technological breakthroughs in genome-wide mapping of chromatin contacts and advances in imaging technologies in the twenty-first century considerably improved our understanding of chromosome conformation and nuclear architecture. In this Review, we discuss methods of 3D genome organization analysis, including sequencing-based techniques, such as Hi-C and its derivatives, Micro-C, DamID and others; microscopy-based techniques, such as super-resolution imaging coupled with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex FISH, in situ genome sequencing and live microscopy methods; and computational and modelling approaches. We describe the most commonly used techniques and their contribution to our current knowledge of nuclear architecture and, finally, we provide a perspective on up-and-coming methods that open possibilities for future major discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jerkovic
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Giacomo Cavalli
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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7
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Meiler A, Marchiano F, Haering M, Weitkunat M, Schnorrer F, Habermann BH. AnnoMiner is a new web-tool to integrate epigenetics, transcription factor occupancy and transcriptomics data to predict transcriptional regulators. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15463. [PMID: 34326396 PMCID: PMC8322331 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94805-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression regulation requires precise transcriptional programs, led by transcription factors in combination with epigenetic events. Recent advances in epigenomic and transcriptomic techniques provided insight into different gene regulation mechanisms. However, to date it remains challenging to understand how combinations of transcription factors together with epigenetic events control cell-type specific gene expression. We have developed the AnnoMiner web-server, an innovative and flexible tool to annotate and integrate epigenetic, and transcription factor occupancy data. First, AnnoMiner annotates user-provided peaks with gene features. Second, AnnoMiner can integrate genome binding data from two different transcriptional regulators together with gene features. Third, AnnoMiner offers to explore the transcriptional deregulation of genes nearby, or within a specified genomic region surrounding a user-provided peak. AnnoMiner’s fourth function performs transcription factor or histone modification enrichment analysis for user-provided gene lists by utilizing hundreds of public, high-quality datasets from ENCODE for the model organisms human, mouse, Drosophila and C. elegans. Thus, AnnoMiner can predict transcriptional regulators for a studied process without the strict need for chromatin data from the same process. We compared AnnoMiner to existing tools and experimentally validated several transcriptional regulators predicted by AnnoMiner to indeed contribute to muscle morphogenesis in Drosophila. AnnoMiner is freely available at http://chimborazo.ibdm.univ-mrs.fr/AnnoMiner/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arno Meiler
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Fabio Marchiano
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, The Turing Centre for Living systems (CENTURI), Aix-Marseille University, Parc Scientifique de Luminy Case 907, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Margaux Haering
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, The Turing Centre for Living systems (CENTURI), Aix-Marseille University, Parc Scientifique de Luminy Case 907, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Manuela Weitkunat
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Frank Schnorrer
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, The Turing Centre for Living systems (CENTURI), Aix-Marseille University, Parc Scientifique de Luminy Case 907, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Bianca H Habermann
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany. .,Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM UMR 7288, The Turing Centre for Living systems (CENTURI), Aix-Marseille University, Parc Scientifique de Luminy Case 907, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France.
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8
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Currin KW, Erdos MR, Narisu N, Rai V, Vadlamudi S, Perrin HJ, Idol JR, Yan T, Albanus RD, Broadaway KA, Etheridge AS, Bonnycastle LL, Orchard P, Didion JP, Chaudhry AS, Innocenti F, Schuetz EG, Scott LJ, Parker SCJ, Collins FS, Mohlke KL. Genetic effects on liver chromatin accessibility identify disease regulatory variants. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:1169-1189. [PMID: 34038741 PMCID: PMC8323023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying the molecular mechanisms by which genome-wide association study (GWAS) loci influence traits remains challenging. Chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci (caQTLs) help identify GWAS loci that may alter GWAS traits by modulating chromatin structure, but caQTLs have been identified in a limited set of human tissues. Here we mapped caQTLs in human liver tissue in 20 liver samples and identified 3,123 caQTLs. The caQTL variants are enriched in liver tissue promoter and enhancer states and frequently disrupt binding motifs of transcription factors expressed in liver. We predicted target genes for 861 caQTL peaks using proximity, chromatin interactions, correlation with promoter accessibility or gene expression, and colocalization with expression QTLs. Using GWAS signals for 19 liver function and/or cardiometabolic traits, we identified 110 colocalized caQTLs and GWAS signals, 56 of which contained a predicted caPeak target gene. At the LITAF LDL-cholesterol GWAS locus, we validated that a caQTL variant showed allelic differences in protein binding and transcriptional activity. These caQTLs contribute to the epigenomic characterization of human liver and help identify molecular mechanisms and genes at GWAS loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin W Currin
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael R Erdos
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Narisu Narisu
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vivek Rai
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Hannah J Perrin
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jacqueline R Idol
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tingfen Yan
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - K Alaine Broadaway
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Amy S Etheridge
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Center for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lori L Bonnycastle
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Peter Orchard
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John P Didion
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amarjit S Chaudhry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Federico Innocenti
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Center for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Erin G Schuetz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Laura J Scott
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Stephen C J Parker
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Francis S Collins
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Karen L Mohlke
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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9
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Abstract
RNA, the transcriptional output of genomes, not only templates protein synthesis or directly engages in catalytic functions, but can feed back to the genome and serve as regulatory input for gene expression. Transcripts affecting the RNA abundance of other genes act by mechanisms similar to and in concert with protein factors that control transcription. Through recruitment or blocking of activating and silencing complexes to specific genomic loci, RNA and protein factors can favor transcription or lower the local gene expression potential. Most regulatory proteins enter nuclei from all directions to start the search for increased affinity to specific DNA sequences or to other proteins nearby genuine gene targets. In contrast, RNAs emerge from spatial point sources within nuclei, their encoding genes. A transcriptional burst can result in the local appearance of multiple nascent RNA copies at once, in turn increasing local nucleic acid density and RNA motif abundance before diffusion into the nuclear neighborhood. The confined initial localization of regulatory RNAs causing accumulation of protein co-factors raises the intriguing possibility that target specificity of non-coding, and probably coding, RNAs is achieved through gene/RNA positioning and spatial proximity to regulated genomic regions. Here we review examples of positional cis conservation of regulatory RNAs with respect to target genes, spatial proximity of enhancer RNAs to promoters through DNA looping and RNA-mediated formation of membrane-less structures to control chromatin structure and expression. We speculate that linear and spatial proximity between regulatory RNA-encoding genes and gene targets could possibly ease the evolutionary pressure on maintaining regulatory RNA sequence conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Morf
- Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Wellcome - Medical Research Council (MRC) Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Srinjan Basu
- Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Wellcome - Medical Research Council (MRC) Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paulo P Amaral
- Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, The Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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10
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Liao J, Lu X, Shao X, Zhu L, Fan X. Uncovering an Organ's Molecular Architecture at Single-Cell Resolution by Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:43-58. [PMID: 32505359 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Revealing fine-scale cellular heterogeneity among spatial context and the functional and structural foundations of tissue architecture is fundamental within biological research and pharmacology. Unlike traditional approaches involving single molecules or bulk omics, cutting-edge, spatially resolved transcriptomics techniques offer near-single-cell or even subcellular resolution within tissues. Massive information across higher dimensions along with position-coordinating labels can better map the whole 3D transcriptional landscape of tissues. In this review, we focus on developments and strategies in spatially resolved transcriptomics, compare the cell and gene throughput and spatial resolution in detail for existing methods, and highlight the enormous potential in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liao
- Pharmaceutical Informatics Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoyan Lu
- Pharmaceutical Informatics Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Shao
- Pharmaceutical Informatics Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ling Zhu
- The Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Xiaohui Fan
- Pharmaceutical Informatics Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China; The Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
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11
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Haplotypes of the Mutated SIRT2 Promoter Contributing to Transcription Factor Binding and Type 2 Diabetes Susceptibility. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11050569. [PMID: 32438712 PMCID: PMC7288287 DOI: 10.3390/genes11050569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variability is an important causative factor for susceptibility and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Histone deacetylase, sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), plays regulatory roles in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. However, whether the SIRT2 variants or haplotypes contribute to T2D risk remain to be elucidated. In this study, we first detected three novel polymorphisms (P-MU1, P-MU2, and P-MU3) in the promoter of SIRT2 in the Chinese population. All pairwise sets of the three loci were strongly in linkage disequilibrium. Next, we constructed the haplotype block structure, and found H1-GGC and H2-CCA accounted for the most (total 91.8%) in T2D. The haplotype combination H1-H1-GGGGCC displayed a high risk for T2D (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.12-3.72). By association analysis, we found the individuals carrying H1-H1-GGGGCC had significantly higher fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin. The haplotype H1-GGC presented a 6.74-fold higher promoter activity than H2-CCA, which was consistent with the correlation results. Furthermore, we clarified the mechanism whereby the C allele of both the P-MU1 and P-MU2 loci disrupted the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) binding sites, leading to the attenuation of the SIRT2 transcription. Together, these data suggest that the linked haplotype GGC could be considered as a promising marker for T2D diagnosis and therapy assessment.
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