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Liu Y, Lv H, Liu X, Xu L, Li T, Zhou H, Zhu H, Hao C, Lin C, Zhang Y. The RP11-417E7.1/THBS2 signaling pathway promotes colorectal cancer metastasis by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and facilitating exosome-mediated M2 macrophage polarization. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:195. [PMID: 39020380 PMCID: PMC11253389 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03107-7] [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: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis is the major cause of colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) drive cancer metastasis and that their regulatory pathways could be targeted for preventing metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs in CRC metastasis remain poorly understood. METHODS Microarray analysis was used to screen for differentially expressed lncRNAs. Transwell assays, fibronectin cell adhesion assays, and mouse metastasis models were utilized to evaluate the metastatic capacities of CRC in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification, chromatin immunoprecipitation and chromosome conformation capture were applied to investigate the underlying mechanism involved. qRT‒PCR and transmission electron microscopy were performed to confirm macrophage polarization and the presence of cancer-derived exosomes. RESULTS The lncRNA RP11-417E7.1 was screened and identified as a novel metastasis-associated lncRNA that was correlated with a poor prognosis. RP11-417E7.1 enhances the metastatic capacity of CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, RP11-417E7.1 binding with High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) promotes neighboring thrombospondin 2 (THBS2) transcription via chromatin loop formation between its promoter and enhancer, which activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and facilitates CRC metastasis. Furthermore, exosomes derived from CRC cells transport THBS2 into macrophages, thereby inducing the M2 polarization of macrophages to sustain the prometastatic microenvironment. Notably, netropsin, a DNA-binding drug, suppresses chromatin loop formation mediated by RP11-417E7.1 at the THBS2 locus and significantly inhibits CRC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed the novel prometastatic function and mechanism of the lncRNA RP11-417E7.1, which provides a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunze Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Heng Lv
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Tiankang Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third XiangYa Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Hongmei Zhu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Chuanchuan Hao
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China
| | - Changwei Lin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China.
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third XiangYa Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China.
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221000, China.
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Yang JH, Hansen AS. Enhancer selectivity in space and time: from enhancer-promoter interactions to promoter activation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:574-591. [PMID: 38413840 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00710-6] [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] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The primary regulators of metazoan gene expression are enhancers, originally functionally defined as DNA sequences that can activate transcription at promoters in an orientation-independent and distance-independent manner. Despite being crucial for gene regulation in animals, what mechanisms underlie enhancer selectivity for promoters, and more fundamentally, how enhancers interact with promoters and activate transcription, remain poorly understood. In this Review, we first discuss current models of enhancer-promoter interactions in space and time and how enhancers affect transcription activation. Next, we discuss different mechanisms that mediate enhancer selectivity, including repression, biochemical compatibility and regulation of 3D genome structure. Through 3D polymer simulations, we illustrate how the ability of 3D genome folding mechanisms to mediate enhancer selectivity strongly varies for different enhancer-promoter interaction mechanisms. Finally, we discuss how recent technical advances may provide new insights into mechanisms of enhancer-promoter interactions and how technical biases in methods such as Hi-C and Micro-C and imaging techniques may affect their interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin H Yang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anders S Hansen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Iñiguez-Muñoz S, Llinàs-Arias P, Ensenyat-Mendez M, Bedoya-López AF, Orozco JIJ, Cortés J, Roy A, Forsberg-Nilsson K, DiNome ML, Marzese DM. Hidden secrets of the cancer genome: unlocking the impact of non-coding mutations in gene regulatory elements. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:274. [PMID: 38902506 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05314-z] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Discoveries in the field of genomics have revealed that non-coding genomic regions are not merely "junk DNA", but rather comprise critical elements involved in gene expression. These gene regulatory elements (GREs) include enhancers, insulators, silencers, and gene promoters. Notably, new evidence shows how mutations within these regions substantially influence gene expression programs, especially in the context of cancer. Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have accelerated the identification of somatic and germline single nucleotide mutations in non-coding genomic regions. This review provides an overview of somatic and germline non-coding single nucleotide alterations affecting transcription factor binding sites in GREs, specifically involved in cancer biology. It also summarizes the technologies available for exploring GREs and the challenges associated with studying and characterizing non-coding single nucleotide mutations. Understanding the role of GRE alterations in cancer is essential for improving diagnostic and prognostic capabilities in the precision medicine era, leading to enhanced patient-centered clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Iñiguez-Muñoz
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Pere Llinàs-Arias
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Andrés F Bedoya-López
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Javier I J Orozco
- Saint John's Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Javier Cortés
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Pangaea Oncology, Quiron Group, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research SL (MEDSIR), 08018, Barcelona, Spain
- Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ananya Roy
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Forsberg-Nilsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, Nottingham, UK
| | - Maggie L DiNome
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Diego M Marzese
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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4
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Tang Y, Sang S, Gao S, Xu W, Zhou H, Xia X. Mechanistic insights into super-enhancer-related genes as prognostic signatures in colon cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:9918-9932. [PMID: 38850524 PMCID: PMC11210223 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205906] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colon cancer (CC) is the most frequently occurring digestive system malignancy and is associated with a dismal prognosis. While super-enhancer (SE) genes have been identified as prognostic markers in several cancers, their potential as practical prognostic markers for CC patients remains unexplored. METHODS We obtained super-enhancer-related genes (SERGs) from the Human Super-Enhancer Database (SEdb). Transcriptome and relevant clinical data for colon cancer (CC) were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Subsequently, we identified up-regulated SERGs by the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Prognostic signatures were constructed via univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. We then delved into the mechanisms of these predictive genes by examining immune infiltration. We also assessed differential sensitivities to chemotherapeutic drugs between high- and low-SERGs risk patients. The critical gene was further validated using external datasets and finally confirmed by qRT PCR. RESULTS We established a ten-gene risk score prognostic model (S100A11, LZTS2, CYP2S1, ZNF552, PSMG1, GJC1, NXN, and DCBLD2), which can effectively predict patient survival rates. This model demonstrated effective prediction capabilities in survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years and was successfully validated using external datasets. Furthermore, we detected significant differences in immune cell infiltration between high- and low-SERGs risk groups. Notably, high-risk patients exhibited heightened sensitivity to four chemotherapeutic agents, suggesting potential benefits for precision therapy in CC patients. Finally, qRT-PCR validation revealed a significant upregulation of LZTS2 mRNA expression in CC cells. CONCLUSION These findings reveal that the SERGs model could effectively predict the prognosis of CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yini Tang
- Department of Endoscopy, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuliu Sang
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuang Gao
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan, China
| | - Weina Xu
- Department of TCM, Zhoujiadu Community Health Service of Shanghai Pudong New Area Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailun Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoting Xia
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai TCM-intergrated Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Voutsadakis IA. Mediator kinase module proteins, genetic alterations and expression of super-enhancer regulated genes in colorectal cancer. Pharmacol Rep 2024; 76:535-556. [PMID: 38602606 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-024-00589-2] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic alterations are well characterized as contributors to the pathogenesis of cancers. Epigenetic abnormalities can lead to perturbations of the expression of genes in cancer cells without structural defects. Deregulation of proteins of the transcription machinery may result in perturbations of target genes. Mediator, a multiprotein component of the transcription machinery facilitates the function of RNA polymerase II, which transcribes most human genes. A part of the mediator with kinase activity, called the Mediator kinase module shows genetic alterations in a sub-set of colorectal cancers. METHODS Data from publicly available genomic series of colorectal cancer patients were examined to determine alterations of Mediator kinase module component genes, including MED12, MED12L, MED13, MED13L, CDK8, CDK19, and CCNC. The prevalence of alterations in genomically defined colorectal cancer sub-sets was also interrogated. The effect of Mediator kinase module member gene expression on colorectal cancer relapse-free survival was investigated. RESULTS Mutations in genes of the Mediator kinase module were present in a small percentage of colorectal cancers, ranging between 2 to 10% for MED12 and MED13 and alternative units MED12L and MED13L and below 2% for kinases CDK8 and CDK19 and cyclin C. Amplifications of the CDK8 gene were observed in 3% to 5% of colorectal cancers. The highest prevalence of mutations was observed in MSI cancers and the equivalent CMS1 group, with other genomic groups showing much lower frequency. An association of higher expression of MED12 with inferior relapse-free survival was observed. In contrast, higher expression of cyclin C was associated with improved survival. Colorectal cancer cell lines with CDK8 amplifications displayed sensitivity to several small molecule inhibitors of the KRAS/PI3K pathway but not to BET inhibitors. CONCLUSION The Mediator kinase module is deregulated in a sub-set of colorectal cancers with differences observed in genomically defined groups. These variations may result in differences in sensitivity to targeted therapies and may have to be taken into consideration as such therapies are developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Voutsadakis
- Algoma District Cancer Program, Sault Area Hospital, Sault Ste Marie, ON, P6B 0A8, Canada.
- Division of Clinical Sciences, Section of Internal Medicine, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, 750 Great Northern Road, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
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Wallis M, Xu Q, Krawczyk M, Skowronska-Krawczyk D. Evolution of the enhancer-rich regulatory region of the gene for the cell-type specific transcription factor POU1F1. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28640. [PMID: 38590853 PMCID: PMC10999999 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Precise spatio-temporal expression of genes in organogenesis is regulated by the coordinated interplay of DNA elements such as promoter and enhancers present in the regulatory region of a given locus. POU1F1 transcription factor plays a crucial role in the development of somatotrophs, lactotrophs and thyrotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland, and in maintaining high expression of growth hormone, prolactin and TSH. In mouse, expression of POU1F1 is controlled by a region fenced by two CTCF sites, containing 5 upstream enhancer elements, designated E-A (5' to 3'). Elements C, B and A correspond to elements shown previously to play a role in pituitary development and hormonal expression; functional roles for elements E and D have not been reported. We performed comparative sequence analysis of this regulatory region and discovered that three elements, B, C and E, are present in all vertebrate groups except Agnatha. One very long (>2 kb) element (A) is unique to mammals suggesting a specific change in regulation of the gene in this group. Using DNA accessibility assay (ATAC-seq) we showed that conserved elements in anterior pituitary of four non-mammals are open, suggesting functionality as regulatory elements. We showed that, in many non-mammalian vertebrates, an additional upstream exon closely follows element E, leading to alternatively spliced transcripts. Here, element E functions as an alternative promoter, but in mammals this feature is lost, suggesting conversion of alternative promoter to enhancer. Our work shows that regulation of POU1F1 changed markedly during the course of vertebrate evolution, use of a low number of enhancer elements combined with alternative promoters in non-mammalian vertebrates being replaced by use of a unique combination of regulatory units in mammals. Most importantly, our work suggests that evolutionary conversion of alternate promoter to enhancer could be one of the evolutionary mechanisms of enhancer birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wallis
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Qianlan Xu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Michal Krawczyk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Valyaeva AA, Sheval EV. Nonspecific Interactions in Transcription Regulation and Organization of Transcriptional Condensates. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:688-700. [PMID: 38831505 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924040084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are characterized by a high degree of compartmentalization of their internal contents, which ensures precise and controlled regulation of intracellular processes. During many processes, including different stages of transcription, dynamic membraneless compartments termed biomolecular condensates are formed. Transcription condensates contain various transcription factors and RNA polymerase and are formed by high- and low-specificity interactions between the proteins, DNA, and nearby RNA. This review discusses recent data demonstrating important role of nonspecific multivalent protein-protein and RNA-protein interactions in organization and regulation of transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Valyaeva
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Eugene V Sheval
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Voutsadakis IA. Targeting super-enhancer activity for colorectal cancer therapy. Am J Transl Res 2024; 16:700-719. [PMID: 38586095 PMCID: PMC10994804 DOI: 10.62347/qkhb5897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
In addition to genetic variants and copy number alterations, epigenetic deregulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors is a major contributor in cancer development and propagation. Regulatory elements for gene transcription regulation can be found in promoters which are located in the vicinity of transcription start sites but also at a distance, in enhancer sites, brought to interact with proximal sites when occupied by enhancer protein complexes. These sites provide most of the specific regulatory sequences recognized by transcription factors. A sub-set of enhancers characterized by a longer structure and stronger activity, called super-enhancers, are critical for the expression of specific genes, usually associated with individual cell type identity and function. Super-enhancers show deregulation in cancer, which may have profound repercussions for cancer cell survival and response to therapy. Dysfunction of super-enhancers may result from multiple mechanisms that include changes in their sequence, alterations in the topological neighborhoods where they belong, and alterations in the proteins that mediate their function, such as transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers. These can become potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Genes that are targets of super-enhancers are cell and cancer type specific and could also be of interest for therapeutic targeting. In colorectal cancer, a super-enhancer regulated and over-expressed oncogene is MYC, under the influence of the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Identification and targeting of additional oncogenes regulated by super-enhancers in colorectal cancer may pave the way for combination therapies targeting the super-enhancer machinery and signal transduction pathways that regulate the specific transcription factors operative on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Voutsadakis
- Algoma District Cancer Program, Sault Area HospitalSault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada
- Division of Clinical Sciences, Section of Internal Medicine, Northern Ontario School of MedicineSudbury, ON, Canada
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Cai H, Liang J, Jiang Y, Wang Z, Li H, Wang W, Wang C, Hou J. KLF7 regulates super-enhancer-driven IGF2BP2 overexpression to promote the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:69. [PMID: 38443991 PMCID: PMC10913600 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02996-y] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) is known for its high aggressiveness and susceptibility to cervical lymph node metastasis, which greatly contributes to its poor prognosis. During tumorigenesis, many types of cancer cells acquire oncogenic super-enhancers (SEs) that drive the overexpression of oncogenes, thereby maintaining malignant progression. This study aimed to identify and validate the role of oncogenic SE-associated genes in the malignant progression of HNSCC. METHODS We identified HNSCC cell-specific SE-associated genes through H3K27Ac ChIP-seq and overlapped them with HNSCC-associated genes obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes. The expression of IGF2BP2 and KLF7 in HNSCC was detected using clinical samples. To determine the biological role of IGF2BP2, we performed CCK-8, colony formation assay, Transwell migration assay, invasion assay, and orthotopic xenograft model experiments. Furthermore, we utilized a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system, small-molecule inhibitors, ChIP-qPCR, and dual-luciferase reporter assays to investigate the molecular mechanisms of IGF2BP2 and its upstream transcription factors. RESULTS Our study identified IGF2BP2 as a hub SE-associated gene that exhibited aberrant expression in HNSCC tissues. Increased expression of IGF2BP2 was observed to be linked with malignant progression and unfavorable prognosis in HNSCC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that IGF2BP2 promotes the tumorigenicity and metastasis of HNSCC by promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, the IGF2BP2-SE region displayed enrichment for H3K27Ac, BRD4, and MED1, which led to the inhibition of IGF2BP2 transcription and expression through deactivation of the SE-associated transcriptional program. Additionally, KLF7 was found to induce the transcription of IGF2BP2 and directly bind to its promoter and SE regions. Moreover, the abundance of KLF7 exhibited a positive correlation with the abundance of IGF2BP2 in HNSCC. Patients with high expression of both KLF7 and IGF2BP2 showed poorer prognosis. Lastly, we demonstrated that the small molecule inhibitor JQ1, targeting BRD4, attenuated the proliferation and metastatic abilities of HNSCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals the critical role of IGF2BP2 overexpression mediated by SE and KLF7 in promoting HNSCC progression. Targeting SE-associated transcriptional programs may represent a potential therapeutic strategy in managing HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongshi Cai
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jianfeng Liang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yaoqi Jiang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Ziyi Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenjin Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Jinsong Hou
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology,, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 51055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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10
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Fatima N, Saif Ur Rahman M, Qasim M, Ali Ashfaq U, Ahmed U, Masoud MS. Transcriptional Factors Mediated Reprogramming to Pluripotency. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 19:367-388. [PMID: 37073151 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x18666230417084518] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
A unique kind of pluripotent cell, i.e., Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), now being targeted for iPSC synthesis, are produced by reprogramming animal and human differentiated cells (with no change in genetic makeup for the sake of high efficacy iPSCs formation). The conversion of specific cells to iPSCs has revolutionized stem cell research by making pluripotent cells more controllable for regenerative therapy. For the past 15 years, somatic cell reprogramming to pluripotency with force expression of specified factors has been a fascinating field of biomedical study. For that technological primary viewpoint reprogramming method, a cocktail of four transcription factors (TF) has required: Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), four-octamer binding protein 34 (OCT3/4), MYC and SOX2 (together referred to as OSKM) and host cells. IPS cells have great potential for future tissue replacement treatments because of their ability to self-renew and specialize in all adult cell types, although factor-mediated reprogramming mechanisms are still poorly understood medically. This technique has dramatically improved performance and efficiency, making it more useful in drug discovery, disease remodeling, and regenerative medicine. Moreover, in these four TF cocktails, more than 30 reprogramming combinations were proposed, but for reprogramming effectiveness, only a few numbers have been demonstrated for the somatic cells of humans and mice. Stoichiometry, a combination of reprogramming agents and chromatin remodeling compounds, impacts kinetics, quality, and efficiency in stem cell research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazira Fatima
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Muhammad Saif Ur Rahman
- Institute of Advanced Studies, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Uzair Ahmed
- EMBL Partnership Institute for Genome Editing Technologies, Vilnius University, Vilnius, 10257, Lithuania
| | - Muhammad Shareef Masoud
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
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11
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Xie B, Dean A. Noncoding function of super enhancer derived mRNA in modulating neighboring gene expression and TAD interaction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570115. [PMID: 38105946 PMCID: PMC10723268 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Super enhancers are important regulators of gene expression that often overlap with protein-coding genes. However, it is unclear whether the overlapping protein-coding genes and the mRNA derived from them contribute to enhancer activity. Using an erythroid-specific super enhancer that overlaps the Cpox gene as a model, we found that Cpox mRNA has a non-coding function in regulating neighboring protein-coding genes, eRNA expression and TAD interactions. Depletion of Cpox mRNA leads to accumulation of H3K27me3 and release of p300 from the Cpox locus, activating an intra-TAD enhancer and gene expression. Additionally, we identified a head-to-tail interaction between the TAD boundary genes Cpox and Dcbld2 that is facilitated by a novel type of repressive loop anchored by p300 and PRC2/H3K27me3. Our results uncover a regulatory role for mRNA transcribed within a super enhancer context and provide insight into head-to-tail inter-gene interaction in the regulation of gene expression and oncogene activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingning Xie
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Ann Dean
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
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12
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Zhao S, Li Y, Chen G, Wang X, Chen N, Wu X. Genome-wide chromatin interaction profiling reveals a vital role of super-enhancers and rearrangements in host enhancer contacts during BmNPV infection. Genome Res 2023; 33:1958-1974. [PMID: 37871969 PMCID: PMC10760458 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277931.123] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
As influential regulatory elements in the genome, enhancers control gene expression under specific cellular conditions, and such connections are dynamic under different conditions. However, because of the lack of a genome-wide enhancer-gene connection map, the roles and regulatory pattern of enhancers were poorly investigated in insects, and the dynamic changes of enhancer contacts and functions under different conditions remain elusive. Here, combining Hi-C, ATAC-seq, and H3K27ac ChIP-seq data, we generate the genome-wide enhancer-gene map of silkworm and identify super-enhancers with a role in regulating the expression of vital genes related to cell state maintenance through a sophisticated interaction network. Additionally, a radical attenuation of chromatin interactions is found after infection of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), the main pathogen of silkworm, which directly rearranges the enhancer contacts. Such a rearrangement disturbs the intrinsic enhancer-gene connections in several antiviral genes, resulting in reduced expression of these genes, which accelerates viral infection. Overall, our results reveal the regulatory role of super-enhancers and shed new light on the mechanisms and dynamic changes of the genome-wide enhancer regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudi Zhao
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuedong Li
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guanping Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xingyang Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nan Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Bee Resource Utilization and Innovation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China
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13
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Yang Y, Li X, Meng Z, Liu Y, Qian K, Chu M, Pan Z. A body map of super-enhancers and their function in pig. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1239965. [PMID: 37869495 PMCID: PMC10587440 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1239965] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Super-enhancers (SEs) are clusters of enhancers that act synergistically to drive the high-level expression of genes involved in cell identity and function. Although SEs have been extensively investigated in humans and mice, they have not been well characterized in pigs. Methods Here, we identified 42,380 SEs in 14 pig tissues using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and statistics of its overall situation, studied the composition and characteristics of SE, and explored the influence of SEs characteristics on gene expression. Results We observed that approximately 40% of normal enhancers (NEs) form SEs. Compared to NEs, we found that SEs were more likely to be enriched with an activated enhancer and show activated functions. Interestingly, SEs showed X chromosome depletion and short interspersed nuclear element enrichment, implying that SEs play an important role in sex traits and repeat evolution. Additionally, SE-associated genes exhibited higher expression levels and stronger conservation than NE-associated genes. However, genes with the largest SEs had higher expression levels than those with the smallest SEs, indicating that SE size may influence gene expression. Moreover, we observed a negative correlation between SE gene distance and gene expression, indicating that the proximity of SEs can affect gene activity. Gene ontology enrichment and motif analysis revealed that SEs have strong tissue-specific activity. For example, the CORO2B gene with a brain-specific SE shows strong brain-specific expression, and the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene with liver-specific SEs shows strong liver-specific expression. Discussion In this study, we illustrated a body map of SEs and explored their functions in pigs, providing information on the composition and tissue-specific patterns of SEs. This study can serve as a valuable resource of gene regulatory and comparative analyses to the scientific community and provides a theoretical reference for genetic control mechanisms of important traits in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbing Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xinyue Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongjian Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Kaifeng Qian
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Mingxing Chu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhangyuan Pan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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14
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Ye J, Cai S, Feng Y, Li J, Cai Z, Deng Y, Liu R, Zhu X, Lu J, Zhuo Y, Liang Y, Xie J, Zhang Y, He H, Han Z, Jia Z, Zhong W. Metformin escape in prostate cancer by activating the PTGR1 transcriptional program through a novel super-enhancer. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:303. [PMID: 37582751 PMCID: PMC10427640 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01516-2] [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: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic efficacy of metformin in prostate cancer (PCa) appears uncertain based on various clinical trials. Metformin treatment failure may be attributed to the high frequency of transcriptional dysregulation, which leads to drug resistance. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found evidences that metformin resistance in PCa cells may be linked to cell cycle reactivation. Super-enhancers (SEs), crucial regulatory elements, have been shown to be associated with drug resistance in various cancers. Our analysis of SEs in metformin-resistant (MetR) PCa cells revealed a correlation with Prostaglandin Reductase 1 (PTGR1) expression, which was identified as significantly increased in a cluster of cells with metformin resistance through single-cell transcriptome sequencing. Our functional experiments showed that PTGR1 overexpression accelerated cell cycle progression by promoting progression from the G0/G1 to the S and G2/M phases, resulting in reduced sensitivity to metformin. Additionally, we identified key transcription factors that significantly increase PTGR1 expression, such as SRF and RUNX3, providing potential new targets to address metformin resistance in PCa. In conclusion, our study sheds new light on the cellular mechanism underlying metformin resistance and the regulation of the SE-TFs-PTGR1 axis, offering potential avenues to enhance metformin's therapeutic efficacy in PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianheng Ye
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanghua Cai
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Urology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, 510230, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, No. 9 XingDaoHuanBei Road, Guangzhou International Bio Island, 510005, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanfa Feng
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Urology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, 510230, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinchuang Li
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiduan Cai
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yulin Deng
- Urology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, 510230, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ren Liu
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuejin Zhu
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianming Lu
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yangjia Zhuo
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingke Liang
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianjiang Xie
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanqiong Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 100700, Beijing, China
| | - Huichan He
- Urology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, 510230, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhaodong Han
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhenyu Jia
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92507, USA.
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92507, USA.
| | - Weide Zhong
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Urology Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, 510230, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, No. 9 XingDaoHuanBei Road, Guangzhou International Bio Island, 510005, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
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15
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Wang M, Chen Q, Wang S, Xie H, Liu J, Huang R, Xiang Y, Jiang Y, Tian D, Bian E. Super-enhancers complexes zoom in transcription in cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:183. [PMID: 37501079 PMCID: PMC10375641 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02763-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) consist of multiple typical enhancers enriched at high density with transcription factors, histone-modifying enzymes and cofactors. Oncogenic SEs promote tumorigenesis and malignancy by altering protein-coding gene expression and noncoding regulatory element function. Therefore, they play central roles in the treatment of cancer. Here, we review the structural characteristics, organization, identification, and functions of SEs and the underlying molecular mechanism by which SEs drive oncogenic transcription in tumor cells. We then summarize abnormal SE complexes, SE-driven coding genes, and noncoding RNAs involved in tumor development. In summary, we believe that SEs show great potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- MengTing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - QingYang Chen
- Department of Clinical MedicineThe Second School of Clinical Medical, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - ShuJie Wang
- Department of Clinical MedicineThe Second School of Clinical Medical, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Han Xie
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - RuiXiang Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - YuFei Xiang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - YanYi Jiang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
| | - DaSheng Tian
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China.
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
| | - ErBao Bian
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Fu Rong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui Province, China.
- Institute of Orthopaedics, Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
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16
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Kravchuk EV, Ashniev GA, Gladkova MG, Orlov AV, Vasileva AV, Boldyreva AV, Burenin AG, Skirda AM, Nikitin PI, Orlova NN. Experimental Validation and Prediction of Super-Enhancers: Advances and Challenges. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081191. [PMID: 37190100 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081191] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are cis-regulatory elements of the human genome that have been widely discussed since the discovery and origin of the term. Super-enhancers have been shown to be strongly associated with the expression of genes crucial for cell differentiation, cell stability maintenance, and tumorigenesis. Our goal was to systematize research studies dedicated to the investigation of structure and functions of super-enhancers as well as to define further perspectives of the field in various applications, such as drug development and clinical use. We overviewed the fundamental studies which provided experimental data on various pathologies and their associations with particular super-enhancers. The analysis of mainstream approaches for SE search and prediction allowed us to accumulate existing data and propose directions for further algorithmic improvements of SEs' reliability levels and efficiency. Thus, here we provide the description of the most robust algorithms such as ROSE, imPROSE, and DEEPSEN and suggest their further use for various research and development tasks. The most promising research direction, which is based on topic and number of published studies, are cancer-associated super-enhancers and prospective SE-targeted therapy strategies, most of which are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina V Kravchuk
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, 1-12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - German A Ashniev
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, 1-12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, 1-73, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina G Gladkova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, 1-73, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V Orlov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasiia V Vasileva
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna V Boldyreva
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexandr G Burenin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Artemiy M Skirda
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Petr I Nikitin
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia N Orlova
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
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17
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Thieme E, Bruss N, Sun D, Dominguez EC, Coleman D, Liu T, Roleder C, Martinez M, Garcia-Mansfield K, Ball B, Pirrotte P, Wang L, Xia Z, Danilov AV. CDK9 inhibition induces epigenetic reprogramming revealing strategies to circumvent resistance in lymphoma. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:64. [PMID: 36998071 PMCID: PMC10061728 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01762-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) exhibits significant genetic heterogeneity which contributes to drug resistance, necessitating development of novel therapeutic approaches. Pharmacological inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) demonstrated pre-clinical activity in DLBCL, however many stalled in clinical development. Here we show that AZD4573, a selective inhibitor of CDK9, restricted growth of DLBCL cells. CDK9 inhibition (CDK9i) resulted in rapid changes in the transcriptome and proteome, with downmodulation of multiple oncoproteins (eg, MYC, Mcl-1, JunB, PIM3) and deregulation of phosphoinotiside-3 kinase (PI3K) and senescence pathways. Following initial transcriptional repression due to RNAPII pausing, we observed transcriptional recovery of several oncogenes, including MYC and PIM3. ATAC-Seq and ChIP-Seq experiments revealed that CDK9i induced epigenetic remodeling with bi-directional changes in chromatin accessibility, suppressed promoter activation and led to sustained reprograming of the super-enhancer landscape. A CRISPR library screen suggested that SE-associated genes in the Mediator complex, as well as AKT1, confer resistance to CDK9i. Consistent with this, sgRNA-mediated knockout of MED12 sensitized cells to CDK9i. Informed by our mechanistic findings, we combined AZD4573 with either PIM kinase or PI3K inhibitors. Both combinations decreased proliferation and induced apoptosis in DLBCL and primary lymphoma cells in vitro as well as resulted in delayed tumor progression and extended survival of mice xenografted with DLBCL in vivo. Thus, CDK9i induces reprogramming of the epigenetic landscape, and super-enhancer driven recovery of select oncogenes may contribute to resistance to CDK9i. PIM and PI3K represent potential targets to circumvent resistance to CDK9i in the heterogeneous landscape of DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elana Thieme
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Nur Bruss
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Duanchen Sun
- grid.516136.6Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
- grid.27255.370000 0004 1761 1174Present address: School of Mathematics, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100 Shandong China
| | - Edward C. Dominguez
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Daniel Coleman
- grid.516136.6Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Tingting Liu
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Carly Roleder
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Melissa Martinez
- grid.250942.80000 0004 0507 3225Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA USA
| | - Krystine Garcia-Mansfield
- grid.250942.80000 0004 0507 3225Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA USA
| | - Brian Ball
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Patrick Pirrotte
- grid.250942.80000 0004 0507 3225Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA USA
| | - Lili Wang
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Zheng Xia
- grid.516136.6Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Biomedical Engineering Department, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Alexey V. Danilov
- grid.410425.60000 0004 0421 8357City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010 USA
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18
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Sakashita A, Takeuchi C, Maezawa S, Namekawa SH. Bioinformatics Pipelines for Identification of Super-Enhancers and 3D Chromatin Contacts. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2577:123-146. [PMID: 36173570 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2724-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Precise regulation of gene expression is integral in development. Emerging studies have highlighted that super-enhancers (SEs), which are clusters of multiple enhancers, play critical roles in regulating cell type-specific gene expression via 3D chromatin, thereby defining the cellular identities of given cells. Here we provide optimized bioinformatics pipelines to identify SEs and 3D chromatin contacts. Our pipelines encompass the processing of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data to identify SEs and the processing of genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data. We can then infer long-range chromatin contacts between SEs and other genomic regions. This integrative computational approach, which can be applied to CUT&RUN and CUT&Tag, alternative technologies to ChIP-seq, allows us to identify genomic locations of SEs and their 3D genome configuration, whereby multiple SEs act in concert. We show an analysis of mouse spermatogenesis as an example of this application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Sakashita
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Chikara Takeuchi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - So Maezawa
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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19
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Identification and functional validation of super-enhancers in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2215328119. [PMID: 36409894 PMCID: PMC9860255 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215328119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are exceptionally large enhancers and are recognized to play prominent roles in cell identity in mammalian species. We surveyed the genomic regions containing large clusters of accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) marked by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified a set of 749 putative SEs, which have a minimum length of 1.5 kilobases and represent the top 2.5% of the largest ACR clusters. We demonstrate that the genomic regions associating with these SEs were more sensitive to DNase I than other nonpromoter ACRs. The SEs were preferentially associated with topologically associating domains. Furthermore, the SEs and their predicted cognate genes were frequently associated with organ development and tissue identity in A. thaliana. Therefore, the A. thaliana SEs and their cognate genes mirror the functional characteristics of those reported in mammalian species. We developed CRISPR/Cas-mediated deletion lines of a 3,578-bp SE associated with the thalianol biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Small deletions (131-157 bp) within the SE resulted in distinct phenotypic changes and transcriptional repression of all five thalianol genes. In addition, T-DNA insertions in the SE region resulted in transcriptional alteration of all five thalianol genes. Thus, this SE appears to play a central role in coordinating the operon-like expression pattern of the thalianol BGC.
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Gomez RL, Woods LM, Ramachandran R, Abou Tayoun AN, Philpott A, Ali FR. Super-enhancer associated core regulatory circuits mediate susceptibility to retinoic acid in neuroblastoma cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:943924. [PMID: 36147741 PMCID: PMC9485839 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.943924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumour that accounts for more than 15% of cancer-related deaths in children. High-risk tumours are often difficult to treat, and patients' survival chances are less than 50%. Retinoic acid treatment is part of the maintenance therapy given to neuroblastoma patients; however, not all tumours differentiate in response to retinoic acid. Within neuroblastoma tumors, two phenotypically distinct cell types have been identified based on their super-enhancer landscape and transcriptional core regulatory circuitries: adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES). We hypothesized that the distinct super-enhancers in these different tumour cells mediate differential response to retinoic acid. To this end, three different neuroblastoma cell lines, ADRN (MYCN amplified and non-amplified) and MES cells, were treated with retinoic acid, and changes in the super-enhancer landscape upon treatment and after subsequent removal of retinoic acid was studied. Using ChIP-seq for the active histone mark H3K27ac, paired with RNA-seq, we compared the super-enhancer landscape in cells that undergo neuronal differentiation in response to retinoic acid versus those that fail to differentiate and identified unique super-enhancers associated with neuronal differentiation. Among the ADRN cells that respond to treatment, MYCN-amplified cells remain differentiated upon removal of retinoic acid, whereas MYCN non-amplified cells revert to an undifferentiated state, allowing for the identification of super-enhancers responsible for maintaining differentiation. This study identifies key super-enhancers that are crucial for retinoic acid-mediated differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshna Lawrence Gomez
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laura M. Woods
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Center, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Revathy Ramachandran
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmad N. Abou Tayoun
- Center for Genomic Discovery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Al Jalila Genomics Center, Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anna Philpott
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Center, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fahad R. Ali
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomic Discovery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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21
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Li H, Li J, Xiao T, Hu Y, Yang Y, Gu X, Jin G, Cao H, Zhou H, Yang C. Nintedanib Alleviates Experimental Colitis by Inhibiting CEBPB/PCK1 and CEBPB/EFNA1 Pathways. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:904420. [PMID: 35910380 PMCID: PMC9331303 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.904420] [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: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The super-enhancer, a cluster of enhancers with strong transcriptional activity, has become one of the most interesting topics in recent years. This study aimed to investigate pathogenic super-enhancer–driven genes in IBD and screen therapeutic drugs based on the results. In this study, through the analysis of differentially expressed genes in colitis patients from the GEO database and the analysis of the super-enhancer–associated database, we found that the super-enhancer pathogenic genes PCK1 and EFNA1 were simultaneously regulated by transcription factor CEBPB through two super-enhancers (sc-CHR20-57528535 and sc-CHR1-155093980). Silencing CEBPB could significantly inhibit the expression of PCK1 and EFNA1 and enhance the expression of epithelial barrier proteins claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1. In LPS-induced Caco-2 cells, drugs commonly used in clinical colitis including tofacitinib, oxalazine, mesalazine, and sulfasalazine inhibited mRNA levels of CEBPB, PCK1, and EFNA1. In the drug screening, we found that nintedanib significantly inhibited the mRNA and protein levels of CEBPB, PCK1, and EFNA1. In vivo experiments, nintedanib significantly alleviated DSS-induced colitis in mice by inhibiting CEBPB/PCK1 and CEBPB/EFNA1 signaling pathways. At the genus level, nintedanib improved the composition of the gut microbiota in mice with DSS-induced experimental colitis. In conclusion, we found that PCK1 and EFNA1 are highly expressed in colitis and they are regulated by CEBPB through two super-enhancers, and we further demonstrate their role in vivo and in vitro. Nintedanib may be a potential treatment for IBD. Super-enhancers may be a new way to explore the pathogenesis of colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhe Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- High-throughput Molecular Drug Screening Centre, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ting Xiao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yayue Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- High-throughput Molecular Drug Screening Centre, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoting Gu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ge Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin, China
| | - Hailong Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Hailong Cao, ; Honggang Zhou, ; Cheng Yang,
| | - Honggang Zhou
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- High-throughput Molecular Drug Screening Centre, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Hailong Cao, ; Honggang Zhou, ; Cheng Yang,
| | - Cheng Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- High-throughput Molecular Drug Screening Centre, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Hailong Cao, ; Honggang Zhou, ; Cheng Yang,
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22
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Liquid-liquid phase separation in tumor biology. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:221. [PMID: 35803926 PMCID: PMC9270353 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a novel principle for explaining the precise spatial and temporal regulation in living cells. LLPS compartmentalizes proteins and nucleic acids into micron-scale, liquid-like, membraneless bodies with specific functions, which were recently termed biomolecular condensates. Biomolecular condensates are executors underlying the intracellular spatiotemporal coordination of various biological activities, including chromatin organization, genomic stability, DNA damage response and repair, transcription, and signal transduction. Dysregulation of these cellular processes is a key event in the initiation and/or evolution of cancer, and emerging evidence has linked the formation and regulation of LLPS to malignant transformations in tumor biology. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the detailed mechanisms of biomolecular condensate formation and biophysical function and review the recent major advances toward elucidating the multiple mechanisms involved in cancer cell pathology driven by aberrant LLPS. In addition, we discuss the therapeutic perspectives of LLPS in cancer research and the most recently developed drug candidates targeting LLPS modulation that can be used to combat tumorigenesis.
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23
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Hosur V, Low BE, Wiles MV. Programmable RNA-Guided Large DNA Transgenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 and Site-Specific Integrase Bxb1. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:910151. [PMID: 35866031 PMCID: PMC9294445 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.910151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The inability to insert large DNA constructs into the genome efficiently and precisely is a key challenge in genomic engineering. Random transgenesis, which is widely used, lacks precision, and comes with a slew of drawbacks. Lentiviral and adeno-associated viral methods are plagued by, respectively, DNA toxicity and a payload capacity of less than 5 kb. Homology-directed repair (HDR) techniques based on CRISPR-Cas9 can be effective, but only in the 1–5 kb range. In addition, long homology arms—DNA sequences that permit construct insertion—of lengths ranging from 0.5 to 5 kb are required by currently known HDR-based techniques. A potential new method that uses Cas9-guided transposases to insert DNA structures up to 10 kb in length works well in bacteria, but only in bacteria. Surmounting these roadblocks, a new toolkit has recently been developed that combines RNA-guided Cas9 and the site-specific integrase Bxb1 to integrate DNA constructs ranging in length from 5 to 43 kb into mouse zygotes with germline transmission and into human cells. This ground-breaking toolkit will give researchers a valuable resource for developing novel, urgently needed mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models of cancer and other genetic diseases, as well as therapeutic gene integration and biopharmaceutical applications, such as the development of stable cell lines to produce therapeutic protein products.
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24
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Xu H, Li Y, Jiang Y, Wang J, Sun H, Wu W, LV Y, Liu S, Zhai Y, Tian L, Li L, Zhao Z. A Novel Defined Super-Enhancer Associated Gene Signature to Predict Prognosis in Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:827840. [PMID: 35774514 PMCID: PMC9237400 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.827840] [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: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease that can have profound differences in survival outcomes. A variety of powerful prognostic factors and models have been constructed; however, the development of more accurate prognosis prediction and targeted treatment for DLBCL still faces challenges. An explosion of research on super-enhancer (SE)–associated genes provide the possibility to use in prognostication for cancer patients. Here, we aimed to establish a novel effective prognostic model using SE-associated genes from DLBCL. Methods: A total of 1,105 DLBCL patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were included in this study and were divided into a training set and a validation set. A total of 11 SE-associated genes (BCL2, SPAG16, PXK, BTG1, LRRC37A2, EXT1, TGFBR2, ANKRD12, MYCBP2, PAX5, and MYC) were initially screened and identified by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) penalized Cox regression, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Finally, a risk score model based on these 11 genes was constructed. Results: Kaplan–Meier (K–M) curves showed that the low-risk group appeared to have better clinical survival outcomes. The excellent performance of the model was determined via time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. A nomogram based on the polygenic risk score was further established to promote reliable prognostic prediction. This study proposed that the SE-associated-gene risk signature can effectively predict the response to chemotherapy in DLBCL patients. Conclusion: A novel and reliable SE-associated-gene signature that can effectively classify DLBCL patients into high-risk and low-risk groups in terms of overall survival was developed, which may assist clinicians in the treatment of DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanan Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhuan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Huimeng Sun
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenqi Wu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yangyang LV
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Su Liu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yixin Zhai
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - LinYan Tian
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lanfang Li
- Departments of Lymphoma, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Lanfang Li, ; Zhigang Zhao,
| | - Zhigang Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Lanfang Li, ; Zhigang Zhao,
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Super-Enhancers, Phase-Separated Condensates, and 3D Genome Organization in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122866. [PMID: 35740532 PMCID: PMC9221043 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
3D chromatin organization plays an important role in transcription regulation and gene expression. The 3D genome is highly maintained by several architectural proteins, such as CTCF, Yin Yang 1, and cohesin complex. This structural organization brings regulatory DNA elements in close proximity to their target promoters. In this review, we discuss the 3D chromatin organization of super-enhancers and their relationship to phase-separated condensates. Super-enhancers are large clusters of DNA elements. They can physically contact with their target promoters by chromatin looping during transcription. Multiple transcription factors can bind to enhancer and promoter sequences and recruit a complex array of transcriptional co-activators and RNA polymerase II to effect transcriptional activation. Phase-separated condensates of transcription factors and transcriptional co-activators have been implicated in assembling the transcription machinery at particular enhancers. Cancer cells can hijack super-enhancers to drive oncogenic transcription to promote cell survival and proliferation. These dysregulated transcriptional programs can cause cancer cells to become highly dependent on transcriptional regulators, such as Mediator and BRD4. Moreover, the expression of oncogenes that are driven by super-enhancers is sensitive to transcriptional perturbation and often occurs in phase-separated condensates, supporting therapeutic rationales of targeting SE components, 3D genome organization, or dysregulated condensates in cancer.
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26
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Extended intergenic DNA contributes to neuron-specific expression of neighboring genes in the mammalian nervous system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2733. [PMID: 35585070 PMCID: PMC9117226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30192-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes comprise largely intergenic noncoding DNA with numerous cis-regulatory elements. Whether and how the size of intergenic DNA affects gene expression in a tissue-specific manner remain unknown. Here we show that genes with extended intergenic regions are preferentially expressed in neural tissues but repressed in other tissues in mice and humans. Extended intergenic regions contain twice as many active enhancers in neural tissues compared to other tissues. Neural genes with extended intergenic regions are globally co-expressed with neighboring neural genes controlled by distinct enhancers in the shared intergenic regions. Moreover, generic neural genes expressed in multiple tissues have significantly longer intergenic regions than neural genes expressed in fewer tissues. The intergenic regions of the generic neural genes have many tissue-specific active enhancers containing distinct transcription factor binding sites specific to each neural tissue. We also show that genes with extended intergenic regions are enriched for neural genes only in vertebrates. The expansion of intergenic regions may reflect the regulatory complexity of tissue-type-specific gene expression in the nervous system.
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Long-Distance Repression by Human Silencers: Chromatin Interactions and Phase Separation in Silencers. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091560. [PMID: 35563864 PMCID: PMC9101175 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional genome organization represents an additional layer in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Active transcription controlled by enhancers or super-enhancers has been extensively studied. Enhancers or super-enhancers can recruit activators or co-activators to activate target gene expression through long-range chromatin interactions. Chromatin interactions and phase separation play important roles in terms of enhancer or super-enhancer functioning. Silencers are another major type of cis-regulatory element that can mediate gene regulation by turning off or reducing gene expression. However, compared to active transcription, silencer studies are still in their infancy. This review covers the current knowledge of human silencers, especially the roles of chromatin interactions and phase separation in silencers. This review also proposes future directions for human silencer studies.
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Yoshino S, Suzuki HI. The molecular understanding of super-enhancer dysregulation in cancer. NAGOYA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2022; 84:216-229. [PMID: 35967935 PMCID: PMC9350580 DOI: 10.18999/nagjms.84.2.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities in the regulation of gene expression are associated with various pathological conditions. Among the distal regulatory elements in the genome, the activation of target genes by enhancers plays a central role in the formation of cell type-specific gene expression patterns. Super-enhancers are a subclass of enhancers that frequently contain multiple enhancer-like elements and are characterized by dense binding of master transcription factors and Mediator complexes and high signals of active histone marks. Super-enhancers have been studied in detail as important regulatory regions that control cell identity and contribute to the pathogenesis of diverse diseases. In cancer, super-enhancers have multifaceted roles by activating various oncogenes and other cancer-related genes and shaping characteristic gene expression patterns in cancer cells. Alterations in super-enhancer activities in cancer involve multiple mechanisms, including the dysregulation of transcription factors and the super-enhancer-associated genomic abnormalities. The study of super-enhancers could contribute to the identification of effective biomarkers and the development of cancer therapeutics targeting transcriptional addiction. In this review, we summarize the roles of super-enhancers in cancer biology, with a particular focus on hematopoietic malignancies, in which multiple super-enhancer alteration mechanisms have been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiko Yoshino
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi I. Suzuki
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Center for Neurological Diseases and Cancer, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
,Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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BRD4 inhibitor GNE987 exerts anti-cancer effects by targeting super-enhancers in neuroblastoma. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:33. [PMID: 35303940 PMCID: PMC8932231 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00769-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common extracranial malignancy with high mortality in children. Recently, super-enhancers (SEs) have been reported to play a critical role in the tumorigenesis and development of NB via regulating a wide range of oncogenes Thus, the synthesis and identification of chemical inhibitors specifically targeting SEs are of great urgency for the clinical therapy of NB. This study aimed to characterize the activity of the SEs inhibitor GNE987, which targets BRD4, in NB. Results In this study, we found that nanomolar concentrations of GNE987 markedly diminished NB cell proliferation and survival via degrading BRD4. Meanwhile, GNE987 significantly induced NB cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Consistent with in vitro results, GNE987 administration (0.25 mg/kg) markedly decreased the tumor size in the xenograft model, with less toxicity, and induced similar BRD4 protein degradation to that observed in vitro. Mechanically, GNE987 led to significant downregulation of hallmark genes associated with MYC and the global disruption of the SEs landscape in NB cells. Moreover, a novel candidate oncogenic transcript, FAM163A, was identified through analysis of the RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data. FAM163A is abnormally transcribed by SEs, playing an important role in NB occurrence and development. Conclusion GNE987 destroyed the abnormal transcriptional regulation of oncogenes in NB by downregulating BRD4, which could be a potential therapeutic candidate for NB. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-022-00769-8.
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BRD4-directed super-enhancer organization of transcription repression programs links to chemotherapeutic efficacy in breast cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2109133119. [PMID: 35105803 PMCID: PMC8832982 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109133119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BRD4 is well known for its role in super-enhancer organization and transcription activation of several prominent oncogenes including c-MYC and BCL2 As such, BRD4 inhibitors are being pursued as promising therapeutics for cancer treatment. However, drug resistance also occurs for BRD4-targeted therapies. Here, we report that BRD4 unexpectedly interacts with the LSD1/NuRD complex and colocalizes with this repressive complex on super-enhancers. Integrative genomic and epigenomic analyses indicate that the BRD4/LSD1/NuRD complex restricts the hyperactivation of a cluster of genes that are functionally linked to drug resistance. Intriguingly, treatment of breast cancer cells with a small-molecule inhibitor of BRD4, JQ1, results in no immediate activation of the drug-resistant genes, but long-time treatment or destabilization of LSD1 by PELI1 decommissions the BRD4/LSD1/NuRD complex, leading to resistance to JQ1 as well as to a broad spectrum of therapeutic compounds. Consistently, PELI1 is up-regulated in breast carcinomas, its level is negatively correlated with that of LSD1, and the expression level of the BRD4/LSD1/NuRD complex-restricted genes is strongly correlated with a worse overall survival of breast cancer patients. Together, our study uncovers a functional duality of BRD4 in super-enhancer organization of transcription activation and repression linking to oncogenesis and chemoresistance, respectively, supporting the pursuit of a combined targeting of BRD4 and PELI1 in effective treatment of breast cancer.
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31
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Zagoskin AA, Zakharova MV, Nagornykh MO. Structural Elements of DNA and RNA Eukaryotic Expression Vectors for In Vitro and In Vivo Genome Editor Delivery. Mol Biol 2022; 56:950-962. [PMCID: PMC9735121 DOI: 10.1134/s0026893322060218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Gene editing with programmable nucleases opens new perspectives in important practice areas, such as healthcare and agriculture. The most challenging problem for the safe and effective therapeutic use of gene editing technologies is the proper delivery and expression of gene editors in cells and tissues of different organisms. Virus-based and nonviral systems can be used for the successful delivery of gene editors. Here we have reviewed structural elements of nonviral DNA- and RNA-based expression vectors for gene editing and delivery methods in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Zagoskin
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - M. V. Zakharova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - M. O. Nagornykh
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia ,Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sirius, 354349 Sochi, Russia
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32
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Iracane E, Vega-Estévez S, Buscaino A. On and Off: Epigenetic Regulation of C. albicans Morphological Switches. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111463. [PMID: 34832617 PMCID: PMC8619191 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a dimorphic opportunistic pathogen that colonises most of the human population without creating any harm. However, this fungus can also cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. The ability to successfully colonise different host niches is critical for establishing infections and pathogenesis. C. albicans can live and divide in various morphological forms critical for its survival in the host. Indeed, C. albicans can grow as both yeast and hyphae and can form biofilms containing hyphae. The transcriptional regulatory network governing the switching between these different forms is complex but well understood. In contrast, non-DNA based epigenetic modulation is emerging as a crucial but still poorly studied regulatory mechanism of morphological transition. This review explores our current understanding of chromatin-mediated epigenetic regulation of the yeast to hyphae switch and biofilm formation. We highlight how modification of chromatin structure and non-coding RNAs contribute to these morphological transitions.
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The non-coding genome in genetic brain disorders: new targets for therapy? Essays Biochem 2021; 65:671-683. [PMID: 34414418 PMCID: PMC8564736 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The non-coding genome, consisting of more than 98% of all genetic information in humans and once judged as ‘Junk DNA’, is increasingly moving into the spotlight in the field of human genetics. Non-coding regulatory elements (NCREs) are crucial to ensure correct spatio-temporal gene expression. Technological advancements have allowed to identify NCREs on a large scale, and mechanistic studies have helped to understand the biological mechanisms underlying their function. It is increasingly becoming clear that genetic alterations of NCREs can cause genetic disorders, including brain diseases. In this review, we concisely discuss mechanisms of gene regulation and how to investigate them, and give examples of non-coding alterations of NCREs that give rise to human brain disorders. The cross-talk between basic and clinical studies enhances the understanding of normal and pathological function of NCREs, allowing better interpretation of already existing and novel data. Improved functional annotation of NCREs will not only benefit diagnostics for patients, but might also lead to novel areas of investigations for targeted therapies, applicable to a wide panel of genetic disorders. The intrinsic complexity and precision of the gene regulation process can be turned to the advantage of highly specific treatments. We further discuss this exciting new field of ‘enhancer therapy’ based on recent examples.
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No Need to Stick Together to Be Connected: Multiple Types of Enhancers' Networking. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205201. [PMID: 34680347 PMCID: PMC8533737 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transcription regulation programs require the functional interaction of distal and proximal regulatory regions, interacting by specific 3D chromatin configurations. Enhancers are cis-acting regulatory elements able to promote gene expression regardless their orientation and distance from the transcription starting site. Their systematic mapping by genome-wide chromatin profiling and chromosome conformation analysis, combined with the development of gene-editing approaches to modulate their function, revealed that many enhancers work together to fine-tune the expression of their target genes. This review aim to describe the functions of different types of enhancers and the modalities of enhancers’ interaction, focusing on their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development. Abstract The control of gene expression at a transcriptional level requires a widespread landscape of regulatory elements. Central to these regulatory circuits are enhancers (ENHs), which are defined as cis-acting DNA elements able to increase the transcription of a target gene in a distance- and orientation-independent manner. ENHs are not independent functional elements but work in a complex and dynamic cooperative network, constituting the building blocks of multimodular domains of gene expression regulation. The information from each of these elements converges on the target promoter, contributing to improving the precision and sharpness of gene modulation. ENHs’ interplay varies in its nature and extent, ranging from an additive to redundant effect depending on contexts. Moving from super-enhancers that drive the high expression levels of identity genes, to shadow-enhancers, whose redundant functions contribute to buffering the variation in gene expression, this review aims to describe the different modalities of ENHs’ interaction and their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development.
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Kai Y, Li BE, Zhu M, Li GY, Chen F, Han Y, Cha HJ, Orkin SH, Cai W, Huang J, Yuan GC. Mapping the evolving landscape of super-enhancers during cell differentiation. Genome Biol 2021; 22:269. [PMID: 34526084 PMCID: PMC8442463 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02485-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Super-enhancers are clusters of enhancer elements that play critical roles in the maintenance of cell identity. Current investigations on super-enhancers are centered on the established ones in static cell types. How super-enhancers are established during cell differentiation remains obscure. RESULTS Here, by developing an unbiased approach to systematically analyze the evolving landscape of super-enhancers during cell differentiation in multiple lineages, we discover a general trend where super-enhancers emerge through three distinct temporal patterns: conserved, temporally hierarchical, and de novo. The three types of super-enhancers differ further in association patterns in target gene expression, functional enrichment, and 3D chromatin organization, suggesting they may represent distinct structural and functional subtypes. Furthermore, we dissect the enhancer repertoire within temporally hierarchical super-enhancers, and find enhancers that emerge at early and late stages are enriched with distinct transcription factors, suggesting that the temporal order of establishment of elements within super-enhancers may be directed by underlying DNA sequence. CRISPR-mediated deletion of individual enhancers in differentiated cells shows that both the early- and late-emerged enhancers are indispensable for target gene expression, while in undifferentiated cells early enhancers are involved in the regulation of target genes. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our analysis highlights the heterogeneity of the super-enhancer population and provides new insights to enhancer functions within super-enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kai
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bin E Li
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Grace Y Li
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yingli Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Hye Ji Cha
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stuart H Orkin
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wenqing Cai
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Jialiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
| | - Guo-Cheng Yuan
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Charles Bronfman Institute for Precision Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Loss of synergistic transcriptional feedback loops drives diverse B-cell cancers. EBioMedicine 2021; 71:103559. [PMID: 34461601 PMCID: PMC8403728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The most common B-cell cancers, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (CLL), follicular and diffuse large B-cell (FL, DLBCL) lymphomas, have distinct clinical courses, yet overlapping “cell-of-origin”. Dynamic changes to the epigenome are essential regulators of B-cell differentiation. Therefore, we reasoned that these distinct cancers may be driven by shared mechanisms of disruption in transcriptional circuitry. Methods We compared purified malignant B-cells from 52 patients with normal B-cell subsets (germinal center centrocytes and centroblasts, naïve and memory B-cells) from 36 donor tonsils using >325 high-resolution molecular profiling assays for histone modifications, open chromatin (ChIP-, FAIRE-seq), transcriptome (RNA-seq), transcription factor (TF) binding, and genome copy number (microarrays). Findings From the resulting data, we identified gains in active chromatin in enhancers/super-enhancers that likely promote unchecked B-cell receptor signaling, including one we validated near the immunoglobulin superfamily receptors FCMR and PIGR. More striking and pervasive was the profound loss of key B-cell identity TFs, tumor suppressors and their super-enhancers, including EBF1, OCT2(POU2F2), and RUNX3. Using a novel approach to identify transcriptional feedback, we showed that these core transcriptional circuitries are self-regulating. Their selective gain and loss form a complex, iterative, and interactive process that likely curbs B-cell maturation and spurs proliferation. Interpretation Our study is the first to map the transcriptional circuitry of the most common blood cancers. We demonstrate that a critical subset of B-cell TFs and their cognate enhancers form self-regulatory transcriptional feedback loops whose disruption is a shared mechanism underlying these diverse subtypes of B-cell lymphoma. Funding National Institute of Health, Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation.
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Coordination of transcription, processing, and export of highly expressed RNAs by distinct biomolecular condensates. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 4:281-291. [PMID: 32338276 PMCID: PMC7733674 DOI: 10.1042/etls20190160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Genes under control of super-enhancers are expressed at extremely high levels and are frequently associated with nuclear speckles. Recent data suggest that the high concentration of unphosphorylated RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and Mediator recruited to super-enhancers create phase-separated condensates. Transcription initiates within or at the surface of these phase-separated droplets and the phosphorylation of Pol II, associated with transcription initiation and elongation, dissociates Pol II from these domains leading to engagement with nuclear speckles, which are enriched with RNA processing factors. The transitioning of Pol II from transcription initiation domains to RNA processing domains effectively co-ordinates transcription and processing of highly expressed RNAs which are then rapidly exported into the cytoplasm.
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Liu N, Low WY, Alinejad-Rokny H, Pederson S, Sadlon T, Barry S, Breen J. Seeing the forest through the trees: prioritising potentially functional interactions from Hi-C. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:41. [PMID: 34454581 PMCID: PMC8399707 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00417-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes are highly organised within the nucleus of a cell, allowing widely dispersed regulatory elements such as enhancers to interact with gene promoters through physical contacts in three-dimensional space. Recent chromosome conformation capture methodologies such as Hi-C have enabled the analysis of interacting regions of the genome providing a valuable insight into the three-dimensional organisation of the chromatin in the nucleus, including chromosome compartmentalisation and gene expression. Complicating the analysis of Hi-C data, however, is the massive amount of identified interactions, many of which do not directly drive gene function, thus hindering the identification of potentially biologically functional 3D interactions. In this review, we collate and examine the downstream analysis of Hi-C data with particular focus on methods that prioritise potentially functional interactions. We classify three groups of approaches: structural-based discovery methods, e.g. A/B compartments and topologically associated domains, detection of statistically significant chromatin interactions, and the use of epigenomic data integration to narrow down useful interaction information. Careful use of these three approaches is crucial to successfully identifying potentially functional interactions within the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Computational & Systems Biology, Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, SA, 5000, Adelaide, Australia
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Wai Yee Low
- The Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, 5371, Australia
| | - Hamid Alinejad-Rokny
- BioMedical Machine Learning Lab, The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, NSW, 2052, Sydney, Australia
- Core Member of UNSW Data Science Hub, The University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories (DRMCRL), Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Timothy Sadlon
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
- Women's & Children's Health Network, SA, 5006, North Adelaide, Australia
| | - Simon Barry
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia
- Core Member of UNSW Data Science Hub, The University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, Australia
- Women's & Children's Health Network, SA, 5006, North Adelaide, Australia
| | - James Breen
- Computational & Systems Biology, Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, SA, 5000, Adelaide, Australia.
- Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, SA, 5005, Adelaide, Australia.
- South Australian Genomics Centre (SAGC), South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), SA, 5000, Adelaide, Australia.
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Nuclear compartmentalization as a mechanism of quantitative control of gene expression. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:653-670. [PMID: 34341548 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00387-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation requires the dynamic coordination of hundreds of regulatory factors at precise genomic and RNA targets. Although many regulatory factors have specific affinity for their nucleic acid targets, molecular diffusion and affinity models alone cannot explain many of the quantitative features of gene regulation in the nucleus. One emerging explanation for these quantitative properties is that DNA, RNA and proteins organize within precise, 3D compartments in the nucleus to concentrate groups of functionally related molecules. Recently, nucleic acids and proteins involved in many important nuclear processes have been shown to engage in cooperative interactions, which lead to the formation of condensates that partition the nucleus. In this Review, we discuss an emerging perspective of gene regulation, which moves away from classic models of stoichiometric interactions towards an understanding of how spatial compartmentalization can lead to non-stoichiometric molecular interactions and non-linear regulatory behaviours. We describe key mechanisms of nuclear compartment formation, including emerging roles for non-coding RNAs in facilitating their formation, and discuss the functional role of nuclear compartments in transcription regulation, co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional RNA processing, and higher-order chromatin regulation. More generally, we discuss how compartmentalization may explain important quantitative aspects of gene regulation.
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Histone H3K4me1 strongly activates the DNase I hypersensitive sites in super-enhancers than those in typical enhancers. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:229109. [PMID: 34195788 PMCID: PMC8264496 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20210691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs), which consist of multiple enhancer elements, are occupied by master transcription factors and co-activators, such as Mediator, and are highly acetylated at histone H3K27. Here, we have characterized the SEs in terms of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) by analyzing publicly available chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq and DNase-seq data of K562 cells and compared with the DHSs in typical enhancers (TEs). DHSs in the SEs were highly marked by histone H3K4me1 than DHSs in TEs. Loss of H3K4me1 by the deletion of catalytic domains in histone methyltransferases MLL3 and MLL4 remarkably decreased histone H3K27ac and histone H3 depletion at SE DHSs than at TE DHSs. The levels of enhancer RNA (eRNA) transcripts and mRNA transcripts from the putative target genes were notably reduced at and near SE DHSs than TE DHSs following H3K4me1 loss. These results indicate that histone H3K4me1 is a marker for DHSs in SEs and that this modification has a more significant impact on the activation of SE DHSs than TE DHSs.
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Razin SV, Ioudinkova ES, Kantidze OL, Iarovaia OV. Co-Regulated Genes and Gene Clusters. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:907. [PMID: 34208174 PMCID: PMC8230824 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There are many co-regulated genes in eukaryotic cells. The coordinated activation or repression of such genes occurs at specific stages of differentiation, or under the influence of external stimuli. As a rule, co-regulated genes are dispersed in the genome. However, there are also gene clusters, which contain paralogous genes that encode proteins with similar functions. In this aspect, they differ significantly from bacterial operons containing functionally linked genes that are not paralogs. In this review, we discuss the reasons for the existence of gene clusters in vertebrate cells and propose that clustering is necessary to ensure the possibility of selective activation of one of several similar genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V. Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (E.S.I.); (O.L.K.); (O.V.I.)
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena S. Ioudinkova
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (E.S.I.); (O.L.K.); (O.V.I.)
| | - Omar L. Kantidze
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (E.S.I.); (O.L.K.); (O.V.I.)
| | - Olga V. Iarovaia
- Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (E.S.I.); (O.L.K.); (O.V.I.)
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Li H, Zhao C, Li Z, Yao K, Zhang J, Si W, Liu X, Jiang Y, Zhu M. Identification of Potential Pathogenic Super-Enhancers-Driven Genes in Pulmonary Fibrosis. Front Genet 2021; 12:644143. [PMID: 34054916 PMCID: PMC8153712 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.644143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal fibroblast differentiation into myofibroblast is a crucial pathological mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Super-enhancers, a newly discovered cluster of regulatory elements, are regarded as the regulators of cell identity. We speculate that abnormal activation of super-enhancers must be involved in the pathological process of PF. This study aims to identify potential pathogenic super-enhancer-driven genes in PF. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PF mouse lungs were identified from a GEO dataset (GDS1492). We collected super-enhancers and their associated genes in human lung fibroblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts from SEA version 3.0, a network database that provides comprehensive information on super-enhancers. We crosslinked upregulated DEGs and super-enhancer-associated genes in fibroblasts to predict potential super-enhancer-driven pathogenic genes in PF. A total of 25 genes formed an overlap, and the protein-protein interaction network of these genes was constructed by the STRING database. An interaction network of transcription factors (TFs), super-enhancers, and associated genes was constructed using the Cytoscape software. Gene enrichment analyses, including KEGG pathway and GO analysis, were performed for these genes. Latent transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) binding protein 2 (LTBP2), one of the predicted super-enhancer-driven pathogenic genes, was used to verify the predicted network’s accuracy. LTBP2 was upregulated in the lungs of the bleomycin-induced PF mouse model and TGF-β1-stimulated mouse and human fibroblasts. Myc is one of the TFs binding to the LTBP2 super-enhancer. Knockout of super-enhancer sequences with a CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid or inhibition of Myc all decreased TGF-β1-induced LTBP2 expression in NIH/3 T3 cells. Identifying and interfering super-enhancers might be a new way to explore possible therapeutic methods for PF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Li
- Central Lab, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Caiping Zhao
- Central Lab, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zeli Li
- Department of Respiratory, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kainan Yao
- Department of Respiratory, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenwen Si
- Central Lab, Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (Group), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- Department of Respiratory, Shenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meiling Zhu
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Innovation Research Center, Shenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, China
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Jiang Y, Jiang YY, Lin DC. Super-enhancer-mediated core regulatory circuitry in human cancer. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2790-2795. [PMID: 34093993 PMCID: PMC8138668 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are congregated enhancer clusters with high level of loading of transcription factors (TFs), cofactors and epigenetic modifications. Through direct co-occupancy at their own SEs as well as each other's, a small set of so called "master" TFs form interconnected core regulatory circuitry (CRCs) to orchestrate transcriptional programs in both normal and malignant cells. These master TFs can be predicted mathematically using epigenomic methods. In this Review, we summarize the identification of SEs and CRCs in cancer cells, the mechanisms by which master TFs and SEs cooperatively regulate cancer-type-specific expression programs, and the cancer-type- and subtype-specificity of CRC and the significance in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Jiang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yan-Yi Jiang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Corresponding authors at: Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China (Y.-Y. Jiang); Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA (D.-C. Lin).
| | - De-Chen Lin
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Corresponding authors at: Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China (Y.-Y. Jiang); Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA (D.-C. Lin).
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Orlova NN, Bogatova OV, Orlov AV. High-performance method for identification of super enhancers from ChIP-Seq data with configurable cloud virtual machines. MethodsX 2021; 7:101165. [PMID: 33665151 PMCID: PMC7897706 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.101165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A universal method for rapid identifying super-enhancers which are large domains of multiple closely-spaced enhancers is proposed. The method applies configurable cloud virtual machines (cVMs) and the rank-ordering of super-enhancers (ROSE) algorithm. To identify super-enhancers a сVM-based analysis of the ChIP-seq binding patterns of the active enhancer-associated mark is employed. The use of the proposed method is described step-by-step: configuration of cVM; ChIP-seq data alignment; peak calling; ROSE algorithm; interpretation of the results on a client machine. The method was validated for the search of super-enhancers using the H3K27ac mark in the sample datasets of a cell line (human MCF-7), mouse tissue (heart), and human tissue (adrenal gland). The total analysis cycle time of raw ChIP-seq data ranges from 15 to 48 min, depending on the number of initial short reads. Depending on the data processing step and availability of multi-threading, a cVM can be scaled up to a multi-CPU configuration with large amount of RAM. An important feature of the method is that it can run on a client machine that has low-performance with virtually any OS. The proposed method allows for simultaneous and independent processing of different sample datasets on multiple clones of a single cVM.Cloud VMs were used for rapid processing of ChIP-seq data to identify super-enhancers. The method can use a low-performance computer with virtually any OS on it. It can be scaled up for parallel processing of individual sample datasets on their own VMs for rapid high-throughput processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia N Orlova
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Olga V Bogatova
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexey V Orlov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia.,Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Yan L, Chen H, Tang L, Jiang P, Yan F. Super-enhancer-associated long noncoding RNA AC005592.2 promotes tumor progression by regulating OLFM4 in colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:187. [PMID: 33622275 PMCID: PMC7903608 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-07900-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Super-enhancer-associated long noncoding RNAs (SE-lncRNAs) have been reported to play essential roles in tumorigenesis, but the fundamental mechanism of SE-lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. Methods A microarray was performed to identify the differentially expressed SE-lncRNAs between CRC tissues and peritumoral tissues. A novel SE-lncRNA, AC005592.2, was selected from these differentially expressed SE-lncRNAs to explore its effects on CRC development. Fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assay the expression of AC005592.2 in CRC tissues and cell lines. Functional assays were applied to identify the biological effects of AC005592.2 in CRC cells. Furthermore, RNA-seq was employed to predict potential targets of AC005592.2. Results AC005592.2 was significantly increased in CRC tissues and cells. High expression of AC005592.2 was significantly associated with TNM stage and tumor differentiation in CRC patients. Knockdown of AC005592.2 suppressed CRC cell proliferation, invasion and migration but promoted apoptosis, while AC005592.2 overexpression exerted the opposite effects on CRC cells. In addition, AC005592.2 positively regulated the expression of olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4), which was also upregulated in CRC tissues. Conclusion The findings suggested that AC005592.2 is a crucial promoter of CRC progression and may serve as an attractive therapeutic target for CRC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07900-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linping Yan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Baiziting No. 42, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Huanhuan Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Baiziting No. 42, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Li Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Baiziting No. 42, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Pan Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Baiziting No. 42, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Feng Yan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Baiziting No. 42, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Zhang J, Yue W, Zhou Y, Liao M, Chen X, Hua J. Super enhancers-Functional cores under the 3D genome. Cell Prolif 2021; 54:e12970. [PMID: 33336467 PMCID: PMC7848964 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex biochemical reactions take place in the nucleus all the time. Transcription machines must follow the rules. The chromatin state, especially the three-dimensional structure of the genome, plays an important role in gene regulation and expression. The super enhancers are important for defining cell identity in mammalian developmental processes and human diseases. It has been shown that the major components of transcriptional activation complexes are recruited by super enhancer to form phase-separated condensates. We summarize the current knowledge about super enhancer in the 3D genome. Furthermore, a new related transcriptional regulation model from super enhancer is outlined to explain its role in the mammalian cell progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juqing Zhang
- College of Veterinary MedicineShaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & TechnologyNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Wei Yue
- College of Veterinary MedicineShaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & TechnologyNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Yaqi Zhou
- College of Life ScienceNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Mingzhi Liao
- College of Life ScienceNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Xingqi Chen
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Jinlian Hua
- College of Veterinary MedicineShaanxi Centre of Stem Cells Engineering & TechnologyNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
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H3K27me3-rich genomic regions can function as silencers to repress gene expression via chromatin interactions. Nat Commun 2021; 12:719. [PMID: 33514712 PMCID: PMC7846766 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20940-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying gene repression and silencers are poorly understood. Here we investigate the hypothesis that H3K27me3-rich regions of the genome, defined from clusters of H3K27me3 peaks, may be used to identify silencers that can regulate gene expression via proximity or looping. We find that H3K27me3-rich regions are associated with chromatin interactions and interact preferentially with each other. H3K27me3-rich regions component removal at interaction anchors by CRISPR leads to upregulation of interacting target genes, altered H3K27me3 and H3K27ac levels at interacting regions, and altered chromatin interactions. Chromatin interactions did not change at regions with high H3K27me3, but regions with low H3K27me3 and high H3K27ac levels showed changes in chromatin interactions. Cells with H3K27me3-rich regions knockout also show changes in phenotype associated with cell identity, and altered xenograft tumor growth. Finally, we observe that H3K27me3-rich regions-associated genes and long-range chromatin interactions are susceptible to H3K27me3 depletion. Our results characterize H3K27me3-rich regions and their mechanisms of functioning via looping.
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48
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Hurtado A. Targeting CDK4/6 reorganizes chromatin. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:16-17. [PMID: 35121894 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-00164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Hurtado
- Cancer Genomics and Proteomics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Barcelona, Casanova, Barcelona, Spain.
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49
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Qi T, Qu J, Tu C, Lu Q, Li G, Wang J, Qu Q. Super-Enhancer Associated Five-Gene Risk Score Model Predicts Overall Survival in Multiple Myeloma Patients. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:596777. [PMID: 33344452 PMCID: PMC7744621 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.596777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasma cell tumor with high heterogeneity, characterized by anemia, hypercalcemia, renal failure, and lytic bone lesions. Although various powerful prognostic factors and models have been exploited, the development of more accurate prognosis and treatment for MM patients is still facing many challenges. Given the essential roles of super-enhancer (SE) associated genes in the tumorigenesis of MM, we tried to initially screen and identify the significant prognostic factors from SE associated genes in MM by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) penalized Cox regression, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis using GSE24080 and GSE9782 datasets. Risk score model of five genes including CSGALNACT1, FAM53B, TAPBPL, REPIN1, and DDX11, was further constructed and the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves showed that the low-risk group seems to have better clinical outcome of survival compared to the high-risk group. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves presented the favorable performance of the model. An interactive nomogram consisting of the five-gene risk group and eleven clinical traits was established and identified by calibration curves. Therefore, the risk score model of SE associated five genes developed here could be used to predict the prognosis of MM patients, which may assist the clinical treatment of MM patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Qi
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jian Qu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chao Tu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiong Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guohua Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiaojiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiang Qu
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Institute for Rational and Safe Medication Practices, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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50
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Wang J, Lin B, Zhang Y, Ni L, Hu L, Yang J, Xu L, Shi D, Chen YH. The Regulatory Role of Histone Modification on Gene Expression in the Early Stage of Myocardial Infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:594325. [PMID: 33330655 PMCID: PMC7734124 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.594325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction (MI) is a fatal heart disease with high morbidity and mortality. Various studies have demonstrated that a series of relatively specific biological events occur within 24 h of MI. However, the roles of histone modifications in this pathological process are still poorly understood. To investigate the regulation of histone modifications on gene expression in early MI, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) on myocardial tissues 24 h after the onset of MI. The genome-wide profiles of five histone marks (H3K27ac, H3K9ac, H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3) were explored through ChIP-seq. RNA-seq identified 1,032 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the MI and sham groups. ChIP-seq analysis found that 195 upregulated DEGs were modified by change of at least one of the three active histone marks (H3K27ac, H3K9ac, and H3K4me3), and the biological processes and pathways analysis showed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in cardiomyocyte differentiation and development, inflammation, angiogenesis, and metabolism. In the transcriptional regulatory network, Ets1, Etv1, and Etv2 were predicted to be involved in gene expression regulation. In addition, by integrating super-enhancers (SEs) with RNA-seq data, 76 DEGs were associated with H3K27ac-enriched SEs in the MI group, and the functions of these SE-associated DEGs were mainly related to angiogenesis. Our results suggest that histone modifications may play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in the early stage of MI, and the early angiogenesis response may be initiated by SEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Wang
- Department of Physiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bowen Lin
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Ni
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingjie Hu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Shi
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Han Chen
- Department of Physiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.,Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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