1
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Bortoletto S, Nunes-Souza E, Marchi R, Ruthes MO, Okano LM, Tofolo MV, Centa A, Fonseca AS, Rosolen D, Cavalli LR. MicroRNAs role in telomere length maintenance and telomerase activity in tumor cells. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00109-024-02467-z. [PMID: 39042290 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02467-z] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
MiRNAs, a class of non-coding RNA molecules, have emerged as critical modulators of telomere length and telomerase activity by finely tuning the expression of target genes (and not gene targets) within signaling pathways involved in telomere homeostasis. The primary objective of this systematic review was to compile and synthesize the existing body of knowledge on the role, association, and involvement of miRNAs in telomere length. Additionally, the review explored the regulation, function, and activation mechanism of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene and telomerase activity in tumor cells. A comprehensive analysis of 47 selected articles revealed 40 distinct miRNAs involved in these processes. These miRNAs were shown to exert their function, in both clinical cases and cell line models, either directly or indirectly, regulating hTERT and telomerase activity through distinct molecular mechanisms. The regulatory roles of these miRNAs significantly affected major cancer phenotypes, with outcomes largely dependent on the tissue type and the cellular actions within the tumor cells, whereby they functioned as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. These findings strongly support the pivotal role of miRNAs in modulating telomere length and telomerase activity, thereby contributing to the intricate and complex regulation of telomere homeostasis in tumor cells. Moreover, they emphasize the potential of targeting miRNAs and key regulatory genes as therapeutic strategies to disrupt cancer cell growth and promote senescence, offering promising avenues for novel cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéfanne Bortoletto
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle Nunes-Souza
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Rafael Marchi
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Mayara Oliveira Ruthes
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Larissa M Okano
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Maria Vitoria Tofolo
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Ariana Centa
- Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP), Caçador, SC, Brazil
| | - Aline S Fonseca
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Daiane Rosolen
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Luciane R Cavalli
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
- Oncology Department, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
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2
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Mergener R, Nunes MR, Böttcher AK, Siqueira MB, Peruzzo HF, Merola MC, Riegel M, Zen PRG. invdup(8)(8q24.13q24.3)-A Complex Alteration and Its Clinical Consequences. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:910. [PMID: 39062689 PMCID: PMC11276216 DOI: 10.3390/genes15070910] [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: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Structural variation is a source of genetic variation that, in some cases, may trigger pathogenicity. Here, we describe two cases, a mother and son, with the same partial inverted duplication of the long arm of chromosome 8 [invdup(8)(q24.21q24.21)] of 17.18 Mb, showing different clinical manifestations: microcephaly, dorsal hypertrichosis, seizures and neuropsychomotor development delay in the child, and a cleft lip/palate, down-slanted palpebral fissures and learning disabilities in the mother. The deleterious outcome, in general, is reflected by the gain or loss of genetic material. However, discrepancies among the clinical manifestations raise some concerns about the genomic configuration within the chromosome and other genetic modifiers. With that in mind, we also performed a literature review of research published in the last 20 years about the duplication of the same, or close, chromosome region, seeking the elucidation of at least some relevant clinical features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaella Mergener
- Post-Graduate Program in Pathology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcela Rodrigues Nunes
- Post-Graduate Program in Pathology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
- Medical Genetics Resident, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre (ISCMPA), Porto Alegre 90020-090, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Kalise Böttcher
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Science, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Monique Banik Siqueira
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo 93022-750, RS, Brazil;
| | - Helena Froener Peruzzo
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Science, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Milene Carvalho Merola
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Science, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariluce Riegel
- Casa dos Raros, Center for Comprehensive Care and Training in Rare Diseases, Porto Alegre 90610-261, RS, Brazil
- National Institute of Population Medical Genetics (INAGEMP), Porto Alegre 90035-903, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo Ricardo Gazzola Zen
- Post-Graduate Program in Pathology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
- Medical Genetics, Department of Clinical Medicine, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre(UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90020-090, RS, Brazil
- Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre (ISCMPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
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3
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Murtaza G, Butaney B, Wagner J, Singh R. scGrapHiC: deep learning-based graph deconvolution for Hi-C using single cell gene expression. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:i490-i500. [PMID: 38940151 PMCID: PMC11256916 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae223] [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] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Single-cell Hi-C (scHi-C) protocol helps identify cell-type-specific chromatin interactions and sheds light on cell differentiation and disease progression. Despite providing crucial insights, scHi-C data is often underutilized due to the high cost and the complexity of the experimental protocol. We present a deep learning framework, scGrapHiC, that predicts pseudo-bulk scHi-C contact maps using pseudo-bulk scRNA-seq data. Specifically, scGrapHiC performs graph deconvolution to extract genome-wide single-cell interactions from a bulk Hi-C contact map using scRNA-seq as a guiding signal. Our evaluations show that scGrapHiC, trained on seven cell-type co-assay datasets, outperforms typical sequence encoder approaches. For example, scGrapHiC achieves a substantial improvement of 23.2% in recovering cell-type-specific Topologically Associating Domains over the baselines. It also generalizes to unseen embryo and brain tissue samples. scGrapHiC is a novel method to generate cell-type-specific scHi-C contact maps using widely available genomic signals that enables the study of cell-type-specific chromatin interactions. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The GitHub link: https://github.com/rsinghlab/scGrapHiC contains the source code of scGrapHiC and associated scripts to preprocess publicly available datasets to produce the results and visualizations we have discuss in this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghulam Murtaza
- Department of Computer Science, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
| | - Byron Butaney
- Department of Computer Science, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
| | - Justin Wagner
- Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, United States
| | - Ritambhara Singh
- Department of Computer Science, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, 164 Angell Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
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4
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Qin S, Xie B, Wang Q, Yang R, Sun J, Hu C, Liu S, Tao Y, Xiao D. New insights into immune cells in cancer immunotherapy: from epigenetic modification, metabolic modulation to cell communication. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e551. [PMID: 38783893 PMCID: PMC11112485 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.551] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and more effective ways of attacking cancer are being sought. Cancer immunotherapy is a new and effective therapeutic method after surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Cancer immunotherapy aims to kill tumor cells by stimulating or rebuilding the body's immune system, with specific efficiency and high safety. However, only few tumor patients respond to immunotherapy and due to the complex and variable characters of cancer immune escape, the behavior and regulatory mechanisms of immune cells need to be deeply explored from more dimensions. Epigenetic modifications, metabolic modulation, and cell-to-cell communication are key factors in immune cell adaptation and response to the complex tumor microenvironment. They collectively determine the state and function of immune cells through modulating gene expression, changing in energy and nutrient demands. In addition, immune cells engage in complex communication networks with other immune components, which are mediated by exosomes, cytokines, and chemokines, and are pivotal in shaping the tumor progression and therapeutic response. Understanding the interactions and combined effects of such multidimensions mechanisms in immune cell modulation is important for revealing the mechanisms of immunotherapy failure and developing new therapeutic targets and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Qin
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Department of PathologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceXiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Bin Xie
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Qingyi Wang
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Department of PathologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceXiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Department of PathologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceXiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jingyue Sun
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Department of PathologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceXiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Chaotao Hu
- Regenerative Medicine, Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shuang Liu
- Department of OncologyInstitute of Medical SciencesNational Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha, Hunan, China. UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- NHC Key Laboratory of CarcinogenesisCancer Research Institute and School of Basic MedicineCentral South universityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Desheng Xiao
- Department of PathologyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Department of PathologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceXiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
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5
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Joseph A, Cheng X, Harding J, Al-Saleem J, Green P, Veis D, Rauch D, Ratner L. Role of the CTCF Binding Site in Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-1 Pathogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.28.596170. [PMID: 38853836 PMCID: PMC11160593 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.28.596170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
During HTLV-1 infection, the virus integrates into the host cell genome as a provirus with a single CCCTC binding protein (CTCF) binding site (vCTCF-BS), which acts as an insulator between transcriptionally active and inactive regions. Previous studies have shown that the vCTCF-BS is important for maintenance of chromatin structure, regulation of viral expression, and DNA and histone methylation. Here, we show that the vCTCF-BS also regulates viral infection and pathogenesis in vivo in a humanized (Hu) mouse model of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Three cell lines were used to initiate infection of the Hu-mice, i) HTLV-1-WT which carries an intact HTLV-1 provirus genome, ii) HTLV-1-CTCF, which contains a provirus with a mutated vCTCF-BS which abolishes CTCF binding, and a stop codon immediate upstream of the mutated vCTCF-BS which deletes the last 23 amino acids of p12, and iii) HTLV-1-p12stop that contains the intact vCTCF-BS, but retains the same stop codon in p12 as in the HTLV-1-CTCF cell line. Hu-mice were infected with mitomycin treated or irradiated HTLV-1 producing cell lines. There was a delay in pathogenicity when Hu-mice were infected with the CTCF virus compared to mice infected with either p12 stop or WT virus. Proviral load (PVL), spleen weights, and CD4 T cell counts were significantly lower in HTLV-1-CTCF infected mice compared to HTLV-1-p12stop infected mice. Furthermore, we found a direct correlation between the PVL in peripheral blood and death of HTLV-1-CTCF infected mice. In cell lines, we found that the vCTCF-BS regulates Tax expression in a time-dependent manner. The scRNAseq analysis of splenocytes from infected mice suggests that the vCTCF-BS plays an important role in activation and expansion of T lymphocytes in vivo. Overall, these findings indicate that the vCTCF-BS regulates Tax expression, proviral load, and HTLV pathogenicity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ancy Joseph
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xiaogang Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - John Harding
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jacob Al-Saleem
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Patrick Green
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Deborah Veis
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel Rauch
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lee Ratner
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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6
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Sharma S, Houfani AA, Foster LJ. Pivotal functions and impact of long con-coding RNAs on cellular processes and genome integrity. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:52. [PMID: 38745221 PMCID: PMC11092263 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01038-1] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in uncovering the mysteries of the human genome suggest that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory components. Although lncRNAs are known to affect gene transcription, their mechanisms and biological implications are still unclear. Experimental research has shown that lncRNA synthesis, subcellular localization, and interactions with macromolecules like DNA, other RNAs, or proteins can all have an impact on gene expression in various biological processes. In this review, we highlight and discuss the major mechanisms through which lncRNAs function as master regulators of the human genome. Specifically, the objective of our review is to examine how lncRNAs regulate different processes like cell division, cell cycle, and immune responses, and unravel their roles in maintaining genomic architecture and integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhant Sharma
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Aicha Asma Houfani
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, 2185 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, 2185 E Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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7
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Garcia IS, Silva-Vignato B, Cesar ASM, Petrini J, da Silva VH, Morosini NS, Goes CP, Afonso J, da Silva TR, Lima BD, Clemente LG, Regitano LCDA, Mourão GB, Coutinho LL. Novel putative causal mutations associated with fat traits in Nellore cattle uncovered by eQTLs located in open chromatin regions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10094. [PMID: 38698200 PMCID: PMC11066111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60703-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Intramuscular fat (IMF) and backfat thickness (BFT) are critical economic traits impacting meat quality. However, the genetic variants controlling these traits need to be better understood. To advance knowledge in this area, we integrated RNA-seq and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in genomic and transcriptomic data to generate a linkage disequilibrium filtered panel of 553,581 variants. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis revealed 36,916 cis-eQTLs and 14,408 trans-eQTLs. Association analysis resulted in three eQTLs associated with BFT and 24 with IMF. Functional enrichment analysis of genes regulated by these 27 eQTLs revealed noteworthy pathways that can play a fundamental role in lipid metabolism and fat deposition, such as immune response, cytoskeleton remodeling, iron transport, and phospholipid metabolism. We next used ATAC-Seq assay to identify and overlap eQTL and open chromatin regions. Six eQTLs were in regulatory regions, four in predicted insulators and possible CCCTC-binding factor DNA binding sites, one in an active enhancer region, and the last in a low signal region. Our results provided novel insights into the transcriptional regulation of IMF and BFT, unraveling putative regulatory variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Soares Garcia
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Silva-Vignato
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline Silva Mello Cesar
- Department of Agroindustry, Food and Nutrition, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana Petrini
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Henrique da Silva
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Natália Silva Morosini
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Carolina Purcell Goes
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Thaís Ribeiro da Silva
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Delcarme Lima
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Luan Gaspar Clemente
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Gerson Barreto Mourão
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
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8
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Collins A, Swann JW, Proven MA, Patel CM, Mitchell CA, Kasbekar M, Dellorusso PV, Passegué E. Maternal inflammation regulates fetal emergency myelopoiesis. Cell 2024; 187:1402-1421.e21. [PMID: 38428422 PMCID: PMC10954379 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.002] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Neonates are highly susceptible to inflammation and infection. Here, we investigate how late fetal liver (FL) mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) respond to inflammation, testing the hypothesis that deficits in the engagement of emergency myelopoiesis (EM) pathways limit neutrophil output and contribute to perinatal neutropenia. We show that fetal HSPCs have limited production of myeloid cells at steady state and fail to activate a classical adult-like EM transcriptional program. Moreover, we find that fetal HSPCs can respond to EM-inducing inflammatory stimuli in vitro but are restricted by maternal anti-inflammatory factors, primarily interleukin-10 (IL-10), from activating EM pathways in utero. Accordingly, we demonstrate that the loss of maternal IL-10 restores EM activation in fetal HSPCs but at the cost of fetal demise. These results reveal the evolutionary trade-off inherent in maternal anti-inflammatory responses that maintain pregnancy but render the fetus unresponsive to EM activation signals and susceptible to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Collins
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Neonatology-Perinatology, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - James W Swann
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Melissa A Proven
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chandani M Patel
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Carl A Mitchell
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Monica Kasbekar
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Paul V Dellorusso
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Emmanuelle Passegué
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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9
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Lorzadeh A, Ye G, Sharma S, Jadhav U. DNA methylation-dependent and -independent binding of CDX2 directs activation of distinct developmental and homeostatic genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.11.579850. [PMID: 38405700 PMCID: PMC10888781 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.11.579850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal and cell type-specific gene expression is essential for proper tissue development and function. Transcription factors (TFs) guide this process by binding to developmental stage-specific targets and establishing an appropriate enhancer landscape. In turn, DNA and chromatin modifications direct the genomic binding of TFs. However, how TFs navigate various chromatin features and selectively bind a small portion of the millions of possible genomic target loci is still not well understood. Here we show that Cdx2 - a pioneer TF that binds distinct targets in developing versus adult intestinal epithelial cells - has a preferential affinity for a non-canonical CpG-containing motif in vivo. A higher frequency of this motif at embryonic and fetal Cdx2 target loci and the specifically methylated state of the CpG during development allows selective Cdx2 binding and activation of developmental enhancers and linked genes. Conversely, demethylation at these enhancers prohibits ectopic Cdx2 binding in adult cells, where Cdx2 binds its canonical motif without a CpG. This differential Cdx2 binding allows for corecruitment of Ctcf and Hnf4, facilitating the establishment of intestinal superenhancers during development and enhancers mediating adult homeostatic functions, respectively. Induced gain of DNA methylation in the adult mouse epithelium or cultured cells causes ectopic recruitment of Cdx2 to the developmental target loci and facilitates cobinding of the partner TFs. Together, our results demonstrate that the differential CpG motif requirements for Cdx2 binding to developmental versus adult target sites allow it to navigate different DNA methylation profiles and activate cell type-specific genes at appropriate times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Lorzadeh
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USC
| | - George Ye
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USC
| | - Sweta Sharma
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USC
| | - Unmesh Jadhav
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USC
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USC
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10
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Martini L, Bardini R, Savino A, Di Carlo S. Cross-Omic Transcription Factor Analysis: An Insight on Transcription Factor Accessibility and Expression Correlation. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:268. [PMID: 38540327 PMCID: PMC10970009 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
It is well known how sequencing technologies propelled cellular biology research in recent years, providing incredible insight into the basic mechanisms of cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing is at the front in this field, with single-cell ATAC sequencing supporting it and becoming more popular. In this regard, multi-modal technologies play a crucial role, allowing the possibility to simultaneously perform the mentioned sequencing modalities on the same cells. Yet, there still needs to be a clear and dedicated way to analyze these multi-modal data. One of the current methods is to calculate the Gene Activity Matrix (GAM), which summarizes the accessibility of the genes at the genomic level, to have a more direct link with the transcriptomic data. However, this concept is not well defined, and it is unclear how various accessible regions impact the expression of the genes. Moreover, the transcription process is highly regulated by the transcription factors that bind to the different DNA regions. Therefore, this work presents a continuation of the meta-analysis of Genomic-Annotated Gene Activity Matrix (GAGAM) contributions, aiming to investigate the correlation between the TF expression and motif information in the different functional genomic regions to understand the different Transcription Factors (TFs) dynamics involved in different cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Stefano Di Carlo
- Control and Computer Engineering Department, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy; (L.M.); (R.B.); (A.S.)
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Gao Z, Liu Q, Zeng W, Jiang R, Wong WH. EpiGePT: a Pretrained Transformer model for epigenomics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.15.549134. [PMID: 37502861 PMCID: PMC10370089 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.15.549134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The inherent similarities between natural language and biological sequences have given rise to great interest in adapting the transformer-based large language models (LLMs) underlying recent breakthroughs in natural language processing (references), for applications in genomics. However, current LLMs for genomics suffer from several limitations such as the inability to include chromatin interactions in the training data, and the inability to make prediction in new cellular contexts not represented in the training data. To mitigate these problems, we propose EpiGePT, a transformer-based pretrained language model for predicting context-specific epigenomic signals and chromatin contacts. By taking the context-specific activities of transcription factors (TFs) and 3D genome interactions into consideration, EpiGePT offers wider applicability and deeper biological insights than models trained on DNA sequence only. In a series of experiments, EpiGePT demonstrates superior performance in a diverse set of epigenomic signals prediction tasks when compared to existing methods. In particular, our model enables cross-cell-type prediction of long-range interactions and offers insight on the functional impact of genetic variants under different cellular contexts. These new capabilities will enhance the usefulness of LLM in the study of gene regulatory mechanisms. We provide free online prediction service of EpiGePT through http://health.tsinghua.edu.cn/epigept/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Gao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Bioinformatics Division at the Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiao Liu
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wanwen Zeng
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rui Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Bioinformatics Division at the Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wing Hung Wong
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Bio-X Program, Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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12
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Fonseca A, Szysz M, Ly HT, Cordeiro C, Sepúlveda N. IgG Antibody Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Their Effective Potential for Disease Diagnosis and Pathological Antigenic Mimicry. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:161. [PMID: 38256421 PMCID: PMC10820613 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The diagnosis and pathology of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remain under debate. However, there is a growing body of evidence for an autoimmune component in ME/CFS caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and other viral infections. Materials and Methods: In this work, we analyzed a large public dataset on the IgG antibodies to 3054 EBV peptides to understand whether these immune responses could help diagnose patients and trigger pathological autoimmunity; we used healthy controls (HCs) as a comparator cohort. Subsequently, we aimed at predicting the disease status of the study participants using a super learner algorithm targeting an accuracy of 85% when splitting data into train and test datasets. Results: When we compared the data of all ME/CFS patients or the data of a subgroup of those patients with non-infectious or unknown disease triggers to the data of the HC, we could not find an antibody-based classifier that would meet the desired accuracy in the test dataset. However, we could identify a 26-antibody classifier that could distinguish ME/CFS patients with an infectious disease trigger from the HCs with 100% and 90% accuracies in the train and test sets, respectively. We finally performed a bioinformatic analysis of the EBV peptides associated with these 26 antibodies. We found no correlation between the importance metric of the selected antibodies in the classifier and the maximal sequence homology between human proteins and each EBV peptide recognized by these antibodies. Conclusions: In conclusion, these 26 antibodies against EBV have an effective potential for disease diagnosis in a subset of patients. However, the peptides associated with these antibodies are less likely to induce autoimmune B-cell responses that could explain the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Fonseca
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.F.); (C.C.)
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mateusz Szysz
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
| | - Hoang Thien Ly
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
| | - Clara Cordeiro
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.F.); (C.C.)
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sepúlveda
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
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13
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Brown AP, Parameswaran S, Cai L, Elston S, Pham C, Barski A, Weirauch MT, Ji H. TET1 regulates responses to house dust mite by altering chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and gene expression in airway epithelial cells. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3726852. [PMID: 38168374 PMCID: PMC10760239 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3726852/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Previous studies have identified TET1 as a potential key regulator of genes linked to asthma. TET1 has been shown to transcriptionally respond to house dust mite extract, an allergen known to directly cause allergic asthma development, and regulate the expression of genes involved in asthma. How TET1 regulates expression of these genes, however, is unknown. TET1 is a DNA demethylase; therefore, most prior research on TET1-based gene regulation has focused on how TET1 affects methylation. However, TET1 can also interact directly with transcription factors and histone modifiers to regulate gene expression. Understanding how TET1 regulates expression to contribute to allergic responses and asthma development thus requires a comprehensive approach. To this end, we measured mRNA expression, DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and histone modifications in control and TET1 knockdown human bronchial epithelial cells treated or untreated with house dust mite extract. Results Throughout our analyses, we detected strong similarities between the effects of TET1 knockdown alone and the effects of HDM treatment alone. One especially striking pattern was that both TET1 knockdown and HDM treatment generally led to decreased chromatin accessibility at largely the same genomic loci. Transcription factor enrichment analyses indicated that altered chromatin accessibility following the loss of TET1 may affect, or be affected by, CTCF and CEBP binding. TET1 loss also led to changes in DNA methylation, but these changes were generally in regions where accessibility was not changing. Conclusions TET1 regulates gene expression through different mechanisms (DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility) in different parts of the genome in the airway epithelial cells, which mediates inflammatory responses to allergen. Collectively, our data suggest novel molecular mechanisms through which TET1 regulates critical pathways following allergen challenges and contributes to the development of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hong Ji
- University of California Davis
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14
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Bose S, Saha S, Goswami H, Shanmugam G, Sarkar K. Involvement of CCCTC-binding factor in epigenetic regulation of cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:10383-10398. [PMID: 37840067 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08879-3] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
A major global health burden continues to be borne by the complex and multifaceted disease of cancer. Epigenetic changes, which are essential for the emergence and spread of cancer, have drawn a huge amount of attention recently. The CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), which takes part in a wide range of cellular processes including genomic imprinting, X chromosome inactivation, 3D chromatin architecture, local modifications of histone, and RNA polymerase II-mediated gene transcription, stands out among the diverse array of epigenetic regulators. CTCF not only functions as an architectural protein but also modulates DNA methylation and histone modifications. Epigenetic regulation of cancer has already been the focus of plenty of studies. Understanding the role of CTCF in the cancer epigenetic landscape may lead to the development of novel targeted therapeutic strategies for cancer. CTCF has already earned its status as a tumor suppressor gene by acting like a homeostatic regulator of genome integrity and function. Moreover, CTCF has a direct effect on many important transcriptional regulators that control the cell cycle, apoptosis, senescence, and differentiation. As we learn more about CTCF-mediated epigenetic modifications and transcriptional regulations, the possibility of utilizing CTCF as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for cancer will also increase. Thus, the current review intends to promote personalized and precision-based therapeutics for cancer patients by shedding light on the complex interplay between CTCF and epigenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayani Bose
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Srawsta Saha
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Harsita Goswami
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Geetha Shanmugam
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Koustav Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
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15
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Pan JH, Du PF. SilenceREIN: seeking silencers on anchors of chromatin loops by deep graph neural networks. Brief Bioinform 2023; 25:bbad494. [PMID: 38168841 PMCID: PMC10782921 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad494] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Silencers are repressive cis-regulatory elements that play crucial roles in transcriptional regulation. Experimental methods for identifying silencers are always costly and time-consuming. Computational methods, which relies on genomic sequence features, have been introduced as alternative approaches. However, silencers do not have significant epigenomic signature. Therefore, we explore a new way to computationally identify silencers, by incorporating chromatin structural information. We propose the SilenceREIN method, which focuses on finding silencers on anchors of chromatin loops. By using graph neural networks, we extracted chromatin structural information from a regulatory element interaction network. SilenceREIN integrated the chromatin structural information with linear genomic signatures to find silencers. The predictive performance of SilenceREIN is comparable or better than other states-of-the-art methods. We performed a genome-wide scanning to systematically find silencers in human genome. Results suggest that silencers are widespread on anchors of chromatin loops. In addition, enrichment analysis of transcription factor binding motif support our prediction results. As far as we can tell, this is the first attempt to incorporate chromatin structural information in finding silencers. All datasets and source codes of SilenceREIN have been deposited in a GitHub repository (https://github.com/JianHPan/SilenceREIN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Hua Pan
- College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Pu-Feng Du
- College of Intelligence and Computing, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
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16
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Collins A, Swann JW, Proven MA, Patel CM, Mitchell CA, Kasbekar M, Dellorusso PV, Passegué E. Maternal IL-10 restricts fetal emergency myelopoiesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.557548. [PMID: 37745377 PMCID: PMC10515963 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.557548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Neonates, in contrast to adults, are highly susceptible to inflammation and infection. Here we investigate how late fetal liver (FL) mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) respond to inflammation, testing the hypothesis that deficits in engagement of emergency myelopoiesis (EM) pathways limit neutrophil output and contribute to perinatal neutropenia. We show that despite similar molecular wiring as adults, fetal HSPCs have limited production of myeloid cells at steady state and fail to activate a classical EM transcriptional program. Moreover, we find that fetal HSPCs are capable of responding to EM-inducing inflammatory stimuli in vitro , but are restricted by maternal anti-inflammatory factors, primarily interleukin-10 (IL-10), from activating EM pathways in utero . Accordingly, we demonstrate that loss of maternal IL-10 restores EM activation in fetal HSPCs but at the cost of premature parturition. These results reveal the evolutionary trade-off inherent in maternal anti-inflammatory responses that maintain pregnancy but render the fetus unresponsive to EM activation signals and susceptible to infection. HIGHLIGHTS The structure of the HSPC compartment is conserved from late fetal to adult life.Fetal HSPCs have diminished steady-state myeloid cell production compared to adult.Fetal HSPCs are restricted from engaging in emergency myelopoiesis by maternal IL-10.Restriction of emergency myelopoiesis may explain neutropenia in septic neonates. eTOC BLURB Fetal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are restricted from activating emergency myelopoiesis pathways by maternal IL-10, resulting in inadequate myeloid cell production in response to inflammatory challenges and contributing to neonatal neutropenia.
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17
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González‐Moro I, Garcia‐Etxebarria K, Mendoza LM, Fernández‐Jiménez N, Mentxaka J, Olazagoitia‐Garmendia A, Arroyo MN, Sawatani T, Moreno‐Castro C, Vinci C, Op de Beek A, Cnop M, Igoillo‐Esteve M, Santin I. LncRNA ARGI Contributes to Virus-Induced Pancreatic β Cell Inflammation Through Transcriptional Activation of IFN-Stimulated Genes. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300063. [PMID: 37382191 PMCID: PMC10477904 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex autoimmune disease that develops in genetically susceptible individuals. Most T1D-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are located in non-coding regions of the human genome. Interestingly, SNPs in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may result in the disruption of their secondary structure, affecting their function, and in turn, the expression of potentially pathogenic pathways. In the present work, the function of a virus-induced T1D-associated lncRNA named ARGI (Antiviral Response Gene Inducer) is characterized. Upon a viral insult, ARGI is upregulated in the nuclei of pancreatic β cells and binds to CTCF to interact with the promoter and enhancer regions of IFNβ and interferon-stimulated genes, promoting their transcriptional activation in an allele-specific manner. The presence of the T1D risk allele in ARGI induces a change in its secondary structure. Interestingly, the T1D risk genotype induces hyperactivation of type I IFN response in pancreatic β cells, an expression signature that is present in the pancreas of T1D patients. These data shed light on the molecular mechanisms by which T1D-related SNPs in lncRNAs influence pathogenesis at the pancreatic β cell level and opens the door for the development of therapeutic strategies based on lncRNA modulation to delay or avoid pancreatic β cell inflammation in T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itziar González‐Moro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research InstituteBarakaldo48903Spain
| | - Koldo Garcia‐Etxebarria
- Biodonostia Health Research InstituteGastrointestinal Genetics GroupSan Sebastián20014Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd)Barcelona08036Spain
| | - Luis Manuel Mendoza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
| | - Nora Fernández‐Jiménez
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research InstituteBarakaldo48903Spain
- Department of GeneticsPhysical Anthropology and Animal PhysiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
| | - Jon Mentxaka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research InstituteBarakaldo48903Spain
| | - Ane Olazagoitia‐Garmendia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research InstituteBarakaldo48903Spain
| | - María Nicol Arroyo
- ULB Center for Diabetes ResearchUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
| | - Toshiaki Sawatani
- ULB Center for Diabetes ResearchUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
| | | | - Chiara Vinci
- ULB Center for Diabetes ResearchUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
| | - Anne Op de Beek
- ULB Center for Diabetes ResearchUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
| | - Miriam Cnop
- ULB Center for Diabetes ResearchUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
- Division of EndocrinologyErasmus HospitalUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrussels1070Belgium
| | | | - Izortze Santin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Basque CountryLeioa48940Spain
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research InstituteBarakaldo48903Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadrid28029Spain
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18
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Lutz MW, Chiba-Falek O. Bioinformatics pipeline to guide post-GWAS studies in Alzheimer's: A new catalogue of disease candidate short structural variants. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:4094-4109. [PMID: 37253165 PMCID: PMC10524333 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short structural variants (SSVs), including insertions/deletions (indels), are common in the human genome and impact disease risk. The role of SSVs in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) has been understudied. In this study, we developed a bioinformatics pipeline of SSVs within LOAD-genome-wide association study (GWAS) regions to prioritize regulatory SSVs based on the strength of their predicted effect on transcription factor (TF) binding sites. METHODS The pipeline utilized publicly available functional genomics data sources including candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) from ENCODE and single-nucleus (sn)RNA-seq data from LOAD patient samples. RESULTS We catalogued 1581 SSVs in candidate cCREs in LOAD GWAS regions that disrupted 737 TF sites. That included SSVs that disrupted the binding of RUNX3, SPI1, and SMAD3, within the APOE-TOMM40, SPI1, and MS4A6A LOAD regions. CONCLUSIONS The pipeline developed here prioritized non-coding SSVs in cCREs and characterized their putative effects on TF binding. The approach integrates multiomics datasets for validation experiments using disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Lutz
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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19
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Sackerson C, Garcia V, Medina N, Maldonado J, Daly J, Cartwright R. Comparative analysis of the myoglobin gene in whales and humans reveals evolutionary changes in regulatory elements and expression levels. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284834. [PMID: 37643191 PMCID: PMC10464968 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284834] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cetacea and other diving mammals have undergone numerous adaptations to their aquatic environment, among them high levels of the oxygen-carrying intracellular hemoprotein myoglobin in skeletal muscles. Hypotheses regarding the mechanisms leading to these high myoglobin levels often invoke the induction of gene expression by exercise, hypoxia, and other physiological gene regulatory pathways. Here we explore an alternative hypothesis: that cetacean myoglobin genes have evolved high levels of transcription driven by the intrinsic developmental mechanisms that drive muscle cell differentiation. We have used luciferase assays in differentiated C2C12 cells to test this hypothesis. Contrary to our hypothesis, we find that the myoglobin gene from the minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, shows a low level of expression, only about 8% that of humans. This low expression level is broadly shared among cetaceans and artiodactylans. Previous work on regulation of the human gene has identified a core muscle-specific enhancer comprised of two regions, the "AT element" and a C-rich sequence 5' of the AT element termed the "CCAC-box". Analysis of the minke whale gene supports the importance of the AT element, but the minke whale CCAC-box ortholog has little effect. Instead, critical positive input has been identified in a G-rich region 3' of the AT element. Also, a conserved E-box in exon 1 positively affects expression, despite having been assigned a repressive role in the human gene. Last, a novel region 5' of the core enhancer has been identified, which we hypothesize may function as a boundary element. These results illustrate regulatory flexibility during evolution. We discuss the possibility that low transcription levels are actually beneficial, and that evolution of the myoglobin protein toward enhanced stability is a critical factor in the accumulation of high myoglobin levels in adult cetacean muscle tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Sackerson
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Vivian Garcia
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole Medina
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica Maldonado
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - John Daly
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Rachel Cartwright
- Biology Department, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, California, United States of America
- The Keiki Kohola Project, Lahaina, Hawaii, United States of America
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20
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Yan M, Tsukasaki M, Muro R, Ando Y, Nakamura K, Komatsu N, Nitta T, Okamura T, Okamoto K, Takayanagi H. Identification of an intronic enhancer regulating RANKL expression in osteocytic cells. Bone Res 2023; 11:43. [PMID: 37563119 PMCID: PMC10415388 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-023-00277-6] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The bony skeleton is continuously renewed throughout adult life by the bone remodeling process, in which old or damaged bone is removed by osteoclasts via largely unknown mechanisms. Osteocytes regulate bone remodeling by producing the osteoclast differentiation factor RANKL (encoded by the TNFSF11 gene). However, the precise mechanisms underlying RANKL expression in osteocytes are still elusive. Here, we explored the epigenomic landscape of osteocytic cells and identified a hitherto-undescribed osteocytic cell-specific intronic enhancer in the TNFSF11 gene locus. Bioinformatics analyses showed that transcription factors involved in cell death and senescence act on this intronic enhancer region. Single-cell transcriptomic data analysis demonstrated that cell death signaling increased RANKL expression in osteocytic cells. Genetic deletion of the intronic enhancer led to a high-bone-mass phenotype with decreased levels of RANKL in osteocytic cells and osteoclastogenesis in the adult stage, while RANKL expression was not affected in osteoblasts or lymphocytes. These data suggest that osteocytes may utilize a specialized regulatory element to facilitate osteoclast formation at the bone surface to be resorbed by linking signals from cellular senescence/death and RANKL expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglu Yan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Tsukasaki
- Department of Osteoimmunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Ryunosuke Muro
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaro Ando
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Nakamura
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Sensory and Motor System Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Komatsu
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nitta
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Okamura
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okamoto
- Department of Osteoimmunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Takayanagi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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Plant E, Bellefroid M, Van Lint C. A complex network of transcription factors and epigenetic regulators involved in bovine leukemia virus transcriptional regulation. Retrovirology 2023; 20:11. [PMID: 37268923 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-023-00623-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) is the etiological agent of enzootic bovine leukosis, a disease characterized by the neoplastic proliferation of B cells in cattle. While most European countries have introduced efficient eradication programs, BLV is still present worldwide and no treatment is available. A major feature of BLV infection is the viral latency, which enables the escape from the host immune system, the maintenance of a persistent infection and ultimately the tumoral development. BLV latency is a multifactorial phenomenon resulting in the silencing of viral genes due to genetic and epigenetic repressions of the viral promoter located in the 5' Long Terminal Repeat (5'LTR). However, viral miRNAs and antisense transcripts are expressed from two different proviral regions, respectively the miRNA cluster and the 3'LTR. These latter transcripts are expressed despite the viral latency affecting the 5'LTR and are increasingly considered to take part in tumoral development. In the present review, we provide a summary of the experimental evidence that has enabled to characterize the molecular mechanisms regulating each of the three BLV transcriptional units, either through cis-regulatory elements or through epigenetic modifications. Additionally, we describe the recently identified BLV miRNAs and antisense transcripts and their implications in BLV-induced tumorigenesis. Finally, we discuss the relevance of BLV as an experimental model for the closely related human T-lymphotropic virus HTLV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Plant
- Service of Molecular Virology, Department of Molecular Biology (DBM), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Maxime Bellefroid
- Service of Molecular Virology, Department of Molecular Biology (DBM), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Carine Van Lint
- Service of Molecular Virology, Department of Molecular Biology (DBM), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
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Del Moral-Morales A, Salgado-Albarrán M, Sánchez-Pérez Y, Wenke NK, Baumbach J, Soto-Reyes E. CTCF and Its Multi-Partner Network for Chromatin Regulation. Cells 2023; 12:1357. [PMID: 37408191 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101357] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Architectural proteins are essential epigenetic regulators that play a critical role in organizing chromatin and controlling gene expression. CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is a key architectural protein responsible for maintaining the intricate 3D structure of chromatin. Because of its multivalent properties and plasticity to bind various sequences, CTCF is similar to a Swiss knife for genome organization. Despite the importance of this protein, its mechanisms of action are not fully elucidated. It has been hypothesized that its versatility is achieved through interaction with multiple partners, forming a complex network that regulates chromatin folding within the nucleus. In this review, we delve into CTCF's interactions with other molecules involved in epigenetic processes, particularly histone and DNA demethylases, as well as several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are able to recruit CTCF. Our review highlights the importance of CTCF partners to shed light on chromatin regulation and pave the way for future exploration of the mechanisms that enable the finely-tuned role of CTCF as a master regulator of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylin Del Moral-Morales
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marisol Salgado-Albarrán
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yesennia Sánchez-Pérez
- Subdirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Nina Kerstin Wenke
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Baumbach
- Institute for Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Computational BioMedicine Lab., University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Ernesto Soto-Reyes
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (UAM-C), Mexico City 05348, Mexico
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23
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Smits WK, Vermeulen C, Hagelaar R, Kimura S, Vroegindeweij EM, Buijs-Gladdines JGCAM, van de Geer E, Verstegen MJAM, Splinter E, van Reijmersdal SV, Buijs A, Galjart N, van Eyndhoven W, van Min M, Kuiper R, Kemmeren P, Mullighan CG, de Laat W, Meijerink JPP. Elevated enhancer-oncogene contacts and higher oncogene expression levels by recurrent CTCF inactivating mutations in acute T cell leukemia. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112373. [PMID: 37060567 PMCID: PMC10750298 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112373] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoallelic inactivation of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) in human cancer drives altered methylated genomic states, altered CTCF occupancy at promoter and enhancer regions, and deregulated global gene expression. In patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), we find that acquired monoallelic CTCF-inactivating events drive subtle and local genomic effects in nearly half of t(5; 14) (q35; q32.2) rearranged patients, especially when CTCF-binding sites are preserved in between the BCL11B enhancer and the TLX3 oncogene. These solitary intervening sites insulate TLX3 from the enhancer by inducing competitive looping to multiple binding sites near the TLX3 promoter. Reduced CTCF levels or deletion of the intervening CTCF site abrogates enhancer insulation by weakening competitive looping while favoring TLX3 promoter to BCL11B enhancer looping, which elevates oncogene expression levels and leukemia burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem K Smits
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carlo Vermeulen
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rico Hagelaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Shunsuke Kimura
- Laboratory of Pathology, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN, USA
| | | | | | - Ellen van de Geer
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marjon J A M Verstegen
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Arjan Buijs
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Niels Galjart
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Roland Kuiper
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick Kemmeren
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Charles G Mullighan
- Laboratory of Pathology, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN, USA
| | - Wouter de Laat
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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24
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Weng Z, Ruan F, Chen W, Chen Z, Xie Y, Luo M, Xie Z, Zhang C, Wang J, Sun Y, Fang Y, Guo M, Tan C, Chen W, Tong Y, Li Y, Wang H, Tang C. BIND&MODIFY: a long-range method for single-molecule mapping of chromatin modifications in eukaryotes. Genome Biol 2023; 24:61. [PMID: 36991510 PMCID: PMC10052867 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02896-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications of histones are associated with development and pathogenesis of disease. Existing approaches cannot provide insights into long-range interactions and represent the average chromatin state. Here we describe BIND&MODIFY, a method using long-read sequencing for profiling histone modifications and transcription factors on individual DNA fibers. We use recombinant fused protein A-M.EcoGII to tether methyltransferase M.EcoGII to protein binding sites to label neighboring regions by methylation. Aggregated BIND&MODIFY signal matches bulk ChIP-seq and CUT&TAG. BIND&MODIFY can simultaneously measure histone modification status, transcription factor binding, and CpG 5mC methylation at single-molecule resolution and also quantifies correlation between local and distal elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Weng
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | | | - Weitian Chen
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhichao Chen
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yeming Xie
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Meng Luo
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Zhe Xie
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Department of Biology, Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Copenhagen 13, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Chen Zhang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Juan Wang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yuxin Sun
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yitong Fang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Mei Guo
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Chen Tan
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Wenfang Chen
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yiqin Tong
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Yaning Li
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Hongqi Wang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Chong Tang
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
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25
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Mao A, Chen C, Portillo-Ledesma S, Schlick T. Effect of Single-Residue Mutations on CTCF Binding to DNA: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076395. [PMID: 37047368 PMCID: PMC10094706 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans and other eukaryotes, DNA is condensed into chromatin fibers that are further wound into chromosomes. This organization allows regulatory elements in the genome, often distant from each other in the linear DNA, to interact and facilitate gene expression through regions known as topologically associating domains (TADs). CCCTC–binding factor (CTCF) is one of the major components of TAD formation and is responsible for recruiting a partner protein, cohesin, to perform loop extrusion and facilitate proper gene expression within TADs. Because single-residue CTCF mutations have been linked to the development of a variety of cancers in humans, we aim to better understand how these mutations affect the CTCF structure and its interaction with DNA. To this end, we compare all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a wildtype CTCF–DNA complex to those of eight different cancer-linked CTCF mutant sequences. We find that most mutants have lower binding energies compared to the wildtype protein, leading to the formation of less stable complexes. Depending on the type and position of the mutation, this loss of stability can be attributed to major changes in the electrostatic potential, loss of hydrogen bonds between the CTCF and DNA, and/or destabilization of specific zinc fingers. Interestingly, certain mutations in specific fingers can affect the interaction with the DNA of other fingers, explaining why mere single mutations can impair CTCF function. Overall, these results shed mechanistic insights into experimental observations and further underscore CTCF’s importance in the regulation of chromatin architecture and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Mao
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Carrie Chen
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Stephanie Portillo-Ledesma
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
| | - Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA; (A.M.); (C.C.); (S.P.-L.)
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012, USA
- New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China
- Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, New York University, 24 Waverly Place, Silver Building, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Correspondence:
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26
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Dnmt1/Tet2-mediated changes in Cmip methylation regulate the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by controlling the Gbp2-Pparγ-CD36 axis. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:143-157. [PMID: 36609599 PMCID: PMC9898513 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00919-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic alteration of DNA methylation leads to various human diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although C-Maf-inducing protein (Cmip) has been reported to be associated with NAFLD, its exact underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we aimed to elucidate this mechanism in NAFLD in vitro and in vivo. We first identified alterations in the methylation status of the Cmip intron 1 region in mouse liver tissues with high-fat high-sucrose diet-induced NAFLD. Knockdown of DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 1 significantly increased Cmip expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of AML12 cells treated with oleic and palmitic acid (OPA) revealed that Dnmt1 was dissociated and that methylation of H3K27me3 was significantly decreased in the Cmip intron 1 region. Conversely, the knockdown of Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2) decreased Cmip expression. Following OPA treatment, the CCCTC-binding factor (Ctcf) was recruited, and H3K4me3 was significantly hypermethylated. Intravenous Cmip siRNA injection ameliorated NAFLD pathogenic features in ob/ob mice. Additionally, Pparγ and Cd36 expression levels were dramatically decreased in the livers of ob/ob mice administered siCmip, and RNA sequencing revealed that Gbp2 was involved. Gbp2 knockdown also induced a decrease in Pparγ and Cd36 expression, resulting in the abrogation of fatty acid uptake into cells. Our data demonstrate that Cmip and Gbp2 expression levels are enhanced in human liver tissues bearing NAFLD features. We also show that Dnmt1-Trt2/Ctcf-mediated reversible modulation of Cmip methylation regulates the Gbp2-Pparγ-Cd36 signaling pathway, indicating the potential of Cmip as a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD.
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27
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Zuo X, Zhou R, Yang S, Ma G. HTLV-1 persistent infection and ATLL oncogenesis. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28424. [PMID: 36546414 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus; whereas HTLV-1 mainly persists in the infected host cell as a provirus, it also causes a malignancy called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) in about 5% of infection. HTLV-1 replication is in most cases silent in vivo and viral de novo infection rarely occurs; HTLV-1 rather relies on clonal proliferation of infected T cells for viral propagation as it multiplies the number of the provirus copies. It is mechanistically elusive how leukemic clones emerge during the course of HTLV-1 infection in vivo and eventually cause the onset of ATLL. This review summarizes our current understanding of HTLV-1 persistence and oncogenesis, with the incorporation of recent cutting-edge discoveries obtained by high-throughput sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Zuo
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruoning Zhou
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sikai Yang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangyong Ma
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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28
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Zhao J, Huai J. Role of primary aging hallmarks in Alzheimer´s disease. Theranostics 2023; 13:197-230. [PMID: 36593969 PMCID: PMC9800733 DOI: 10.7150/thno.79535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, which severely threatens the health of the elderly and causes significant economic and social burdens. The causes of AD are complex and include heritable but mostly aging-related factors. The primary aging hallmarks include genomic instability, telomere wear, epigenetic changes, and loss of protein stability, which play a dominant role in the aging process. Although AD is closely associated with the aging process, the underlying mechanisms involved in AD pathogenesis have not been well characterized. This review summarizes the available literature about primary aging hallmarks and their roles in AD pathogenesis. By analyzing published literature, we attempted to uncover the possible mechanisms of aberrant epigenetic markers with related enzymes, transcription factors, and loss of proteostasis in AD. In particular, the importance of oxidative stress-induced DNA methylation and DNA methylation-directed histone modifications and proteostasis are highlighted. A molecular network of gene regulatory elements that undergoes a dynamic change with age may underlie age-dependent AD pathogenesis, and can be used as a new drug target to treat AD.
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29
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Attou A, Zülske T, Wedemann G. Cohesin and CTCF complexes mediate contacts in chromatin loops depending on nucleosome positions. Biophys J 2022; 121:4788-4799. [PMID: 36325618 PMCID: PMC9811664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial organization of the eukaryotic genome plays an important role in regulating transcriptional activity. In the nucleus, chromatin forms loops that assemble into fundamental units called topologically associating domains that facilitate or inhibit long-range contacts. These loops are formed and held together by the ring-shaped cohesin protein complex, and this can involve binding of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). High-resolution conformation capture experiments provide the frequency at which two DNA fragments physically associate in three-dimensional space. However, technical limitations of this approach, such as low throughput, low resolution, or noise in contact maps, make data interpretation and identification of chromatin intraloop contacts, e.g., between distal regulatory elements and their target genes, challenging. Herein, an existing coarse-grained model of chromatin at single-nucleosome resolution was extended by integrating potentials describing CTCF and cohesin. We performed replica-exchange Monte Carlo simulations with regularly spaced nucleosomes and experimentally determined nucleosome positions in the presence of cohesin-CTCF, as well as depleted systems as controls. In fully extruded loops caused by the presence of cohesin and CTCF, the number of contacts within the formed loops was increased. The number and types of these contacts were impacted by the nucleosome distribution and loop size. Microloops were observed within cohesin-mediated loops due to thermal fluctuations without additional influence of other factors, and the number, size, and shape of microloops were determined by nucleosome distribution and loop size. Nucleosome positions directly affect the spatial structure and contact probability within a loop, with presumed consequences for transcriptional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aymen Attou
- Competence Center Bioinformatics, Institute for Applied Computer Science, Hochschule Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany
| | - Tilo Zülske
- Competence Center Bioinformatics, Institute for Applied Computer Science, Hochschule Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany
| | - Gero Wedemann
- Competence Center Bioinformatics, Institute for Applied Computer Science, Hochschule Stralsund, Stralsund, Germany.
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30
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Balaji AK, Saha S, Deshpande S, Poola D, Sengupta K. Nuclear envelope, chromatin organizers, histones, and DNA: The many achilles heels exploited across cancers. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1068347. [PMID: 36589746 PMCID: PMC9800887 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1068347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, the genome is organized in the form of chromatin composed of DNA and histones that organize and regulate gene expression. The dysregulation of chromatin remodeling, including the aberrant incorporation of histone variants and their consequent post-translational modifications, is prevalent across cancers. Additionally, nuclear envelope proteins are often deregulated in cancers, which impacts the 3D organization of the genome. Altered nuclear morphology, genome organization, and gene expression are defining features of cancers. With advances in single-cell sequencing, imaging technologies, and high-end data mining approaches, we are now at the forefront of designing appropriate small molecules to selectively inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells in a genome- and epigenome-specific manner. Here, we review recent advances and the emerging significance of aberrations in nuclear envelope proteins, histone variants, and oncohistones in deregulating chromatin organization and gene expression in oncogenesis.
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31
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Genome-wide association study reveals ethnicity-specific SNPs associated with ankylosing spondylitis in the Taiwanese population. J Transl Med 2022; 20:589. [PMID: 36510243 PMCID: PMC9746141 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03701-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune disease affecting mainly spine and sacroiliac joints and adjacent soft tissues. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are used to evaluate genetic associations and to predict genetic risk factors that determine the biological basis of disease susceptibility. We aimed to explore the race-specific SNP susceptibility of AS in Taiwanese individuals and to investigate the association between HLA-B27 and AS susceptibility SNPs in Taiwan. METHODS Genotyping data were collected from a medical center participating in the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI) in the northern district of Taiwan. We designed a case-control study to identify AS susceptibility SNPs through GWAS. We searched the genome browser to find the corresponding susceptibility genes and used the GTEx database to confirm the regulation of gene expression. A polygenic risk score approach was also applied to evaluate the genetic variants in the prediction of developing AS. RESULTS The results showed that the SNPs located on the sixth chromosome were related to higher susceptibility in the AS group. There was no overlap between our results and the susceptibility SNPs found in other races. The 12 tag SNPs located in the MHC region that were found through the linkage disequilibrium method had higher gene expression. Furthermore, Taiwanese people with HLA-B27 positivity had a higher proportion of minor alleles. This might be the reason that the AS prevalence is higher in Taiwan than in other countries. We developed AS polygenic risk score models with six different methods in which those with the top 10% polygenic risk had a fivefold increased risk of developing AS compared to the remaining group with low risk. CONCLUSION A total of 147 SNPs in the Taiwanese population were found to be statistically significantly associated with AS on the sixth pair of chromosomes and did not overlap with previously published sites in the GWAS Catalog. Whether those genes mapped by AS-associated SNPs are involved in AS and what the pathogenic mechanism of the mapped genes is remain to be further studied.
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32
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Herbert A. Nucleosomes and flipons exchange energy to alter chromatin conformation, the readout of genomic information, and cell fate. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200166. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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33
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Munk M, Villalobo E, Villalobo A, Berchtold MW. Differential expression of the three independent CaM genes coding for an identical protein: Potential relevance of distinct mRNA stability by different codon usage. Cell Calcium 2022; 107:102656. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2022.102656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Hentges LD, Sergeant MJ, Cole CB, Downes DJ, Hughes JR, Taylor S. LanceOtron: a deep learning peak caller for genome sequencing experiments. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:4255-4263. [PMID: 35866989 PMCID: PMC9477537 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Genome sequencing experiments have revolutionized molecular biology by allowing researchers to identify important DNA-encoded elements genome wide. Regions where these elements are found appear as peaks in the analog signal of an assay's coverage track, and despite the ease with which humans can visually categorize these patterns, the size of many genomes necessitates algorithmic implementations. Commonly used methods focus on statistical tests to classify peaks, discounting that the background signal does not completely follow any known probability distribution and reducing the information-dense peak shapes to simply maximum height. Deep learning has been shown to be highly accurate for many pattern recognition tasks, on par or even exceeding human capabilities, providing an opportunity to reimagine and improve peak calling. RESULTS We present the peak calling framework LanceOtron, which combines deep learning for recognizing peak shape with multifaceted enrichment calculations for assessing significance. In benchmarking ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq and DNase-seq, LanceOtron outperforms long-standing, gold-standard peak callers through its improved selectivity and near-perfect sensitivity. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION A fully featured web application is freely available from LanceOtron.molbiol.ox.ac.uk, command line interface via python is pip installable from PyPI at https://pypi.org/project/lanceotron/, and source code and benchmarking tests are available at https://github.com/LHentges/LanceOtron. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance D Hentges
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Martin J Sergeant
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christopher B Cole
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Stephen Taylor
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
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35
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Rao S, Han AL, Zukowski A, Kopin E, Sartorius CA, Kabos P, Ramachandran S. Transcription factor-nucleosome dynamics from plasma cfDNA identifies ER-driven states in breast cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm4358. [PMID: 36001652 PMCID: PMC9401618 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm4358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide binding profiles of estrogen receptor (ER) and FOXA1 reflect cancer state in ER+ breast cancer. However, routine profiling of tumor transcription factor (TF) binding is impractical in the clinic. Here, we show that plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) contains high-resolution ER and FOXA1 tumor binding profiles for breast cancer. Enrichment of TF footprints in plasma reflects the binding strength of the TF in originating tissue. We defined pure in vivo tumor TF signatures in plasma using ER+ breast cancer xenografts, which can distinguish xenografts with distinct ER states. Furthermore, state-specific ER-binding signatures can partition human breast tumors into groups with significantly different ER expression and mortality. Last, TF footprints in human plasma samples can identify the presence of ER+ breast cancer. Thus, plasma TF footprints enable minimally invasive mapping of the regulatory landscape of breast cancer in humans and open vast possibilities for clinical applications across multiple tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyanarayan Rao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Amy L. Han
- Department of Medicine/Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Alexis Zukowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Etana Kopin
- Department of Medicine/Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Carol A. Sartorius
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Peter Kabos
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Medicine/Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Srinivas Ramachandran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO, USA
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36
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Hernandez-Corchado A, Najafabadi HS. Toward a base-resolution panorama of the in vivo impact of cytosine methylation on transcription factor binding. Genome Biol 2022; 23:151. [PMID: 35799193 PMCID: PMC9264634 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02713-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While methylation of CpG dinucleotides is traditionally considered antagonistic to the DNA-binding activity of most transcription factors (TFs), recent in vitro studies have revealed a more complex picture, suggesting that over a third of TFs may preferentially bind to methylated sequences. Expanding these in vitro observations to in vivo TF binding preferences is challenging since the effect of methylation of individual CpG sites cannot be easily isolated from the confounding effects of DNA accessibility and regional DNA methylation. Thus, in vivo methylation preferences of most TFs remain uncharacterized. Results We introduce joint accessibility-methylation-sequence (JAMS) models, which connect the strength of the binding signal observed in ChIP-seq to the DNA accessibility of the binding site, regional methylation level, DNA sequence, and base-resolution cytosine methylation. We show that JAMS models quantitatively explain TF occupancy, recapitulate cell type-specific TF binding, and have high positive predictive value for identification of TFs affected by intra-motif methylation. Analysis of 2209 ChIP-seq experiments results in high-confidence JAMS models for 260 TFs, revealing a negative association between in vivo TF occupancy and intra-motif methylation for 45% of studied TFs, as well as 16 TFs that are predicted to bind to methylated sites, including 11 novel methyl-binding TFs mostly from the multi-zinc finger family. Conclusions Our study substantially expands the repertoire of in vivo methyl-binding TFs, but also suggests that most TFs that prefer methylated CpGs in vitro present themselves as methylation agnostic in vivo, potentially due to the balancing effect of competition with other methyl-binding proteins. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02713-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Hernandez-Corchado
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada.,McGill Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Hamed S Najafabadi
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada. .,McGill Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada.
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Mammalian PERIOD2 regulates H2A.Z incorporation in chromatin to orchestrate circadian negative feedback. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:549-562. [PMID: 35606517 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00777-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian circadian oscillators are built on a feedback loop in which the activity of the transcription factor CLOCK-BMAL1 is repressed by the PER-CRY complex. Here, we show that murine Per-/- fibroblasts display aberrant nucleosome occupancy around transcription start sites (TSSs) and at promoter-proximal and distal CTCF sites due to impaired histone H2A.Z deposition. Knocking out H2A.Z mimicked the Per null chromatin state and disrupted cellular rhythms. We found that endogenous mPER2 complexes retained CTCF as well as the specific H2A.Z-deposition chaperone YL1-a component of the ATP-dependent remodeler SRCAP and p400-TIP60 complex. While depleting YL1 or mutating chaperone-binding sites on H2A.Z lengthened the circadian period, H2A.Z deletion abrogated BMAL1 chromatin recruitment and promoted its proteasomal degradation. We propose that a PER2-mediated H2A.Z deposition pathway (1) compacts CLOCK-BMAL1 binding sites to establish negative feedback, (2) organizes circadian chromatin landscapes using CTCF and (3) bookmarks genomic loci for BMAL1 binding to impinge on the positive arm of the subsequent cycle.
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38
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Gut bacterial isoamylamine promotes age-related cognitive dysfunction by promoting microglial cell death. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:944-960.e8. [PMID: 35654045 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The intestinal microbiome releases a plethora of small molecules. Here, we show that the Ruminococcaceae metabolite isoamylamine (IAA) is enriched in aged mice and elderly people, whereas Ruminococcaceae phages, belonging to the Myoviridae family, are reduced. Young mice orally administered IAA show cognitive decline, whereas Myoviridae phage administration reduces IAA levels. Mechanistically, IAA promotes apoptosis of microglial cells by recruiting the transcriptional regulator p53 to the S100A8 promoter region. Specifically, IAA recognizes and binds the S100A8 promoter region to facilitate the unwinding of its self-complementary hairpin structure, thereby subsequently enabling p53 to access the S100A8 promoter and enhance S100A8 expression. Thus, our findings provide evidence that small molecules released from the gut microbiome can directly bind genomic DNA and act as transcriptional coregulators by recruiting transcription factors. These findings further unveil a molecular mechanism that connects gut metabolism to gene expression in the brain with implications for disease development.
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Grotz S, Schäfer J, Wunderlich KA, Ellederova Z, Auch H, Bähr A, Runa-Vochozkova P, Fadl J, Arnold V, Ardan T, Veith M, Santamaria G, Dhom G, Hitzl W, Kessler B, Eckardt C, Klein J, Brymova A, Linnert J, Kurome M, Zakharchenko V, Fischer A, Blutke A, Döring A, Suchankova S, Popelar J, Rodríguez-Bocanegra E, Dlugaiczyk J, Straka H, May-Simera H, Wang W, Laugwitz KL, Vandenberghe LH, Wolf E, Nagel-Wolfrum K, Peters T, Motlik J, Fischer MD, Wolfrum U, Klymiuk N. Early disruption of photoreceptor cell architecture and loss of vision in a humanized pig model of usher syndromes. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e14817. [PMID: 35254721 PMCID: PMC8988205 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common form of monogenic deaf-blindness. Loss of vision is untreatable and there are no suitable animal models for testing therapeutic strategies of the ocular constituent of USH, so far. By introducing a human mutation into the harmonin-encoding USH1C gene in pigs, we generated the first translational animal model for USH type 1 with characteristic hearing defect, vestibular dysfunction, and visual impairment. Changes in photoreceptor architecture, quantitative motion analysis, and electroretinography were characteristics of the reduced retinal virtue in USH1C pigs. Fibroblasts from USH1C pigs or USH1C patients showed significantly elongated primary cilia, confirming USH as a true and general ciliopathy. Primary cells also proved their capacity for assessing the therapeutic potential of CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene repair or gene therapy in vitro. AAV-based delivery of harmonin into the eye of USH1C pigs indicated therapeutic efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Grotz
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica Schäfer
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Kirsten A Wunderlich
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Hannah Auch
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Bähr
- Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Petra Runa-Vochozkova
- Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Janet Fadl
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Vanessa Arnold
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Taras Ardan
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Veith
- Ophthalmology Clinic, University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Gianluca Santamaria
- Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Dhom
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hitzl
- Biostatistics and Data Science, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Barbara Kessler
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Eckardt
- Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joshua Klein
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Anna Brymova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua Linnert
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Mayuko Kurome
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Valeri Zakharchenko
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Fischer
- Veterinary Faculty, Small Animal Clinics, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Blutke
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Anna Döring
- Veterinary Faculty, Small Animal Clinics, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stepanka Suchankova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Popelar
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eduardo Rodríguez-Bocanegra
- Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Dlugaiczyk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich (USZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans Straka
- Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg, Germany
| | - Helen May-Simera
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Cilia Biology, JGU Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Weiwei Wang
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz
- Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Luk H Vandenberghe
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- Chair of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Peters
- Centre for Ophthalmology, University Eye Hospital, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Motlik
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Science, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - M Dominik Fischer
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.,Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, NDCN, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Uwe Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU), Mainz, Germany
| | - Nikolai Klymiuk
- Center for Innovative Medical Models, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research, Internal Medical Department I, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Mlodawska OW, Saini P, Parker JB, Wei JJ, Bulun SE, Simon MA, Chakravarti D. Epigenomic and enhancer dysregulation in uterine leiomyomas. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 28:518-547. [PMID: 35199155 PMCID: PMC9247409 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyomas, also known as uterine fibroids or myomas, are the most common benign gynecological tumors and are found in women of reproductive and postmenopausal age. There is an exceptionally high prevalence of this tumor in women by the age of 50 years. Black women are particularly affected, with an increased incidence, earlier age of onset, larger and faster growing fibroids and greater severity of symptoms as compared to White women. Although advances in identifying genetic and environmental factors to delineate these fibroids have already been made, only recently has the role of epigenomics in the pathogenesis of this disease been considered. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE Over recent years, studies have identified multiple epigenomic aberrations that may contribute to leiomyoma development and growth. This review will focus on the most recent discoveries in three categories of epigenomic changes found in uterine fibroids, namely aberrant DNA methylation, histone tail modifications and histone variant exchange, and their translation into altered target gene architecture and transcriptional outcome. The findings demonstrating how the altered 3D shape of the enhancer can regulate gene expression from millions of base pairs away will be discussed. Additionally, translational implications of these discoveries and potential roadblocks in leiomyoma treatment will be addressed. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive PubMed search was performed to identify published articles containing keywords relevant to the focus of the review, such as: uterine leiomyoma, uterine fibroids, epigenetic alterations, epigenomics, stem cells, chromatin modifications, extracellular matrix [ECM] organization, DNA methylation, enhancer, histone post-translational modifications and dysregulated gene expression. Articles until September 2021 were explored and evaluated to identify relevant updates in the field. Most of the articles focused on in the discussion were published between 2015 and 2021, although some key discoveries made before 2015 were included for background information and foundational purposes. We apologize to the authors whose work was not included because of space restrictions or inadvertent omission. OUTCOMES Chemical alterations to the DNA structure and of nucleosomal histones, without changing the underlying DNA sequence, have now been implicated in the phenotypic manifestation of uterine leiomyomas. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis has revealed subsets of either suppressed or overexpressed genes accompanied by aberrant promoter methylation. Furthermore, differential promoter access resulting from altered 3D chromatin structure and histone modifications plays a role in regulating transcription of key genes thought to be involved in leiomyoma etiology. The dysregulated genes function in tumor suppression, apoptosis, angiogenesis, ECM formation, a variety of cancer-related signaling pathways and stem cell differentiation. Aberrant DNA methylation or histone modification is also observed in altering enhancer architecture, which leads to changes in enhancer-promoter contact strength, producing novel explanations for the overexpression of high mobility group AT-hook 2 and gene dysregulation found in mediator complex subunit 12 mutant fibroids. While many molecular mechanisms and epigenomic features have been investigated, the basis for the racial disparity observed among those in the Black population remains unclear. WIDER IMPLICATIONS A comprehensive understanding of the exact pathogenesis of uterine leiomyoma is lacking and requires attention as it can provide clues for prevention and viable non-surgical treatment. These findings will widen our knowledge of the role epigenomics plays in the mechanisms related to uterine leiomyoma development and highlight novel approaches for the prevention and identification of epigenome targets for long-term non-invasive treatment options of this significantly common disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - J Brandon Parker
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jian-Jun Wei
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Serdar E Bulun
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Melissa A Simon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Health Equity Transformation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Debabrata Chakravarti
- Correspondence address. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E Superior Street, Lurie 4-119, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. E-mail:
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Liang Y, Turcan S. Epigenetic Drugs and Their Immune Modulating Potential in Cancers. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020211. [PMID: 35203421 PMCID: PMC8868629 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic drugs are used for the clinical treatment of hematologic malignancies; however, their therapeutic potential in solid tumors is still under investigation. Current evidence suggests that epigenetic drugs may lead to antitumor immunity by increasing antigen presentation and may enhance the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we highlight their impact on the tumor epigenome and discuss the recent evidence that epigenetic agents may optimize the immune microenvironment and promote antiviral response.
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42
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Roy Choudhury S, Ashby C, Zhan F, van Rhee F. Epigenetic Deregulation of Telomere-Related Genes in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246348. [PMID: 34944968 PMCID: PMC8699806 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246348] [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: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High-risk Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients were found to maintain telomere length (TL), below the margin of short critical length, consistent with proactive overexpression of telomerase. Previously, DNA methylation has been shown as a determinant of telomere-related gene (TRG) expression and TL to assess risk in different types of cancer. We mapped genome-wide DNA methylation in a cohort of newly diagnosed MM (NDMM; n = 53) patients of major molecular subgroups, compared to age-matched healthy donors (n = 4). Differential methylation and expression at TRG-loci were analyzed in combination with overlapping chromatin marks and underlying DNA-sequences. We observed a strong correlation (R2 ≥ 0.5) between DNA methylation and expression amongst selective TRGs, such that demethylation at the promoters of DDX1 and TERF1 were associated to their oncogenic upregulation, while demethylation at the bodies of two key tumor suppressors ZNF208 and RAP1A led to downregulation of the genes. We demonstrated that TRG expression may be controlled by DNA methylation alone or in cooperation with chromatin modifications or CCCTC-binding factor at the regulatory regions. Additionally, we showed that hypomethylated DMRs of TRGs in NDMM are stabilized with G-quadruplex forming sequences, suggesting a crucial role of these epigenetically vulnerable loci in MM pathogenesis. We have identified a panel of five TRGs, which are epigenetically deregulated in NDMM patients and may serve as early detection biomarkers or therapeutic targets in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrat Roy Choudhury
- Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(501)-364-7531 or +1-(501)-364-2873
| | - Cody Ashby
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Fenghuang Zhan
- Myeloma Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (F.Z.); (F.v.R.)
| | - Frits van Rhee
- Myeloma Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (F.Z.); (F.v.R.)
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43
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Patel D, Patel M, Datta S, Singh U. CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites restrict ectopic transcription. Cell Cycle 2021; 20:2387-2401. [PMID: 34585631 PMCID: PMC8794514 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.1982508] [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: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Binding sites of the chromatin regulator protein CTCF function as important landmarks in the human genome. The recently characterized CTCF-binding sites at LINE-1 repeats depend on another repeat-regulatory protein CGGBP1. These CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites serve as potential barrier elements for epigenetic marks such as H3K9me3. Such CTCF-binding sites are associated with asymmetric H3K9me3 levels as well as RNA levels in their flanks. The functions of these CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites remain unknown. By performing targeted studies on candidate CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites cloned in an SV40 promoter-enhancer episomal system we show that these regions act as inhibitors of ectopic transcription from the SV40 promoter. CGGBP1-dependent CTCF-binding sites that recapitulate their genomic function of loss of CTCF binding upon CGGBP1 depletion and H3K9me3 asymmetry in immediate flanks are also the ones that show the strongest inhibition of ectopic transcription. By performing a series of strand-specific reverse transcription PCRs we demonstrate that this ectopic transcription results in the synthesis of RNA from the SV40 promoter in a direction opposite to the downstream reporter gene in a strand-specific manner. The unleashing of the bidirectionality of the SV40 promoter activity and a breach of the transcription barrier seems to depend on depletion of CGGBP1 and loss of CTCF binding proximal to the SV40 promoter. RNA-sequencing reveals that CGGBP1-regulated CTCF-binding sites act as barriers to transcription at multiple locations genome-wide. These findings suggest a role of CGGBP1-dependent binding sites in restricting ectopic transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divyesh Patel
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India
- Research Programs Unit, Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Manthan Patel
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Subhamoy Datta
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Umashankar Singh
- HoMeCell Lab, Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India
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Brinkmeyer-Langford C, Amstalden K, Konganti K, Hillhouse A, Lawley K, Perez-Gomez A, Young CR, Welsh CJ, Threadgill DW. Resilience in Long-Term Viral Infection: Genetic Determinants and Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111379. [PMID: 34768809 PMCID: PMC8584141 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus-induced neurological sequelae resulting from infection by Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) are used for studying human conditions ranging from epileptic seizures to demyelinating disease. Mouse strains are typically considered susceptible or resistant to TMEV infection based on viral persistence and extreme phenotypes, such as demyelination. We have identified a broader spectrum of phenotypic outcomes by infecting strains of the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse resource. We evaluated the chronic-infection gene expression profiles of hippocampi and thoracic spinal cords for 19 CC strains in relation to phenotypic severity and TMEV persistence. Strains were clustered based on similar phenotypic profiles and TMEV levels at 90 days post-infection, and we categorized distinct TMEV response profiles. The three most common profiles included "resistant" and "susceptible," as before, as well as a "resilient" TMEV response group which experienced both TMEV persistence and mild neurological phenotypes even at 90 days post-infection. Each profile had a distinct gene expression signature, allowing the identification of pathways and networks specific to each TMEV response group. CC founder haplotypes for genes involved in these pathways/networks revealed candidate response-specific alleles. These alleles demonstrated pleiotropy and epigenetic (miRNA) regulation in long-term TMEV infection, with particular relevance for resilient mouse strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Brinkmeyer-Langford
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Katia Amstalden
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
| | - Kranti Konganti
- Texas A&M Institute for Genome Sciences and Society, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.K.); (A.H.); (D.W.T.)
| | - Andrew Hillhouse
- Texas A&M Institute for Genome Sciences and Society, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.K.); (A.H.); (D.W.T.)
| | - Koedi Lawley
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
| | - Aracely Perez-Gomez
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
| | - Colin R. Young
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
| | - C. Jane Welsh
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.A.); (K.L.); (A.P.-G.); (C.R.Y.); (C.J.W.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - David W. Threadgill
- Texas A&M Institute for Genome Sciences and Society, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (K.K.); (A.H.); (D.W.T.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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45
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CTCF chromatin residence time controls three-dimensional genome organization, gene expression and DNA methylation in pluripotent cells. Nat Cell Biol 2021; 23:881-893. [PMID: 34326481 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-021-00722-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The 11 zinc finger (ZF) protein CTCF regulates topologically associating domain formation and transcription through selective binding to thousands of genomic sites. Here, we replaced endogenous CTCF in mouse embryonic stem cells with green-fluorescent-protein-tagged wild-type or mutant proteins lacking individual ZFs to identify additional determinants of CTCF positioning and function. While ZF1 and ZF8-ZF11 are not essential for cell survival, ZF8 deletion strikingly increases the DNA binding off-rate of mutant CTCF, resulting in reduced CTCF chromatin residence time. Loss of ZF8 results in widespread weakening of topologically associating domains, aberrant gene expression and increased genome-wide DNA methylation. Thus, important chromatin-templated processes rely on accurate CTCF chromatin residence time, which we propose depends on local sequence and chromatin context as well as global CTCF protein concentration.
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Martínez-Magaña JJ, Genis-Mendoza AD, González-Covarrubias V, Juárez-Rojop IE, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Soberón X, Lanzagorta N, Nicolini H. Association of FAAH p.Pro129Thr and COMT p.Ala72Ser with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use through next-generation sequencing: an exploratory analysis. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2021; 44:164-170. [PMID: 34037083 PMCID: PMC9041971 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Individuals with schizophrenia and substance use disorders have a poor prognosis and increased psychiatric symptoms. The present study aimed to explore the association of 106 genes in individuals with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and different in silico algorithms. METHODS We included 105 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and a family history of schizophrenia, of whom 49 (46.67%) presented comorbid substance use. Using NGS, we sequenced 106 genes previously associated with schizophrenia. Logistic regression models were used to assess differences in allele frequencies, and a generalized gene-set analysis was performed at the gene level. Functional annotations were performed using different algorithms and databases. RESULTS We identified a total of 3,109 variants, of which 25 were associated with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use and were located in regulatory and coding regions. We found low-frequency variants in COMT p.Ala72Ser, independently of p.Val158Met, that were associated with substance use. The endocannabinoid functional variant FAAH p.Pro129Thr was also associated with substance use. CONCLUSIONS Genetic variants of genes related to dopaminergic and cannabinoid neurotransmitter systems were associated with comorbid substance use in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, more studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- José J Martínez-Magaña
- División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico.,Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas y Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alma D Genis-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Psiquiátricas y Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica, Hospital Psiquiátrico Infantil Juan N. Navarro, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Isela E Juárez-Rojop
- División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico
| | - Carlos A Tovilla-Zárate
- División Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Mexico
| | - Xavier Soberón
- Laboratorio de Farmacogenómica, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Nuria Lanzagorta
- Grupo de Estudios Médicos y Familiares Carracci, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Humberto Nicolini
- División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico.,Grupo de Estudios Médicos y Familiares Carracci, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Genomic Imprinting at the Porcine PLAGL1 Locus and the Orthologous Locus in the Human. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040541. [PMID: 33918057 PMCID: PMC8069715 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040541] [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: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Implementation of genomic imprinting in mammals often results in cis-acting silencing of a gene cluster and monoallelic expression, which are important for mammalian growth and function. Compared with widely documented imprinting status in humans and mice, current understanding of genomic imprinting in pigs is relatively limited. The objectives of this study were to identify DNA methylation status and allelic expression of alternative spliced isoforms at the porcine PLAGL1 locus and assess the conservation of the locus compared to the orthologous human locus. DNA methylome and transcriptome were constructed using porcine parthenogenetic or biparental control embryos. Using methylome, differentially methylated regions between those embryos were identified. Alternative splicing was identified by differential splicing analysis, and monoallelic expression was examined using single nucleotide polymorphism sites. Moreover, topological boundary regions were identified by analyzing CTCF binding sites and compared with the boundary of human orthologous locus. As a result, it was revealed that the monoallelic expression of the PLAGL1 gene in porcine embryos via genomic imprinting was maintained in the adult stage. The porcine PLAGL1 locus was largely conserved in regard to maternal hypermethylation, tissue distribution of mRNA expression, monoallelic expression, and biallelic CTCF-binding, with exceptions on transcript isoforms produced by alternative splicing instead of alternative promoter usage. These findings laid the groundwork for comparative studies on the imprinted PLAGL1 gene and related regulatory mechanisms across species.
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Genomic Space of MGMT in Human Glioma Revisited: Novel Motifs, Regulatory RNAs, NRF1, 2, and CTCF Involvement in Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052492. [PMID: 33801310 PMCID: PMC7958331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052492] [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: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The molecular regulation of increased MGMT expression in human brain tumors, the associated regulatory elements, and linkages of these to its epigenetic silencing are not understood. Because the heightened expression or non-expression of MGMT plays a pivotal role in glioma therapeutics, we applied bioinformatics and experimental tools to identify the regulatory elements in the MGMT and neighboring EBF3 gene loci. Results: Extensive genome database analyses showed that the MGMT genomic space was rich in and harbored many undescribed RNA regulatory sequences and recognition motifs. We extended the MGMT’s exon-1 promoter to 2019 bp to include five overlapping alternate promoters. Consensus sequences in the revised promoter for (a) the transcriptional factors CTCF, NRF1/NRF2, GAF, (b) the genetic switch MYC/MAX/MAD, and (c) two well-defined p53 response elements in MGMT intron-1, were identified. A putative protein-coding or non-coding RNA sequence was located in the extended 3′ UTR of the MGMT transcript. Eleven non-coding RNA loci coding for miRNAs, antisense RNA, and lncRNAs were identified in the MGMT-EBF3 region and six of these showed validated potential for curtailing the expression of both MGMT and EBF3 genes. ChIP analysis verified the binding site in MGMT promoter for CTCF which regulates the genomic methylation and chromatin looping. CTCF depletion by a pool of specific siRNA and shRNAs led to a significant attenuation of MGMT expression in human GBM cell lines. Computational analysis of the ChIP sequence data in ENCODE showed the presence of NRF1 in the MGMT promoter and this occurred only in MGMT-proficient cell lines. Further, an enforced NRF2 expression markedly augmented the MGMT mRNA and protein levels in glioma cells. Conclusions: We provide the first evidence for several new regulatory components in the MGMT gene locus which predict complex transcriptional and posttranscriptional controls with potential for new therapeutic avenues.
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Jeong DS, Kim MH, Lee J. Depletion of CTCF disrupts PSG gene expression in the human trophoblast cell line Swan 71. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:804-812. [PMID: 33452729 PMCID: PMC7931220 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy‐specific glycoproteins (PSGs) are fetal proteins secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. The PSG level in maternal serum is an indicator of risk for pregnancy complications. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying PSG gene expression. Recently, the importance of epigenetic regulation of placental genes has been emphasized in the study of developmental defects and placental disease. In this study, the role of the CCCTC‐binding factor (CTCF) in regulation of PSG expression was investigated to better understand the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of the PSG genes. Inhibition of CTCF expression disturbed transcription of several PSG genes: PSG1, PSG2, PSG4, PSG5, PSG8, and PSG9 were upregulated and PSG6 and PSG11 were downregulated. These transcriptional changes were correlated with decreased CTCF binding and changes in histone modification at the PSG promoters. Our data demonstrate that CTCF is a potential mediator in the regulation of PSG gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Som Jeong
- Department of AnatomyEmbryology LaboratoryYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS project for Medical ScienceYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
| | - Myoung Hee Kim
- Department of AnatomyEmbryology LaboratoryYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS project for Medical ScienceYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
| | - Ji‐Yeon Lee
- Department of AnatomyEmbryology LaboratoryYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
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50
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Jefferys SR, Burgos SD, Peterson JJ, Selitsky SR, Turner AMW, James LI, Tsai YH, Coffey AR, Margolis DM, Parker J, Browne EP. Epigenomic characterization of latent HIV infection identifies latency regulating transcription factors. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009346. [PMID: 33635929 PMCID: PMC7946360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional silencing of HIV in CD4 T cells generates a reservoir of latently infected cells that can reseed infection after interruption of therapy. As such, these cells represent the principal barrier to curing HIV infection, but little is known about their characteristics. To further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of latency, we characterized a primary cell model of HIV latency in which infected cells adopt heterogeneous transcriptional fates. In this model, we observed that latency is a stable, heritable state that is transmitted through cell division. Using Assay of Transposon-Accessible Chromatin sequencing (ATACseq) we found that latently infected cells exhibit greatly reduced proviral accessibility, indicating the presence of chromatin-based structural barriers to viral gene expression. By quantifying the activity of host cell transcription factors, we observe elevated activity of Forkhead and Kruppel-like factor transcription factors (TFs), and reduced activity of AP-1, RUNX and GATA TFs in latently infected cells. Interestingly, latency reversing agents with different mechanisms of action caused distinct patterns of chromatin reopening across the provirus. We observe that binding sites for the chromatin insulator CTCF are highly enriched in the differentially open chromatin of infected CD4 T cells. Furthermore, depletion of CTCF inhibited HIV latency, identifying this factor as playing a key role in the initiation or enforcement of latency. These data indicate that HIV latency develops preferentially in cells with a distinct pattern of TF activity that promotes a closed proviral structure and inhibits viral gene expression. Furthermore, these findings identify CTCF as a novel regulator of HIV latency. HIV is able to persist during antiviral therapy by entering a state of viral latency, in which viral gene expression is greatly reduced. These latently infected cells can re-seed infection if therapy is interrupted, and thus represent a major obstacle to an HIV cure. Identifying the mechanisms that lead to this state will help to identify strategies to block or eliminate HIV latency, leading to a cure for infection. By observing HIV gene expression in infected CD4 T cells, we isolated cells in which HIV has entered latency and identified characteristics that distinguish them from cells with active viral replication. We found that latently infected cells have elevated activity of specific transcription factors including Forkhead TFs and Kruppel-like factors. We also identify CTCF, a protein responsible for mediating insulation of genome domains from each other, as being required for the establishment of HIV latency. Developing agents to target these factors may lead to new strategies to eliminate the HIV reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart R. Jefferys
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Samuel D. Burgos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jackson J. Peterson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sara R. Selitsky
- Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Anne-Marie W. Turner
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lindsey I. James
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Yi-Hsuan Tsai
- Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alisha R. Coffey
- Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - David M. Margolis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joel Parker
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Edward P. Browne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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