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Chang LH, Noordermeer D. Permeable TAD boundaries and their impact on genome-associated functions. Bioessays 2024:e2400137. [PMID: 39093600 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400137] [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: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
TAD boundaries are genomic elements that separate biological processes in neighboring domains by blocking DNA loops that are formed through Cohesin-mediated loop extrusion. Most TAD boundaries consist of arrays of binding sites for the CTCF protein, whose interaction with the Cohesin complex blocks loop extrusion. TAD boundaries are not fully impermeable though and allow a limited amount of inter-TAD loop formation. Based on the reanalysis of Nano-C data, a multicontact Chromosome Conformation Capture assay, we propose a model whereby clustered CTCF binding sites promote the successive stalling of Cohesin and subsequent dissociation from the chromatin. A fraction of Cohesin nonetheless achieves boundary read-through. Due to a constant rate of Cohesin dissociation elsewhere in the genome, the maximum length of inter-TAD loops is restricted though. We speculate that the DNA-encoded organization of stalling sites regulates TAD boundary permeability and discuss implications for enhancer-promoter loop formation and other genomic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hsin Chang
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Precision Cellular Therapeutics, National Institute of Health Research, Oxford, UK
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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2
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Stuart T. Progress in multifactorial single-cell chromatin profiling methods. Biochem Soc Trans 2024:BST20231471. [PMID: 39023855 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231471] [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: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Chromatin states play a key role in shaping overall cellular states and fates. Building a complete picture of the functional state of chromatin in cells requires the co-detection of several distinct biochemical aspects. These span DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, chromosomal conformation, histone posttranslational modifications, and more. While this certainly presents a challenging task, over the past few years many new and creative methods have been developed that now enable co-assay of these different aspects of chromatin at single cell resolution. This field is entering an exciting phase, where a confluence of technological improvements, decreased sequencing costs, and computational innovation are presenting new opportunities to dissect the diversity of chromatin states present in tissues, and how these states may influence gene regulation. In this review, I discuss the spectrum of current experimental approaches for multifactorial chromatin profiling, highlight some of the experimental and analytical challenges, as well as some areas for further innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Stuart
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome, Singapore 138672, Republic of Singapore
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3
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Mulet-Lazaro R, van Herk S, Nuetzel M, Sijs-Szabo A, Díaz N, Kelly K, Erpelinck-Verschueren C, Schwarzfischer-Pfeilschifter L, Stanewsky H, Ackermann U, Glatz D, Raithel J, Fischer A, Pohl S, Rijneveld A, Vaquerizas JM, Thiede C, Plass C, Wouters BJ, Delwel R, Rehli M, Gebhard C. Epigenetic alterations affecting hematopoietic regulatory networks as drivers of mixed myeloid/lymphoid leukemia. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5693. [PMID: 38972954 PMCID: PMC11228033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49811-y] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Leukemias with ambiguous lineage comprise several loosely defined entities, often without a clear mechanistic basis. Here, we extensively profile the epigenome and transcriptome of a subgroup of such leukemias with CpG Island Methylator Phenotype. These leukemias exhibit comparable hybrid myeloid/lymphoid epigenetic landscapes, yet heterogeneous genetic alterations, suggesting they are defined by their shared epigenetic profile rather than common genetic lesions. Gene expression enrichment reveals similarity with early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a lymphoid progenitor cell of origin. In line with this, integration of differential DNA methylation and gene expression shows widespread silencing of myeloid transcription factors. Moreover, binding sites for hematopoietic transcription factors, including CEBPA, SPI1 and LEF1, are uniquely inaccessible in these leukemias. Hypermethylation also results in loss of CTCF binding, accompanied by changes in chromatin interactions involving key transcription factors. In conclusion, epigenetic dysregulation, and not genetic lesions, explains the mixed phenotype of this group of leukemias with ambiguous lineage. The data collected here constitute a useful and comprehensive epigenomic reference for subsequent studies of acute myeloid leukemias, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias and mixed-phenotype leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stanley van Herk
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Margit Nuetzel
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Aniko Sijs-Szabo
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Noelia Díaz
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Renewable Marine Resources Department, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katherine Kelly
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Erpelinck-Verschueren
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Hanna Stanewsky
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ackermann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dagmar Glatz
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Johanna Raithel
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Fischer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Pohl
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anita Rijneveld
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital 8 Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Thiede
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christoph Plass
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bas J Wouters
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruud Delwel
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Michael Rehli
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Claudia Gebhard
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), Regensburg, Germany.
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4
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Sun D, Zhu Y, Peng W, Zheng S, Weng J, Dong S, Li J, Chen Q, Ge C, Liao L, Dong Y, Liu Y, Meng W, Jiang Y. SETDB1 regulates short interspersed nuclear elements and chromatin loop organization in mouse neural precursor cells. Genome Biol 2024; 25:175. [PMID: 38961490 PMCID: PMC11221086 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03327-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transposable elements play a critical role in maintaining genome architecture during neurodevelopment. Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements (SINEs), a major subtype of transposable elements, are known to harbor binding sites for the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and pivotal in orchestrating chromatin organization. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling the activity of SINEs in the developing brain remains elusive. RESULTS In our study, we conduct a comprehensive genome-wide epigenetic analysis in mouse neural precursor cells using ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, whole genome bisulfite sequencing, in situ Hi-C, and RNA-seq. Our findings reveal that the SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1 (SETDB1)-mediated H3K9me3, in conjunction with DNA methylation, restricts chromatin accessibility on a selective subset of SINEs in neural precursor cells. Mechanistically, loss of Setdb1 increases CTCF access to these SINE elements and contributes to chromatin loop reorganization. Moreover, de novo loop formation contributes to differential gene expression, including the dysregulation of genes enriched in mitotic pathways. This leads to the disruptions of cell proliferation in the embryonic brain after genetic ablation of Setdb1 both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our study sheds light on the epigenetic regulation of SINEs in mouse neural precursor cells, suggesting their role in maintaining chromatin organization and cell proliferation during neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daijing Sun
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yueyan Zhu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wenzhu Peng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shenghui Zheng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jie Weng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shulong Dong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Chuanhui Ge
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Liyong Liao
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuhao Dong
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weida Meng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Nocente MC, Mesihovic Karamitsos A, Drouineau E, Soleil M, Albawardi W, Dulary C, Ribierre F, Picaud H, Alibert O, Acker J, Kervella M, Aude JC, Gilbert N, Ochsenbein F, Chantalat S, Gérard M. cBAF generates subnucleosomes that expand OCT4 binding and function beyond DNA motifs at enhancers. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01344-0. [PMID: 38956169 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01344-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The canonical BRG/BRM-associated factor (cBAF) complex is essential for chromatin opening at enhancers in mammalian cells. However, the nature of the open chromatin remains unclear. Here, we show that, in addition to producing histone-free DNA, cBAF generates stable hemisome-like subnucleosomal particles containing the four core histones associated with 50-80 bp of DNA. Our genome-wide analysis indicates that cBAF makes these particles by targeting and splitting fragile nucleosomes. In mouse embryonic stem cells, these subnucleosomes become an in vivo binding substrate for the master transcription factor OCT4 independently of the presence of OCT4 DNA motifs. At enhancers, the OCT4-subnucleosome interaction increases OCT4 occupancy and amplifies the genomic interval bound by OCT4 by up to one order of magnitude compared to the region occupied on histone-free DNA. We propose that cBAF-dependent subnucleosomes orchestrate a molecular mechanism that projects OCT4 function in chromatin opening beyond its DNA motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina C Nocente
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anida Mesihovic Karamitsos
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emilie Drouineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Manon Soleil
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Waad Albawardi
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Cécile Dulary
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Evry, France
| | - Florence Ribierre
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Evry, France
| | - Hélène Picaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Olivier Alibert
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Evry, France
| | - Joël Acker
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie Kervella
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Aude
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nick Gilbert
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Françoise Ochsenbein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sophie Chantalat
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Evry, France
| | - Matthieu Gérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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6
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Moindrot B, Imaizumi Y, Feil R. Differential 3D genome architecture and imprinted gene expression: cause or consequence? Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:973-986. [PMID: 38775198 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230143] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Imprinted genes provide an attractive paradigm to unravel links between transcription and genome architecture. The parental allele-specific expression of these essential genes - which are clustered in chromosomal domains - is mediated by parental methylation imprints at key regulatory DNA sequences. Recent chromatin conformation capture (3C)-based studies show differential organization of topologically associating domains between the parental chromosomes at imprinted domains, in embryonic stem and differentiated cells. At several imprinted domains, differentially methylated regions show allelic binding of the insulator protein CTCF, and linked focal retention of cohesin, at the non-methylated allele only. This generates differential patterns of chromatin looping between the parental chromosomes, already in the early embryo, and thereby facilitates the allelic gene expression. Recent research evokes also the opposite scenario, in which allelic transcription contributes to the differential genome organization, similarly as reported for imprinted X chromosome inactivation. This may occur through epigenetic effects on CTCF binding, through structural effects of RNA Polymerase II, or through imprinted long non-coding RNAs that have chromatin repressive functions. The emerging picture is that epigenetically-controlled differential genome architecture precedes and facilitates imprinted gene expression during development, and that at some domains, conversely, the mono-allelic gene expression also influences genome architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Moindrot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Yui Imaizumi
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Robert Feil
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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Farhadova S, Ghousein A, Charon F, Surcis C, Gomez-Velazques M, Roidor C, Di Michele F, Borensztein M, De Sario A, Esnault C, Noordermeer D, Moindrot B, Feil R. The long non-coding RNA Meg3 mediates imprinted gene expression during stem cell differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:6183-6200. [PMID: 38613389 PMCID: PMC11194098 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae247] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 domain comprises the developmental genes Dlk1 and Rtl1, which are silenced on the maternal chromosome in different cell types. On this parental chromosome, the domain's imprinting control region activates a polycistron that produces the lncRNA Meg3 and many miRNAs (Mirg) and C/D-box snoRNAs (Rian). Although Meg3 lncRNA is nuclear and associates with the maternal chromosome, it is unknown whether it controls gene repression in cis. We created mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) that carry an ectopic poly(A) signal, reducing RNA levels along the polycistron, and generated Rian-/- mESCs as well. Upon ESC differentiation, we found that Meg3 lncRNA (but not Rian) is required for Dlk1 repression on the maternal chromosome. Biallelic Meg3 expression acquired through CRISPR-mediated demethylation of the paternal Meg3 promoter led to biallelic Dlk1 repression, and to loss of Rtl1 expression. lncRNA expression also correlated with DNA hypomethylation and CTCF binding at the 5'-side of Meg3. Using Capture Hi-C, we found that this creates a Topologically Associating Domain (TAD) organization that brings Meg3 close to Dlk1 on the maternal chromosome. The requirement of Meg3 for gene repression and TAD structure may explain how aberrant MEG3 expression at the human DLK1-DIO3 locus associates with imprinting disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Farhadova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
- Genetic Resources Research Institute, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), AZ1106 Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Amani Ghousein
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - François Charon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Caroline Surcis
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Melisa Gomez-Velazques
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Clara Roidor
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Flavio Di Michele
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Maud Borensztein
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Albertina De Sario
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
- PhyMedExp, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), CNRS, 34295 Montpellier, France
| | - Cyril Esnault
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Benoit Moindrot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Robert Feil
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34090 Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
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8
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Jou V, Peña SM, Lehoczky JA. Regeneration-specific promoter switching facilitates Mest expression in the mouse digit tip to modulate neutrophil response. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598713. [PMID: 38915675 PMCID: PMC11195169 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The mouse digit tip regenerates following amputation, a process mediated by a cellularly heterogeneous blastema. We previously found the gene Mest to be highly expressed in mesenchymal cells of the blastema and a strong candidate pro-regenerative gene. We now show Mest digit expression is regeneration-specific and not upregulated in post-amputation fibrosing proximal digits. Mest homozygous knockout mice exhibit delayed bone regeneration though no phenotype is found in paternal knockout mice, inconsistent with the defined maternal genomic imprinting of Mest. We demonstrate that promoter switching, not loss of imprinting, regulates biallelic Mest expression in the blastema and does not occur during embryogenesis, indicating a regeneration-specific mechanism. Requirement for Mest expression is tied to modulating neutrophil response, as revealed by scRNAseq and FACS comparing wildtype and knockout blastemas. Collectively, the imprinted gene Mest is required for proper digit tip regeneration and its blastema expression is facilitated by promoter switching for biallelic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Jou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophia M. Peña
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica A. Lehoczky
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Kocher AA, Dutrow EV, Uebbing S, Yim KM, Rosales Larios MF, Baumgartner M, Nottoli T, Noonan JP. CpG island turnover events predict evolutionary changes in enhancer activity. Genome Biol 2024; 25:156. [PMID: 38872220 PMCID: PMC11170920 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic changes that modify the function of transcriptional enhancers have been linked to the evolution of biological diversity across species. Multiple studies have focused on the role of nucleotide substitutions, transposition, and insertions and deletions in altering enhancer function. CpG islands (CGIs) have recently been shown to influence enhancer activity, and here we test how their turnover across species contributes to enhancer evolution. RESULTS We integrate maps of CGIs and enhancer activity-associated histone modifications obtained from multiple tissues in nine mammalian species and find that CGI content in enhancers is strongly associated with increased histone modification levels. CGIs show widespread turnover across species and species-specific CGIs are strongly enriched for enhancers exhibiting species-specific activity across all tissues and species. Genes associated with enhancers with species-specific CGIs show concordant biases in their expression, supporting that CGI turnover contributes to gene regulatory innovation. Our results also implicate CGI turnover in the evolution of Human Gain Enhancers (HGEs), which show increased activity in human embryonic development and may have contributed to the evolution of uniquely human traits. Using a humanized mouse model, we show that a highly conserved HGE with a large CGI absent from the mouse ortholog shows increased activity at the human CGI in the humanized mouse diencephalon. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results point to CGI turnover as a mechanism driving gene regulatory changes potentially underlying trait evolution in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acadia A Kocher
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily V Dutrow
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Zoetis, Inc, 333 Portage St, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA
| | - Severin Uebbing
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Genome Biology and Epigenetics, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina M Yim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy Nottoli
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - James P Noonan
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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10
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Sulkava S, Haukka J, Kaivola K, Doagu F, Lahtinen A, Kantojärvi K, Pärn K, Palta P, Myllykangas L, Sulkava R, Laatikainen T, Tienari PJ, Paunio T. Job-related exhaustion risk variant in UST is associated with dementia and DNA methylation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13668. [PMID: 38871764 PMCID: PMC11176189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62600-3] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous genome-wide association and replication study for job-related exhaustion indicated a risk variant, rs13219957 in the UST gene. Epidemiological studies suggest connection of stress-related conditions and dementia risk. Therefore, we first studied association of rs13219957 and register-based incident dementia using survival models in the Finnish National FINRISK study surveys (N = 26,693). The AA genotype of rs13219957 was significantly associated with 40% increased risk of all-cause dementia. Then we analysed the UST locus association with brain pathology in the Vantaa 85+ cohort and found association with tau pathology (Braak stage) but not with amyloid pathology. Finally, in the functional analyses, rs13219957 showed a highly significant association with two DNA methylation sites of UST, and UST expression. Thus, the results suggest a common risk variant for a stress-related condition and dementia. Mechanisms to mediate the connection may include differential DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation of UST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Sulkava
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jari Haukka
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Karri Kaivola
- Translational Immunology Program, Department of Neurology, Brain Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fatma Doagu
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexandra Lahtinen
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Kantojärvi
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalle Pärn
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Priit Palta
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liisa Myllykangas
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raimo Sulkava
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Amia Memory Clinics, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Laatikainen
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Joint Municipal Authority for North Karelia Social and Health Services (Siun Sote), Joensuu, Finland
| | - Pentti J Tienari
- Translational Immunology Program, Department of Neurology, Brain Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Paunio
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki , Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Nanda AS, Wu K, Irkliyenko I, Woo B, Ostrowski MS, Clugston AS, Sayles LC, Xu L, Satpathy AT, Nguyen HG, Alejandro Sweet-Cordero E, Goodarzi H, Kasinathan S, Ramani V. Direct transposition of native DNA for sensitive multimodal single-molecule sequencing. Nat Genet 2024; 56:1300-1309. [PMID: 38724748 PMCID: PMC11176058 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01748-0] [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: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Concurrent readout of sequence and base modifications from long unamplified DNA templates by Pacific Biosciences of California (PacBio) single-molecule sequencing requires large amounts of input material. Here we adapt Tn5 transposition to introduce hairpin oligonucleotides and fragment (tagment) limiting quantities of DNA for generating PacBio-compatible circular molecules. We developed two methods that implement tagmentation and use 90-99% less input than current protocols: (1) single-molecule real-time sequencing by tagmentation (SMRT-Tag), which allows detection of genetic variation and CpG methylation; and (2) single-molecule adenine-methylated oligonucleosome sequencing assay by tagmentation (SAMOSA-Tag), which uses exogenous adenine methylation to add a third channel for probing chromatin accessibility. SMRT-Tag of 40 ng or more human DNA (approximately 7,000 cell equivalents) yielded data comparable to gold standard whole-genome and bisulfite sequencing. SAMOSA-Tag of 30,000-50,000 nuclei resolved single-fiber chromatin structure, CTCF binding and DNA methylation in patient-derived prostate cancer xenografts and uncovered metastasis-associated global epigenome disorganization. Tagmentation thus promises to enable sensitive, scalable and multimodal single-molecule genomics for diverse basic and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun S Nanda
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ke Wu
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Iryna Irkliyenko
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian Woo
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Megan S Ostrowski
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew S Clugston
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leanne C Sayles
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lingru Xu
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ansuman T Satpathy
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone-University of California, San Francisco Institute for Genomic Immunology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hao G Nguyen
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - E Alejandro Sweet-Cordero
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hani Goodarzi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sivakanthan Kasinathan
- Gladstone-University of California, San Francisco Institute for Genomic Immunology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Vijay Ramani
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Helen-Diller Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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12
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Zhang Y, Li X, Ba Z, Lou J, Gaertner KE, Zhu T, Lin X, Ye AY, Alt FW, Hu H. Molecular basis for differential Igk versus Igh V(D)J joining mechanisms. Nature 2024; 630:189-197. [PMID: 38811728 PMCID: PMC11153149 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07477-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
In developing B cells, V(D)J recombination assembles exons encoding IgH and Igκ variable regions from hundreds of gene segments clustered across Igh and Igk loci. V, D and J gene segments are flanked by conserved recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that target RAG endonuclease1. RAG orchestrates Igh V(D)J recombination upon capturing a JH-RSS within the JH-RSS-based recombination centre1-3 (RC). JH-RSS orientation programmes RAG to scan upstream D- and VH-containing chromatin that is presented in a linear manner by cohesin-mediated loop extrusion4-7. During Igh scanning, RAG robustly utilizes only D-RSSs or VH-RSSs in convergent (deletional) orientation with JH-RSSs4-7. However, for Vκ-to-Jκ joining, RAG utilizes Vκ-RSSs from deletional- and inversional-oriented clusters8, inconsistent with linear scanning2. Here we characterize the Vκ-to-Jκ joining mechanism. Igk undergoes robust primary and secondary rearrangements9,10, which confounds scanning assays. We therefore engineered cells to undergo only primary Vκ-to-Jκ rearrangements and found that RAG scanning from the primary Jκ-RC terminates just 8 kb upstream within the CTCF-site-based Sis element11. Whereas Sis and the Jκ-RC barely interacted with the Vκ locus, the CTCF-site-based Cer element12 4 kb upstream of Sis interacted with various loop extrusion impediments across the locus. Similar to VH locus inversion7, DJH inversion abrogated VH-to-DJH joining; yet Vκ locus or Jκ inversion allowed robust Vκ-to-Jκ joining. Together, these experiments implicated loop extrusion in bringing Vκ segments near Cer for short-range diffusion-mediated capture by RC-based RAG. To identify key mechanistic elements for diffusional V(D)J recombination in Igk versus Igh, we assayed Vκ-to-JH and D-to-Jκ rearrangements in hybrid Igh-Igk loci generated by targeted chromosomal translocations, and pinpointed remarkably strong Vκ and Jκ RSSs. Indeed, RSS replacements in hybrid or normal Igk and Igh loci confirmed the ability of Igk-RSSs to promote robust diffusional joining compared with Igh-RSSs. We propose that Igk evolved strong RSSs to mediate diffusional Vκ-to-Jκ joining, whereas Igh evolved weaker RSSs requisite for modulating VH joining by RAG-scanning impediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhaoqing Ba
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangman Lou
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Elyse Gaertner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tammie Zhu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xin Lin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Yongxin Ye
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frederick W Alt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Hongli Hu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Raimer Young HM, Hou PC, Bartosik AR, Atkin ND, Wang L, Wang Z, Ratan A, Zang C, Wang YH. DNA fragility at topologically associated domain boundaries is promoted by alternative DNA secondary structure and topoisomerase II activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3837-3855. [PMID: 38452213 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae164] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites are hotspots of genome instability. Although many factors have been associated with CTCF binding site fragility, no study has integrated all fragility-related factors to understand the mechanism(s) of how they work together. Using an unbiased, genome-wide approach, we found that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are enriched at strong, but not weak, CTCF binding sites in five human cell types. Energetically favorable alternative DNA secondary structures underlie strong CTCF binding sites. These structures coincided with the location of topoisomerase II (TOP2) cleavage complex, suggesting that DNA secondary structure acts as a recognition sequence for TOP2 binding and cleavage at CTCF binding sites. Furthermore, CTCF knockdown significantly increased DSBs at strong CTCF binding sites and at CTCF sites that are located at topologically associated domain (TAD) boundaries. TAD boundary-associated CTCF sites that lost CTCF upon knockdown displayed increased DSBs when compared to the gained sites, and those lost sites are overrepresented with G-quadruplexes, suggesting that the structures act as boundary insulators in the absence of CTCF, and contribute to increased DSBs. These results model how alternative DNA secondary structures facilitate recruitment of TOP2 to CTCF binding sites, providing mechanistic insight into DNA fragility at CTCF binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Raimer Young
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Pei-Chi Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Anna R Bartosik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Naomi D Atkin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
| | - Lixin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Zhenjia Wang
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
| | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Chongzhi Zang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0717, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Yuh-Hwa Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0733, USA
- University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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14
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Camerino M, Chang W, Cvekl A. Analysis of long-range chromatin contacts, compartments and looping between mouse embryonic stem cells, lens epithelium and lens fibers. Epigenetics Chromatin 2024; 17:10. [PMID: 38643244 PMCID: PMC11031936 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-024-00533-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear organization of interphase chromosomes involves individual chromosome territories, "open" and "closed" chromatin compartments, topologically associated domains (TADs) and chromatin loops. The DNA- and RNA-binding transcription factor CTCF together with the cohesin complex serve as major organizers of chromatin architecture. Cellular differentiation is driven by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression that requires chromatin changes of individual loci of various complexities. Lens differentiation represents an advantageous system to probe transcriptional mechanisms underlying tissue-specific gene expression including high transcriptional outputs of individual crystallin genes until the mature lens fiber cells degrade their nuclei. RESULTS Chromatin organization between mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, newborn (P0.5) lens epithelium and fiber cells were analyzed using Hi-C. Localization of CTCF in both lens chromatins was determined by ChIP-seq and compared with ES cells. Quantitative analyses show major differences between number and size of TADs and chromatin loop size between these three cell types. In depth analyses show similarities between lens samples exemplified by overlaps between compartments A and B. Lens epithelium-specific CTCF peaks are found in mostly methylated genomic regions while lens fiber-specific and shared peaks occur mostly within unmethylated DNA regions. Major differences in TADs and loops are illustrated at the ~ 500 kb Pax6 locus, encoding the critical lens regulatory transcription factor and within a larger ~ 15 Mb WAGR locus, containing Pax6 and other loci linked to human congenital diseases. Lens and ES cell Hi-C data (TADs and loops) together with ATAC-seq, CTCF, H3K27ac, H3K27me3 and ENCODE cis-regulatory sites are shown in detail for the Pax6, Sox1 and Hif1a loci, multiple crystallin genes and other important loci required for lens morphogenesis. The majority of crystallin loci are marked by unexpectedly high CTCF-binding across their transcribed regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study has generated the first data on 3-dimensional (3D) nuclear organization in lens epithelium and lens fibers and directly compared these data with ES cells. These findings generate novel insights into lens-specific transcriptional gene control, open new research avenues to study transcriptional condensates in lens fiber cells, and enable studies of non-coding genetic variants linked to cataract and other lens and ocular abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Camerino
- The Departments Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA
| | - William Chang
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- The Departments Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA.
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA.
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15
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Tang X, Zeng P, Liu K, Qing L, Sun Y, Liu X, Lu L, Wei C, Wang J, Jiang S, Sun J, Chang W, Yu H, Chen H, Zhou J, Xu C, Fan L, Miao YL, Ding J. The PTM profiling of CTCF reveals the regulation of 3D chromatin structure by O-GlcNAcylation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2813. [PMID: 38561336 PMCID: PMC10985093 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47048-3] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved protein, is known to play a critical role in chromatin structure. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) diversify the functions of protein to regulate numerous cellular processes. However, the effects of PTMs on the genome-wide binding of CTCF and the organization of three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure have not been fully understood. In this study, we uncovered the PTM profiling of CTCF and demonstrated that CTCF can be O-GlcNAcylated and arginine methylated. Functionally, we demonstrated that O-GlcNAcylation inhibits CTCF binding to chromatin. Meanwhile, deficiency of CTCF O-GlcNAcylation results in the disruption of loop domains and the alteration of chromatin loops associated with cellular development. Furthermore, the deficiency of CTCF O-GlcNAcylation increases the expression of developmental genes and negatively regulates maintenance and establishment of stem cell pluripotency. In conclusion, these results provide key insights into the role of PTMs for the 3D chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxiao Tang
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Cardiac & Cerebral Vascular Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Pengguihang Zeng
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Kezhi Liu
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Li Qing
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yifei Sun
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Lizi Lu
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chao Wei
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jia Wang
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Shaoshuai Jiang
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jun Sun
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wakam Chang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Haopeng Yu
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hebing Chen
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Jiaguo Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology and Cardiac & Cerebral Vascular Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chengfang Xu
- The obstetric and gynecology Department of The third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Lili Fan
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yi-Liang Miao
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Junjun Ding
- RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China.
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital/West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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16
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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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17
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Karimi K, Mol MO, Haghshenas S, Relator R, Levy MA, Kerkhof J, McConkey H, Brooks A, Zonneveld-Huijssoon E, Gerkes EH, Tedder ML, Vissers L, Salzano E, Piccione M, Asaftei SD, Carli D, Mussa A, Shukarova-Angelovska E, Trajkova S, Brusco A, Merla G, Alders MM, Bouman A, Sadikovic B. Identification of DNA methylation episignature for the intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 21 syndrome, caused by variants in the CTCF gene. Genet Med 2024; 26:101041. [PMID: 38054406 DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2023.101041] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The main objective of this study was to assess clinical features and genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in individuals affected by intellectual developmental disorder, autosomal dominant 21 (IDD21) syndrome, caused by variants in the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) gene. METHODS DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood of 16 individuals with clinical features and genetic findings consistent with IDD21. DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC Bead Chip microarrays. The methylation levels were fitted in a multivariate linear regression model to identify the differentially methylated probes. A binary support vector machine classification model was constructed to differentiate IDD21 samples from controls. RESULTS We identified a highly specific, reproducible, and sensitive episignature associated with CTCF variants. Six variants of uncertain significance were tested, of which 2 mapped to the IDD21 episignature and clustered alongside IDD21 cases in both heatmap and multidimensional scaling plots. Comparison of the genomic DNA methylation profile of IDD21 with that of 56 other neurodevelopmental disorders provided insights into the underlying molecular pathophysiology of this disorder. CONCLUSION The robust and specific CTCF/IDD21 episignature expands the growing list of neurodevelopmental disorders with distinct DNA methylation profiles, which can be applied as supporting evidence in variant classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Karimi
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Merel O Mol
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sadegheh Haghshenas
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Raissa Relator
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Michael A Levy
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Jennifer Kerkhof
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Haley McConkey
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada
| | - Alice Brooks
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Evelien Zonneveld-Huijssoon
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Erica H Gerkes
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Lisenka Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Emanuela Salzano
- Medical Genetics Unit, AOOR Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospitals, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Piccione
- Medical Genetics Unit, AOOR Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospitals, Palermo, Italy; Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sebastian Dorin Asaftei
- Pediatric Onco-Hematology, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Diana Carli
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Immunogenetics and Transplant Biology Service, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mussa
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Shukarova-Angelovska
- Department of Endocrinology and Genetics, University Clinic for Children's Diseases, Medical Faculty, University Sv. Kiril i Metodij, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - Slavica Trajkova
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Medical Genetics Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merla
- Laboratory of Regulatory and Functional Genomics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marielle M Alders
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Bouman
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Canada.
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18
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Monteagudo-Sánchez A, Noordermeer D, Greenberg MVC. The impact of DNA methylation on CTCF-mediated 3D genome organization. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:404-412. [PMID: 38499830 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Cytosine DNA methylation is a highly conserved epigenetic mark in eukaryotes. Although the role of DNA methylation at gene promoters and repetitive elements has been extensively studied, the function of DNA methylation in other genomic contexts remains less clear. In the nucleus of mammalian cells, the genome is spatially organized at different levels, and strongly influences myriad genomic processes. There are a number of factors that regulate the three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome, with the CTCF insulator protein being among the most well-characterized. Pertinently, CTCF binding has been reported as being DNA methylation-sensitive in certain contexts, perhaps most notably in the process of genomic imprinting. Therefore, it stands to reason that DNA methylation may play a broader role in the regulation of chromatin architecture. Here we summarize the current understanding that is relevant to both the mammalian DNA methylation and chromatin architecture fields and attempt to assess the extent to which DNA methylation impacts the folding of the genome. The focus is in early embryonic development and cellular transitions when the epigenome is in flux, but we also describe insights from pathological contexts, such as cancer, in which the epigenome and 3D genome organization are misregulated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daan Noordermeer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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19
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Gu J, Li Y, Tian Y, Zhang Y, Cheng Y, Tang Y. Noncanonical functions of microRNAs in the nucleus. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024; 56:151-161. [PMID: 38167929 PMCID: PMC10984876 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that play their roles in the regulation of physiological and pathological processes. Originally, it was assumed that miRNAs only modulate gene expression posttranscriptionally in the cytoplasm by inducing target mRNA degradation. However, with further research, evidence shows that mature miRNAs also exist in the cell nucleus, where they can impact gene transcription and ncRNA maturation in several ways. This review provides an overview of novel models of nuclear miRNA functions. Some of the models remain to be verified by experimental evidence, and more details of the miRNA regulation network remain to be discovered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Gu
- College of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200001China
| | - Yuanan Li
- College of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200001China
| | - Youtong Tian
- College of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200001China
| | - Yehao Zhang
- College of Basic Medical SciencesShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200001China
| | - Yongjun Cheng
- Department of Rheumatologythe First People’s Hospital of WenlingWenling317500China
| | - Yuanjia Tang
- Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology/Department of RheumatologyRenji HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200001China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related GenesShanghai Cancer InstituteRenji HospitalShanghai200031China
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20
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Liu J, Zhong X. Epiallelic variation of non-coding RNA genes and their phenotypic consequences. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1375. [PMID: 38355746 PMCID: PMC10867003 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45771-5] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic variations contribute greatly to the phenotypic plasticity and diversity. Current functional studies on epialleles have predominantly focused on protein-coding genes, leaving the epialleles of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes largely understudied. Here, we uncover abundant DNA methylation variations of ncRNA genes and their significant correlations with plant adaptation among 1001 natural Arabidopsis accessions. Through genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identify large numbers of methylation QTL (methylQTL) that are independent of known DNA methyltransferases and enriched in specific chromatin states. Proximal methylQTL closely located to ncRNA genes have a larger effect on DNA methylation than distal methylQTL. We ectopically tether a DNA methyltransferase MQ1v to miR157a by CRISPR-dCas9 and show de novo establishment of DNA methylation accompanied with decreased miR157a abundance and early flowering. These findings provide important insights into the genetic basis of epigenetic variations and highlight the contribution of epigenetic variations of ncRNA genes to plant phenotypes and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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21
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Tam PLF, Cheung MF, Chan LY, Leung D. Cell-type differential targeting of SETDB1 prevents aberrant CTCF binding, chromatin looping, and cis-regulatory interactions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:15. [PMID: 38167730 PMCID: PMC10762014 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44578-0] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
SETDB1 is an essential histone methyltransferase that deposits histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) to transcriptionally repress genes and repetitive elements. The function of differential H3K9me3 enrichment between cell-types remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate mutual exclusivity of H3K9me3 and CTCF across mouse tissues from different developmental timepoints. We analyze SETDB1 depleted cells and discover that H3K9me3 prevents aberrant CTCF binding independently of DNA methylation and H3K9me2. Such sites are enriched with SINE B2 retrotransposons. Moreover, analysis of higher-order genome architecture reveals that large chromatin structures including topologically associated domains and subnuclear compartments, remain intact in SETDB1 depleted cells. However, chromatin loops and local 3D interactions are disrupted, leading to transcriptional changes by modifying pre-existing chromatin landscapes. Specific genes with altered expression show differential interactions with dysregulated cis-regulatory elements. Collectively, we find that cell-type specific targets of SETDB1 maintain cellular identities by modulating CTCF binding, which shape nuclear architecture and transcriptomic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Lut Fei Tam
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Ming Fung Cheung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Center for Epigenomics Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Lu Yan Chan
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- Center for Epigenomics Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Danny Leung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
- Center for Epigenomics Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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22
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Wang P, Fan N, Yang W, Cao P, Liu G, Zhao Q, Guo P, Li X, Lin X, Jiang N, Nashun B. Transcriptional regulation of FACT involves Coordination of chromatin accessibility and CTCF binding. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105538. [PMID: 38072046 PMCID: PMC10808957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105538] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Histone chaperone FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription) is well known to promote chromatin recovery during transcription. However, the mechanism how FACT regulates genome-wide chromatin accessibility and transcription factor binding has not been fully elucidated. Through loss-of-function studies, we show here that FACT component Ssrp1 is required for DNA replication and DNA damage repair and is also essential for progression of cell phase transition and cell proliferation in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. On the molecular level, absence of the Ssrp1 leads to increased chromatin accessibility, enhanced CTCF binding, and a remarkable change in dynamic range of gene expression. Our study thus unequivocally uncovers a unique mechanism by which FACT complex regulates transcription by coordinating genome-wide chromatin accessibility and CTCF binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijun Wang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Na Fan
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wanting Yang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Pengbo Cao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Guojun Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pengfei Guo
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xihe Li
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Saikexing Institute of Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology in Domestic Animals, Hohhot, China
| | - Xinhua Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Buhe Nashun
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Molecular Regulation of the Cell, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China.
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23
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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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24
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Zeng Y, Jain R, Lam M, Ahmed M, Guo H, Xu W, Zhong Y, Wei GH, Xu W, He HH. DNA methylation modulated genetic variant effect on gene transcriptional regulation. Genome Biol 2023; 24:285. [PMID: 38066556 PMCID: PMC10709945 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03130-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis has emerged as an important tool in elucidating the link between genetic variants and gene expression, thereby bridging the gap between risk SNPs and associated diseases. We recently identified and validated a specific case where the methylation of a CpG site influences the relationship between the genetic variant and gene expression. RESULTS Here, to systematically evaluate this regulatory mechanism, we develop an extended eQTL mapping method, termed DNA methylation modulated eQTL (memo-eQTL). Applying this memo-eQTL mapping method to 128 normal prostate samples enables identification of 1063 memo-eQTLs, the majority of which are not recognized as conventional eQTLs in the same cohort. We observe that the methylation of the memo-eQTL CpG sites can either enhance or insulate the interaction between SNP and gene expression by altering CTCF-based chromatin 3D structure. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the prevalence of memo-eQTLs paving the way to identify novel causal genes for traits or diseases associated with genetic variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zeng
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Rahi Jain
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Magnus Lam
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Musaddeque Ahmed
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Haiyang Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
| | - Wenjie Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Zhong
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gong-Hong Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Biocenter Oulu & Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Wei Xu
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Housheng Hansen He
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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25
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Cao Y, Bai Y, Yuan T, Song L, Fan Y, Ren L, Song W, Peng J, An R, Gu Q, Zheng Y, Xie XS. Single-cell bisulfite-free 5mC and 5hmC sequencing with high sensitivity and scalability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310367120. [PMID: 38011566 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310367120] [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: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Existing single-cell bisulfite-based DNA methylation analysis is limited by low DNA recovery, and the measurement of 5hmC at single-base resolution remains challenging. Here, we present a bisulfite-free single-cell whole-genome 5mC and 5hmC profiling technique, named Cabernet, which can characterize 5mC and 5hmC at single-base resolution with high genomic coverage. Cabernet utilizes Tn5 transposome for DNA fragmentation, which enables the discrimination between different alleles for measuring hemi-methylation status. Using Cabernet, we revealed the 5mC, hemi-5mC and 5hmC dynamics during early mouse embryo development, uncovering genomic regions exclusively governed by active or passive demethylation. We show that hemi-methylation status can be used to distinguish between pre- and post-replication cells, enabling more efficient cell grouping when integrated with 5mC profiles. The property of Tn5 naturally enables Cabernet to achieve high-throughput single-cell methylome profiling, where we probed mouse cortical neurons and embryonic day 7.5 (E7.5) embryos, and constructed the library for thousands of single cells at high efficiency, demonstrating its potential for analyzing complex tissues at substantially low cost. Together, we present a way of high-throughput methylome and hydroxymethylome detection at single-cell resolution, enabling efficient analysis of the epigenetic status of biological systems with complicated nature such as neurons and cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Bai
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
- Joint Graduate Program of Peking-Tsinghua-National Institute of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianjiao Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyang Song
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Fan
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Liuhao Ren
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiliang Song
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiahui Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran An
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Gu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinghui Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoliang Sunney Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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26
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Sen Gupta A, Seidel C, Tsuchiya D, McKinney S, Yu Z, Smith SE, Unruh JR, Gerton JL. Defining a core configuration for human centromeres during mitosis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7947. [PMID: 38040722 PMCID: PMC10692335 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42980-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The centromere components cohesin, CENP-A, and centromeric DNA are essential for biorientation of sister chromatids on the mitotic spindle and accurate sister chromatid segregation. Insight into the 3D organization of centromere components would help resolve how centromeres function on the mitotic spindle. We use ChIP-seq and super-resolution microscopy with single particle averaging to examine the geometry of essential centromeric components on human chromosomes. Both modalities suggest cohesin is enriched at pericentromeric DNA. CENP-A localizes to a subset of the α-satellite DNA, with clusters separated by ~562 nm and a perpendicular intervening ~190 nM wide axis of cohesin in metaphase chromosomes. Differently sized α-satellite arrays achieve a similar core structure. Here we present a working model for a common core configuration of essential centromeric components that includes CENP-A nucleosomes, α-satellite DNA and pericentromeric cohesion. This configuration helps reconcile how centromeres function and serves as a foundation to add components of the chromosome segregation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Seidel
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Sarah E Smith
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jay R Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer L Gerton
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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27
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Puri D, Maaßen C, Varona Baranda M, Zeevaert K, Hahnfeld L, Hauser A, Fornero G, Elsafi Mabrouk MH, Wagner W. CTCF deletion alters the pluripotency and DNA methylation profile of human iPSCs. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1302448. [PMID: 38099298 PMCID: PMC10720430 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1302448] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells are characterized by their differentiation potential toward endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. However, it is still largely unclear how these cell-fate decisions are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we explored the relevance of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a zinc finger-containing DNA-binding protein, which mediates long-range chromatin organization, for directed cell-fate determination. We generated human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines with deletions in the protein-coding region in exon 3 of CTCF, resulting in shorter transcripts and overall reduced protein expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed a considerable loss of CTCF binding to target sites. The CTCF deletions resulted in slower growth and modest global changes in gene expression, with downregulation of a subset of pluripotency-associated genes and neuroectodermal genes. CTCF deletion also evoked DNA methylation changes, which were moderately associated with differential gene expression. Notably, CTCF-deletions lead to upregulation of endo-mesodermal associated marker genes and epigenetic signatures, whereas ectodermal differentiation was defective. These results indicate that CTCF plays an important role in the maintenance of pluripotency and differentiation, especially towards ectodermal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Puri
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Catharina Maaßen
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Monica Varona Baranda
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kira Zeevaert
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lena Hahnfeld
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Annika Hauser
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Giulia Fornero
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mohamed H. Elsafi Mabrouk
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wagner
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
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28
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Sun Z, Braga-Neto MB, Xiong Y, Bhagwate AV, Gibbons HR, Sagstetter MR, Hamdan FH, Baheti S, Friton J, Nair A, Ye Z, Faubion WA. Hypomethylation and Overexpression of Th17-Associated Genes is a Hallmark of Intestinal CD4+ Lymphocytes in Crohn's Disease. J Crohns Colitis 2023; 17:1847-1857. [PMID: 37280154 PMCID: PMC10673812 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of Crohn's disease [CD] involves immune cell signalling pathways regulated by epigenetic modifications. Aberrant DNA methylation has been identified in peripheral blood and bulk intestinal tissue from CD patients. However, the DNA methylome of disease-associated intestinal CD4+ lymphocytes has not been evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing was performed from terminal ileum CD4+ cells from 21 CD patients and 12 age- and sex-matched controls. Data were analysed for differentially methylated CpGs [DMCs] and methylated regions [DMRs]. Integration was performed with RNA-sequencing data to evaluate the functional impact of DNA methylation changes on gene expression. DMRs were overlapped with regions of differentially open chromatin [by ATAC-seq] and CCCTC-binding factor [CTCF] binding sites [by ChIP-seq] between peripherally derived Th17 and Treg cells. RESULTS CD4+ cells in CD patients had significantly increased DNA methylation compared to those from the controls. A total of 119 051 DMCs and 8113 DMRs were detected. While hypermethylated genes were mostly related to cell metabolism and homeostasis, hypomethylated genes were significantly enriched within the Th17 signalling pathway. The differentially enriched ATAC regions in Th17 cells [compared to Tregs] were hypomethylated in CD patients, suggesting heightened Th17 activity. There was significant overlap between hypomethylated DNA regions and CTCF-associated binding sites. CONCLUSIONS The methylome of CD patients shows an overall dominant hypermethylation yet hypomethylation is more concentrated in proinflammatory pathways, including Th17 differentiation. Hypomethylation of Th17-related genes associated with areas of open chromatin and CTCF binding sites constitutes a hallmark of CD-associated intestinal CD4+ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifu Sun
- Division of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Manuel B Braga-Neto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yuning Xiong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Adytia V Bhagwate
- Division of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Hunter R Gibbons
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Mary R Sagstetter
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Feda H Hamdan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Saurabh Baheti
- Division of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jessica Friton
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Asha Nair
- Division of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Zhenqing Ye
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - William A Faubion
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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29
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Tam PLF, Leung D. The Molecular Impacts of Retrotransposons in Development and Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16418. [PMID: 38003607 PMCID: PMC10671454 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216418] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are invasive genetic elements that constitute substantial portions of mammalian genomes. They have the potential to influence nearby gene expression through their cis-regulatory sequences, reverse transcription machinery, and the ability to mold higher-order chromatin structures. Due to their multifaceted functions, it is crucial for host fitness to maintain strict regulation of these parasitic sequences to ensure proper growth and development. This review explores how subsets of retrotransposons have undergone evolutionary exaptation to enhance the complexity of mammalian genomes. It also highlights the significance of regulating these elements, drawing on recent studies conducted in human and murine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Lut Fei Tam
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Danny Leung
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Center for Epigenomics Research, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
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30
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Lee SA, Kristjánsdóttir K, Kwak H. eRNA co-expression network uncovers TF dependency and convergent cooperativity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19085. [PMID: 37925545 PMCID: PMC10625640 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46415-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are non-coding RNAs produced by transcriptional enhancers that are highly correlated with their activity. Using a capped nascent RNA sequencing (PRO-cap) dataset in human lymphoblastoid cell lines across 67 individuals, we identified inter-individual variation in the expression of over 80 thousand transcribed transcriptional regulatory elements (tTREs), in both enhancers and promoters. Co-expression analysis of eRNAs from tTREs across individuals revealed how enhancers are associated with each other and with promoters. Mid- to long-range co-expression showed a distance-dependent decay that was modified by TF occupancy. In particular, we found a class of "bivalent" TFs, including Cohesin, that both facilitate and isolate the interaction between enhancers and/or promoters, depending on their topology. At short distances, we observed strand-specific correlations between nearby eRNAs in both convergent and divergent orientations. Our results support a cooperative model of convergent eRNAs, consistent with eRNAs facilitating adjacent enhancers rather than interfering with each other. Therefore, our approach to infer functional interactions from co-expression analyses provided novel insights into the principles of enhancer interactions as a function of distance, orientation, and binding landscapes of TFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungha Alisa Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Katla Kristjánsdóttir
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Hojoong Kwak
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
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31
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Liu Y, Wan X, Li H, Chen Y, Hu X, Chen H, Zhu D, Li C, Zhang Y. CTCF coordinates cell fate specification via orchestrating regulatory hubs with pioneer transcription factors. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113259. [PMID: 37851578 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113259] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a ubiquitously expressed architectural protein, has emerged as a key regulator of cell identity gene transcription. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying specialized functions of CTCF remains elusive. Here, we investigate the mechanism through integrative analyses of primary hepatocytes, myocytes, and B cells from mouse and human. We demonstrate that CTCF cooperates with lineage-specific pioneer transcription factors (TFs), including MyoD, FOXA, and PU.1, to control cell identity at 1D and 3D levels. At the 1D level, pioneer TFs facilitate lineage-specific CTCF occupancy via opening chromatin. At the 3D level, CTCF and pioneer TFs form regulatory hubs to govern the expression of cell identity genes. This mechanism is validated using MyoD-null mice, CTCF knockout mice, and CRISPR editing during myogenic differentiation. Collectively, these findings uncover a general mechanism whereby CTCF acts as a cell identity cofactor to control cell identity genes via orchestrating regulatory hubs with pioneer TFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xin Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Hu Li
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Yingxi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Xiaodi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Hebing Chen
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Taiping Road 27TH, Haidian District, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Dahai Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China; Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China.
| | - Cheng Li
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China; Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China.
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32
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Preston-Alp S, Caruso LB, Su C, Keith K, Soldan SS, Maestri D, Madzo J, Kossenkov A, Napoletani G, Gewurz B, Lieberman PM, Tempera I. Decitabine disrupts EBV genomic epiallele DNA methylation patterns around CTCF binding sites to increase chromatin accessibility and lytic transcription in gastric cancer. mBio 2023; 14:e0039623. [PMID: 37606370 PMCID: PMC10653948 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00396-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency is controlled by epigenetic silencing by DNA methylation [5-methyl cytosine (5mC)], histone modifications, and chromatin looping. However, how they dictate the transcriptional program in EBV-associated gastric cancers remains incompletely understood. EBV-associated gastric cancer displays a 5mC hypermethylated phenotype. A potential treatment for this cancer subtype is the DNA hypomethylating agent, which induces EBV lytic reactivation and targets hypermethylation of the cellular DNA. In this study, we identified a heterogeneous pool of EBV epialleles within two tumor-derived gastric cancer cell lines that are disrupted with a hypomethylating agent. Stochastic DNA methylation patterning at critical regulatory regions may be an underlying mechanism for spontaneous reactivation. Our results highlight the critical role of epigenetic modulation on EBV latency and life cycle, which is maintained through the interaction between 5mC and the host protein CCCTC-binding factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chenhe Su
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kelsey Keith
- The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | - Jozef Madzo
- The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | - Benjamin Gewurz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Italo Tempera
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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33
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Lee GE, Byun J, Lee CJ, Cho YY. Molecular Mechanisms for the Regulation of Nuclear Membrane Integrity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15497. [PMID: 37895175 PMCID: PMC10607757 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The nuclear membrane serves a critical role in protecting the contents of the nucleus and facilitating material and signal exchange between the nucleus and cytoplasm. While extensive research has been dedicated to topics such as nuclear membrane assembly and disassembly during cell division, as well as interactions between nuclear transmembrane proteins and both nucleoskeletal and cytoskeletal components, there has been comparatively less emphasis on exploring the regulation of nuclear morphology through nuclear membrane integrity. In particular, the role of type II integral proteins, which also function as transcription factors, within the nuclear membrane remains an area of research that is yet to be fully explored. The integrity of the nuclear membrane is pivotal not only during cell division but also in the regulation of gene expression and the communication between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Importantly, it plays a significant role in the development of various diseases. This review paper seeks to illuminate the biomolecules responsible for maintaining the integrity of the nuclear membrane. It will delve into the mechanisms that influence nuclear membrane integrity and provide insights into the role of type II membrane protein transcription factors in this context. Understanding these aspects is of utmost importance, as it can offer valuable insights into the intricate processes governing nuclear membrane integrity. Such insights have broad-reaching implications for cellular function and our understanding of disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ga-Eun Lee
- BK21-4th, and BRL, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43, Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si 14662, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; (G.-E.L.); (J.B.)
| | - Jiin Byun
- BK21-4th, and BRL, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43, Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si 14662, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; (G.-E.L.); (J.B.)
| | - Cheol-Jung Lee
- Research Center for Materials Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, 169-148, Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34133, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Yeon Cho
- BK21-4th, and BRL, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43, Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si 14662, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; (G.-E.L.); (J.B.)
- RCD Control and Material Research Institute, The Catholic University of Korea, 43, Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si 14662, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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34
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Lyu X, Rowley MJ, Kulik MJ, Dalton S, Corces VG. Regulation of CTCF loop formation during pancreatic cell differentiation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6314. [PMID: 37813869 PMCID: PMC10562423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41964-6] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription reprogramming during cell differentiation involves targeting enhancers to genes responsible for establishment of cell fates. To understand the contribution of CTCF-mediated chromatin organization to cell lineage commitment, we analyzed 3D chromatin architecture during the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into pancreatic islet organoids. We find that CTCF loops are formed and disassembled at different stages of the differentiation process by either recruitment of CTCF to new anchor sites or use of pre-existing sites not previously involved in loop formation. Recruitment of CTCF to new sites in the genome involves demethylation of H3K9me3 to H3K9me2, demethylation of DNA, recruitment of pioneer factors, and positioning of nucleosomes flanking the new CTCF sites. Existing CTCF sites not involved in loop formation become functional loop anchors via the establishment of new cohesin loading sites containing NIPBL and YY1 at sites between the new anchors. In both cases, formation of new CTCF loops leads to strengthening of enhancer promoter interactions and increased transcription of genes adjacent to loop anchors. These results suggest an important role for CTCF and cohesin in controlling gene expression during cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Lyu
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Organ and Tissue Regeneration, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
| | - M Jordan Rowley
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Michael J Kulik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Stephen Dalton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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35
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Yang J, Horton JR, Liu B, Corces VG, Blumenthal RM, Zhang X, Cheng X. Structures of CTCF-DNA complexes including all 11 zinc fingers. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8447-8462. [PMID: 37439339 PMCID: PMC10484683 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binds tens of thousands of enhancers and promoters on mammalian chromosomes by means of its 11 tandem zinc finger (ZF) DNA-binding domain. In addition to the 12-15-bp CORE sequence, some of the CTCF binding sites contain 5' upstream and/or 3' downstream motifs. Here, we describe two structures for overlapping portions of human CTCF, respectively, including ZF1-ZF7 and ZF3-ZF11 in complex with DNA that incorporates the CORE sequence together with either 3' downstream or 5' upstream motifs. Like conventional tandem ZF array proteins, ZF1-ZF7 follow the right-handed twist of the DNA, with each finger occupying and recognizing one triplet of three base pairs in the DNA major groove. ZF8 plays a unique role, acting as a spacer across the DNA minor groove and positioning ZF9-ZF11 to make cross-strand contacts with DNA. We ascribe the difference between the two subgroups of ZF1-ZF7 and ZF8-ZF11 to residues at the two positions -6 and -5 within each finger, with small residues for ZF1-ZF7 and bulkier and polar/charged residues for ZF8-ZF11. ZF8 is also uniquely rich in basic amino acids, which allows salt bridges to DNA phosphates in the minor groove. Highly specific arginine-guanine and glutamine-adenine interactions, used to recognize G:C or A:T base pairs at conventional base-interacting positions of ZFs, also apply to the cross-strand interactions adopted by ZF9-ZF11. The differences between ZF1-ZF7 and ZF8-ZF11 can be rationalized structurally and may contribute to recognition of high-affinity CTCF binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John R Horton
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Robert M Blumenthal
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and Program in Bioinformatics, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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36
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Wulfridge P, Yan Q, Rell N, Doherty J, Jacobson S, Offley S, Deliard S, Feng K, Phillips-Cremins JE, Gardini A, Sarma K. G-quadruplexes associated with R-loops promote CTCF binding. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3064-3079.e5. [PMID: 37552993 PMCID: PMC10529333 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
CTCF is a critical regulator of genome architecture and gene expression that binds thousands of sites on chromatin. CTCF genomic localization is controlled by the recognition of a DNA sequence motif and regulated by DNA modifications. However, CTCF does not bind to all its potential sites in all cell types, raising the question of whether the underlying chromatin structure can regulate CTCF occupancy. Here, we report that R-loops facilitate CTCF binding through the formation of associated G-quadruplex (G4) structures. R-loops and G4s co-localize with CTCF at many genomic regions in mouse embryonic stem cells and promote CTCF binding to its cognate DNA motif in vitro. R-loop attenuation reduces CTCF binding in vivo. Deletion of a specific G4-forming motif in a gene reduces CTCF binding and alters gene expression. Conversely, chemical stabilization of G4s results in CTCF gains and accompanying alterations in chromatin organization, suggesting a pivotal role for G4 structures in reinforcing long-range genome interactions through CTCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Wulfridge
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Qingqing Yan
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rell
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Doherty
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Skye Jacobson
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sarah Offley
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandra Deliard
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kelly Feng
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jennifer E Phillips-Cremins
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alessandro Gardini
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kavitha Sarma
- Gene expression and Regulation program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Loftus D, Bae B, Whilden CM, Whipple AJ. Allelic chromatin structure precedes imprinted expression of Kcnk9 during neurogenesis. Genes Dev 2023; 37:829-843. [PMID: 37821107 PMCID: PMC10620047 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350896.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Differences in chromatin state inherited from the parental gametes influence the regulation of maternal and paternal alleles in offspring. This phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, results in genes preferentially transcribed from one parental allele. While local epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation are known to be important for the establishment of imprinted gene expression, less is known about the mechanisms by which differentially methylated regions (DMRs) lead to differences in allelic expression across broad stretches of chromatin. Allele-specific higher-order chromatin structure has been observed at multiple imprinted loci, consistent with the observation of allelic binding of the chromatin-organizing factor CTCF at multiple DMRs. However, whether allelic chromatin structure impacts allelic gene expression is not known for most imprinted loci. Here we characterize the mechanisms underlying brain-specific imprinted expression of the Peg13-Kcnk9 locus, an imprinted region associated with intellectual disability. We performed region capture Hi-C on mouse brains from reciprocal hybrid crosses and found imprinted higher-order chromatin structure caused by the allelic binding of CTCF to the Peg13 DMR. Using an in vitro neuron differentiation system, we showed that imprinted chromatin structure precedes imprinted expression at the locus. Additionally, activation of a distal enhancer induced imprinted expression of Kcnk9 in an allelic chromatin structure-dependent manner. This work provides a high-resolution map of imprinted chromatin structure and demonstrates that chromatin state established in early development can promote imprinted expression upon differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Loftus
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Bongmin Bae
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Courtney M Whilden
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Amanda J Whipple
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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Yusupov N, van Doeselaar L, Röh S, Wiechmann T, Ködel M, Sauer S, Rex-Haffner M, Schmidt MV, Binder EB. Extensive evaluation of DNA methylation of functional elements in the murine Fkbp5 locus using high-accuracy DNA methylation measurement via targeted bisulfite sequencing. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2662-2676. [PMID: 37414581 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16078] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
FKBP5 is an important stress-regulatory gene implicated in stress-related psychiatric diseases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the FKBP5 gene were shown to interact with early life stress to alter the glucocorticoid-related stress response and moderate disease risk. Demethylation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine-dinucleotides (CpGs) in regulatory glucocorticoid-responsive elements was suggested to be the mediating epigenetic mechanism for long-term stress effects, but studies on Fkbp5 DNA methylation (DNAm) in rodents are so far limited. We evaluated the applicability of high-accuracy DNA methylation measurement via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS), a next-generation sequencing-based technology, to allow a more in-depth characterisation of the DNA methylation of the murine Fkbp5 locus in three different tissues (blood, frontal cortex and hippocampus). In this study, we not only increased the number of evaluated sites in previously described regulatory regions (in introns 1 and 5), but also extended the evaluation to novel, possibly relevant regulatory regions of the gene (in intron 8, the transcriptional start site, the proximal enhancer and CTCF-binding sites within the 5'UTR). We here describe the assessment of HAM-TBS assays for a panel of 157 CpGs with possible functional relevance in the murine Fkbp5 gene. DNAm profiles were tissue-specific, with lesser differences between the two brain regions than between the brain and blood. Moreover, we identified DNAm changes in the Fkbp5 locus after early life stress exposure in the frontal cortex and blood. Our findings indicate that HAM-TBS is a valuable tool for broader exploration of the DNAm of the murine Fkbp5 locus and its involvement in the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natan Yusupov
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Lotte van Doeselaar
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Röh
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Wiechmann
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Rex-Haffner
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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Villicaña S, Castillo-Fernandez J, Hannon E, Christiansen C, Tsai PC, Maddock J, Kuh D, Suderman M, Power C, Relton C, Ploubidis G, Wong A, Hardy R, Goodman A, Ong KK, Bell JT. Genetic impacts on DNA methylation help elucidate regulatory genomic processes. Genome Biol 2023; 24:176. [PMID: 37525248 PMCID: PMC10391992 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03011-x] [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: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pinpointing genetic impacts on DNA methylation can improve our understanding of pathways that underlie gene regulation and disease risk. RESULTS We report heritability and methylation quantitative trait locus (meQTL) analysis at 724,499 CpGs profiled with the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC array in 2358 blood samples from three UK cohorts. Methylation levels at 34.2% of CpGs are affected by SNPs, and 98% of effects are cis-acting or within 1 Mbp of the tested CpG. Our results are consistent with meQTL analyses based on the former Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 array. Both SNPs and CpGs with meQTLs are overrepresented in enhancers, which have improved coverage on this platform compared to previous approaches. Co-localisation analyses across genetic effects on DNA methylation and 56 human traits identify 1520 co-localisations across 1325 unique CpGs and 34 phenotypes, including in disease-relevant genes, such as USP1 and DOCK7 (total cholesterol levels), and ICOSLG (inflammatory bowel disease). Enrichment analysis of meQTLs and integration with expression QTLs give insights into mechanisms underlying cis-meQTLs (e.g. through disruption of transcription factor binding sites for CTCF and SMC3) and trans-meQTLs (e.g. through regulating the expression of ACD and SENP7 which can modulate DNA methylation at distal sites). CONCLUSIONS Our findings improve the characterisation of the mechanisms underlying DNA methylation variability and are informative for prioritisation of GWAS variants for functional follow-ups. The MeQTL EPIC Database and viewer are available online at https://epicmeqtl.kcl.ac.uk .
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Villicaña
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK.
| | | | | | - Colette Christiansen
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Pei-Chien Tsai
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jane Maddock
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Diana Kuh
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Suderman
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Christine Power
- Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - George Ploubidis
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Wong
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Hardy
- School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
- UCL Social Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alissa Goodman
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ken K Ong
- MRC Epidemiology Unit and Department of Paediatrics, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jordana T Bell
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK.
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Sun JM, Chow WY, Xu G, Hicks MJ, Nakka M, Shen J, Ng PKS, Taylor AM, Yu A, Farrar JE, Barkauskas DA, Gorlick R, Guidry Auvil JM, Gerhard D, Meltzer P, Guerra R, Man TK, Lau CC. The Role of FAS Receptor Methylation in Osteosarcoma Metastasis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12155. [PMID: 37569529 PMCID: PMC10418590 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor with an annual incidence of about 400 cases in the United States. Osteosarcoma primarily metastasizes to the lungs, where FAS ligand (FASL) is constitutively expressed. The interaction of FASL and its cell surface receptor, FAS, triggers apoptosis in normal cells; however, this function is altered in cancer cells. DNA methylation has previously been explored as a mechanism for altering FAS expression, but no variability was identified in the CpG island (CGI) overlapping the promoter. Analysis of an expanded region, including CGI shores and shelves, revealed high variability in the methylation of certain CpG sites that correlated significantly with FAS mRNA expression in a negative manner. Bisulfite sequencing revealed additional CpG sites, which were highly methylated in the metastatic LM7 cell line but unmethylated in its parental non-metastatic SaOS-2 cell line. Treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine, resulted in a loss of methylation in CpG sites located within the FAS promoter and restored FAS protein expression in LM7 cells, resulting in reduced migration. Orthotopic implantation of 5-azacytidine treated LM7 cells into severe combined immunodeficient mice led to decreased lung metastases. These results suggest that DNA methylation of CGI shore sites may regulate FAS expression and constitute a potential target for osteosarcoma therapy, utilizing demethylating agents currently approved for the treatment of other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi M. Sun
- Program of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.S.); (A.M.T.); (T.-K.M.)
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
| | - Wing-Yuk Chow
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gufeng Xu
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - M. John Hicks
- Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Manjula Nakka
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianhe Shen
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Aaron M. Taylor
- Program of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.S.); (A.M.T.); (T.-K.M.)
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA;
| | - Alexander Yu
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason E. Farrar
- Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Donald A. Barkauskas
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Jaime M. Guidry Auvil
- Office of Cancer Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.M.G.A.)
| | - Daniela Gerhard
- Office of Cancer Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.M.G.A.)
| | - Paul Meltzer
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Rudy Guerra
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA;
| | - Tsz-Kwong Man
- Program of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.S.); (A.M.T.); (T.-K.M.)
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ching C. Lau
- Program of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.S.); (A.M.T.); (T.-K.M.)
- Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (W.-Y.C.); (G.X.); (M.N.); (J.S.); (A.Y.)
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA;
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
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41
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Wang J, Hua G, Cai G, Ma Y, Yang X, Zhang L, Li R, Liu J, Ma Q, Wu K, Zhao Y, Deng X. Genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome analyses reveal the key gene for wool type variation in sheep. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:88. [PMID: 37420295 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00893-6] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wool fibers are valuable materials for textile industry. Typical wool fibers are divided into medullated and non-medullated types, with the former generated from primary wool follicles and the latter by either primary or secondary wool follicles. The medullated wool is a common wool type in the ancestors of fine wool sheep before breeding. The fine wool sheep have a non-medullated coat. However, the critical period determining the type of wool follicles is the embryonic stage, which limits the phenotypic observation and variant contrast, making both selection and studies of wool type variation fairly difficult. RESULTS During the breeding of a modern fine (MF) wool sheep population with multiple-ovulation and embryo transfer technique, we serendipitously discovered lambs with ancestral-like coarse (ALC) wool. Whole-genome resequencing confirmed ALC wool lambs as a variant type from the MF wool population. We mapped the significantly associated methylation locus on chromosome 4 by using whole genome bisulfite sequencing signals, and in turn identified the SOSTDC1 gene as exons hypermethylated in ALC wool lambs compare to their half/full sibling MF wool lambs. Transcriptome sequencing found that SOSTDC1 was expressed dozens of times more in ALC wool lamb skin than that of MF and was at the top of all differentially expressed genes. An analogy with the transcriptome of coarse/fine wool breeds revealed that differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways at postnatal lamb stage in ALC/MF were highly similar to those at the embryonic stage in the former. Further experiments validated that the SOSTDC1 gene was specifically highly expressed in the nucleus of the dermal papilla of primary wool follicles. CONCLUSION In this study, we conducted genome-wide differential methylation site association analysis on differential wool type trait, and located the only CpG locus that strongly associated with primary wool follicle development. Combined with transcriptome analysis, SOSTDC1 was identified as the only gene at this locus that was specifically overexpressed in the primary wool follicle stem cells of ALC wool lamb skin. The discovery of this key gene and its epigenetic regulation contributes to understanding the domestication and breeding of fine wool sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoying Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Ganxian Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Letian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- Jinfeng Animal Husbandry Group Co., Ltd., Chifeng, 024000, China
| | - Jianbin Liu
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Qing Ma
- Animal Science Institute of Ningxia Agriculture and Forestry Academy, Yinchuan, 750002, China
| | - Keliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaofeng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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42
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Thomas S, Xu TH, Carpenter B, Pierce S, Dickson B, Liu M, Liang G, Jones P. DNA strand asymmetry generated by CpG hemimethylation has opposing effects on CTCF binding. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5997-6005. [PMID: 37094063 PMCID: PMC10325916 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CpG methylation generally occurs on both DNA strands and is essential for mammalian development and differentiation. Until recently, hemimethylation, in which only one strand is methylated, was considered to be simply a transitory state generated during DNA synthesis. The discovery that a subset of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites is heritably hemimethylated suggests that hemimethylation might have an unknown biological function. Here we show that the binding of CTCF is profoundly altered by which DNA strand is methylated and by the specific CTCF binding motif. CpG methylation on the motif strand can inhibit CTCF binding by up to 7-fold, whereas methylation on the opposite strand can stimulate binding by up to 4-fold. Thus, hemimethylation can alter binding by up to 28-fold in a strand-specific manner. The mechanism for sensing methylation on the opposite strand requires two critical residues, V454 and S364, within CTCF zinc fingers 7 and 4. Similar to methylation, CpG hydroxymethylation on the motif strand can inhibit CTCF binding by up to 4-fold. However, hydroxymethylation on the opposite strand removes the stimulatory effect. Strand-specific methylation states may therefore provide a mechanism to explain the transient and dynamic nature of CTCF-mediated chromatin interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L Thomas
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ting-Hai Xu
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Department of Structural Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | | | - Steven E Pierce
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Bradley M Dickson
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Minmin Liu
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Gangning Liang
- Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Peter A Jones
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
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Kharel A, Shen J, Brown R, Chen Y, Nguyen C, Alson D, Bluemn T, Fan J, Gai K, Zhang B, Kudek M, Zhu N, Cui W. Loss of PBAF promotes expansion and effector differentiation of CD8 + T cells during chronic viral infection and cancer. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112649. [PMID: 37330910 PMCID: PMC10592487 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During chronic viral infection and cancer, it has been established that a subset of progenitor CD8+ T cells continuously gives rise to terminally exhausted cells and cytotoxic effector cells. Although multiple transcriptional programs governing the bifurcated differentiation trajectories have been previously studied, little is known about the chromatin structure changes regulating CD8+ T cell-fate decision. In this study, we demonstrate that the chromatin remodeling complex PBAF restrains expansion and promotes exhaustion of CD8+ T cells during chronic viral infection and cancer. Mechanistically, transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses reveal the role of PBAF in maintaining chromatin accessibility of multiple genetic pathways and transcriptional programs to restrain proliferation and promote T cell exhaustion. Harnessing this knowledge, we demonstrate that perturbation of PBAF complex constrained exhaustion and promoted expansion of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells resulting in antitumor immunity in a preclinical melanoma model, implicating PBAF as an attractive target for cancer immunotherapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Kharel
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ryan Brown
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Yao Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Christine Nguyen
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Donia Alson
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Theresa Bluemn
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jie Fan
- Department of Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kexin Gai
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Kudek
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Nan Zhu
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Weiguo Cui
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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Rodger EJ, Gimenez G, Ajithkumar P, Stockwell PA, Almomani S, Bowden SA, Leichter AL, Ahn A, Pattison S, McCall JL, Schmeier S, Frizelle FA, Eccles MR, Purcell RV, Chatterjee A. An epigenetic signature of advanced colorectal cancer metastasis. iScience 2023; 26:106986. [PMID: 37378317 PMCID: PMC10291510 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The majority of CRC deaths are caused by tumor metastasis, even following treatment. There is strong evidence for epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, accompanying CRC metastasis and poorer patient survival. Earlier detection and a better understanding of molecular drivers for CRC metastasis are of critical clinical importance. Here, we identify a signature of advanced CRC metastasis by performing whole genome-scale DNA methylation and full transcriptome analyses of paired primary cancers and liver metastases from CRC patients. We observed striking methylation differences between primary and metastatic pairs. A subset of loci showed coordinated methylation-expression changes, suggesting these are potentially epigenetic drivers that control the expression of critical genes in the metastatic cascade. The identification of CRC epigenomic markers of metastasis has the potential to enable better outcome prediction and lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euan J. Rodger
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory Gimenez
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter A. Stockwell
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Suzan Almomani
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah A. Bowden
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anna L. Leichter
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Antonio Ahn
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharon Pattison
- Department of Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - John L. McCall
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Frank A. Frizelle
- Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michael R. Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rachel V. Purcell
- Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Honorary Professor, School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES University, India
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Loftus D, Bae B, Whilden CM, Whipple AJ. Allelic chromatin structure primes imprinted expression of Kcnk9 during neurogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.09.544389. [PMID: 37333073 PMCID: PMC10274912 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.09.544389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Differences in chromatin state inherited from the parental gametes influence the regulation of maternal and paternal alleles in offspring. This phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, results in genes preferentially transcribed from one parental allele. While local epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation are known to be important for the establishment of imprinted gene expression, less is known about the mechanisms by which differentially methylated regions (DMRs) lead to differences in allelic expression across broad stretches of chromatin. Allele-specific higher-order chromatin structure has been observed at multiple imprinted loci, consistent with the observation of allelic binding of the chromatin-organizing factor CTCF at multiple DMRs. However, whether allelic chromatin structure impacts allelic gene expression is not known for most imprinted loci. Here we characterize the mechanisms underlying brain-specific imprinted expression of the Peg13-Kcnk9 locus, an imprinted region associated with intellectual disability. We performed region capture Hi-C on mouse brain from reciprocal hybrid crosses and found imprinted higher-order chromatin structure caused by the allelic binding of CTCF to the Peg13 DMR. Using an in vitro neuron differentiation system, we show that on the maternal allele enhancer-promoter contacts formed early in development prime the brain-specific potassium leak channel Kcnk9 for maternal expression prior to neurogenesis. In contrast, these enhancer-promoter contacts are blocked by CTCF on the paternal allele, preventing paternal Kcnk9 activation. This work provides a high-resolution map of imprinted chromatin structure and demonstrates that chromatin state established in early development can promote imprinted expression upon differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Loftus
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Bongmin Bae
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Courtney M. Whilden
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Amanda J. Whipple
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
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Villaman C, Pollastri G, Saez M, Martin AJ. Benefiting from the intrinsic role of epigenetics to predict patterns of CTCF binding. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3024-3031. [PMID: 37266407 PMCID: PMC10229758 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation One of the most relevant mechanisms involved in the determination of chromatin structure is the formation of structural loops that are also related with the conservation of chromatin states. Many of these loops are stabilized by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) proteins at their base. Despite the relevance of chromatin structure and the key role of CTCF, the role of the epigenetic factors that are involved in the regulation of CTCF binding, and thus, in the formation of structural loops in the chromatin, is not thoroughly understood. Results Here we describe a CTCF binding predictor based on Random Forest that employs different epigenetic data and genomic features. Importantly, given the ability of Random Forests to determine the relevance of features for the prediction, our approach also shows how the different types of descriptors impact the binding of CTCF, confirming previous knowledge on the relevance of chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation, but demonstrating the effect of epigenetic modifications on the activity of CTCF. We compared our approach against other predictors and found improved performance in terms of areas under PR and ROC curves (PRAUC-ROCAUC), outperforming current state-of-the-art methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Villaman
- Programa de Doctorado en Genómica Integrativa, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Redes Biológicas, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Escuela de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Mauricio Saez
- Centro de Oncología de Precisión, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Salud de Precisión, Departamento de Procesos Diagnósticos y Evaluación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile
| | - Alberto J.M. Martin
- Laboratorio de Redes Biológicas, Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Escuela de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
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Sen Gupta A, Seidel C, Tsuchiya D, McKinney S, Yu Z, Smith S, Unruh J, Gerton JL. Defining a core configuration for human centromeres during mitosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.539634. [PMID: 37214893 PMCID: PMC10197669 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.539634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The biorientation of sister chromatids on the mitotic spindle, essential for accurate sister chromatid segregation, relies on critical centromere components including cohesin, the centromere-specific H3 variant CENP-A, and centromeric DNA. Centromeric DNA is highly variable between chromosomes yet must accomplish a similar function. Moreover, how the 50 nm cohesin ring, proposed to encircle sister chromatids, accommodates inter-sister centromeric distances of hundreds of nanometers on the metaphase spindle is a conundrum. Insight into the 3D organization of centromere components would help resolve how centromeres function on the mitotic spindle. We used ChIP-seq and super-resolution microscopy to examine the geometry of essential centromeric components on human chromosomes. ChIP-seq demonstrates that cohesin subunits are depleted in α-satellite arrays where CENP-A nucleosomes and kinetochores assemble. Cohesin is instead enriched at pericentromeric DNA. Structured illumination microscopy of sister centromeres is consistent, revealing a non-overlapping pattern of CENP-A and cohesin. We used single particle averaging of hundreds of mitotic sister chromatids to develop an average centromere model. CENP-A clusters on sister chromatids, connected by α-satellite, are separated by ~562 nm with a perpendicular intervening ~190 nM wide axis of cohesin. Two differently sized α-satellite arrays on chromosome 7 display similar inter-sister CENP-A cluster distance, demonstrating different sized arrays can achieve a common spacing. Our data suggest a working model for a common core configuration of essential centromeric components that includes CENP-A nucleosomes at the outer edge of extensible α-satellite DNA and pericentromeric cohesion. This configuration helps reconcile how centromeres function and serves as a foundation for future studies of additional components required for centromere function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chris Seidel
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Sarah Smith
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Gerton
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
- University of Kansas Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kansas City, KS, USA
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Yano N, Fedulov AV. Targeted DNA Demethylation: Vectors, Effectors and Perspectives. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051334. [PMID: 37239005 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051334] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant DNA hypermethylation at regulatory cis-elements of particular genes is seen in a plethora of pathological conditions including cardiovascular, neurological, immunological, gastrointestinal and renal diseases, as well as in cancer, diabetes and others. Thus, approaches for experimental and therapeutic DNA demethylation have a great potential to demonstrate mechanistic importance, and even causality of epigenetic alterations, and may open novel avenues to epigenetic cures. However, existing methods based on DNA methyltransferase inhibitors that elicit genome-wide demethylation are not suitable for treatment of diseases with specific epimutations and provide a limited experimental value. Therefore, gene-specific epigenetic editing is a critical approach for epigenetic re-activation of silenced genes. Site-specific demethylation can be achieved by utilizing sequence-dependent DNA-binding molecules such as zinc finger protein array (ZFA), transcription activator-like effector (TALE) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated dead Cas9 (CRISPR/dCas9). Synthetic proteins, where these DNA-binding domains are fused with the DNA demethylases such as ten-eleven translocation (Tet) and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) enzymes, successfully induced or enhanced transcriptional responsiveness at targeted loci. However, a number of challenges, including the dependence on transgenesis for delivery of the fusion constructs, remain issues to be solved. In this review, we detail current and potential approaches to gene-specific DNA demethylation as a novel epigenetic editing-based therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohiro Yano
- Department of Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Alexey V Fedulov
- Department of Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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Disatham J, Brennan L, Cvekl A, Kantorow M. Multiomics Analysis Reveals Novel Genetic Determinants for Lens Differentiation, Structure, and Transparency. Biomolecules 2023; 13:693. [PMID: 37189439 PMCID: PMC10136076 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and data analysis have provided new gateways for identification of novel genome-wide genetic determinants governing tissue development and disease. These advances have revolutionized our understanding of cellular differentiation, homeostasis, and specialized function in multiple tissues. Bioinformatic and functional analysis of these genetic determinants and the pathways they regulate have provided a novel basis for the design of functional experiments to answer a wide range of long-sought biological questions. A well-characterized model for the application of these emerging technologies is the development and differentiation of the ocular lens and how individual pathways regulate lens morphogenesis, gene expression, transparency, and refraction. Recent applications of next-generation sequencing analysis on well-characterized chicken and mouse lens differentiation models using a variety of omics techniques including RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), chip-seq, and CUT&RUN have revealed a wide range of essential biological pathways and chromatin features governing lens structure and function. Multiomics integration of these data has established new gene functions and cellular processes essential for lens formation, homeostasis, and transparency including the identification of novel transcription control pathways, autophagy remodeling pathways, and signal transduction pathways, among others. This review summarizes recent omics technologies applied to the lens, methods for integrating multiomics data, and how these recent technologies have advanced our understanding ocular biology and function. The approach and analysis are relevant to identifying the features and functional requirements of more complex tissues and disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Disatham
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; (J.D.); (L.B.)
| | - Lisa Brennan
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; (J.D.); (L.B.)
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Marc Kantorow
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA; (J.D.); (L.B.)
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50
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Gómez R, Barter MJ, Alonso-Pérez A, Skelton AJ, Proctor C, Herrero-Beaumont G, Young DA. DNA methylation analysis identifies key transcription factors involved in mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation. Biol Res 2023; 56:9. [PMID: 36890579 PMCID: PMC9996951 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-023-00417-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge about regulating transcription factors (TFs) for osteoblastogenesis from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is limited. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between genomic regions subject to DNA-methylation changes during osteoblastogenesis and the TFs known to directly interact with these regulatory regions. RESULTS The genome-wide DNA-methylation signature of MSCs differentiated to osteoblasts and adipocytes was determined using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. During adipogenesis no CpGs passed our test for significant methylation changes. Oppositely, during osteoblastogenesis we identified 2462 differently significantly methylated CpGs (adj. p < 0.05). These resided outside of CpGs islands and were significantly enriched in enhancer regions. We confirmed the correlation between DNA-methylation and gene expression. Accordingly, we developed a bioinformatic tool to analyse differentially methylated regions and the TFs interacting with them. By overlaying our osteoblastogenesis differentially methylated regions with ENCODE TF ChIP-seq data we obtained a set of candidate TFs associated to DNA-methylation changes. Among them, ZEB1 TF was highly related with DNA-methylation. Using RNA interference, we confirmed that ZEB1, and ZEB2, played a key role in adipogenesis and osteoblastogenesis processes. For clinical relevance, ZEB1 mRNA expression in human bone samples was evaluated. This expression positively correlated with weight, body mass index, and PPARγ expression. CONCLUSIONS In this work we describe an osteoblastogenesis-associated DNA-methylation profile and, using these data, validate a novel computational tool to identify key TFs associated to age-related disease processes. By means of this tool we identified and confirmed ZEB TFs as mediators involved in the MSCs differentiation to osteoblasts and adipocytes, and obesity-related bone adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Gómez
- Musculoskeletal Pathology Group, Institute IDIS, Santiago University Clinical Hospital, Laboratorio 18, Edificio B, Planta -2, 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Matt J Barter
- Skeletal Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Ana Alonso-Pérez
- Musculoskeletal Pathology Group, Institute IDIS, Santiago University Clinical Hospital, Laboratorio 18, Edificio B, Planta -2, 15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Andrew J Skelton
- Skeletal Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Carole Proctor
- Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont
- Bone and Joint Research Unit, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM, 28040, Madrid, Avda Reyes Católicos, Spain
| | - David A Young
- Skeletal Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
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