1
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Mahat DB, Tippens ND, Martin-Rufino JD, Waterton SK, Fu J, Blatt SE, Sharp PA. Single-cell nascent RNA sequencing unveils coordinated global transcription. Nature 2024; 631:216-223. [PMID: 38839954 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07517-7] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Transcription is the primary regulatory step in gene expression. Divergent transcription initiation from promoters and enhancers produces stable RNAs from genes and unstable RNAs from enhancers1,2. Nascent RNA capture and sequencing assays simultaneously measure gene and enhancer activity in cell populations3. However, fundamental questions about the temporal regulation of transcription and enhancer-gene coordination remain unanswered, primarily because of the absence of a single-cell perspective on active transcription. In this study, we present scGRO-seq-a new single-cell nascent RNA sequencing assay that uses click chemistry-and unveil coordinated transcription throughout the genome. We demonstrate the episodic nature of transcription and the co-transcription of functionally related genes. scGRO-seq can estimate burst size and frequency by directly quantifying transcribing RNA polymerases in individual cells and can leverage replication-dependent non-polyadenylated histone gene transcription to elucidate cell cycle dynamics. The single-nucleotide spatial and temporal resolution of scGRO-seq enables the identification of networks of enhancers and genes. Our results suggest that the bursting of transcription at super-enhancers precedes bursting from associated genes. By imparting insights into the dynamic nature of global transcription and the origin and propagation of transcription signals, we demonstrate the ability of scGRO-seq to investigate the mechanisms of transcription regulation and the role of enhancers in gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dig B Mahat
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Tippens
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Sean K Waterton
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jiayu Fu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sarah E Blatt
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Exact Sciences, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Phillip A Sharp
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Ordoñez R, Zhang W, Ellis G, Zhu Y, Ashe HJ, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos AM, Brosh R, Huang E, Hogan MS, Boeke JD, Maurano MT. Genomic context sensitizes regulatory elements to genetic disruption. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1842-1854.e7. [PMID: 38759624 PMCID: PMC11104518 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.013] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Genomic context critically modulates regulatory function but is difficult to manipulate systematically. The murine insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2)/H19 locus is a paradigmatic model of enhancer selectivity, whereby CTCF occupancy at an imprinting control region directs downstream enhancers to activate either H19 or Igf2. We used synthetic regulatory genomics to repeatedly replace the native locus with 157-kb payloads, and we systematically dissected its architecture. Enhancer deletion and ectopic delivery revealed previously uncharacterized long-range regulatory dependencies at the native locus. Exchanging the H19 enhancer cluster with the Sox2 locus control region (LCR) showed that the H19 enhancers relied on their native surroundings while the Sox2 LCR functioned autonomously. Analysis of regulatory DNA actuation across cell types revealed that these enhancer clusters typify broader classes of context sensitivity genome wide. These results show that unexpected dependencies influence even well-studied loci, and our approach permits large-scale manipulation of complete loci to investigate the relationship between regulatory architecture and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Ordoñez
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Weimin Zhang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gwen Ellis
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yinan Zhu
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hannah J Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Megan S Hogan
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biochemistry Molecular Pharmacology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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3
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Le DJ, Hafner A, Gaddam S, Wang KC, Boettiger AN. Super-enhancer interactomes from single cells link clustering and transcription. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593251. [PMID: 38766104 PMCID: PMC11100725 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression hinges on the interplay between enhancers and promoters, traditionally explored through pairwise analyses. Recent advancements in mapping genome folding, like GAM, SPRITE, and multi-contact Hi-C, have uncovered multi-way interactions among super-enhancers (SEs), spanning megabases, yet have not measured their frequency in single cells or the relationship between clustering and transcription. To close this gap, here we used multiplexed imaging to map the 3D positions of 376 SEs across thousands of mammalian nuclei. Notably, our single-cell images reveal that while SE-SE contacts are rare, SEs often form looser associations we termed "communities". These communities, averaging 4-5 SEs, assemble cooperatively under the combined effects of genomic tethers, Pol2 clustering, and nuclear compartmentalization. Larger communities are associated with more frequent and larger transcriptional bursts. Our work provides insights about the SE interactome in single cells that challenge existing hypotheses on SE clustering in the context of transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J. Le
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Antonina Hafner
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Sadhana Gaddam
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Kevin C. Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Alistair N. Boettiger
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Lead contact
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4
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Lavaud M, Tesfaye R, Lassous L, Brounais B, Baud'huin M, Verrecchia F, Lamoureux F, Georges S, Ory B. Super-enhancers: drivers of cells' identities and cells' debacles. Epigenomics 2024; 16:681-700. [PMID: 38587919 PMCID: PMC11160454 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal regulations of gene expression are essential for determining cells' fates and functions. Enhancers are cis-acting DNA elements that act as periodic transcriptional thrusters and their activities are cell type specific. Clusters of enhancers, called super-enhancers, are more densely occupied by transcriptional activators than enhancers, driving stronger expression of their target genes, which have prominent roles in establishing and maintaining cellular identities. Here we review the current knowledge on the composition and structure of super-enhancers to understand how they robustly stimulate the expression of cellular identity genes. We also review their involvement in the development of various cell types and both noncancerous and cancerous disorders, implying the therapeutic interest of targeting them to fight against various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Lavaud
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Robel Tesfaye
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
- Cancéropôle Grand-Ouest, Réseau Épigénétique, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
- EpiSAVMEN, Epigenetic consortium Pays de la Loire, France
| | - Léa Lassous
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Bénédicte Brounais
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Marc Baud'huin
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Franck Verrecchia
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - François Lamoureux
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Steven Georges
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
| | - Benjamin Ory
- CRCI2NA, INSERM UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Nantes University & Angers University, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
- Cancéropôle Grand-Ouest, Réseau Épigénétique, Medical School, Nantes, 44035, France
- EpiSAVMEN, Epigenetic consortium Pays de la Loire, France
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5
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Ordoñez R, Zhang W, Ellis G, Zhu Y, Ashe HJ, Ribeiro-dos-Santos AM, Brosh R, Huang E, Hogan MS, Boeke JD, Maurano MT. Genomic context sensitizes regulatory elements to genetic disruption. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.02.547201. [PMID: 37781588 PMCID: PMC10541140 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer function is frequently investigated piecemeal using truncated reporter assays or single deletion analysis. Thus it remains unclear to what extent enhancer function at native loci relies on surrounding genomic context. Using the Big-IN technology for targeted integration of large DNAs, we analyzed the regulatory architecture of the murine Igf2/H19 locus, a paradigmatic model of enhancer selectivity. We assembled payloads containing a 157-kb functional Igf2/H19 locus and engineered mutations to genetically direct CTCF occupancy at the imprinting control region (ICR) that switches the target gene of the H19 enhancer cluster. Contrasting activity of payloads delivered at the endogenous Igf2/H19 locus or ectopically at Hprt revealed that the Igf2/H19 locus includes additional, previously unknown long-range regulatory elements. Exchanging components of the Igf2/H19 locus with the well-studied Sox2 locus showed that the H19 enhancer cluster functioned poorly out of context, and required its native surroundings to activate Sox2 expression. Conversely, the Sox2 locus control region (LCR) could activate both Igf2 and H19 outside its native context, but its activity was only partially modulated by CTCF occupancy at the ICR. Analysis of regulatory DNA actuation across different cell types revealed that, while the H19 enhancers are tightly coordinated within their native locus, the Sox2 LCR acts more independently. We show that these enhancer clusters typify broader classes of loci genome-wide. Our results show that unexpected dependencies may influence even the most studied functional elements, and our synthetic regulatory genomics approach permits large-scale manipulation of complete loci to investigate the relationship between locus architecture and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Ordoñez
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Weimin Zhang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Gwen Ellis
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Yinan Zhu
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hannah J. Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Present address: School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | | | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Present address: Highmark Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, USA
| | - Megan S. Hogan
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Present address: Neochromosome Inc., Long Island City, NY 11101, USA
| | - Jef D. Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biochemistry Molecular Pharmacology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Matthew T. Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Lead contact
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6
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Wilderman A, D'haene E, Baetens M, Yankee TN, Winchester EW, Glidden N, Roets E, Van Dorpe J, Janssens S, Miller DE, Galey M, Brown KM, Stottmann RW, Vergult S, Weaver KN, Brugmann SA, Cox TC, Cotney J. A distant global control region is essential for normal expression of anterior HOXA genes during mouse and human craniofacial development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:136. [PMID: 38167838 PMCID: PMC10762089 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44506-2] [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: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Craniofacial abnormalities account for approximately one third of birth defects. The regulatory programs that build the face require precisely controlled spatiotemporal gene expression, achieved through tissue-specific enhancers. Clusters of coactivated enhancers and their target genes, known as superenhancers, are important in determining cell identity but have been largely unexplored in development. In this study we identified superenhancer regions unique to human embryonic craniofacial tissue. To demonstrate the importance of such regions in craniofacial development and disease, we focused on an ~600 kb noncoding region located between NPVF and NFE2L3. We identified long range interactions with this region in both human and mouse embryonic craniofacial tissue with the anterior portion of the HOXA gene cluster. Mice lacking this superenhancer exhibit perinatal lethality, and present with highly penetrant skull defects and orofacial clefts phenocopying Hoxa2-/- mice. Moreover, we identified two cases of de novo copy number changes of the superenhancer in humans both with severe craniofacial abnormalities. This evidence suggests we have identified a critical noncoding locus control region that specifically regulates anterior HOXA genes and copy number changes are pathogenic in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Machteld Baetens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Emma Wentworth Winchester
- Graduate Program UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
- University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Nicole Glidden
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Ellen Roets
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Clinic, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Van Dorpe
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sandra Janssens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Danny E Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Washington, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Miranda Galey
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Washington, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kari M Brown
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rolf W Stottmann
- Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - K Nicole Weaver
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Samantha A Brugmann
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Timothy C Cox
- Department of Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Justin Cotney
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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7
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Kondoh H. Enhancer Activation by Transcription Factors and Underlying Mechanisms. Results Probl Cell Differ 2024; 72:167-191. [PMID: 38509258 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-39027-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are classified into two classes based on various criteria. Class I enhancers participate primarily in finely tuned cell-specific regulation, as exemplified by the neural enhancers discussed in Chap. 9 . They are activated by simultaneous binding of transcription factors (TFs) to adjacent sites in the core sequence and are marked by moderate levels of H3K27ac modification. Class II enhancers are activated by the reiterated binding of the same TFs at multiple sites and are marked by high levels of H3K27ac modification. Class II enhancers are exemplified by enhancers in the SCR downstream of the Sox2 gene, as also discussed in Chap. 9 . Both classes of enhancers activate transcription similarly with low selectivity toward the promoters.The genomic loci broadly covered by high-level H3K27ac modification were once dubbed "Super-enhancers," implying that they are densely packed enhancers with superpowers in gene regulation. However, marking with H3K27ac modification does not predict the enhancer activity of a sequence; a "Super enhancer" region includes a few ordinary Class II enhancers. Currently, the most reliable criterion for enhancer prediction is cross-species sequence conservation.The mechanism by which transcription factors find and stay on the target enhancer site remains elusive. Results from two approaches, single-molecule live imaging and kinetic analysis using FRAP, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisato Kondoh
- Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Biohistory Research Hall, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
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8
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Blayney JW, Francis H, Rampasekova A, Camellato B, Mitchell L, Stolper R, Cornell L, Babbs C, Boeke JD, Higgs DR, Kassouf M. Super-enhancers include classical enhancers and facilitators to fully activate gene expression. Cell 2023; 186:5826-5839.e18. [PMID: 38101409 PMCID: PMC10858684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.030] [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: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Super-enhancers are compound regulatory elements that control expression of key cell identity genes. They recruit high levels of tissue-specific transcription factors and co-activators such as the Mediator complex and contact target gene promoters with high frequency. Most super-enhancers contain multiple constituent regulatory elements, but it is unclear whether these elements have distinct roles in activating target gene expression. Here, by rebuilding the endogenous multipartite α-globin super-enhancer, we show that it contains bioinformatically equivalent but functionally distinct element types: classical enhancers and facilitator elements. Facilitators have no intrinsic enhancer activity, yet in their absence, classical enhancers are unable to fully upregulate their target genes. Without facilitators, classical enhancers exhibit reduced Mediator recruitment, enhancer RNA transcription, and enhancer-promoter interactions. Facilitators are interchangeable but display functional hierarchy based on their position within a multipartite enhancer. Facilitators thus play an important role in potentiating the activity of classical enhancers and ensuring robust activation of target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Blayney
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Helena Francis
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Alexandra Rampasekova
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Brendan Camellato
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Leslie Mitchell
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rosa Stolper
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Lucy Cornell
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christian Babbs
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
| | - Mira Kassouf
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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9
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Mann R, Notani D. Transcription factor condensates and signaling driven transcription. Nucleus 2023; 14:2205758. [PMID: 37129580 PMCID: PMC10155639 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2023.2205758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription Factor (TF) condensates are a heterogenous mix of RNA, DNA, and multiple co-factor proteins capable of modulating the transcriptional response of the cell. The dynamic nature and the spatial location of TF-condensates in the 3D nuclear space is believed to provide a fast response, which is on the same pace as the signaling cascade and yet ever-so-specific in the crowded environment of the nucleus. However, the current understanding of how TF-condensates can achieve these feet so quickly and efficiently is still unclear. In this review, we draw parallels with other protein condensates and share our speculations on how the nucleus uses these TF-condensates to achieve high transcriptional specificity and fidelity. We discuss the various constituents of TF-condensates, their properties, and the known and unknown functions of TF-condensates with a particular focus on steroid signaling-induced transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajat Mann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
| | - Dimple Notani
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
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10
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Abstract
Enhancers are cis-regulatory elements that can stimulate gene expression from distance, and drive precise spatiotemporal gene expression profiles during development. Functional enhancers display specific features including an open chromatin conformation, Histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation, Histone H3 lysine 4 mono-methylation enrichment, and enhancer RNAs production. These features are modified upon developmental cues which impacts their activity. In this review, we describe the current state of knowledge about enhancer functions and the diverse chromatin signatures found on enhancers. We also discuss the dynamic changes of enhancer chromatin signatures, and their impact on lineage specific gene expression profiles, during development or cellular differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Barral
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,CONTACT Amandine Barral Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. 3400 Civic Blvd, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania19104, USA
| | - Jérôme Déjardin
- Biology of repetitive sequences, Institute of Human Genetics CNRS-Université de Montpellier UMR 9002, Montpellier, France,Jérôme Déjardin Biology of repetitive sequences, Institute of Human Genetics CNRS-Université de Montpellier UMR 9002, 141 rue de la Cardonille, Montpellier34000, France
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11
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Latt KZ, Yoshida T, Shrivastav S, Abedini A, Reece JM, Sun Z, Lee H, Okamoto K, Dagur P, Heymann J, Zhao Y, Chung JY, Hewitt S, Jose PA, Lee K, He JC, Winkler CA, Knepper MA, Kino T, Rosenberg AZ, Susztak K, Kopp JB. HIV viral protein R induces loss of DCT1-type renal tubules. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.02.526686. [PMID: 36945458 PMCID: PMC10028744 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.02.526686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hyponatremia and salt wasting is a common occurance in patients with HIV/AIDS, however, the understanding of its contributing factors is limited. HIV viral protein R (Vpr) contributes to HIV-associated nephropathy. To investigate the effects of Vpr on the expression level of the Slc12a3 gene, encoding the Na-Cl cotransporter, which is responsible for sodium reabsorption in distal nephron segments, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of kidney cortices from three wild-type (WT) and three Vpr-transgenic (Vpr Tg) mice. The results showed that the percentage of distal convoluted tubule (DCT) cells was significantly lower in Vpr Tg mice compared with WT mice (P < 0.05), and that in Vpr Tg mice, Slc12a3 expression was not different in DCT cell cluster. The Pvalb+ DCT1 subcluster had fewer cells in Vpr Tg mice compared with WT (P < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated fewer Slc12a3+ Pvalb+ DCT1 segments in Vpr Tg mice. Differential gene expression analysis comparing Vpr Tg and WT in the DCT cluster showed Ier3, an inhibitor of apoptosis, to be the most downregulated gene. These observations demonstrate that the salt-wasting effect of Vpr in Vpr Tg mice is mediated by loss of Slc12a3+ Pvalb+ DCT1 segments via apoptosis dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khun Zaw Latt
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
| | - Teruhiko Yoshida
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
| | - Shashi Shrivastav
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
| | - Amin Abedini
- Department of Medicine, Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jeff M. Reece
- Advanced Light Microscopy & Image Analysis Core (ALMIAC), NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Zeguo Sun
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Hewang Lee
- Departments of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC
| | - Koji Okamoto
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Pradeep Dagur
- Flow Cytometry Core, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jurgen Heymann
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
| | - Yongmei Zhao
- Advanced Biomedical and Computational Sciences, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., NCI, Frederick, MD
| | - Joon-Yong Chung
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Stephen Hewitt
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Pedro A. Jose
- Departments of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC
| | - Kyung Lee
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - John Cijiang He
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Cheryl A. Winkler
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute and Basic Research Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
| | - Mark A. Knepper
- Epithelial Systems Biology Laboratory, Systems Biology Center, Division of Intramural Research, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Tomoshige Kino
- Laboratory for Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Avi Z. Rosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
| | - Katalin Susztak
- Department of Medicine, Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jeffrey B. Kopp
- Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda MD
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12
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Shynlova O, Nadeem L, Lye S. Progesterone control of myometrial contractility. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 234:106397. [PMID: 37683774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106397] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy, the primary function of the uterus is to be quiescent and not contract, which allows the growing fetus to develop and mature. A uterine muscle layer, myometrium, is composed of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Before the onset of labor contractions, the uterine SMCs experience a complex biochemical and molecular transformation involving the expression of contraction-associated proteins. Labor is initiated when genes in SMCs are activated in response to a combination of hormonal, inflammatory and mechanical signals. In this review, we provide an overview of molecular mechanisms regulating the process of parturition in humans, focusing on the hormonal control of the myometrium, particularly the steroid hormone progesterone. The primary reason for discussing the regulation of myometrial contractility by progesterone is the importance of the clinical problem of preterm birth. It is thought that the hormonal mechanisms regulating premature uterine contractions represent an untimely triggering of the normal events occurring during term parturition. Yet, our knowledge of the complex and redundant hormonal pathways controlling uterine contractile activity leading to delivery of the neonate remains incomplete. Finally, we introduce recent animal studies using a novel class of drugs, Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulators, targeting progesterone signaling to prevent premature myometrial contractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Shynlova
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1, Canada; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Lubna Nadeem
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Stephen Lye
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1, Canada; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1, Canada
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13
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Abatti LE, Lado-Fernández P, Huynh L, Collado M, Hoffman M, Mitchell J. Epigenetic reprogramming of a distal developmental enhancer cluster drives SOX2 overexpression in breast and lung adenocarcinoma. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10109-10131. [PMID: 37738673 PMCID: PMC10602899 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer reprogramming has been proposed as a key source of transcriptional dysregulation during tumorigenesis, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Here, we identify an enhancer cluster required for normal development that is aberrantly activated in breast and lung adenocarcinoma. Deletion of the SRR124-134 cluster disrupts expression of the SOX2 oncogene, dysregulates genome-wide transcription and chromatin accessibility and reduces the ability of cancer cells to form colonies in vitro. Analysis of primary tumors reveals a correlation between chromatin accessibility at this cluster and SOX2 overexpression in breast and lung cancer patients. We demonstrate that FOXA1 is an activator and NFIB is a repressor of SRR124-134 activity and SOX2 transcription in cancer cells, revealing a co-opting of the regulatory mechanisms involved in early development. Notably, we show that the conserved SRR124 and SRR134 regions are essential during mouse development, where homozygous deletion results in the lethal failure of esophageal-tracheal separation. These findings provide insights into how developmental enhancers can be reprogrammed during tumorigenesis and underscore the importance of understanding enhancer dynamics during development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Abatti
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia Lado-Fernández
- Laboratory of Cell Senescence, Cancer and Aging, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Xerencia de Xestión Integrada de Santiago (XXIS/SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Physiology and Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Linh Huynh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manuel Collado
- Laboratory of Cell Senescence, Cancer and Aging, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Xerencia de Xestión Integrada de Santiago (XXIS/SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Michael M Hoffman
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Kassouf M, Ford S, Blayney J, Higgs D. Understanding fundamental principles of enhancer biology at a model locus: Analysing the structure and function of an enhancer cluster at the α-globin locus. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300047. [PMID: 37404089 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300047] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite ever-increasing accumulation of genomic data, the fundamental question of how individual genes are switched on during development, lineage-specification and differentiation is not fully answered. It is widely accepted that this involves the interaction between at least three fundamental regulatory elements: enhancers, promoters and insulators. Enhancers contain transcription factor binding sites which are bound by transcription factors (TFs) and co-factors expressed during cell fate decisions and maintain imposed patterns of activation, at least in part, via their epigenetic modification. This information is transferred from enhancers to their cognate promoters often by coming into close physical proximity to form a 'transcriptional hub' containing a high concentration of TFs and co-factors. The mechanisms underlying these stages of transcriptional activation are not fully explained. This review focuses on how enhancers and promoters are activated during differentiation and how multiple enhancers work together to regulate gene expression. We illustrate the currently understood principles of how mammalian enhancers work and how they may be perturbed in enhanceropathies using expression of the α-globin gene cluster during erythropoiesis, as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Kassouf
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Seren Ford
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph Blayney
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Doug Higgs
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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15
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Zhu I, Landsman D. Clustered and diverse transcription factor binding underlies cell type specificity of enhancers for housekeeping genes. Genome Res 2023; 33:1662-1672. [PMID: 37884340 PMCID: PMC10691539 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278130.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Housekeeping genes are considered to be regulated by common enhancers across different tissues. Here we report that most of the commonly expressed mouse or human genes across different cell types, including more than half of the previously identified housekeeping genes, are associated with cell type-specific enhancers. Furthermore, the binding of most transcription factors (TFs) is cell type-specific. We reason that these cell type specificities are causally related to the collective TF recruitment at regulatory sites, as TFs tend to bind to regions associated with many other TFs and each cell type has a unique repertoire of expressed TFs. Based on binding profiles of hundreds of TFs from HepG2, K562, and GM12878 cells, we show that 80% of all TF peaks overlapping H3K27ac signals are in the top 20,000-23,000 most TF-enriched H3K27ac peak regions, and approximately 12,000-15,000 of these peaks are enhancers (nonpromoters). Those enhancers are mainly cell type-specific and include those linked to the majority of commonly expressed genes. Moreover, we show that the top 15,000 most TF-enriched regulatory sites in HepG2 cells, associated with about 200 TFs, can be predicted largely from the binding profile of as few as 30 TFs. Through motif analysis, we show that major enhancers harbor diverse and clustered motifs from a combination of available TFs uniquely present in each cell type. We propose a mechanism that explains how the highly focused TF binding at regulatory sites results in cell type specificity of enhancers for housekeeping and commonly expressed genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Zhu
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
| | - David Landsman
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
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16
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Mahat DB, Tippens ND, Martin-Rufino JD, Waterton SK, Fu J, Blatt SE, Sharp PA. Single-cell nascent RNA sequencing using click-chemistry unveils coordinated transcription. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.15.558015. [PMID: 37745427 PMCID: PMC10516050 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.15.558015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Transcription is the primary regulatory step in gene expression. Divergent transcription initiation from promoters and enhancers produces stable RNAs from genes and unstable RNAs from enhancers1-5. Nascent RNA capture and sequencing assays simultaneously measure gene and enhancer activity in cell populations6-9. However, fundamental questions in the temporal regulation of transcription and enhancer-gene synchrony remain unanswered primarily due to the absence of a single-cell perspective on active transcription. In this study, we present scGRO-seq - a novel single-cell nascent RNA sequencing assay using click-chemistry - and unveil the coordinated transcription throughout the genome. scGRO-seq demonstrates the episodic nature of transcription, and estimates burst size and frequency by directly quantifying transcribing RNA polymerases in individual cells. It reveals the co-transcription of functionally related genes and leverages the replication-dependent non-polyadenylated histone genes transcription to elucidate cell-cycle dynamics. The single-nucleotide spatial and temporal resolution of scGRO-seq identifies networks of enhancers and genes and indicates that the bursting of transcription at super-enhancers precedes the burst from associated genes. By imparting insights into the dynamic nature of transcription and the origin and propagation of transcription signals, scGRO-seq demonstrates its unique ability to investigate the mechanisms of transcription regulation and the role of enhancers in gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dig B. Mahat
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Nathaniel D. Tippens
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Sean K. Waterton
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Current address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jiayu Fu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Current address: Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Sarah E. Blatt
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Current address: Exact Sciences Corporation, Madison, WI 53719
| | - Phillip A. Sharp
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Lead Contact
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17
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Zhang K, Lu J, Fang F, Zhang Y, Yu J, Tao Y, liu W, Lu L, Zhang Z, Chu X, Wang J, Li X, Tian Y, Li Z, Li Q, Sang X, Ma L, Wang N, Pan J, Hu S. Super Enhancer Regulatory Gene FYB1 Promotes the Progression of T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia by Activating IGLL1. J Immunol Res 2023; 2023:3804605. [PMID: 37767202 PMCID: PMC10522422 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3804605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Arising from T progenitor cells, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignant tumor, accounting for 15% of childhood ALL and 25% of adult ALL. Composing of putative enhancers in close genomic proximity, super enhancer (SE) is critical for cell identity and the pathogenesis of multiple cancers. Belonging to the cytosolute linker protein group, FYB1 is essential for TCR signaling and extensively studied in terms of tumor pathogenesis and metastasis. Dissecting the role of FYN binding protein 1 (FYB1) in T-ALL holds the potential to improve the treatment outcome and prognosis of T-ALL. Methods In this study, SEs were explored using public H3K27ac ChIP-seq data derived from T-ALL cell lines, AML cell lines and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Downstream target of FYB1 gene was identified by RNA-seq. Effects of shRNA-mediated downregulation of FYB1 and immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 1 (IGLL1) on self-renewal of T-ALL cells were evaluated in vitro and/or in vivo. Results As an SE-driven gene, overexpression of FYB1 was observed in T-ALL, according to the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia database. In vitro, knocking down FYB1 led to comprised growth and enhanced apoptosis of T-ALL cells. In vivo, downregulation of FYB1 significantly decreased the disease burden by suppressing tumor growth and improved survival rate. Knocking down FYB1 resulted in significantly decreased expression of IGLL1 that was also an SE-driven gene in T-ALL. As a downstream target of FYB1, IGLL1 exerted similar role as FYB1 in inhibiting growth of T-ALL cells. Conclusion Our results suggested that FYB1 gene played important role in regulating self-renewal of T-ALL cells by activating IGLL1, representing a promising therapeutic target for T-ALL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlong Zhang
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Yongping Zhang
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Juanjuan Yu
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Yanfang Tao
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Wenyuan liu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lihui Lu
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Zimu Zhang
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Xinran Chu
- Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Xiaolu Li
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tian
- Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Zhiheng Li
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Qian Li
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Xu Sang
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Li Ma
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Ningling Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jian Pan
- Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
| | - Shaoyan Hu
- Department of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China
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18
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Parey E, Fernandez-Aroca D, Frost S, Uribarren A, Park TJ, Zöttl M, St John Smith E, Berthelot C, Villar D. Phylogenetic modeling of enhancer shifts in African mole-rats reveals regulatory changes associated with tissue-specific traits. Genome Res 2023; 33:1513-1526. [PMID: 37625847 PMCID: PMC10620049 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277715.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene regulation are thought to underlie most phenotypic differences between species. For subterranean rodents such as the naked mole-rat, proposed phenotypic adaptations include hypoxia tolerance, metabolic changes, and cancer resistance. However, it is largely unknown what regulatory changes may associate with these phenotypic traits, and whether these are unique to the naked mole-rat, the mole-rat clade, or are also present in other mammals. Here, we investigate regulatory evolution in the heart and liver from two African mole-rat species and two rodent outgroups using genome-wide epigenomic profiling. First, we adapted and applied a phylogenetic modeling approach to quantitatively compare epigenomic signals at orthologous regulatory elements and identified thousands of promoter and enhancer regions with differential epigenomic activity in mole-rats. These elements associate with known mole-rat adaptations in metabolic and functional pathways and suggest candidate genetic loci that may underlie mole-rat innovations. Second, we evaluated ancestral and species-specific regulatory changes in the study phylogeny and report several candidate pathways experiencing stepwise remodeling during the evolution of mole-rats, such as the insulin and hypoxia response pathways. Third, we report nonorthologous regulatory elements overlap with lineage-specific repetitive elements and appear to modify metabolic pathways by rewiring of HNF4 and RAR/RXR transcription factor binding sites in mole-rats. These comparative analyses reveal how mole-rat regulatory evolution informs previously reported phenotypic adaptations. Moreover, the phylogenetic modeling framework we propose here improves upon the state of the art by addressing known limitations of inter-species comparisons of epigenomic profiles and has broad implications in the field of comparative functional genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Parey
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Diego Fernandez-Aroca
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Frost
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Ainhoa Uribarren
- Cambridge Institute, Cancer Research UK and University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas J Park
- Department of Biological Sciences and Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 44054 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, United Kingdom
| | - Camille Berthelot
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France;
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3525, INSERM UA12, Comparative Functional Genomics Group, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Diego Villar
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom;
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19
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Varberg KM, Dominguez EM, Koseva B, Varberg JM, McNally RP, Moreno-Irusta A, Wesley ER, Iqbal K, Cheung WA, Schwendinger-Schreck C, Smail C, Okae H, Arima T, Lydic M, Holoch K, Marsh C, Soares MJ, Grundberg E. Extravillous trophoblast cell lineage development is associated with active remodeling of the chromatin landscape. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4826. [PMID: 37563143 PMCID: PMC10415281 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40424-5] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The extravillous trophoblast cell lineage is a key feature of placentation and successful pregnancy. Knowledge of transcriptional regulation driving extravillous trophoblast cell development is limited. Here, we map the transcriptome and epigenome landscape as well as chromatin interactions of human trophoblast stem cells and their transition into extravillous trophoblast cells. We show that integrating chromatin accessibility, long-range chromatin interactions, transcriptomic, and transcription factor binding motif enrichment enables identification of transcription factors and regulatory mechanisms critical for extravillous trophoblast cell development. We elucidate functional roles for TFAP2C, SNAI1, and EPAS1 in the regulation of extravillous trophoblast cell development. EPAS1 is identified as an upstream regulator of key extravillous trophoblast cell transcription factors, including ASCL2 and SNAI1 and together with its target genes, is linked to pregnancy loss and birth weight. Collectively, we reveal activation of a dynamic regulatory network and provide a framework for understanding extravillous trophoblast cell specification in trophoblast cell lineage development and human placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela M Varberg
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
| | - Esteban M Dominguez
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Boryana Koseva
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Joseph M Varberg
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Ross P McNally
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Ayelen Moreno-Irusta
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Emily R Wesley
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Khursheed Iqbal
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Warren A Cheung
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Carl Schwendinger-Schreck
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Craig Smail
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Hiroaki Okae
- Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Trophoblast Research, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Takahiro Arima
- Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Michael Lydic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Kristin Holoch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Courtney Marsh
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA
| | - Michael J Soares
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
- Center for Perinatal Research, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.
| | - Elin Grundberg
- Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.
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20
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Liu H, Tsai H, Yang M, Li G, Bian Q, Ding G, Wu D, Dai J. Three-dimensional genome structure and function. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e326. [PMID: 37426677 PMCID: PMC10329473 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Linear DNA undergoes a series of compression and folding events, forming various three-dimensional (3D) structural units in mammalian cells, including chromosomal territory, compartment, topologically associating domain, and chromatin loop. These structures play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, cell differentiation, and disease progression. Deciphering the principles underlying 3D genome folding and the molecular mechanisms governing cell fate determination remains a challenge. With advancements in high-throughput sequencing and imaging techniques, the hierarchical organization and functional roles of higher-order chromatin structures have been gradually illuminated. This review systematically discussed the structural hierarchy of the 3D genome, the effects and mechanisms of cis-regulatory elements interaction in the 3D genome for regulating spatiotemporally specific gene expression, the roles and mechanisms of dynamic changes in 3D chromatin conformation during embryonic development, and the pathological mechanisms of diseases such as congenital developmental abnormalities and cancer, which are attributed to alterations in 3D genome organization and aberrations in key structural proteins. Finally, prospects were made for the research about 3D genome structure, function, and genetic intervention, and the roles in disease development, prevention, and treatment, which may offer some clues for precise diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
- School of StomatologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Hsiangyu Tsai
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Maoquan Yang
- School of Clinical MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Guozhi Li
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Qian Bian
- Shanghai Institute of Precision MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Gang Ding
- School of StomatologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Dandan Wu
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Jiewen Dai
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
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21
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Phan LT, Oh C, He T, Manavalan B. A comprehensive revisit of the machine-learning tools developed for the identification of enhancers in the human genome. Proteomics 2023; 23:e2200409. [PMID: 37021401 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202200409] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers are non-coding DNA elements that play a crucial role in enhancing the transcription rate of a specific gene in the genome. Experiments for identifying enhancers can be restricted by their conditions and involve complicated, time-consuming, laborious, and costly steps. To overcome these challenges, computational platforms have been developed to complement experimental methods that enable high-throughput identification of enhancers. Over the last few years, the development of various enhancer computational tools has resulted in significant progress in predicting putative enhancers. Thus, researchers are now able to use a variety of strategies to enhance and advance enhancer study. In this review, an overview of machine learning (ML)-based prediction methods for enhancer identification and related databases has been provided. The existing enhancer-prediction methods have also been reviewed regarding their algorithms, feature selection processes, validation techniques, and software utility. In addition, the advantages and drawbacks of these ML approaches and guidelines for developing bioinformatic tools have been highlighted for a more efficient enhancer prediction. This review will serve as a useful resource for experimentalists in selecting the appropriate ML tool for their study, and for bioinformaticians in developing more accurate and advanced ML-based predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Thi Phan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Changmin Oh
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Tao He
- Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Balachandran Manavalan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
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22
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Kessler S, Minoux M, Joshi O, Ben Zouari Y, Ducret S, Ross F, Vilain N, Salvi A, Wolff J, Kohler H, Stadler MB, Rijli FM. A multiple super-enhancer region establishes inter-TAD interactions and controls Hoxa function in cranial neural crest. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3242. [PMID: 37277355 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38953-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer-promoter interactions preferentially occur within boundary-insulated topologically associating domains (TADs), limiting inter-TAD interactions. Enhancer clusters in linear proximity, termed super-enhancers (SEs), ensure high target gene expression levels. Little is known about SE topological regulatory impact during craniofacial development. Here, we identify 2232 genome-wide putative SEs in mouse cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs), 147 of which target genes establishing CNCC positional identity during face formation. In second pharyngeal arch (PA2) CNCCs, a multiple SE-containing region, partitioned into Hoxa Inter-TAD Regulatory Element 1 and 2 (HIRE1 and HIRE2), establishes long-range inter-TAD interactions selectively with Hoxa2, that is required for external and middle ear structures. HIRE2 deletion in a Hoxa2 haploinsufficient background results in microtia. HIRE1 deletion phenocopies the full homeotic Hoxa2 knockout phenotype and induces PA3 and PA4 CNCC abnormalities correlating with Hoxa2 and Hoxa3 transcriptional downregulation. Thus, SEs can overcome TAD insulation and regulate anterior Hoxa gene collinear expression in a CNCC subpopulation-specific manner during craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kessler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maryline Minoux
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- INSERM UMR 1121, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 8, rue Sainte Elisabeth, 67 000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Onkar Joshi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yousra Ben Zouari
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastien Ducret
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fiona Ross
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Vilain
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adwait Salvi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Wolff
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hubertus Kohler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael B Stadler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Filippo M Rijli
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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23
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Brosh R, Coelho C, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos AM, Ellis G, Hogan MS, Ashe HJ, Somogyi N, Ordoñez R, Luther RD, Huang E, Boeke JD, Maurano MT. Synthetic regulatory genomics uncovers enhancer context dependence at the Sox2 locus. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1140-1152.e7. [PMID: 36931273 PMCID: PMC10081970 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Sox2 expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) depends on a distal cluster of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs), but their individual contributions and degree of interdependence remain a mystery. We analyzed the endogenous Sox2 locus using Big-IN to scarlessly integrate large DNA payloads incorporating deletions, rearrangements, and inversions affecting single or multiple DHSs, as well as surgical alterations to transcription factor (TF) recognition sequences. Multiple mESC clones were derived for each payload, sequence-verified, and analyzed for Sox2 expression. We found that two DHSs comprising a handful of key TF recognition sequences were each sufficient for long-range activation of Sox2 expression. By contrast, three nearby DHSs were entirely context dependent, showing no activity alone but dramatically augmenting the activity of the autonomous DHSs. Our results highlight the role of context in modulating genomic regulatory element function, and our synthetic regulatory genomics approach provides a roadmap for the dissection of other genomic loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Camila Coelho
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Gwen Ellis
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Megan S Hogan
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hannah J Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nicolette Somogyi
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Raquel Ordoñez
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Raven D Luther
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biochemistry Molecular Pharmacology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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24
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Boileau RM, Chen KX, Blelloch R. Loss of MLL3/4 decouples enhancer H3K4 monomethylation, H3K27 acetylation, and gene activation during embryonic stem cell differentiation. Genome Biol 2023; 24:41. [PMID: 36869380 PMCID: PMC9983171 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02883-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhancers are essential in defining cell fates through the control of cell-type-specific gene expression. Enhancer activation is a multi-step process involving chromatin remodelers and histone modifiers including the monomethylation of H3K4 (H3K4me1) by MLL3 (KMT2C) and MLL4 (KMT2D). MLL3/4 are thought to be critical for enhancer activation and cognate gene expression including through the recruitment of acetyltransferases for H3K27. RESULTS Here we test this model by evaluating the impact of MLL3/4 loss on chromatin and transcription during early differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. We find that MLL3/4 activity is required at most if not all sites that gain or lose H3K4me1 but is largely dispensable at sites that remain stably methylated during this transition. This requirement extends to H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) at most transitional sites. However, many sites gain H3K27ac independent of MLL3/4 or H3K4me1 including enhancers regulating key factors in early differentiation. Furthermore, despite the failure to gain active histone marks at thousands of enhancers, transcriptional activation of nearby genes is largely unaffected, thus uncoupling the regulation of these chromatin events from transcriptional changes during this transition. These data challenge current models of enhancer activation and imply distinct mechanisms between stable and dynamically changing enhancers. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our study highlights gaps in knowledge about the steps and epistatic relationships of enzymes necessary for enhancer activation and cognate gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Boileau
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program , University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Kevin X. Chen
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Robert Blelloch
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program , University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
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25
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Stankey CT, Lee JC. Translating non-coding genetic associations into a better understanding of immune-mediated disease. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:297044. [PMID: 36897113 PMCID: PMC10040244 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049790] [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] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of genetic loci that are associated with immune-mediated diseases. Most disease-associated variants are non-coding, and a large proportion of these variants lie within enhancers. As a result, there is a pressing need to understand how common genetic variation might affect enhancer function and thereby contribute to immune-mediated (and other) diseases. In this Review, we first describe statistical and experimental methods to identify causal genetic variants that modulate gene expression, including statistical fine-mapping and massively parallel reporter assays. We then discuss approaches to characterise the mechanisms by which these variants modulate immune function, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based screens. We highlight examples of studies that, by elucidating the effects of disease variants within enhancers, have provided important insights into immune function and uncovered key pathways of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina T Stankey
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - James C Lee
- Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London NW3 2PF, UK
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26
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Kim S, Wysocka J. Deciphering the multi-scale, quantitative cis-regulatory code. Mol Cell 2023; 83:373-392. [PMID: 36693380 PMCID: PMC9898153 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering the cis-regulatory code that governs when and how much each gene is transcribed in a given genome and cellular state remains a central goal of biology. Here, we discuss major layers of regulation that influence how transcriptional outputs are encoded by DNA sequence and cellular context. We first discuss how transcription factors bind specific DNA sequences in a dosage-dependent and cooperative manner and then proceed to the cofactors that facilitate transcription factor function and mediate the activity of modular cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers, silencers, and promoters. We then consider the complex and poorly understood interplay of these diverse elements within regulatory landscapes and its relationships with chromatin states and nuclear organization. We propose that a mechanistically informed, quantitative model of transcriptional regulation that integrates these multiple regulatory layers will be the key to ultimately cracking the cis-regulatory code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungsoo Kim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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27
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Chakraborty S, Kopitchinski N, Zuo Z, Eraso A, Awasthi P, Chari R, Mitra A, Tobias IC, Moorthy SD, Dale RK, Mitchell JA, Petros TJ, Rocha PP. Enhancer-promoter interactions can bypass CTCF-mediated boundaries and contribute to phenotypic robustness. Nat Genet 2023; 55:280-290. [PMID: 36717694 PMCID: PMC10758292 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
How enhancers activate their distal target promoters remains incompletely understood. Here we dissect how CTCF-mediated loops facilitate and restrict such regulatory interactions. Using an allelic series of mouse mutants, we show that CTCF is neither required for the interaction of the Sox2 gene with distal enhancers, nor for its expression. Insertion of various combinations of CTCF motifs, between Sox2 and its distal enhancers, generated boundaries with varying degrees of insulation that directly correlated with reduced transcriptional output. However, in both epiblast and neural tissues, enhancer contacts and transcriptional induction could not be fully abolished, and insertions failed to disrupt implantation and neurogenesis. In contrast, Sox2 expression was undetectable in the anterior foregut of mutants carrying the strongest boundaries, and these animals fully phenocopied loss of SOX2 in this tissue. We propose that enhancer clusters with a high density of regulatory activity can better overcome physical barriers to maintain faithful gene expression and phenotypic robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreeta Chakraborty
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nina Kopitchinski
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhenyu Zuo
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ariel Eraso
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Parirokh Awasthi
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Apratim Mitra
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ian C Tobias
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sakthi D Moorthy
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan K Dale
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer A Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Timothy J Petros
- Unit on Cellular and Molecular Neurodevelopment, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pedro P Rocha
- Unit on Genome Structure and Regulation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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28
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van Mierlo G, Pushkarev O, Kribelbauer JF, Deplancke B. Chromatin modules and their implication in genomic organization and gene regulation. Trends Genet 2023; 39:140-153. [PMID: 36549923 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.11.003] [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: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression is a complex but highly guided process. While genomic technologies and computational approaches have allowed high-throughput mapping of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and their interactions in 3D, their precise role in regulating gene expression remains obscure. Recent complementary observations revealed that interactions between CREs frequently result in the formation of small-scale functional modules within topologically associating domains. Such chromatin modules likely emerge from a complex interplay between regulatory machineries assembled at CREs, including site-specific binding of transcription factors. Here, we review the methods that allow identifying chromatin modules, summarize possible mechanisms that steer CRE interactions within these modules, and discuss outstanding challenges to uncover how chromatin modules fit in our current understanding of the functional 3D genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido van Mierlo
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olga Pushkarev
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Judith F Kribelbauer
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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29
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Identification and functional validation of super-enhancers in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2215328119. [PMID: 36409894 PMCID: PMC9860255 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215328119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) are exceptionally large enhancers and are recognized to play prominent roles in cell identity in mammalian species. We surveyed the genomic regions containing large clusters of accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) marked by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified a set of 749 putative SEs, which have a minimum length of 1.5 kilobases and represent the top 2.5% of the largest ACR clusters. We demonstrate that the genomic regions associating with these SEs were more sensitive to DNase I than other nonpromoter ACRs. The SEs were preferentially associated with topologically associating domains. Furthermore, the SEs and their predicted cognate genes were frequently associated with organ development and tissue identity in A. thaliana. Therefore, the A. thaliana SEs and their cognate genes mirror the functional characteristics of those reported in mammalian species. We developed CRISPR/Cas-mediated deletion lines of a 3,578-bp SE associated with the thalianol biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Small deletions (131-157 bp) within the SE resulted in distinct phenotypic changes and transcriptional repression of all five thalianol genes. In addition, T-DNA insertions in the SE region resulted in transcriptional alteration of all five thalianol genes. Thus, this SE appears to play a central role in coordinating the operon-like expression pattern of the thalianol BGC.
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30
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Klonizakis A, Nikolaou C, Graf T. SEGCOND predicts putative transcriptional condensate-associated genomic regions by integrating multi-omics data. Bioinformatics 2022; 39:6832039. [PMID: 36394233 PMCID: PMC9805567 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION The compartmentalization of biochemical reactions, involved in the activation of gene expression in the eukaryotic nucleus, leads to the formation of membraneless bodies through liquid-liquid phase separation. These formations, called transcriptional condensates, appear to play important roles in gene regulation as they are assembled through the association of multiple enhancer regions in 3D genomic space. To date, we are still lacking efficient computational methodologies to identify the regions responsible for the formation of such condensates, based on genomic and conformational data. RESULTS In this work, we present SEGCOND, a computational framework aiming to highlight genomic regions involved in the formation of transcriptional condensates. SEGCOND is flexible in combining multiple genomic datasets related to enhancer activity and chromatin accessibility, to perform a genome segmentation. It then uses this segmentation for the detection of highly transcriptionally active regions of the genome. At a final step, and through the integration of Hi-C data, it identifies regions of putative transcriptional condensates (PTCs) as genomic domains where multiple enhancer elements coalesce in 3D space. SEGCOND identifies a subset of enhancer segments with increased transcriptional activity. PTCs are also found to significantly overlap highly interconnected enhancer elements and super enhancers obtained through two independent approaches. Application of SEGCOND on data from a well-defined system of B-cell to macrophage transdifferentiation leads to the identification of previously unreported genes with a likely role in the process. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Source code and details for the implementation of SEGCOND is available at https://github.com/AntonisK95/SEGCOND. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Klonizakis
- Genome Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), C/ del Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain,Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | | | - Thomas Graf
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. or
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Xu J, Pratt HE, Moore JE, Gerstein MB, Weng Z. Building integrative functional maps of gene regulation. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:R114-R122. [PMID: 36083269 PMCID: PMC9585680 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac195] [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: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Every cell in the human body inherits a copy of the same genetic information. The three billion base pairs of DNA in the human genome, and the roughly 50 000 coding and non-coding genes they contain, must thus encode all the complexity of human development and cell and tissue type diversity. Differences in gene regulation, or the modulation of gene expression, enable individual cells to interpret the genome differently to carry out their specific functions. Here we discuss recent and ongoing efforts to build gene regulatory maps, which aim to characterize the regulatory roles of all sequences in a genome. Many researchers and consortia have identified such regulatory elements using functional assays and evolutionary analyses; we discuss the results, strengths and shortcomings of their approaches. We also discuss new techniques the field can leverage and emerging challenges it will face while striving to build gene regulatory maps of ever-increasing resolution and comprehensiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinrui Xu
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Henry E Pratt
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jill E Moore
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Mark B Gerstein
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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32
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Nair SJ, Suter T, Wang S, Yang L, Yang F, Rosenfeld MG. Transcriptional enhancers at 40: evolution of a viral DNA element to nuclear architectural structures. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1019-1047. [PMID: 35811173 PMCID: PMC9474616 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation by transcriptional enhancers is the dominant mechanism driving cell type- and signal-specific transcriptional diversity in metazoans. However, over four decades since the original discovery, how enhancers operate in the nuclear space remains largely enigmatic. Recent multidisciplinary efforts combining real-time imaging, genome sequencing, and biophysical strategies provide insightful but conflicting models of enhancer-mediated gene control. Here, we review the discovery and progress in enhancer biology, emphasizing the recent findings that acutely activated enhancers assemble regulatory machinery as mesoscale architectural structures with distinct physical properties. These findings help formulate novel models that explain several mysterious features of the assembly of transcriptional enhancers and the mechanisms of spatial control of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith J Nair
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
| | - Tom Suter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Susan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lu Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Feng Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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33
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Li J, Pertsinidis A. Nanoscale nuclear environments, fine-scale 3D genome organization and transcription regulation. CURRENT OPINION IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2022; 31:100436. [PMID: 37091742 PMCID: PMC10118054 DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2022.100436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Decades of in vitro biochemical reconstitution, genetics and structural biology studies have established a vast knowledge base on the molecular mechanisms of chromatin regulation and transcription. A remaining challenge is to understand how these intricate biochemical systems operate in the context of the 3D genome organization and in the crowded and compartmentalized nuclear milieu. Here we review recent progress in this area based on high-resolution imaging approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieru Li
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY 10065, USA
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34
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Downes DJ, Hughes JR. Natural and Experimental Rewiring of Gene Regulatory Regions. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:73-97. [PMID: 35472292 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-112921-010715] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The successful development and ongoing functioning of complex organisms depend on the faithful execution of the genetic code. A critical step in this process is the correct spatial and temporal expression of genes. The highly orchestrated transcription of genes is controlled primarily by cis-regulatory elements: promoters, enhancers, and insulators. The medical importance of this key biological process can be seen by the frequency with which mutations and inherited variants that alter cis-regulatory elements lead to monogenic and complex diseases and cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the methods available to characterize and perturb gene regulatory circuits. We then highlight mechanisms through which regulatory rewiring contributes to disease, and conclude with a perspective on how our understanding of gene regulation can be used to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
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Taylor T, Sikorska N, Shchuka VM, Chahar S, Ji C, Macpherson NN, Moorthy SD, de Kort MAC, Mullany S, Khader N, Gillespie ZE, Langroudi L, Tobias IC, Lenstra TL, Mitchell JA, Sexton T. Transcriptional regulation and chromatin architecture maintenance are decoupled functions at the Sox2 locus. Genes Dev 2022; 36:699-717. [PMID: 35710138 PMCID: PMC9296009 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349489.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
How distal regulatory elements control gene transcription and chromatin topology is not clearly defined, yet these processes are closely linked in lineage specification during development. Through allele-specific genome editing and chromatin interaction analyses of the Sox2 locus in mouse embryonic stem cells, we found a striking disconnection between transcriptional control and chromatin architecture. We traced nearly all Sox2 transcriptional activation to a small number of key transcription factor binding sites, whose deletions have no effect on promoter-enhancer interaction frequencies or topological domain organization. Local chromatin architecture maintenance, including at the topologically associating domain (TAD) boundary downstream from the Sox2 enhancer, is widely distributed over multiple transcription factor-bound regions and maintained in a CTCF-independent manner. Furthermore, partial disruption of promoter-enhancer interactions by ectopic chromatin loop formation has no effect on Sox2 transcription. These findings indicate that many transcription factors are involved in modulating chromatin architecture independently of CTCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiegh Taylor
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Natalia Sikorska
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U1258, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University of Strasbourg, 6704 Illkirch, France
| | - Virlana M Shchuka
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Sanjay Chahar
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U1258, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University of Strasbourg, 6704 Illkirch, France
| | - Chenfan Ji
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Neil N Macpherson
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Sakthi D Moorthy
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Marit A C de Kort
- Division of Gene Regulation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Shanelle Mullany
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Nawrah Khader
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Zoe E Gillespie
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Lida Langroudi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Ian C Tobias
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Tineke L Lenstra
- Division of Gene Regulation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jennifer A Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M55 3G5, Canada
| | - Tom Sexton
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), UMR7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U1258, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, University of Strasbourg, 6704 Illkirch, France
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36
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Super-Enhancers, Phase-Separated Condensates, and 3D Genome Organization in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122866. [PMID: 35740532 PMCID: PMC9221043 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
3D chromatin organization plays an important role in transcription regulation and gene expression. The 3D genome is highly maintained by several architectural proteins, such as CTCF, Yin Yang 1, and cohesin complex. This structural organization brings regulatory DNA elements in close proximity to their target promoters. In this review, we discuss the 3D chromatin organization of super-enhancers and their relationship to phase-separated condensates. Super-enhancers are large clusters of DNA elements. They can physically contact with their target promoters by chromatin looping during transcription. Multiple transcription factors can bind to enhancer and promoter sequences and recruit a complex array of transcriptional co-activators and RNA polymerase II to effect transcriptional activation. Phase-separated condensates of transcription factors and transcriptional co-activators have been implicated in assembling the transcription machinery at particular enhancers. Cancer cells can hijack super-enhancers to drive oncogenic transcription to promote cell survival and proliferation. These dysregulated transcriptional programs can cause cancer cells to become highly dependent on transcriptional regulators, such as Mediator and BRD4. Moreover, the expression of oncogenes that are driven by super-enhancers is sensitive to transcriptional perturbation and often occurs in phase-separated condensates, supporting therapeutic rationales of targeting SE components, 3D genome organization, or dysregulated condensates in cancer.
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Mulero Hernández J, Fernández-Breis JT. Analysis of the landscape of human enhancer sequences in biological databases. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2728-2744. [PMID: 35685360 PMCID: PMC9168495 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.045] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of gene regulation extends as a network in which both genetic sequences and proteins are involved. The levels of regulation and the mechanisms involved are multiple. Transcription is the main control mechanism for most genes, being the downstream steps responsible for refining the transcription patterns. In turn, gene transcription is mainly controlled by regulatory events that occur at promoters and enhancers. Several studies are focused on analyzing the contribution of enhancers in the development of diseases and their possible use as therapeutic targets. The study of regulatory elements has advanced rapidly in recent years with the development and use of next generation sequencing techniques. All this information has generated a large volume of information that has been transferred to a growing number of public repositories that store this information. In this article, we analyze the content of those public repositories that contain information about human enhancers with the aim of detecting whether the knowledge generated by scientific research is contained in those databases in a way that could be computationally exploited. The analysis will be based on three main aspects identified in the literature: types of enhancers, type of evidence about the enhancers, and methods for detecting enhancer-promoter interactions. Our results show that no single database facilitates the optimal exploitation of enhancer data, most types of enhancers are not represented in the databases and there is need for a standardized model for enhancers. We have identified major gaps and challenges for the computational exploitation of enhancer data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mulero Hernández
- Dept. Informática y Sistemas, Universidad de Murcia, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum, IMIB-Arrixaca, Spain
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38
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Investigating chromatin accessibility during development and differentiation by ATAC-sequencing to guide the identification of cis-regulatory elements. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1167-1177. [PMID: 35604124 PMCID: PMC9246326 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mapping accessible chromatin across time scales can give insights into its dynamic nature, for example during cellular differentiation and tissue or organism development. Analysis of such data can be utilised to identify functional cis-regulatory elements (CRE) and transcription factor binding sites and, when combined with transcriptomics, can reveal gene regulatory networks (GRNs) of expressed genes. Chromatin accessibility mapping is a powerful approach and can be performed using ATAC-sequencing (ATAC-seq), whereby Tn5 transposase inserts sequencing adaptors into genomic DNA to identify differentially accessible regions of chromatin in different cell populations. It requires low sample input and can be performed and analysed relatively quickly compared with other methods. The data generated from ATAC-seq, along with other genomic approaches, can help uncover chromatin packaging and potential cis-regulatory elements that may be responsible for gene expression. Here, we describe the ATAC-seq approach and give examples from mainly vertebrate embryonic development, where such datasets have identified the highly dynamic nature of chromatin, with differing landscapes between cellular precursors for different lineages.
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39
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Huang L, Yang Y, Li G, Jiang M, Wen J, Abnousi A, Rosen JD, Hu M, Li Y. A systematic evaluation of Hi-C data enhancement methods for enhancing PLAC-seq and HiChIP data. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:bbac145. [PMID: 35488276 PMCID: PMC9116213 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The three-dimensional organization of chromatin plays a critical role in gene regulation. Recently developed technologies, such as HiChIP and proximity ligation-assisted ChIP-Seq (PLAC-seq) (hereafter referred to as HP for brevity), can measure chromosome spatial organization by interrogating chromatin interactions mediated by a protein of interest. While offering cost-efficiency over genome-wide unbiased high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, HP data remain sparse at kilobase (Kb) resolution with the current sequencing depth in the order of 108 reads per sample. Deep learning models, including HiCPlus, HiCNN, HiCNN2, DeepHiC and Variationally Encoded Hi-C Loss Enhancer (VEHiCLE), have been developed to enhance the sequencing depth of Hi-C data, but their performance on HP data has not been benchmarked. Here, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of HP data sequencing depth enhancement using models developed for Hi-C data. Specifically, we analyzed various HP data, including Smc1a HiChIP data of the human lymphoblastoid cell line GM12878, H3K4me3 PLAC-seq data of four human neural cell types as well as of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), and mESC CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) PLAC-seq data. Our evaluations lead to the following three findings: (i) most models developed for Hi-C data achieve reasonable performance when applied to HP data (e.g. with Pearson correlation ranging 0.76-0.95 for pairs of loci within 300 Kb), and the enhanced datasets lead to improved statistical power for detecting long-range chromatin interactions, (ii) models trained on HP data outperform those trained on Hi-C data and (iii) most models are transferable across cell types. Our results provide a general guideline for HP data enhancement using existing methods designed for Hi-C data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Huang
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Yuchen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Minzhi Jiang
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jia Wen
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Armen Abnousi
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
| | - Jonathan D Rosen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Ming Hu
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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40
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Shiau CK, Huang JH, Liu YT, Tsai HK. Genome-wide identification of associations between enhancer and alternative splicing in human and mouse. BMC Genomics 2022; 22:919. [PMID: 35534820 PMCID: PMC9082955 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08537-1] [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: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing (AS) increases the diversity of transcriptome and could fine-tune the function of genes, so that understanding the regulation of AS is vital. AS could be regulated by many different cis-regulatory elements, such as enhancer. Enhancer has been experimentally proved to regulate AS in some genes. However, there is a lack of genome-wide studies on the association between enhancer and AS (enhancer-AS association). To bridge the gap, here we developed an integrative analysis on a genome-wide scale to identify enhancer-AS associations in human and mouse. Result We collected enhancer datasets which include 28 human and 24 mouse tissues and cell lines, and RNA-seq datasets which are paired with the selected tissues. Combining with data integration and statistical analysis, we identified 3,242 human and 7,716 mouse genes which have significant enhancer-AS associations in at least one tissue. On average, for each gene, about 6% of enhancers in human (5% in mouse) are associated to AS change and for each enhancer, approximately one gene is identified to have enhancer-AS association in both human and mouse. We found that 52% of the human significant (34% in mouse) enhancer-AS associations are the co-existence of homologous genes and homologous enhancers. We further constructed a user-friendly platform, named Visualization of Enhancer-associated Alternative Splicing (VEnAS, http://venas.iis.sinica.edu.tw/), to provide genomic architecture, intuitive association plot, and contingency table of the significant enhancer-AS associations. Conclusion This study provides the first genome-wide identification of enhancer-AS associations in human and mouse. The results suggest that a notable portion of enhancers are playing roles in AS regulations. The analyzed results and the proposed platform VEnAS would provide a further understanding of enhancers on regulating alternative splicing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08537-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Kai Shiau
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.,Bioinformatics Program, International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Hsin Huang
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Liu
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Huai-Kuang Tsai
- Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
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41
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Long-Distance Repression by Human Silencers: Chromatin Interactions and Phase Separation in Silencers. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091560. [PMID: 35563864 PMCID: PMC9101175 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional genome organization represents an additional layer in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Active transcription controlled by enhancers or super-enhancers has been extensively studied. Enhancers or super-enhancers can recruit activators or co-activators to activate target gene expression through long-range chromatin interactions. Chromatin interactions and phase separation play important roles in terms of enhancer or super-enhancer functioning. Silencers are another major type of cis-regulatory element that can mediate gene regulation by turning off or reducing gene expression. However, compared to active transcription, silencer studies are still in their infancy. This review covers the current knowledge of human silencers, especially the roles of chromatin interactions and phase separation in silencers. This review also proposes future directions for human silencer studies.
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Boyling A, Perez-Siles G, Kennerson ML. Structural Variation at a Disease Mutation Hotspot: Strategies to Investigate Gene Regulation and the 3D Genome. Front Genet 2022; 13:842860. [PMID: 35401663 PMCID: PMC8990796 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.842860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A rare form of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, CMTX3, is caused by an interchromosomal insertion occurring at chromosome Xq27.1. Interestingly, eight other disease phenotypes have been associated with insertions (or insertion-deletions) occurring at the same genetic locus. To date, the pathogenic mechanism underlying most of these diseases remains unsolved, although local gene dysregulation has clearly been implicated in at least two phenotypes. The challenges of accessing disease-relevant tissue and modelling these complex genomic rearrangements has led to this research impasse. We argue that recent technological advancements can overcome many of these challenges, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and their capacity to provide access to patient-derived disease-relevant tissue. However, to date these valuable tools have not been utilized to investigate the disease-associated insertions at chromosome Xq27.1. Therefore, using CMTX3 as a reference disease, we propose an experimental approach that can be used to explore these complex mutations, as well as similar structural variants located elsewhere in the genome. The mutational hotspot at Xq27.1 is a valuable disease paradigm with the potential to improve our understanding of the pathogenic consequences of complex structural variation, and more broadly, refine our knowledge of the multifaceted process of long-range gene regulation. Intergenic structural variation is a critically understudied class of mutation, although it is likely to contribute significantly to unsolved genetic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Boyling
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Alexandra Boyling, ; Marina L. Kennerson,
| | - Gonzalo Perez-Siles
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marina L. Kennerson
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Alexandra Boyling, ; Marina L. Kennerson,
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Liu Q, Guo L, Lou Z, Xiang X, Shao J. Super-enhancers and novel therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:228. [PMID: 35277481 PMCID: PMC8917125 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04673-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors, cofactors, chromatin regulators, and transcription apparatuses interact with transcriptional regulatory elements, including promoters, enhancers, and super-enhancers (SEs), to coordinately regulate the transcription of target genes and thereby control cell behaviors. Among these transcriptional regulatory components and related elements, SEs often play a central role in determining cell identity and tumor initiation and progression. Therefore, oncogenic SEs, which are generated within cancer cells in oncogenes and other genes important in tumor pathogenesis, have emerged as attractive targets for novel cancer therapeutic strategies in recent years. Herein, we review the identification, formation and activation modes, and regulatory mechanisms for downstream genes and pathways of oncogenic SEs. We also review the therapeutic strategies and compounds targeting oncogenic SEs in colorectal cancer and other malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, and Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Guo
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, and Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of China National Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyuan Lou
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, and Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of China National Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xueping Xiang
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, and Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of China National Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jimin Shao
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, and Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention of China National Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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44
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Blobel GA, Higgs DR, Mitchell JA, Notani D, Young RA. Testing the super-enhancer concept. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:749-755. [PMID: 34480110 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00398-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerd A Blobel
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jennifer A Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Dimple Notani
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
| | - Richard A Young
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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45
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Gopalan S, Wang Y, Harper NW, Garber M, Fazzio TG. Simultaneous profiling of multiple chromatin proteins in the same cells. Mol Cell 2021; 81:4736-4746.e5. [PMID: 34637755 PMCID: PMC8604773 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Methods derived from CUT&RUN and CUT&Tag enable genome-wide mapping of the localization of proteins on chromatin from as few as one cell. These and other mapping approaches focus on one protein at a time, preventing direct measurements of co-localization of different chromatin proteins in the same cells and requiring prioritization of targets where samples are limiting. Here, we describe multi-CUT&Tag, an adaptation of CUT&Tag that overcomes these hurdles by using antibody-specific barcodes to simultaneously map multiple proteins in the same cells. Highly specific multi-CUT&Tag maps of histone marks and RNA Polymerase II uncovered sites of co-localization in the same cells, active and repressed genes, and candidate cis-regulatory elements. Single-cell multi-CUT&Tag profiling facilitated identification of distinct cell types from a mixed population and characterization of cell-type-specific chromatin architecture. In sum, multi-CUT&Tag increases the information content per cell of epigenomic maps, facilitating direct analysis of the interplay of different chromatin proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Gopalan
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nicholas W Harper
- Program in Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Manuel Garber
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Thomas G Fazzio
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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46
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Daghsni M, Aldiri I. Building a Mammalian Retina: An Eye on Chromatin Structure. Front Genet 2021; 12:775205. [PMID: 34764989 PMCID: PMC8576187 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.775205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of gene expression by chromatin structure has been under intensive investigation, establishing nuclear organization and genome architecture as a potent and effective means of regulating developmental processes. The substantial growth in our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying retinogenesis has been powered by several genome-wide based tools that mapped chromatin organization at multiple cellular and biochemical levels. Studies profiling the retinal epigenome and transcriptome have allowed the systematic annotation of putative cis-regulatory elements associated with transcriptional programs that drive retinal neural differentiation, laying the groundwork to understand spatiotemporal retinal gene regulation at a mechanistic level. In this review, we outline recent advances in our understanding of the chromatin architecture in the mammalian retina during development and disease. We focus on the emerging roles of non-coding regulatory elements in controlling retinal cell-type specific transcriptional programs, and discuss potential implications in untangling the etiology of eye-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Daghsni
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Issam Aldiri
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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47
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Matthews BJ, Melia T, Waxman DJ. Harnessing natural variation to identify cis regulators of sex-biased gene expression in a multi-strain mouse liver model. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009588. [PMID: 34752452 PMCID: PMC8664386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in gene expression are widespread in the liver, where many autosomal factors act in tandem with growth hormone signaling to regulate individual variability of sex differences in liver metabolism and disease. Here, we compare hepatic transcriptomic and epigenetic profiles of mouse strains C57BL/6J and CAST/EiJ, representing two subspecies separated by 0.5-1 million years of evolution, to elucidate the actions of genetic factors regulating liver sex differences. We identify 144 protein coding genes and 78 lncRNAs showing strain-conserved sex bias; many have gene ontologies relevant to liver function, are more highly liver-specific and show greater sex bias, and are more proximally regulated than genes whose sex bias is strain-dependent. The strain-conserved genes include key growth hormone-dependent transcriptional regulators of liver sex bias; however, three other transcription factors, Trim24, Tox, and Zfp809, lose their sex-biased expression in CAST/EiJ mouse liver. To elucidate the observed strain specificities in expression, we characterized the strain-dependence of sex-biased chromatin opening and enhancer marks at cis regulatory elements (CREs) within expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) regulating liver sex-biased genes. Strikingly, 208 of 286 eQTLs with strain-specific, sex-differential effects on expression were associated with a complete gain, loss, or reversal of the sex differences in expression between strains. Moreover, 166 of the 286 eQTLs were linked to the strain-dependent gain or loss of localized sex-biased CREs. Remarkably, a subset of these CREs apparently lacked strain-specific genetic variants yet showed coordinated, strain-dependent sex-biased epigenetic regulation. Thus, we directly link hundreds of strain-specific genetic variants to the high variability in CRE activity and expression of sex-biased genes and uncover underlying genetically-determined epigenetic states controlling liver sex bias in genetically diverse mouse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J. Matthews
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tisha Melia
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David J. Waxman
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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48
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No Need to Stick Together to Be Connected: Multiple Types of Enhancers' Networking. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205201. [PMID: 34680347 PMCID: PMC8533737 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transcription regulation programs require the functional interaction of distal and proximal regulatory regions, interacting by specific 3D chromatin configurations. Enhancers are cis-acting regulatory elements able to promote gene expression regardless their orientation and distance from the transcription starting site. Their systematic mapping by genome-wide chromatin profiling and chromosome conformation analysis, combined with the development of gene-editing approaches to modulate their function, revealed that many enhancers work together to fine-tune the expression of their target genes. This review aim to describe the functions of different types of enhancers and the modalities of enhancers’ interaction, focusing on their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development. Abstract The control of gene expression at a transcriptional level requires a widespread landscape of regulatory elements. Central to these regulatory circuits are enhancers (ENHs), which are defined as cis-acting DNA elements able to increase the transcription of a target gene in a distance- and orientation-independent manner. ENHs are not independent functional elements but work in a complex and dynamic cooperative network, constituting the building blocks of multimodular domains of gene expression regulation. The information from each of these elements converges on the target promoter, contributing to improving the precision and sharpness of gene modulation. ENHs’ interplay varies in its nature and extent, ranging from an additive to redundant effect depending on contexts. Moving from super-enhancers that drive the high expression levels of identity genes, to shadow-enhancers, whose redundant functions contribute to buffering the variation in gene expression, this review aims to describe the different modalities of ENHs’ interaction and their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development.
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49
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Meng F, Zhao H, Zhu B, Zhang T, Yang M, Li Y, Han Y, Jiang J. Genomic editing of intronic enhancers unveils their role in fine-tuning tissue-specific gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:1997-2014. [PMID: 33764459 PMCID: PMC8290289 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Enhancers located in introns are abundant and play a major role in the regulation of gene expression in mammalian species. By contrast, the functions of intronic enhancers in plants have largely been unexplored and only a handful of plant intronic enhancers have been reported. We performed a genome-wide prediction of intronic enhancers in Arabidopsis thaliana using open chromatin signatures based on DNase I sequencing. We identified 941 candidate intronic enhancers associated with 806 genes in seedling tissue and 1,271 intronic enhancers associated with 1,069 genes in floral tissue. We validated the function of 15 of 21 (71%) of the predicted intronic enhancers in transgenic assays using a reporter gene. We also created deletion lines of three intronic enhancers associated with two different genes using CRISPR/Cas. Deletion of these enhancers, which span key transcription factor binding sites, did not abolish gene expression but caused varying levels of transcriptional repression of their cognate genes. Remarkably, the transcriptional repression of the deletion lines occurred at specific developmental stages and resulted in distinct phenotypic effects on plant morphology and development. Clearly, these three intronic enhancers are important in fine-tuning tissue- and development-specific expression of their cognate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanli Meng
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Hainan Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Biological Science, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610101, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Mingyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yingpeng Han
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Michigan State University AgBioResearch, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Author for correspondence:
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50
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Enhancers navigate the three-dimensional genome to direct cell fate decisions. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:101-109. [PMID: 34280668 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The activity and selectivity of transcriptional enhancers determine gene expression patterns that enable a zygote to become a complex organism. How enhancers convey regulatory information is a central conundrum in biology. Here, we discuss recent progress provided by rapidly evolving technologies in understanding enhancer-promoter interactions in the context of overall nuclear genome organization.
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