1
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Hintermann A, Bolt CC, Hawkins MB, Valentin G, Lopez-Delisle L, Gitto S, Gómez PB, Mascrez B, Mansour TA, Nakamura T, Harris MP, Shubin NH, Duboule D. EVOLUTIONARY CO-OPTION OF AN ANCESTRAL CLOACAL REGULATORY LANDSCAPE DURING THE EMERGENCE OF DIGITS AND GENITALS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.24.586442. [PMID: 38585989 PMCID: PMC10996561 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.24.586442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The transition from fins to limbs has been a rich source of discussion for more than a century. One open and important issue is understanding how the mechanisms that pattern digits arose during vertebrate evolution. In this context, the analysis of Hox gene expression and functions to infer evolutionary scenarios has been a productive approach to explain the changes in organ formation, particularly in limbs. In tetrapods, the transcription of Hoxd genes in developing digits depends on a well-characterized set of enhancers forming a large regulatory landscape1,2. This control system has a syntenic counterpart in zebrafish, even though they lack bona fide digits, suggestive of deep homology3 between distal fin and limb developmental mechanisms. We tested the global function of this landscape to assess ancestry and source of limb and fin variation. In contrast to results in mice, we show here that the deletion of the homologous control region in zebrafish has a limited effect on the transcription of hoxd genes during fin development. However, it fully abrogates hoxd expression within the developing cloaca, an ancestral structure related to the mammalian urogenital sinus. We show that similar to the limb, Hoxd gene function in the urogenital sinus of the mouse also depends on enhancers located in this same genomic domain. Thus, we conclude that the current regulation underlying Hoxd gene expression in distal limbs was co-opted in tetrapods from a preexisting cloacal program. The orthologous chromatin domain in fishes may illustrate a rudimentary or partial step in this evolutionary co-option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Hintermann
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chase Bolt
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M. Brent Hawkins
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Department of Orthopedic Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guillaume Valentin
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paula Barrera Gómez
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bénédicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Tetsuya Nakamura
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Matthew P. Harris
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Department of Orthopedic Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Neil H. Shubin
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology CIRB, Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
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2
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Mañes-García J, Marco-Ferreres R, Beccari L. Shaping gene expression and its evolution by chromatin architecture and enhancer activity. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:406-437. [PMID: 38729683 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the intricate genetic programs governing embryonic development. The expression of developmental genes relies on the combined activity of several cis-regulatory elements (CREs), such as enhancers and silencers, which can be located at long linear distances from the genes that they regulate and that interact with them through establishment of chromatin loops. Mutations affecting their activity or interaction with their target genes can lead to developmental disorders and are thought to have importantly contributed to the evolution of the animal body plan. The income of next-generation-sequencing approaches has allowed identifying over a million of sequences with putative regulatory potential in the human genome. Characterizing their function and establishing gene-CREs maps is essential to decode the logic governing developmental gene expression and is one of the major challenges of the post-genomic era. Chromatin 3D organization plays an essential role in determining how CREs specifically contact their target genes while avoiding deleterious off-target interactions. Our understanding of these aspects has greatly advanced with the income of chromatin conformation capture techniques and fluorescence microscopy approaches to visualize the organization of DNA elements in the nucleus. Here we will summarize relevant aspects of how the interplay between CRE activity and chromatin 3D organization regulates developmental gene expression and how it relates to pathological conditions and the evolution of animal body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leonardo Beccari
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
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3
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The Drosophila Fab-7 boundary modulates Abd-B gene activity by guiding an inversion of collinear chromatin organization and alternate promoter use. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111967. [PMID: 36640345 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hox genes encode transcription factors that specify segmental identities along the anteroposterior body axis. These genes are organized in clusters, where their order corresponds to their activity along the body axis, a feature known as collinearity. In Drosophila, the BX-C cluster contains the three most posterior Hox genes, where their collinear activation incorporates progressive changes in histone modifications, chromatin architecture, and use of boundary elements and cis-regulatory regions. To dissect functional hierarchies, we compare chromatin organization in cell lines and larvae, with a focus on the Abd-B gene. Our work establishes the importance of the Fab-7 boundary for insulation between 3D domains carrying different histone modifications. Interestingly, we detect a non-canonical inversion of collinear chromatin dynamics at Abd-B, with the domain of active histone modifications progressively decreasing in size. This dynamic chromatin organization differentially activates the alternative promoters of the Abd-B gene, thereby expanding the possibilities for fine-tuning of transcriptional output.
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4
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Pereira AG, Grizante MB, Kohlsdorf T. What snakes and caecilians have in common? Molecular interaction units and the independent origins of similar morphotypes in Tetrapoda. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220841. [PMID: 35975445 PMCID: PMC9382212 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0841] [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: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental pathways encompass transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements that interact as transcription factor-regulatory element (TF-RE) units. Independent origins of similar phenotypes likely involve changes in different parts of these units, a hypothesis promisingly tested addressing the evolution of the rib-associated lumbar (RAL) morphotype that characterizes emblematic animals such as snakes and elephants. Previous investigation in these lineages identified a polymorphism in the Homology region 1 [H1] enhancer of the Myogenic factor-5 [Myf5], which interacts with HOX10 proteins to modulate rib development. Here we address the evolution of TF-RE units focusing on independent origins of RAL morphotypes. We compiled an extensive database for H1-Myf5 and HOX10 sequences with two goals: (i) evaluate if the enhancer polymorphism is present in amphibians exhibiting the RAL morphotype and (ii) test a hypothesis of enhanced evolutionary flexibility mediated by TF-RE units, according to which independent origins of the RAL morphotype might involve changes in either component of the interaction unit. We identified the H1-Myf5 polymorphism in lineages that diverged around 340 Ma, including Lissamphibia. Independent origins of the RAL morphotype in Tetrapoda involved sequence variation in either component of the TF-RE unit, confirming that different changes may similarly affect the phenotypic outcome of a given developmental pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anieli G. Pereira
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana B. Grizante
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Ramirez M, Badayeva Y, Yeung J, Wu J, Abdalla-Wyse A, Yang E, Trost B, Scherer SW, Goldowitz D. Temporal analysis of enhancers during mouse cerebellar development reveals dynamic and novel regulatory functions. eLife 2022; 11:74207. [PMID: 35942939 PMCID: PMC9398453 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have identified active enhancers in the mouse cerebellum at embryonic and postnatal stages which provides a view of novel enhancers active during cerebellar development. The majority of cerebellar enhancers have dynamic activity between embryonic and postnatal development. Cerebellar enhancers were enriched for neural transcription factor binding sites with temporally specific expression. Putative gene targets displayed spatially restricted expression patterns, indicating cell-type specific expression regulation. Functional analysis of target genes indicated that enhancers regulate processes spanning several developmental epochs such as specification, differentiation and maturation. We use these analyses to discover one novel regulator and one novel marker of cerebellar development: Bhlhe22 and Pax3, respectively. We identified an enrichment of de novo mutations and variants associated with autism spectrum disorder in cerebellar enhancers. Furthermore, by comparing our data with relevant brain development ENCODE histone profiles and cerebellar single-cell datasets we have been able to generalize and expand on the presented analyses, respectively. We have made the results of our analyses available online in the Developing Mouse Cerebellum Enhancer Atlas (https://goldowitzlab.shinyapps.io/developing_mouse_cerebellum_enhancer_atlas/), where our dataset can be efficiently queried, curated and exported by the scientific community to facilitate future research efforts. Our study provides a valuable resource for studying the dynamics of gene expression regulation by enhancers in the developing cerebellum and delivers a rich dataset of novel gene-enhancer associations providing a basis for future in-depth studies in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ramirez
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yuliya Badayeva
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanna Yeung
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joshua Wu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ayasha Abdalla-Wyse
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Erin Yang
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
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- Department of Molecular Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Brett Trost
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen W Scherer
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel Goldowitz
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
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6
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Pinglay S, Bulajić M, Rahe DP, Huang E, Brosh R, Mamrak NE, King BR, German S, Cadley JA, Rieber L, Easo N, Lionnet T, Mahony S, Maurano MT, Holt LJ, Mazzoni EO, Boeke JD. Synthetic regulatory reconstitution reveals principles of mammalian Hox cluster regulation. Science 2022; 377:eabk2820. [PMID: 35771912 PMCID: PMC9648154 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk2820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Precise Hox gene expression is crucial for embryonic patterning. Intra-Hox transcription factor binding and distal enhancer elements have emerged as the major regulatory modules controlling Hox gene expression. However, quantifying their relative contributions has remained elusive. Here, we introduce "synthetic regulatory reconstitution," a conceptual framework for studying gene regulation, and apply it to the HoxA cluster. We synthesized and delivered variant rat HoxA clusters (130 to 170 kilobases) to an ectopic location in the mouse genome. We found that a minimal HoxA cluster recapitulated correct patterns of chromatin remodeling and transcription in response to patterning signals, whereas the addition of distal enhancers was needed for full transcriptional output. Synthetic regulatory reconstitution could provide a generalizable strategy for deciphering the regulatory logic of gene expression in complex genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Pinglay
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Milica Bulajić
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Dylan P. Rahe
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nicholas E. Mamrak
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Benjamin R. King
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sergei German
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - John A. Cadley
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lila Rieber
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Nicole Easo
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Timothée Lionnet
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Matthew T. Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Liam J. Holt
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Jef D. Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
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7
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Context-dependent enhancer function revealed by targeted inter-TAD relocation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3488. [PMID: 35715427 PMCID: PMC9205857 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31241-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of some genes depends on large, adjacent regions of the genome that contain multiple enhancers. These regulatory landscapes frequently align with Topologically Associating Domains (TADs), where they integrate the function of multiple similar enhancers to produce a global, TAD-specific regulation. We asked if an individual enhancer could overcome the influence of one of these landscapes, to drive gene transcription. To test this, we transferred an enhancer from its native location, into a nearby TAD with a related yet different functional specificity. We used the biphasic regulation of Hoxd genes during limb development as a paradigm. These genes are first activated in proximal limb cells by enhancers located in one TAD, which is then silenced when the neighboring TAD activates its enhancers in distal limb cells. We transferred a distal limb enhancer into the proximal limb TAD and found that its new context suppresses its normal distal specificity, even though it is bound by HOX13 transcription factors, which are responsible for the distal activity. This activity can be rescued only when a large portion of the surrounding environment is removed. These results indicate that, at least in some cases, the functioning of enhancer elements is subordinated to the host chromatin context, which can exert a dominant control over its activity. Here the authors show that a strong enhancer sequence can be controlled by the chromatin environment provided by a topologically associated domain (TAD) located nearby. An enhancer relocated by homologous recombination takes all the hallmarks of its new neighboring enhancers located in the recipient TAD.
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8
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Laiker I, Frankel N. Pleiotropic enhancers are ubiquitous regulatory elements in the human genome. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6585219. [PMID: 35552697 PMCID: PMC9156028 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac071] [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] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancers are regulatory elements of genomes that determine spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression. The human genome contains a vast number of enhancers, which largely outnumber protein-coding genes. Historically, enhancers have been regarded as highly tissue-specific. However, recent evidence has demonstrated that many enhancers are pleiotropic, with activity in multiple developmental contexts. Yet, the extent and impact of pleiotropy remain largely unexplored. In this study we analyzed active enhancers across human organs based on the analysis of both eRNA transcription (FANTOM5 consortium data sets) and chromatin architecture (ENCODE consortium data sets). We show that pleiotropic enhancers are pervasive in the human genome and that most enhancers active in a particular organ are also active in other organs. In addition, our analysis suggests that the proportion of context-specific enhancers of a given organ is explained, at least in part, by the proportion of context-specific genes in that same organ. The notion that such a high proportion of human enhancers can be pleiotropic suggests that small regions of regulatory DNA contain abundant regulatory information and that these regions evolve under important evolutionary constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Laiker
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Frankel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) y Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina.,Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
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9
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Wei X, Xiang Y, Peters DT, Marius C, Sun T, Shan R, Ou J, Lin X, Yue F, Li W, Southerland KW, Diao Y. HiCAR is a robust and sensitive method to analyze open-chromatin-associated genome organization. Mol Cell 2022; 82:1225-1238.e6. [PMID: 35196517 PMCID: PMC8934281 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The long-range interactions of cis-regulatory elements (cREs) play a central role in gene regulation. cREs can be characterized as accessible chromatin sequences. However, it remains technically challenging to comprehensively identify their spatial interactions. Here, we report a new method HiCAR (Hi-C on accessible regulatory DNA), which utilizes Tn5 transposase and chromatin proximity ligation, for the analysis of open-chromatin-anchored interactions with low-input cells. By applying HiCAR in human embryonic stem cells and lymphoblastoid cells, we demonstrate that HiCAR identifies high-resolution chromatin contacts with an efficiency comparable with that of in situ Hi-C over all distance ranges. Interestingly, we found that the "poised" gene promoters exhibit silencer-like function to repress the expression of distal genes via promoter-promoter interactions. Lastly, we applied HiCAR to 30,000 primary human muscle stem cells and demonstrated that HiCAR is capable of analyzing chromatin accessibility and looping using low-input primary cells and clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Wei
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yu Xiang
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Derek T Peters
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Choiselle Marius
- The Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Tongyu Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ruocheng Shan
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Xin Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Feng Yue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Kevin W Southerland
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yarui Diao
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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10
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Luecke D, Rice G, Kopp A. Sex-specific evolution of a Drosophila sensory system via interacting cis- and trans-regulatory changes. Evol Dev 2022; 24:37-60. [PMID: 35239254 PMCID: PMC9179014 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of gene expression via cis-regulatory changes is well established as a major driver of phenotypic evolution. However, relatively little is known about the influence of enhancer architecture and intergenic interactions on regulatory evolution. We address this question by examining chemosensory system evolution in Drosophila. Drosophila prolongata males show a massively increased number of chemosensory bristles compared to females and males of sibling species. This increase is driven by sex-specific transformation of ancestrally mechanosensory organs. Consistent with this phenotype, the Pox neuro transcription factor (Poxn), which specifies chemosensory bristle identity, shows expanded expression in D. prolongata males. Poxn expression is controlled by nonadditive interactions among widely dispersed enhancers. Although some D. prolongata Poxn enhancers show increased activity, the additive component of this increase is slight, suggesting that most changes in Poxn expression are due to epistatic interactions between Poxn enhancers and trans-regulatory factors. Indeed, the expansion of D. prolongata Poxn enhancer activity is only observed in cells that express doublesex (dsx), the gene that controls sexual differentiation in Drosophila and also shows increased expression in D. prolongata males due to cis-regulatory changes. Although expanded dsx expression may contribute to increased activity of D. prolongata Poxn enhancers, this interaction is not sufficient to explain the full expansion of Poxn expression, suggesting that cis-trans interactions between Poxn, dsx, and additional unknown genes are necessary to produce the derived D. prolongata phenotype. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of epistatic gene interactions for evolution, particularly when pivotal genes have complex regulatory architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Luecke
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis,Current Address: Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University
| | - Gavin Rice
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis,Current Address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
| | - Artyom Kopp
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California – Davis
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11
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Jablonski KP, Carron L, Mozziconacci J, Forné T, Hütt MT, Lesne A. Contribution of 3D genome topological domains to genetic risk of cancers: a genome-wide computational study. Hum Genomics 2022; 16:2. [PMID: 35016721 PMCID: PMC8753905 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-022-00375-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide association studies have identified statistical associations between various diseases, including cancers, and a large number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, they provide no direct explanation of the mechanisms underlying the association. Based on the recent discovery that changes in three-dimensional genome organization may have functional consequences on gene regulation favoring diseases, we investigated systematically the genome-wide distribution of disease-associated SNPs with respect to a specific feature of 3D genome organization: topologically associating domains (TADs) and their borders. Results For each of 449 diseases, we tested whether the associated SNPs are present in TAD borders more often than observed by chance, where chance (i.e., the null model in statistical terms) corresponds to the same number of pointwise loci drawn at random either in the entire genome, or in the entire set of disease-associated SNPs listed in the GWAS catalog. Our analysis shows that a fraction of diseases displays such a preferential localization of their risk loci. Moreover, cancers are relatively more frequent among these diseases, and this predominance is generally enhanced when considering only intergenic SNPs. The structure of SNP-based diseasome networks confirms that localization of risk loci in TAD borders differs between cancers and non-cancer diseases. Furthermore, different TAD border enrichments are observed in embryonic stem cells and differentiated cells, consistent with changes in topological domains along embryogenesis and delineating their contribution to disease risk. Conclusions Our results suggest that, for certain diseases, part of the genetic risk lies in a local genetic variation affecting the genome partitioning in topologically insulated domains. Investigating this possible contribution to genetic risk is particularly relevant in cancers. This study thus opens a way of interpreting genome-wide association studies, by distinguishing two types of disease-associated SNPs: one with an effect on an individual gene, the other acting in interplay with 3D genome organization. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40246-022-00375-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Philipp Jablonski
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Leopold Carron
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, LPTMC, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology, LCQB, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Julien Mozziconacci
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, LPTMC, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Forné
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, IGMM, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc-Thorsten Hütt
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Annick Lesne
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, LPTMC, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. .,Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, IGMM, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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12
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Ray-Jones H, Spivakov M. Transcriptional enhancers and their communication with gene promoters. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6453-6485. [PMID: 34414474 PMCID: PMC8558291 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03903-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancers play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of gene expression programmes, particularly in metazoa. How these elements control their target genes in the right place and time is one of the most pertinent questions in functional genomics, with wide implications for most areas of biology. Here, we synthesise classic and recent evidence on the regulatory logic of enhancers, including the principles of enhancer organisation, factors that facilitate and delimit enhancer-promoter communication, and the joint effects of multiple enhancers. We show how modern approaches building on classic insights have begun to unravel the complexity of enhancer-promoter relationships, paving the way towards a quantitative understanding of gene control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Ray-Jones
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Mikhail Spivakov
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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13
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Analyses of Promoter , Enhancer, and Nucleosome Organization in Mammalian Cells by MNase-Seq. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34382185 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1597-3_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
MNase-Seq is a genome-wide procedure that allows mapping of DNA associated to nucleosomes following micrococcal nuclease digestion. It is a rapid and robust technology useful for the analysis of chromatin properties genome-wide at the resolution of mono-nucleosomes. Here, we describe how to produce high-resolution nucleosome maps of cells grown in suspension or adherent mammalian cells. After only three steps: nuclei or cell preparation, native MNase digestion and DNA purification, libraries for high-throughput sequencing can be prepared. Genome-wide nucleosome maps allow analyzing chromatin opening at promoters or enhancers, nucleosome displacement, or labile nucleosome occupancy depending on the digestion condition used. As presented, MNase-Seq is a versatile tool for investigating chromatin dynamics, regulation, and to define open chromatin regions of regulatory elements in mammalian genomes.
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14
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Boltsis I, Grosveld F, Giraud G, Kolovos P. Chromatin Conformation in Development and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:723859. [PMID: 34422840 PMCID: PMC8371409 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.723859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin domains and loops are important elements of chromatin structure and dynamics, but much remains to be learned about their exact biological role and nature. Topological associated domains and functional loops are key to gene expression and hold the answer to many questions regarding developmental decisions and diseases. Here, we discuss new findings, which have linked chromatin conformation with development, differentiation and diseases and hypothesized on various models while integrating all recent findings on how chromatin architecture affects gene expression during development, evolution and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Boltsis
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frank Grosveld
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Giraud
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon – INSERM U1052, Lyon, France
| | - Petros Kolovos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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15
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Tena JJ, Santos-Pereira JM. Topologically Associating Domains and Regulatory Landscapes in Development, Evolution and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:702787. [PMID: 34295901 PMCID: PMC8290416 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.702787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal genomes are folded in topologically associating domains (TADs) that have been linked to the regulation of the genes they contain by constraining regulatory interactions between cis-regulatory elements and promoters. Therefore, TADs are proposed as structural scaffolds for the establishment of regulatory landscapes (RLs). In this review, we discuss recent advances in the connection between TADs and gene regulation, their relationship with gene RLs and their dynamics during development and differentiation. Moreover, we describe how restructuring TADs may lead to pathological conditions, which explains their high evolutionary conservation, but at the same time it provides a substrate for the emergence of evolutionary innovations that lay at the origin of vertebrates and other phylogenetic clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Tena
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - José M. Santos-Pereira
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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16
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Beccari L, Jaquier G, Lopez-Delisle L, Rodriguez-Carballo E, Mascrez B, Gitto S, Woltering J, Duboule D. Dbx2 regulation in limbs suggests interTAD sharing of enhancers. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:1280-1299. [PMID: 33497014 PMCID: PMC8451760 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During tetrapod limb development, the HOXA13 and HOXD13 transcription factors are critical for the emergence and organization of the autopod, the most distal aspect where digits will develop. Since previous work had suggested that the Dbx2 gene is a target of these factors, we set up to analyze in detail this potential regulatory interaction. RESULTS We show that HOX13 proteins bind to mammalian-specific sequences at the vicinity of the Dbx2 locus that have enhancer activity in developing digits. However, the functional inactivation of the DBX2 protein did not elicit any particular phenotype related to Hox genes inactivation in digits, suggesting either redundant or compensatory mechanisms. We report that the neighboring Nell2 and Ano6 genes are also expressed in distal limb buds and are in part controlled by the same Dbx2 enhancers despite being localized into two different topologically associating domains (TADs) flanking the Dbx2 locus. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Hoxa13 and Hoxd genes cooperatively activate Dbx2 expression in developing digits through binding to mammalian specific regulatory sequences in the Dbx2 neighborhood. Furthermore, these enhancers can overcome TAD boundaries in either direction to co-regulate a set of genes located in distinct chromatin domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR 5310, INSERM U1217, University Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon, France
| | - Gabriel Jaquier
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Eddie Rodriguez-Carballo
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Molecular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bénédicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joost Woltering
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,School of Life Sciences, Federal School of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Collège de France, Paris, France
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17
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McKenna KZ, Wagner GP, Cooper KL. A developmental perspective of homology and evolutionary novelty. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 141:1-38. [PMID: 33602485 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The development and evolution of multicellular body plans is complex. Many distinct organs and body parts must be reproduced at each generation, and those that are traceable over long time scales are considered homologous. Among the most pressing and least understood phenomena in evolutionary biology is the mode by which new homologs, or "novelties" are introduced to the body plan and whether the developmental changes associated with such evolution deserve special treatment. In this chapter, we address the concepts of homology and evolutionary novelty through the lens of development. We present a series of case studies, within insects and vertebrates, from which we propose a developmental model of multicellular organ identity. With this model in hand, we make predictions regarding the developmental evolution of body plans and highlight the need for more integrative analysis of developing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Z McKenna
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - Kimberly L Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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18
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Hatleberg WL, Hinman VF. Modularity and hierarchy in biological systems: Using gene regulatory networks to understand evolutionary change. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 141:39-73. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Rodríguez-Carballo E, Lopez-Delisle L, Willemin A, Beccari L, Gitto S, Mascrez B, Duboule D. Chromatin topology and the timing of enhancer function at the HoxD locus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31231-31241. [PMID: 33229569 PMCID: PMC7733857 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015083117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The HoxD gene cluster is critical for proper limb formation in tetrapods. In the emerging limb buds, different subgroups of Hoxd genes respond first to a proximal regulatory signal, then to a distal signal that organizes digits. These two regulations are exclusive from one another and emanate from two distinct topologically associating domains (TADs) flanking HoxD, both containing a range of appropriate enhancer sequences. The telomeric TAD (T-DOM) contains several enhancers active in presumptive forearm cells and is divided into two sub-TADs separated by a CTCF-rich boundary, which defines two regulatory submodules. To understand the importance of this particular regulatory topology to control Hoxd gene transcription in time and space, we either deleted or inverted this sub-TAD boundary, eliminated the CTCF binding sites, or inverted the entire T-DOM to exchange the respective positions of the two sub-TADs. The effects of such perturbations on the transcriptional regulation of Hoxd genes illustrate the requirement of this regulatory topology for the precise timing of gene activation. However, the spatial distribution of transcripts was eventually resumed, showing that the presence of enhancer sequences, rather than either their exact topology or a particular chromatin architecture, is the key factor. We also show that the affinity of enhancers to find their natural target genes can overcome the presence of both a strong TAD border and an unfavorable orientation of CTCF sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andréa Willemin
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Gitto
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bénédicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
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20
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Desanlis I, Paul R, Kmita M. Transcriptional Trajectories in Mouse Limb Buds Reveal the Transition from Anterior-Posterior to Proximal-Distal Patterning at Early Limb Bud Stage. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:jdb8040031. [PMID: 33297480 PMCID: PMC7768367 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Limb patterning relies in large part on the function of the Hox family of developmental genes. While the differential expression of Hox genes shifts from the anterior-posterior (A-P) to the proximal-distal (P-D) axis around embryonic day 11 (E11), whether this shift coincides with a more global change of A-P to P-D patterning program remains unclear. By performing and analyzing the transcriptome of the developing limb bud from E10.5 to E12.5, at single-cell resolution, we have uncovered transcriptional trajectories that revealed a general switch from A-P to P-D genetic program between E10.5 and E11.5. Interestingly, all the transcriptional trajectories at E10.5 end with cells expressing either proximal or distal markers suggesting a progressive acquisition of P-D identity. Moreover, we identified three categories of genes expressed in the distal limb mesenchyme characterized by distinct temporal expression dynamics. Among these are Hoxa13 and Hoxd13 (Hox13 hereafter), which start to be expressed around E10.5, and importantly the binding of the HOX13 factors was observed within or in the neighborhood of several of the distal limb genes. Our data are consistent with previous evidence suggesting that the transition from the early/proximal to the late/distal transcriptome of the limb mesenchyme largely relies on HOX13 function. Based on these results and the evidence that HOX13 factors restrict Hoxa11 expression to the proximal limb, in progenitor cells of the zeugopod, we propose that HOX13 act as a key determinant of P-D patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Desanlis
- Genetics and Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; (I.D.); (R.P.)
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Rachel Paul
- Genetics and Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; (I.D.); (R.P.)
- Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Marie Kmita
- Genetics and Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; (I.D.); (R.P.)
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-514-987-5749
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21
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Lysine demethylase 7a regulates murine anterior-posterior development by modulating the transcription of Hox gene cluster. Commun Biol 2020; 3:725. [PMID: 33257809 PMCID: PMC7704666 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal and spatial colinear expression of the Hox genes determines the specification of positional identities during vertebrate development. Post-translational modifications of histones contribute to transcriptional regulation. Lysine demethylase 7A (Kdm7a) demethylates lysine 9 or 27 di-methylation of histone H3 (H3K9me2, H3K27me2) and participates in the transcriptional activation of developmental genes. However, the role of Kdm7a during mouse embryonic development remains to be elucidated. Herein, we show that Kdm7a−/− mouse exhibits an anterior homeotic transformation of the axial skeleton, including an increased number of presacral elements. Importantly, posterior Hox genes (caudally from Hox9) are specifically downregulated in the Kdm7a−/− embryo, which correlates with increased levels of H3K9me2, not H3K27me2. These observations suggest that Kdm7a controls the transcription of posterior Hox genes, likely via its demethylating activity, and thereby regulating the murine anterior-posterior development. Such epigenetic regulatory mechanisms may be harnessed for proper control of coordinate body patterning in vertebrates. Higashijima et al show that mice lacking the Kdm7a demethylase exhibits anterior homeotic transformation of the axial skeleton and downregulation of posterior Hox gene transcription and these changes are associated with increased H3K9me2 at posterior Hox loci. These findings provide insights into the epigenetic control of Hox-mediated patterning in embryogenesis.
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22
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Panta M, Kump AJ, Dalloul JM, Schwab KR, Ahmad SM. Three distinct mechanisms, Notch instructive, permissive, and independent, regulate the expression of two different pericardial genes to specify cardiac cell subtypes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241191. [PMID: 33108408 PMCID: PMC7591092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of a complex organ involves the specification and differentiation of diverse cell types constituting that organ. Two major cell subtypes, contractile cardial cells (CCs) and nephrocytic pericardial cells (PCs), comprise the Drosophila heart. Binding sites for Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)], an integral transcription factor in the Notch signaling pathway, are enriched in the enhancers of PC-specific genes. Here we show three distinct mechanisms regulating the expression of two different PC-specific genes, Holes in muscle (Him), and Zn finger homeodomain 1 (zfh1). Him transcription is activated in PCs in a permissive manner by Notch signaling: in the absence of Notch signaling, Su(H) forms a repressor complex with co-repressors and binds to the Him enhancer, repressing its transcription; upon alleviation of this repression by Notch signaling, Him transcription is activated. In contrast, zfh1 is transcribed by a Notch-instructive mechanism in most PCs, where mere alleviation of repression by preventing the binding of Su(H)-co-repressor complex is not sufficient to activate transcription. Our results suggest that upon activation of Notch signaling, the Notch intracellular domain associates with Su(H) to form an activator complex that binds to the zfh1 enhancer, and that this activator complex is necessary for bringing about zfh1 transcription in these PCs. Finally, a third, Notch-independent mechanism activates zfh1 transcription in the remaining, even skipped-expressing, PCs. Collectively, our data show how the same feature, enrichment of Su(H) binding sites in PC-specific gene enhancers, is utilized by two very distinct mechanisms, one permissive, the other instructive, to contribute to the same overall goal: the specification and differentiation of a cardiac cell subtype by activation of the pericardial gene program. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the zfh1 enhancer drives expression in two different domains using distinct Notch-instructive and Notch-independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Panta
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Kump
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
| | - John M. Dalloul
- The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Kristopher R. Schwab
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Shaad M. Ahmad
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
- The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, United States of America
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23
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Kong S, Li Q, Zhang G, Li Q, Huang Q, Huang L, Zhang H, Huang Y, Peng Y, Qin B, Zhang Y. Exonuclease combinations reduce noises in 3D genomics technologies. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e44. [PMID: 32128590 PMCID: PMC7192622 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome conformation-capture technologies are widely used in 3D genomics; however, experimentally, such methods have high-noise limitations and, therefore, require significant bioinformatics efforts to extract reliable distal interactions. Miscellaneous undesired linear DNAs, present during proximity-ligation, represent a main noise source, which needs to be minimized or eliminated. In this study, different exonuclease combinations were tested to remove linear DNA fragments from a circularized DNA preparation. This method efficiently removed linear DNAs, raised the proportion of annulation and increased the valid-pairs ratio from ∼40% to ∼80% for enhanced interaction detection in standard Hi-C. This strategy is applicable for development of various 3D genomics technologies, or optimization of Hi-C sequencing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Kong
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qing Li
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Gaolin Zhang
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qiujia Li
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qitong Huang
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yinghua Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yanling Peng
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Baoming Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yubo Zhang
- Animal Functional Genomics Group, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
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24
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Wilflingseder J, Willi M, Lee HK, Olauson H, Jankowski J, Ichimura T, Erben R, Valerius MT, Hennighausen L, Bonventre JV. Enhancer and super-enhancer dynamics in repair after ischemic acute kidney injury. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3383. [PMID: 32636391 PMCID: PMC7341735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The endogenous repair process can result in recovery after acute kidney injury (AKI) with adaptive proliferation of tubular epithelial cells, but repair can also lead to fibrosis and progressive kidney disease. There is currently limited knowledge about transcriptional regulators regulating these repair programs. Herein we establish the enhancer and super-enhancer landscape after AKI by ChIP-seq in uninjured and repairing kidneys on day two after ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). We identify key transcription factors including HNF4A, GR, STAT3 and STAT5, which show specific binding at enhancer and super-enhancer sites, revealing enhancer dynamics and transcriptional changes during kidney repair. Loss of bromodomain-containing protein 4 function before IRI leads to impaired recovery after AKI and increased mortality. Our comprehensive analysis of epigenetic changes after kidney injury in vivo has the potential to identify targets for therapeutic intervention. Importantly, our data also call attention to potential caveats involved in use of BET inhibitors in patients at risk for AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Wilflingseder
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Renal Division, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, NIH, 8 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Michaela Willi
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, NIH, 8 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Hye Kyung Lee
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, NIH, 8 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Hannes Olauson
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Renal Division, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jakub Jankowski
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, NIH, 8 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Takaharu Ichimura
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Renal Division, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Reinhold Erben
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - M Todd Valerius
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Renal Division, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lothar Hennighausen
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, NIH, 8 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Joseph V Bonventre
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Renal Division, Harvard Medical School, 4 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Enny A, Flaherty K, Mori S, Turner N, Nakamura T. Developmental constraints on fin diversity. Dev Growth Differ 2020; 62:311-325. [PMID: 32396685 PMCID: PMC7383993 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The fish fin is a breathtaking repository full of evolutionary diversity, novelty, and convergence. Over 500 million years, the adaptation to novel habitats has provided landscapes of fin diversity. Although comparative anatomy of evolutionarily divergent patterns over centuries has highlighted the fundamental architectures and evolutionary trends of fins, including convergent evolution, the developmental constraints on fin evolution, which bias the evolutionary trajectories of fin morphology, largely remain elusive. Here, we review the evolutionary history, developmental mechanisms, and evolutionary underpinnings of paired fins, illuminating possible developmental constraints on fin evolution. Our compilation of anatomical and genetic knowledge of fin development sheds light on the canalized and the unpredictable aspects of fin shape in evolution. Leveraged by an arsenal of genomic and genetic tools within the working arena of spectacular fin diversity, evolutionary developmental biology embarks on the establishment of conceptual framework for developmental constraints, previously enigmatic properties of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Enny
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Kathleen Flaherty
- Rutgers Animal CareRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Shunsuke Mori
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Natalie Turner
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Tetsuya Nakamura
- Department of GeneticsRutgers the State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
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26
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Amândio AR, Lopez-Delisle L, Bolt CC, Mascrez B, Duboule D. A complex regulatory landscape involved in the development of mammalian external genitals. eLife 2020; 9:e52962. [PMID: 32301703 PMCID: PMC7185996 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental genes are often controlled by large regulatory landscapes matching topologically associating domains (TADs). In various contexts, the associated chromatin backbone is modified by specific enhancer-enhancer and enhancer-promoter interactions. We used a TAD flanking the mouse HoxD cluster to study how these regulatory architectures are formed and deconstructed once their function achieved. We describe this TAD as a functional unit, with several regulatory sequences acting together to elicit a transcriptional response. With one exception, deletion of these sequences didn't modify the transcriptional outcome, a result at odds with a conventional view of enhancer function. The deletion and inversion of a CTCF site located near these regulatory sequences did not affect transcription of the target gene. Slight modifications were nevertheless observed, in agreement with the loop extrusion model. We discuss these unexpected results considering both conventional and alternative explanations relying on the accumulation of poorly specific factors within the TAD backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Amândio
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Christopher Chase Bolt
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Bénédicte Mascrez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Collège de FranceParisFrance
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27
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Kudlicki A. Why a Constant Number of Vertebrae? Digital Control of Segmental Identity during Vertebrate Development: The Somite Cycle Controls a Digital, Chromatin-Based Counter That Defines Segmental Identity and Body Plans in Vertebrate Animals. Bioessays 2019; 42:e1900133. [PMID: 31755133 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
It is not understood how the numbers and identities of vertebrae are controlled during mammalian development. The remarkable robustness and conservation of segmental numbers may suggest the digital nature of the underlying process. The study proposes a mechanism that allows cells to obtain and store the segmental information in digital form, and to produce a pattern of chromatin accessibility that in turn regulates Hox gene expression specific to the metameric segment. The model requires that a regulatory element be present such that the number of occurrences of the motif between two consecutive Hox genes equals the number of segments under the control of the anterior gene. This is true for the recently discovered hydroxyl radical cleavage 3bp-periodic (HRC3) motif, associated with histone modifications and developmental genes. The finding not only allows the correct prediction of the numbers of segments using only sequence information, but also resolves the 40-year-old enigma of the function of temporal and spatial collinearity of Hox genes. The logic of the mechanism is illustrated in the attached animated video. How different aspects of the proposed mechanism can be tested experimentally is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Kudlicki
- Institute for Translational Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX, USA
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28
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McCole RB, Erceg J, Saylor W, Wu CT. Ultraconserved Elements Occupy Specific Arenas of Three-Dimensional Mammalian Genome Organization. Cell Rep 2019; 24:479-488. [PMID: 29996107 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explores the relationship between three-dimensional genome organization and ultraconserved elements (UCEs), an enigmatic set of DNA elements that are perfectly conserved between the reference genomes of distantly related species. Examining both human and mouse genomes, we interrogate the relationship of UCEs to three features of chromosome organization derived from Hi-C studies. We find that UCEs are enriched within contact domains and, further, that the subset of UCEs within domains shared across diverse cell types are linked to kidney-related and neuronal processes. In boundaries, UCEs are generally depleted, with those that do overlap boundaries being overrepresented in exonic UCEs. Regarding loop anchors, UCEs are neither overrepresented nor underrepresented, but those present in loop anchors are enriched for splice sites. Finally, as the relationships between UCEs and human Hi-C features are conserved in mouse, our findings suggest that UCEs contribute to interspecies conservation of genome organization and, thus, genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth B McCole
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jelena Erceg
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wren Saylor
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chao-Ting Wu
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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29
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The Role of Insulation in Patterning Gene Expression. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100767. [PMID: 31569427 PMCID: PMC6827083 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Development is orchestrated by regulatory elements that turn genes ON or OFF in precise spatial and temporal patterns. Many safety mechanisms prevent inappropriate action of a regulatory element on the wrong gene promoter. In flies and mammals, dedicated DNA elements (insulators) recruit protein factors (insulator binding proteins, or IBPs) to shield promoters from regulatory elements. In mammals, a single IBP called CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is known, whereas genetic and biochemical analyses in Drosophila have identified a larger repertoire of IBPs. How insulators function at the molecular level is not fully understood, but it is currently thought that they fold chromosomes into conformations that affect regulatory element-promoter communication. Here, we review the discovery of insulators and describe their properties. We discuss recent genetic studies in flies and mice to address the question: Is gene insulation important for animal development? Comparing and contrasting observations in these two species reveal that they have different requirements for insulation, but that insulation is a conserved and critical gene regulation strategy.
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30
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Irena R, Leszek K. The living organism: evolutionary design or an accident. BIO-ALGORITHMS AND MED-SYSTEMS 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/bams-2019-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe presented work discusses some evolutionary phenomena underlining the complexity of organism creation and surprisingly the short evolutionary time of this process in particular. Uncommonness of this process ensued from the necessary simultaneous combining of highly complicated biological mechanisms, of which some were generated independently before the direct evolutionary demand. This in conclusion points to still not fully understood biological program ensuring superiority of the permanent evolutionary progress over effects of purely random mutational changes as the driving mechanism in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roterman Irena
- Department of Bioinformatics and Telemedicine, Jagiellonian University – Medical College, Lazarza 16, 31-530 Krakow, Poland
| | - Konieczny Leszek
- Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kopernika 7C, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
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31
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Paliou C, Guckelberger P, Schöpflin R, Heinrich V, Esposito A, Chiariello AM, Bianco S, Annunziatella C, Helmuth J, Haas S, Jerković I, Brieske N, Wittler L, Timmermann B, Nicodemi M, Vingron M, Mundlos S, Andrey G. Preformed chromatin topology assists transcriptional robustness of Shh during limb development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12390-12399. [PMID: 31147463 PMCID: PMC6589666 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900672116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range gene regulation involves physical proximity between enhancers and promoters to generate precise patterns of gene expression in space and time. However, in some cases, proximity coincides with gene activation, whereas, in others, preformed topologies already exist before activation. In this study, we investigate the preformed configuration underlying the regulation of the Shh gene by its unique limb enhancer, the ZRS, in vivo during mouse development. Abrogating the constitutive transcription covering the ZRS region led to a shift within the Shh-ZRS contacts and a moderate reduction in Shh transcription. Deletion of the CTCF binding sites around the ZRS resulted in the loss of the Shh-ZRS preformed interaction and a 50% decrease in Shh expression but no phenotype, suggesting an additional, CTCF-independent mechanism of promoter-enhancer communication. This residual activity, however, was diminished by combining the loss of CTCF binding with a hypomorphic ZRS allele, resulting in severe Shh loss of function and digit agenesis. Our results indicate that the preformed chromatin structure of the Shh locus is sustained by multiple components and acts to reinforce enhancer-promoter communication for robust transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Paliou
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philine Guckelberger
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Schöpflin
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Verena Heinrich
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Esposito
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Delbrück Center-Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea M Chiariello
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Bianco
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Annunziatella
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Johannes Helmuth
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory: Epigenomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Haas
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivana Jerković
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Brieske
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Wittler
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Sequencing Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Nicodemi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Delbrück Center-Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Guillaume Andrey
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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32
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Zheng H, Xie W. The role of 3D genome organization in development and cell differentiation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2019; 20:535-550. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-019-0132-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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33
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Onimaru K, Kuraku S. Inference of the ancestral vertebrate phenotype through vestiges of the whole-genome duplications. Brief Funct Genomics 2019; 17:352-361. [PMID: 29566222 PMCID: PMC6158797 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/ely008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferring the phenotype of the last common ancestor of living vertebrates is a challenging problem because of several unresolvable factors. They include the lack of reliable out-groups of living vertebrates, poor information about less fossilizable organs and specialized traits of phylogenetically important species, such as lampreys and hagfishes (e.g. secondary loss of vertebrae in adult hagfishes). These factors undermine the reliability of ancestral reconstruction by traditional character mapping approaches based on maximum parsimony. In this article, we formulate an approach to hypothesizing ancestral vertebrate phenotypes using information from the phylogenetic and functional properties of genes duplicated by genome expansions in early vertebrate evolution. We named the conjecture as ‘chronological reconstruction of ohnolog functions (CHROF)’. This CHROF conjecture raises the possibility that the last common ancestor of living vertebrates may have had more complex traits than currently thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koh Onimaru
- RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Kobe, Hyogo Japan.,Department of biological science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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34
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Sabarís G, Laiker I, Preger-Ben Noon E, Frankel N. Actors with Multiple Roles: Pleiotropic Enhancers and the Paradigm of Enhancer Modularity. Trends Genet 2019; 35:423-433. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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35
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Bompadre O, Andrey G. Chromatin topology in development and disease. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 55:32-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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36
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Selleri L, Zappavigna V, Ferretti E. 'Building a perfect body': control of vertebrate organogenesis by PBX-dependent regulatory networks. Genes Dev 2019; 33:258-275. [PMID: 30824532 PMCID: PMC6411007 DOI: 10.1101/gad.318774.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pbx genes encode transcription factors that belong to the TALE (three-amino-acid loop extension) superclass of homeodomain proteins. We have witnessed a surge in information about the roles of this gene family as leading actors in the transcriptional control of development. PBX proteins represent a clear example of how transcription factors can regulate developmental processes by combinatorial properties, acting within multimeric complexes to implement activation or repression of transcription depending on their interaction partners. Here, we revisit long-emphasized functions of PBX transcription factors as cofactors for HOX proteins, major architects of the body plan. We further discuss new knowledge on roles of PBX proteins in different developmental contexts as upstream regulators of Hox genes-as factors that interact with non-HOX proteins and can work independently of HOX-as well as potential pioneer factors. Committed to building a perfect body, PBX proteins govern regulatory networks that direct essential morphogenetic processes and organogenesis in vertebrate development. Perturbations of PBX-dependent networks can cause human congenital disease and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licia Selleri
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.,Institute of Human Genetics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.,Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.,Department of Anatomy, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Vincenzo Zappavigna
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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37
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Tarchini B, Longo-Guess C, Tian C, Tadenev ALD, Devanney N, Johnson KR. A spontaneous mouse deletion in Mctp1 uncovers a long-range cis-regulatory region crucial for NR2F1 function during inner ear development. Dev Biol 2018; 443:153-164. [PMID: 30217595 PMCID: PMC6214362 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hundreds of thousands of cis-regulatory DNA sequences are predicted in vertebrate genomes, but unlike genes themselves, few have been characterized at the functional level or even unambiguously paired with a target gene. Here we serendipitously identified and started investigating the first reported long-range regulatory region for the Nr2f1 (Coup-TFI) transcription factor gene. NR2F1 is temporally and spatially regulated during development and required for patterning and regionalization in the nervous system, including sensory hair cell organization in the auditory epithelium of the cochlea. Analyzing the deaf wanderer (dwnd) spontaneous mouse mutation, we traced back the cause of its associated circling behavior to a 53 kb deletion removing five exons and adjacent intronic regions of the poorly characterized Mctp1 gene. Interestingly, loss of Mctp1 function cannot account for the hearing loss, inner ear dysmorphology and sensory hair cell disorganization observed in dwnd mutants. Instead, we found that the Mctp1dwnd deletion affects the Nr2f1 gene located 1.4 Mb away, downregulating transcription and protein expression in the embryonic cochlea. Remarkably, the Mctp1dwnd allele failed to complement a targeted inactivation allele of Nr2f1, and transheterozygotes or Mctp1dwnd homozygotes exhibit the same morphological defects observed in inner ears of Nr2f1 mutants without sharing their early life lethality. Defects include improper separation of the utricle and saccule in the vestibule not described previously, which can explain the circling behavior that first brought the spontaneous mutation to attention. By contrast, mice homozygous for a targeted inactivation of Mctp1 have normal hearing and inner ear structures. We conclude that the 53 kb Mctp1dwnd deletion encompasses a long-range cis-regulatory region essential for proper Nr2f1 expression in the embryonic inner ear, providing a first opportunity to investigate Nr2f1 function in postnatal inner ears. This work adds to the short list of long-range regulatory regions characterized as essential to drive expression of key developmental control genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Tarchini
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA; Department of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston 02111, MA, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), University of Maine, Orono 04469, ME, USA.
| | | | - Cong Tian
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), University of Maine, Orono 04469, ME, USA
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38
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Nagy O, Nuez I, Savisaar R, Peluffo AE, Yassin A, Lang M, Stern DL, Matute DR, David JR, Courtier-Orgogozo V. Correlated Evolution of Two Copulatory Organs via a Single cis-Regulatory Nucleotide Change. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3450-3457.e13. [PMID: 30344115 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Diverse traits often covary between species [1-3]. The possibility that a single mutation could contribute to the evolution of several characters between species [3] is rarely investigated as relatively few cases are dissected at the nucleotide level. Drosophila santomea has evolved additional sex comb sensory teeth on its legs and has lost two sensory bristles on its genitalia. We present evidence that a single nucleotide substitution in an enhancer of the scute gene contributes to both changes. The mutation alters a binding site for the Hox protein Abdominal-B in the developing genitalia, leading to bristle loss, and for another factor in the developing leg, leading to bristle gain. Our study suggests that morphological evolution between species can occur through a single nucleotide change affecting several sexually dimorphic traits. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Nagy
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris-Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Nuez
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris-Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Rosina Savisaar
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris-Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre E Peluffo
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris-Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Amir Yassin
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 50, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Michael Lang
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Université Paris-Diderot, 75013 Paris, France
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Daniel R Matute
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jean R David
- Institut Systématique Évolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 50, 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Biodiversité (EGCE), CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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39
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Chakraborty A, Ay F. The role of 3D genome organization in disease: From compartments to single nucleotides. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 90:104-113. [PMID: 30017907 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Since the advent of the chromosome conformation capture technology, our understanding of the human genome 3D organization has grown rapidly and we now know that human interphase chromosomes are folded into multiple layers of hierarchical structures and each layer can play a critical role in transcriptional regulation. Alterations in any one of these finely-tuned layers can lead to unwanted cascade of molecular events and ultimately drive the manifestation of diseases and phenotypes. Here we discuss, starting from chromosome level organization going down to single nucleotide changes, recent studies linking diseases or phenotypes to changes in the 3D genome architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ferhat Ay
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; UC San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, 92093, CA, USA.
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40
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Franke M, Gómez-Skarmeta JL. An evolutionary perspective of regulatory landscape dynamics in development and disease. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2018; 55:24-29. [PMID: 30006052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The organization of animal genomes into topologically associating domains (TADs) provides a structural scaffold in which cis-regulatory elements (CREs) operate on their target genes. Determining the position of CREs and genes relative to TADs has become instrumental to trace gene expression changes during evolution and in diseases. Here we will review recent studies and discuss TADs as structural units with respect to their conservation and stability during genome reorganization. Furthermore, we describe how TAD restructuring contributed to morphological novelties during evolution but also their deleterious effects associated with disease. Despite considering TADs as structural units, the nested and dynamic scaffold within TADs contributes to tissue-specific gene expression, implying that such changes can also account for gene expression differences during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Franke
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain.
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Rickels R, Shilatifard A. Enhancer Logic and Mechanics in Development and Disease. Trends Cell Biol 2018; 28:608-630. [PMID: 29759817 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Enhancers are distally located genomic cis-regulatory elements that integrate spatiotemporal cues to coordinate gene expression in a tissue-specific manner during metazoan development. Enhancer function depends on a combination of bound transcription factors and cofactors that regulate local chromatin structure, as well as on the topological interactions that are necessary for their activity. Numerous genome-wide studies concur that the vast majority of disease-associated variations occur within non-coding genomic sequences, in other words the 'cis-regulome', and this underscores their relevance for human health. Advances in DNA sequencing and genome-editing technologies have dramatically expanded our ability to identify enhancers and investigate their properties in vivo, revealing an extraordinary level of interconnectivity underlying cis-regulatory networks. We discuss here these recently developed methodologies, as well as emerging trends and remaining questions in the field of enhancer biology, and how perturbation of enhancer activities/functions results in enhanceropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Rickels
- Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 320 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 320 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Worldwide distribution of the DCDC2 READ1 regulatory element and its relationship with phoneme variation across languages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:4951-4956. [PMID: 29666269 PMCID: PMC5948951 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710472115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Languages evolve rapidly due to an interaction between sociocultural factors and underlying phonological processes that are influenced by genetic factors. DCDC2 has been strongly associated with core components of the phonological processing system in animal models and multiple independent studies of populations and languages. To characterize subtle language differences arising from genetic variants associated with phonological processes, we examined the relationship between READ1, a regulatory element in DCDC2, and phonemes in languages of 43 populations across five continents. Variation in READ1 was significantly correlated with the number of consonants. Our results suggest that subtle cognitive biases conferred by different READ1 alleles are amplified through cultural transmission that shape consonant use by populations over time. DCDC2 is a gene strongly associated with components of the phonological processing system in animal models and in multiple independent studies of populations and languages. We propose that it may also influence population-level variation in language component usage. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the evolution and worldwide distribution of the READ1 regulatory element within DCDC2, and compared its distribution with variation in different language properties. The mutational history of READ1 was estimated by examining primate and archaic hominin sequences. This identified duplication and expansion events, which created a large number of polymorphic alleles based on internal repeat units (RU1 and RU2). Association of READ1 alleles was studied with respect to the numbers of consonants and vowels for languages in 43 human populations distributed across five continents. Using population-based approaches with multivariate ANCOVA and linear mixed effects analyses, we found that the RU1-1 allele group of READ1 is significantly associated with the number of consonants within languages independent of genetic relatedness, geographic proximity, and language family. We propose that allelic variation in READ1 helped create a subtle cognitive bias that was amplified by cultural transmission, and ultimately shaped consonant use by different populations over time.
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Amaral PP, Leonardi T, Han N, Viré E, Gascoigne DK, Arias-Carrasco R, Büscher M, Pandolfini L, Zhang A, Pluchino S, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Nakaya HI, Hemberg M, Shiekhattar R, Enright AJ, Kouzarides T. Genomic positional conservation identifies topological anchor point RNAs linked to developmental loci. Genome Biol 2018; 19:32. [PMID: 29540241 PMCID: PMC5853149 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian genome is transcribed into large numbers of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), but the definition of functional lncRNA groups has proven difficult, partly due to their low sequence conservation and lack of identified shared properties. Here we consider promoter conservation and positional conservation as indicators of functional commonality. RESULTS We identify 665 conserved lncRNA promoters in mouse and human that are preserved in genomic position relative to orthologous coding genes. These positionally conserved lncRNA genes are primarily associated with developmental transcription factor loci with which they are coexpressed in a tissue-specific manner. Over half of positionally conserved RNAs in this set are linked to chromatin organization structures, overlapping binding sites for the CTCF chromatin organiser and located at chromatin loop anchor points and borders of topologically associating domains (TADs). We define these RNAs as topological anchor point RNAs (tapRNAs). Characterization of these noncoding RNAs and their associated coding genes shows that they are functionally connected: they regulate each other's expression and influence the metastatic phenotype of cancer cells in vitro in a similar fashion. Furthermore, we find that tapRNAs contain conserved sequence domains that are enriched in motifs for zinc finger domain-containing RNA-binding proteins and transcription factors, whose binding sites are found mutated in cancers. CONCLUSIONS This work leverages positional conservation to identify lncRNAs with potential importance in genome organization, development and disease. The evidence that many developmental transcription factors are physically and functionally connected to lncRNAs represents an exciting stepping-stone to further our understanding of genome regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo P. Amaral
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Tommaso Leonardi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Namshik Han
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
- Present address: The Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Emmanuelle Viré
- Present address: MRC Prion Unit, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square House, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Dennis K. Gascoigne
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Raúl Arias-Carrasco
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Magdalena Büscher
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Luca Pandolfini
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
| | - Anda Zhang
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Stefano Pluchino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Helder I. Nakaya
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 580, São Paulo, 05508 Brazil
| | - Martin Hemberg
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Ramin Shiekhattar
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Biomedical Research Building, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Anton J. Enright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP UK
| | - Tony Kouzarides
- The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN UK
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46
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Abstract
Collinear regulation of Hox genes in space and time has been an outstanding question ever since the initial work of Ed Lewis in 1978. Here we discuss recent advances in our understanding of this phenomenon in relation to novel concepts associated with large-scale regulation and chromatin structure during the development of both axial and limb patterns. We further discuss how this sequential transcriptional activation marks embryonic stem cell-like axial progenitors in mammals and, consequently, how a temporal genetic system is further translated into spatial coordinates via the fate of these progenitors. In this context, we argue the benefit and necessity of implementing this unique mechanism as well as the difficulty in evolving an alternative strategy to deliver this critical positional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Deschamps
- Hubrecht Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Denis Duboule
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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47
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Rodríguez-Carballo E, Lopez-Delisle L, Zhan Y, Fabre PJ, Beccari L, El-Idrissi I, Huynh THN, Ozadam H, Dekker J, Duboule D. The HoxD cluster is a dynamic and resilient TAD boundary controlling the segregation of antagonistic regulatory landscapes. Genes Dev 2017; 31:2264-2281. [PMID: 29273679 PMCID: PMC5769770 DOI: 10.1101/gad.307769.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian HoxD cluster lies between two topologically associating domains (TADs) matching distinct enhancer-rich regulatory landscapes. During limb development, the telomeric TAD controls the early transcription of Hoxd genes in forearm cells, whereas the centromeric TAD subsequently regulates more posterior Hoxd genes in digit cells. Therefore, the TAD boundary prevents the terminal Hoxd13 gene from responding to forearm enhancers, thereby allowing proper limb patterning. To assess the nature and function of this CTCF-rich DNA region in embryos, we compared chromatin interaction profiles between proximal and distal limb bud cells isolated from mutant stocks where various parts of this boundary region were removed. The resulting progressive release in boundary effect triggered inter-TAD contacts, favored by the activity of the newly accessed enhancers. However, the boundary was highly resilient, and only a 400-kb deletion, including the whole-gene cluster, was eventually able to merge the neighboring TADs into a single structure. In this unified TAD, both proximal and distal limb enhancers nevertheless continued to work independently over a targeted transgenic reporter construct. We propose that the whole HoxD cluster is a dynamic TAD border and that the exact boundary position varies depending on both the transcriptional status and the developmental context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Lopez-Delisle
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ye Zhan
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Pierre J Fabre
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Beccari
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Imane El-Idrissi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thi Hanh Nguyen Huynh
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Ozadam
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Job Dekker
- Program in Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Denis Duboule
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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48
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Andrey G, Mundlos S. The three-dimensional genome: regulating gene expression during pluripotency and development. Development 2017; 144:3646-3658. [PMID: 29042476 DOI: 10.1242/dev.148304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The precise expression of genes in time and space during embryogenesis is largely influenced by communication between enhancers and promoters, which is propagated and governed by the physical proximity of these elements in the nucleus. Here, we review how chromatin domains organize the genome by guiding enhancers to their target genes thereby preventing non-specific interactions with other neighboring regions. We also discuss the dynamics of chromatin interactions between enhancers and promoters, as well as the consequent changes in gene expression, that occur in pluripotent cells and during development. Finally, we evaluate how genomic changes such as deletions, inversions and duplications affect 3D chromatin configuration overall and lead to ectopic enhancer-promoter contacts, and thus gene misexpression, which can contribute to abnormal development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Andrey
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, RG Development & Disease, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, RG Development & Disease, 14195 Berlin, Germany .,Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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49
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Leal F, Cohn MJ. Developmental, genetic, and genomic insights into the evolutionary loss of limbs in snakes. Genesis 2017; 56. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Leal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
| | - Martin J. Cohn
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
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50
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Infante CR, Rasys AM, Menke DB. Appendages and gene regulatory networks: Lessons from the limbless. Genesis 2017; 56. [PMID: 29076617 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Among squamate reptiles, dozens of lineages have independently evolved complete or partial limb reduction. This remarkable convergence of limbless and limb-reduced phenotypes provides multiple natural replicates of different ages to explore the evolution and development of the vertebrate limb and the gene regulatory network that controls its formation. The most successful and best known of the limb-reduced squamates are snakes, which evolved a limb-reduced body form more than 100 million years ago. Recent studies have revealed the unexpected finding that many ancient limb enhancers are conserved in the genomes of snakes. Analyses in limbed animals show that many of these limb enhancers are also active during development of the phallus, suggesting that these enhancers may have been retained in snakes due their importance in regulating transcription in the external genitalia. This hypothesis is substantiated by functional tests of snake enhancers, which demonstrate that snake enhancer elements have lost limb function while retaining genital enhancer function. The large degree of overlap in the gene regulatory networks deployed during limb and phallus development may act to constrain the divergence of shared gene network components and the evolution of appendage morphology. Future studies will reveal whether limb regulatory elements have undergone similar functional changes in other lineages of limb-reduced squamates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos R Infante
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - Ashley M Rasys
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602.,Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602
| | - Douglas B Menke
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602
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