Three-dimensional arrangement of genes involved in lipid metabolism in nuclei of porcine adipocytes and fibroblasts in relation to their transcription level

Analysis of allele-specific expression of seven candidate genes involved in lipid metabolism in pig skeletal muscle and fat tissues reveals allelic imbalance of ACACA, LEP, SCD, and TNF

Analysis of allele-specific expression may help to elucidate the genetic architecture of complex traits including fat deposition in pigs. Here, we used pyrosequencing to investigate the allele proportions of candidate genes (ACACA, ADIPOR1, FASN, LEP, ME1, SCD, and TNF) involved in regulation of lipid metabolism in two fat deposits (subcutaneous and visceral fat) and longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs representing Polish Large White, Polish Landrace, Duroc, and Pietrain breeds. We detected differential allelic expression of ACACA, LEP, SCD, and TNF in all tissues analyzed. To search for putative cis-regulatory elements involved in allele-specific expression, we quantified the methylation level within CpG islands located in 5′-flanking regions of ACACA and SCD. Comparison between samples showing markedly disproportionate allelic expression and control groups with similar levels of both alleles did not reveal significant differences. We also assessed the association of rs321308225 (c.*195C>A) an SNP located in the 3′UTR of ACACA with its allelic expression in Polish Landrace pigs, but it was not significant. We conclude that allelic imbalance occurs frequently in regard to genes involved in regulation of lipid deposition in pigs, and further studies are necessary to identify cis-regulatory elements affecting ACACA, LEP, SCD, and TNF expression in porcine fat tissues and skeletal muscle.

The importance of the nuclear positioning of the PPARG gene for its expression during porcine in vitro adipogenesis

Proper expression of the PPARG gene, which encodes a key transcription factor of adipogenesis, is indispensable in the formation of mature adipocytes. The positioning of a gene within the nuclear space has been implicated in gene regulation. We here report on the significance of the PPARG gene’s nuclear positioning for its activity during in vitro adipogenesis in the pig. We used an established system of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue into adipocytes. The differentiation process was carried out for 7 days, and the cells were examined using the 3D DNA/immuno-FISH and RNA/DNA-FISH approaches. PPARG transcript level was measured using real-time PCR, and PPARγ activity was detected with colorimetric assay. Changes in the nuclear location of the PPARG gene were observed when we compared undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells with mature adipocytes. The gene moved from the nuclear periphery to the nuclear center as its transcriptional activity increased. The RNA/DNA-FISH approach shows that differences in primary transcript production correlated with the allele’s nuclear positioning. Transcriptionally active alleles preferentially occupy the central part of the nucleus, while inactive alleles are found on the nuclear periphery. We also show that transcription of PPARG begins with one allele, but that both alleles are active in later stages of differentiation. Our results provide evidence that functionally distinct alleles of the PPARG gene are positioned in different parts of the cell nucleus. This confirms the importance of nuclear architecture to the regulation of PPARG gene transcription, and thus to the fate of the adipose cell.

Investigation of allele-specific expression of genes involved in adipogenesis and lipid metabolism suggests complex regulatory mechanisms of PPARGC1A expression in porcine fat tissues

Background

The expression of genes involved in regulating adipogenesis and lipid metabolism may affect economically important fatness traits in pigs. Allele-specific expression (ASE) reflects imbalance between allelic transcript levels and can be used to identify underlying cis-regulatory elements. ASE has not yet been intensively studied in pigs. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the differential allelic expression of four genes, PPARA, PPARG, SREBF1, and PPARGC1A, which are involved in the regulation of fat deposition in porcine subcutaneous and visceral fat and longissimus dorsi muscle.

Results

Quantification of allelic proportions by pyrosequencing revealed that both alleles of PPARG and SREBF1 are expressed at similar levels. PPARGC1A showed the greatest ASE imbalance in fat deposits in Polish Large White (PLW), Polish Landrace and Pietrain pigs; and PPARA in PLW pigs. Significant deviations of mean PPARGC1A allelic transcript ratio between cDNA and genomic DNA were detected in all tissues, with the most pronounced difference (p < 0.001) in visceral fat of PLW pigs. To search for potential cis-regulatory elements affecting ASE in the PPARGC1A gene we analyzed the effects of four SNPs (rs337351686, rs340650517, rs336405906 and rs345224049) in the promoter region, but none were associated with ASE in the breeds studied. DNA methylation analysis revealed significant CpG methylation differences between samples showing balanced (allelic transcript ratio ≈1) and imbalanced allelic expression for CpG site at the genomic position in chromosome 8 (SSC8): 18527678 in visceral fat (p = 0.017) and two CpG sites (SSC8:18525215, p = 0.030; SSC8:18525237, p = 0.031) in subcutaneous fat.

Conclusions

Our analysis of differential allelic expression suggests that PPARGC1A is subjected to cis-regulation in porcine fat tissues. Further studies are necessary to identify other regulatory elements localized outside the PPARGC1A proximal promoter region.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12863-018-0696-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nuclear organization during in vitro differentiation of porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into adipocytes

Differentiation of progenitor cells into adipocytes is accompanied by remarkable changes in cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression profile. Mature adipocytes are filled with a large lipid droplet and the nucleus tends to move to the cell periphery. It was hypothesized that the differentiation process is also associated with changes of nuclear organization. The aim of this study was to determine the number and distribution of selected components of nuclear architecture during porcine in vitro adipogenesis. The pig is an important animal model sharing many similarities to humans at the anatomical, physiological, and genetic levels and has been recognized as a good model for human obesity. Thus, understanding how cellular structures important for fundamental nuclear processes may be altered during adipocyte differentiation is of great importance. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue (AD-MSCs) and were cultured for 7 days in the adipogenic medium. A variable differentiation potential of these cell populations towards adipogenic lineage was observed, and for further study, a comparative characteristic of the nuclear organization in BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs was performed. Nuclear substructures were visualized by indirect immunofluorescence (nucleoli, nuclear speckles, PML bodies, lamins, and HP1α) or fluorescence in situ hybridization (telomeres) on fixed cells at 0, 3, 5, and 7 days of differentiation. Comprehensive characterization of these structures, in terms of their number, size, dynamics, and arrangement in three-dimensional space of the nucleus, was performed. It was found that during differentiation of porcine MSCs into adipocytes, changes of nuclear organization occurred and concerned: (1) the nuclear size and shape; (2) reduced lamin A/C expression; and (3) reorganization of chromocenters. Other elements of nuclear architecture such as nucleoli, SC-35 nuclear speckles, and telomeres showed no significant changes when compared to undifferentiated and mature fat cells. In addition, the presence of a low number of PML bodies was characteristic of the studied porcine mesenchymal stem cell adipogenesis system. It has been shown that the arrangement of selected components of nuclear architecture was very similar in MSCs derived from different sources, whereas adipocyte differentiation involves nuclear reorganization. This study adds new data on nuclear organization during adipogenesis using the pig as a model organism.

Changes in chromosome territory position within the nucleus reflect alternations in gene expression related to embryonic lineage specification

Loss of totipotentcy in an early embryo is directed by molecular processes responsible for cell fate decisions. Three dimensional genome organisation is an important factor linking chromatin architecture with stage specific gene expression patterns. Little is known about the role of chromosome organisation in gene expression regulation of lineage specific factors in mammalian embryos. Using bovine embryos as a model we have described these interactions at key developmental stages. Three bovine chromosomes (BTA) that differ in size, number of carried genes, and contain loci for key lineage regulators OCT4, NANOG and CDX2, were investigated. The results suggest that large chromosomes regardless of their gene density (BTA12 gene-poor, BTA5 gene-rich) do not significantly change their radial position within the nucleus. Gene loci however, may change its position within the chromosome territory (CT) and relocate its periphery, when stage specific process of gene activation is required. Trophectoderm specific CDX2 and epiblast precursor NANOG loci tend to locate on the surface or outside of the CTs, at stages related with their high expression. We postulate that the observed changes in CT shape reflect global alternations in gene expression related to differentiation.

Genetics of Adiposity in Large Animal Models for Human Obesity-Studies on Pigs and Dogs

The role of domestic mammals in the development of human biomedical sciences has been widely documented. Among these model species the pig and dog are of special importance. Both are useful for studies on the etiology of human obesity. Genome sequences of both species are known and advanced genetic tools [eg, microarray SNP for genome wide association studies (GWAS), next generation sequencing (NGS), etc.] are commonly used in such studies. In the domestic pig the accumulation of adipose tissue is an important trait, which influences meat quality and fattening efficiency. Numerous quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pig fatness traits were identified, while gene polymorphisms associated with these traits were also described. The situation is different in dog population. Generally, excessive accumulation of adipose tissue is considered, similar to humans, as a complex disease. However, research on the genetic background of canine obesity is still in its infancy. Between-breed differences in terms of adipose tissue accumulation are well known in both animal species. In this review we show recent advances of studies on adipose tissue accumulation in pigs and dogs, and their potential importance for studies on human obesity.

Performance and sensitivity evaluation of 3D spot detection methods in confocal microscopy

Reliable 3D detection of diffraction-limited spots in fluorescence microscopy images is an important task in subcellular observation. Generally, fluorescence microscopy images are heavily degraded by noise and non-specifically stained background, making reliable detection a challenging task. In this work, we have studied the performance and parameter sensitivity of eight recent methods for 3D spot detection. The study is based on both 3D synthetic image data and 3D real confocal microscopy images. The synthetic images were generated using a simulator modeling the complete imaging setup, including the optical path as well as the image acquisition process. We studied the detection performance and parameter sensitivity under different noise levels and under the influence of uneven background signal. To evaluate the parameter sensitivity, we propose a novel measure based on the gradient magnitude of the F1 score. We measured the success rate of the individual methods for different types of the image data and found that the type of image degradation is an important factor. Using the F1 score and the newly proposed sensitivity measure, we found that the parameter sensitivity is not necessarily proportional to the success rate of a method. This also provided an explanation why the best performing method for synthetic data was outperformed by other methods when applied to the real microscopy images. On the basis of the results obtained, we conclude with the recommendation of the HDome method for data with relatively low variations in quality, or the Sorokin method for image sets in which the quality varies more. We also provide alternative recommendations for high-quality images, and for situations in which detailed parameter tuning might be deemed expensive.

The PPARγ locus makes long-range chromatin interactions with selected tissue-specific gene loci during adipocyte differentiation in a protein kinase A dependent manner

Differentiation signaling results in reprogramming of cellular gene expression that leads to morphological changes and functional specialization of a precursor cell. This global change in gene expression involves temporal regulation of differentiation-specific genes that are located throughout the genome, raising the idea that genome structure may also be re-organized during cell differentiation to facilitate regulated gene expression. Using in vitro adipocyte differentiation as a model, we explored whether gene organization within the nucleus is altered upon exposure of precursor cells to signaling molecules that induce adipogenesis. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) nuclear hormone receptor is a master determinant of adipogenesis and is required for adipose differentiation. We utilized the chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay to determine whether the position of the PPARγ locus relative to other adipogenic genes is changed during differentiation. We report that the PPARγ2 promoter is transiently positioned in proximity to the promoters of genes encoding adipokines and lipid droplet associated proteins at 6 hours post-differentiation, a time that precedes expression of any of these genes. In contrast, the PPARγ2 promoter was not in proximity to the EF1α promoter, which drives expression of a constitutively active, housekeeping gene that encodes a translation elongation factor, nor was the PPARγ2 promoter in proximity to the promoter driving the expression of the C/EBPα regulatory protein. The formation of the long-range, intergenic interactions involving the PPARγ2 promoter required the regulatory factor C/EBPβ, elevated cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels, and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. We conclude that genome organization is dynamically remodeled in response to adipogenic signaling, and we speculate that these transient inter-genic interactions may be formed for the purposes of selecting some of the transcriptionally silent tissue-specific loci for subsequent transcriptional activation.

Characterisation of nuclear architectural alterations during in vitro differentiation of human stem cells of myogenic origin

Cell differentiation is based on a synchronised orchestra of complex pathways of intrinsic and extrinsic signals that manifest in the induced expression of specific transcription factors and pivotal genes within the nucleus. One cannot ignore the epigenetic status of differentiating cells, comprising not only histones and DNA modifications but also the spatial and temporal intranuclear chromatin organisation, which is an important regulator of nuclear processes. In the present study, we investigated the nuclear architecture of human primary myoblasts and myocytes in an in vitro culture, with reference to global changes in genomic expression. Repositioning of the chromosomal centromeres, along with alterations in the nuclear shape and volume, was observed as a consequence of myotube formation. Moreover, the microarray data showed that during in vitro myogenesis cells tend to silence rather than induce gene expression. The creation of a chromosome map marked with gene expression changes that were at least 2-fold confirmed the observation. Additionally, almost all of the chromosomal centromeres in the differentiated cells preferentially localised near the nuclear periphery when compared to the undifferentiated cells. The exceptions were chromosomes 7 and 11, in which we were unable to confirm the centromere repositioning. In our opinion, this is the first reported observation of the movement of chromosomal centromeres along differentiating myogenic cells. Based on these data we can conclude that the myogenic differentiation with global gene expression changes is accompanied by the spatial repositioning of chromosomes and chromatin remodelling, which are important processes that regulate cell differentiation.

Three-dimensional positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the red fox and the chinese raccoon dog

Great progress has been achieved over the last years in studies on chromosome arrangement in mammalian cell nuclei. Growing evidence indicates that the genome's spatial organization is of functional relevance. So far, no attention has been paid to the nuclear organization of B chromosomes (Bs). In this study we have examined nuclear positioning of Bs in 2 species from the Canidae family--the red fox and the Chinese raccoon dog. Using 2D and 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization and 2 gene-specific probes (C-KIT and PDGFRA), we analyzed the location of Bs in fibroblast nuclei. We found that small Bs of the red fox occupied mostly the interior of the nucleus, while medium-sized Bs of the Chinese raccoon dog were observed in the peripheral area of the nucleus as well as in intermediate and interior locations. The more uniform distribution of B chromosomes in the Chinese raccoon dog may be the result of differences in their size, since 3 morphological types of Bs are distinguished in this species. Our results indicate that 3D positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the 2 canid species is in agreement with the chromosome size-dependent theory.