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Camerino M, Chang W, Cvekl A. Analysis of long-range chromatin contacts, compartments and looping between mouse embryonic stem cells, lens epithelium and lens fibers. Epigenetics Chromatin 2024; 17:10. [PMID: 38643244 PMCID: PMC11031936 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-024-00533-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear organization of interphase chromosomes involves individual chromosome territories, "open" and "closed" chromatin compartments, topologically associated domains (TADs) and chromatin loops. The DNA- and RNA-binding transcription factor CTCF together with the cohesin complex serve as major organizers of chromatin architecture. Cellular differentiation is driven by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression that requires chromatin changes of individual loci of various complexities. Lens differentiation represents an advantageous system to probe transcriptional mechanisms underlying tissue-specific gene expression including high transcriptional outputs of individual crystallin genes until the mature lens fiber cells degrade their nuclei. RESULTS Chromatin organization between mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, newborn (P0.5) lens epithelium and fiber cells were analyzed using Hi-C. Localization of CTCF in both lens chromatins was determined by ChIP-seq and compared with ES cells. Quantitative analyses show major differences between number and size of TADs and chromatin loop size between these three cell types. In depth analyses show similarities between lens samples exemplified by overlaps between compartments A and B. Lens epithelium-specific CTCF peaks are found in mostly methylated genomic regions while lens fiber-specific and shared peaks occur mostly within unmethylated DNA regions. Major differences in TADs and loops are illustrated at the ~ 500 kb Pax6 locus, encoding the critical lens regulatory transcription factor and within a larger ~ 15 Mb WAGR locus, containing Pax6 and other loci linked to human congenital diseases. Lens and ES cell Hi-C data (TADs and loops) together with ATAC-seq, CTCF, H3K27ac, H3K27me3 and ENCODE cis-regulatory sites are shown in detail for the Pax6, Sox1 and Hif1a loci, multiple crystallin genes and other important loci required for lens morphogenesis. The majority of crystallin loci are marked by unexpectedly high CTCF-binding across their transcribed regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study has generated the first data on 3-dimensional (3D) nuclear organization in lens epithelium and lens fibers and directly compared these data with ES cells. These findings generate novel insights into lens-specific transcriptional gene control, open new research avenues to study transcriptional condensates in lens fiber cells, and enable studies of non-coding genetic variants linked to cataract and other lens and ocular abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Camerino
- The Departments Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA
| | - William Chang
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- The Departments Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA.
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY10461, Bronx, USA.
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Chang W, Zhao Y, Rayêe D, Xie Q, Suzuki M, Zheng D, Cvekl A. Dynamic changes in whole genome DNA methylation, chromatin and gene expression during mouse lens differentiation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:4. [PMID: 36698218 PMCID: PMC9875507 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-023-00478-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular differentiation is marked by temporally and spatially coordinated gene expression regulated at multiple levels. DNA methylation represents a universal mechanism to control chromatin organization and its accessibility. Cytosine methylation of CpG dinucleotides regulates binding of methylation-sensitive DNA-binding transcription factors within regulatory regions of transcription, including promoters and distal enhancers. Ocular lens differentiation represents an advantageous model system to examine these processes as lens comprises only two cell types, the proliferating lens epithelium and postmitotic lens fiber cells all originating from the epithelium. RESULTS Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and microdissected lenses, we investigated dynamics of DNA methylation and chromatin changes during mouse lens fiber and epithelium differentiation between embryos (E14.5) and newborns (P0.5). Histone H3.3 variant chromatin landscapes were also generated for both P0.5 lens epithelium and fibers by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Tissue-specific features of DNA methylation patterns are demonstrated via comparative studies with embryonic stem (ES) cells and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) at Nanog, Pou5f1, Sox2, Pax6 and Six3 loci. Comparisons with ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data demonstrate that reduced methylation is associated with increased expression of fiber cell abundant genes, including crystallins, intermediate filament (Bfsp1 and Bfsp2) and gap junction proteins (Gja3 and Gja8), marked by high levels of histone H3.3 within their transcribed regions. Interestingly, Pax6-binding sites exhibited predominantly DNA hypomethylation in lens chromatin. In vitro binding of Pax6 proteins showed Pax6's ability to interact with sites containing one or two methylated CpG dinucleotides. CONCLUSIONS Our study has generated the first data on methylation changes between two different stages of mammalian lens development and linked these data with chromatin accessibility maps, presence of histone H3.3 and gene expression. Reduced DNA methylation correlates with expression of important genes involved in lens morphogenesis and lens fiber cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Danielle Rayêe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Qing Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Masako Suzuki
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Neurology and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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Ma Z, Chauss D, Disatham J, Jiao X, Brennan LA, Menko AS, Kantorow M, Hejtmancik JF. Patterns of Crystallin Gene Expression in Differentiation State Specific Regions of the Embryonic Chicken Lens. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:8. [PMID: 35412582 PMCID: PMC9012887 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.4.8] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Transition from lens epithelial cells to lens fiber cell is accompanied by numerous changes in gene expression critical for lens transparency. We identify expression patterns of highly prevalent genes including ubiquitous and enzyme crystallins in the embryonic day 13 chicken lens. Methods Embryonic day 13 chicken lenses were dissected into central epithelial cell (EC), equatorial epithelial cell (EQ), cortical fiber cell (FP), and nuclear fiber cell (FC) compartments. Total RNA was prepared, subjected to high-throughput unidirectional mRNA sequencing, analyzed, mapped to the chicken genome, and functionally grouped. Results A total of 77,097 gene-specific transcripts covering 17,450 genes were expressed, of which 10,345 differed between two or more lens subregions. Ubiquitous crystallin gene expression increased from EC to EQ and was similar in FP and FC. Highly expressed crystallin genes fell into three coordinately expressed groups with R2 ≥ 0.93: CRYAA, CRYBB2, CRYAB, and CRYBA2; CRYBB1, CRYBA4, CRYGN, ASL1, and ASL; and CRYBB3 and CRYBA1. The highly expressed transcription factors YBX1, YBX3, PNRC1, and BASP1 were coordinately expressed with the second group of crystallins (r2 > 0.88). Conclusions Although it is well known that lens crystallin gene expression changes during the epithelial to fiber cell transition, these data identify for the first time three distinct patterns of expression for specific subsets of crystallin genes, each highly correlated with expression of specific transcription factors. The results provide a quantitative basis for designing functional experiments pinpointing the mechanisms governing the landscape of crystallin expression during fiber cell differentiation to attain lens transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Ma
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Daniel Chauss
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States
| | - Joshua Disatham
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States
| | - Xiaodong Jiao
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Lisa Ann Brennan
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States
| | - A Sue Menko
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Marc Kantorow
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States
| | - J Fielding Hejtmancik
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
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Disatham J, Brennan L, Jiao X, Ma Z, Hejtmancik JF, Kantorow M. Changes in DNA methylation hallmark alterations in chromatin accessibility and gene expression for eye lens differentiation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:8. [PMID: 35246225 PMCID: PMC8897925 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00440-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methylation at cytosines (mCG) is a well-known regulator of gene expression, but its requirements for cellular differentiation have yet to be fully elucidated. A well-studied cellular differentiation model system is the eye lens, consisting of a single anterior layer of epithelial cells that migrate laterally and differentiate into a core of fiber cells. Here, we explore the genome-wide relationships between mCG methylation, chromatin accessibility and gene expression during differentiation of eye lens epithelial cells into fiber cells. Results Whole genome bisulfite sequencing identified 7621 genomic loci exhibiting significant differences in mCG levels between lens epithelial and fiber cells. Changes in mCG levels were inversely correlated with the differentiation state-specific expression of 1285 genes preferentially expressed in either lens fiber or lens epithelial cells (Pearson correlation r = − 0.37, p < 1 × 10–42). mCG levels were inversely correlated with chromatin accessibility determined by assay for transposase-accessible sequencing (ATAC-seq) (Pearson correlation r = − 0.86, p < 1 × 10–300). Many of the genes exhibiting altered regions of DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and gene expression levels in fiber cells relative to epithelial cells are associated with lens fiber cell structure, homeostasis and transparency. These include lens crystallins (CRYBA4, CRYBB1, CRYGN, CRYBB2), lens beaded filament proteins (BFSP1, BFSP2), transcription factors (HSF4, SOX2, HIF1A), and Notch signaling pathway members (NOTCH1, NOTCH2, HEY1, HES5). Analysis of regions exhibiting cell-type specific alterations in DNA methylation revealed an overrepresentation of consensus sequences of multiple transcription factors known to play key roles in lens cell differentiation including HIF1A, SOX2, and the MAF family of transcription factors. Conclusions Collectively, these results link DNA methylation with control of chromatin accessibility and gene expression changes required for eye lens differentiation. The results also point to a role for DNA methylation in the regulation of transcription factors previously identified to be important for lens cell differentiation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13072-022-00440-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Disatham
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Lisa Brennan
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Xiaodong Jiao
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhiwei Ma
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J Fielding Hejtmancik
- Ophthalmic Genetics and Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc Kantorow
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
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Farnsworth DR, Posner M, Miller AC. Single cell transcriptomics of the developing zebrafish lens and identification of putative controllers of lens development. Exp Eye Res 2021; 206:108535. [PMID: 33705730 PMCID: PMC8092445 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate lens is a valuable model system for investigating the gene expression changes that coordinate tissue differentiation due to its inclusion of two spatially separated cell types, the outer epithelial cells and the deeper denucleated fiber cells that they support. Zebrafish are a useful model system for studying lens development given the organ's rapid development in the first several days of life in an accessible, transparent embryo. While we have strong foundational knowledge of the diverse lens crystallin proteins and the basic gene regulatory networks controlling lens development, no study has detailed gene expression in a vertebrate lens at single cell resolution. Here we report an atlas of lens gene expression in zebrafish embryos and larvae at single cell resolution through five days of development, identifying a number of novel putative regulators of lens development. Our data address open questions about the temperospatial expression of α-crystallins during lens development that will support future studies of their function and provide the first detailed view of β- and γ-crystallin expression in and outside the lens. We describe divergent expression in transcription factor genes that occur as paralog pairs in the zebrafish. Finally, we examine the expression dynamics of cytoskeletal, membrane associated, RNA-binding, and transcription factor genes, identifying a number of novel patterns. Overall these data provide a foundation for identifying and characterizing lens developmental regulatory mechanisms and revealing targets for future functional studies with potential therapeutic impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mason Posner
- Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA.
| | - Adam C Miller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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Lü Z, Gong L, Ren Y, Chen Y, Wang Z, Liu L, Li H, Chen X, Li Z, Luo H, Jiang H, Zeng Y, Wang Y, Wang K, Zhang C, Jiang H, Wan W, Qin Y, Zhang J, Zhu L, Shi W, He S, Mao B, Wang W, Kong X, Li Y. Large-scale sequencing of flatfish genomes provides insights into the polyphyletic origin of their specialized body plan. Nat Genet 2021; 53:742-751. [PMID: 33875864 PMCID: PMC8110480 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00836-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary and genetic origins of the specialized body plan of flatfish are largely unclear. We analyzed the genomes of 11 flatfish species representing 9 of the 14 Pleuronectiforme families and conclude that Pleuronectoidei and Psettodoidei do not form a monophyletic group, suggesting independent origins from different percoid ancestors. Genomic and transcriptomic data indicate that genes related to WNT and retinoic acid pathways, hampered musculature and reduced lipids might have functioned in the evolution of the specialized body plan of Pleuronectoidei. Evolution of Psettodoidei involved similar but not identical genes. Our work provides valuable resources and insights for understanding the genetic origins of the unusual body plan of flatfishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenming Lü
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Li Gong
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Yandong Ren
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yongjiu Chen
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Zhongkai Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Liqin Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Haorong Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xianqing Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhenzhu Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hairong Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Kun Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenting Wan
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanli Qin
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jianshe Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Liang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wei Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunping He
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Bingyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
| | - Xiaoyu Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yongxin Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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Cvekl A, Eliscovich C. Crystallin gene expression: Insights from studies of transcriptional bursting. Exp Eye Res 2021; 207:108564. [PMID: 33894228 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cellular differentiation is marked by temporally and spatially regulated gene expression. The ocular lens is one of the most powerful mammalian model system since it is composed from only two cell subtypes, called lens epithelial and fiber cells. Lens epithelial cells differentiate into fiber cells through a series of spatially and temporally orchestrated processes, including massive production of crystallins, cellular elongation and the coordinated degradation of nuclei and other organelles. Studies of transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene regulatory mechanisms in lens provide a wide range of opportunities to understand global molecular mechanisms of gene expression as steady-state levels of crystallin mRNAs reach very high levels comparable to globin genes in erythrocytes. Importantly, dysregulation of crystallin gene expression results in lens structural abnormalities and cataracts. The mRNA life cycle is comprised of multiple stages, including transcription, splicing, nuclear export into cytoplasm, stabilization, localization, translation and ultimate decay. In recent years, development of modern mRNA detection methods with single molecule and single cell resolution enabled transformative studies to visualize the mRNA life cycle to generate novel insights into the sequential regulatory mechanisms of gene expression during embryogenesis. This review is focused on recent major advancements in studies of transcriptional bursting in differentiating lens fiber cells, analysis of nascent mRNA expression from bi-directional promoters, transient nuclear accumulation of specific mRNAs, condensation of chromatin prior lens fiber cell denucleation, and outlines future studies to probe the interactions of individual mRNAs with specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the cytoplasm and regulation of translation and mRNA decay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ales Cvekl
- Department of Ophthalmology and VIsual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
| | - Carolina Eliscovich
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
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Wotherspoon D, Rogerson C, O’Shaughnessy RF. Perspective: Controlling Epidermal Terminal Differentiation with Transcriptional Bursting and RNA Bodies. J Dev Biol 2020; 8:E29. [PMID: 33291764 PMCID: PMC7768391 DOI: 10.3390/jdb8040029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is the principal barrier to the external environment: post-mitotic cells terminally differentiate to form a tough outer cornified layer of enucleate and flattened cells that confer the majority of skin barrier function. Nuclear degradation is required for correct cornified envelope formation. This process requires mRNA translation during the process of nuclear destruction. In this review and perspective, we address the biology of transcriptional bursting and the formation of ribonuclear particles in model organisms including mammals, and then examine the evidence that these phenomena occur as part of epidermal terminal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Wotherspoon
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK;
| | | | - Ryan F.L. O’Shaughnessy
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK;
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Häkkinen A, Oliveira SMD, Neeli-Venkata R, Ribeiro AS. Transcription closed and open complex formation coordinate expression of genes with a shared promoter region. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190507. [PMID: 31822223 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many genes are spaced closely, allowing coordination without explicit control through shared regulatory elements and molecular interactions. We study the dynamics of a stochastic model of a gene-pair in a head-to-head configuration, sharing promoter elements, which accounts for the rate-limiting steps in transcription initiation. We find that only in specific regions of the parameter space of the rate-limiting steps is orderly coexpression exhibited, suggesting that successful cooperation between closely spaced genes requires the coevolution of compatible rate-limiting step configuration. The model predictions are validated using in vivo single-cell, single-RNA measurements of the dynamics of pairs of genes sharing promoter elements. Our results suggest that, in E. coli, the kinetics of the rate-limiting steps in active transcription can play a central role in shaping the dynamics of gene-pairs sharing promoter elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti Häkkinen
- BioMediTech Institute and Department of Signal Processing, Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 553 33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Samuel M D Oliveira
- BioMediTech Institute and Department of Signal Processing, Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 553 33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ramakanth Neeli-Venkata
- BioMediTech Institute and Department of Signal Processing, Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 553 33101, Tampere, Finland
| | - Andre S Ribeiro
- BioMediTech Institute and Department of Signal Processing, Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 553 33101, Tampere, Finland
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