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Li M, Guo H, Wang B, Han Z, Wu S, Liu J, Huang H, Zhu J, An F, Lin Z, Mo K, Tan J, Liu C, Wang L, Deng X, Li G, Ji J, Ouyang H. The single-cell transcriptomic atlas and RORA-mediated 3D epigenomic remodeling in driving corneal epithelial differentiation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:256. [PMID: 38177186 PMCID: PMC10766623 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44471-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Proper differentiation of corneal epithelial cells (CECs) from limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) is required for maintenance of ocular homeostasis and clear vision. Here, using a single-cell transcriptomic atlas, we delineate the comprehensive and refined molecular regulatory dynamics during human CEC development and differentiation. We find that RORA is a CEC-specific molecular switch that initiates and drives LSCs to differentiate into mature CECs by activating PITX1. RORA dictates CEC differentiation by establishing CEC-specific enhancers and chromatin interactions between CEC gene promoters and distal regulatory elements. Conversely, RORA silences LSC-specific promoters and disrupts promoter-anchored chromatin loops to turn off LSC genes. Collectively, our work provides detailed and comprehensive insights into the transcriptional dynamics and RORA-mediated epigenetic remodeling underlying human corneal epithelial differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingsen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Huizhen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Bofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Zhuo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Siqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Jiafeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Huaxing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Jin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Fengjiao An
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Zesong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Kunlun Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Jieying Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Chunqiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Guigang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jianping Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Hong Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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Wang B, Guo H, Han Z, Wu S, Liu J, Lin Z, An F, Zhu J, Li M. NRG1 Regulates Proliferation, Migration and Differentiation of Human Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:10121-10130. [PMID: 38132478 PMCID: PMC10742012 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45120632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LESCs) proliferate, migrate and differentiate into mature corneal epithelium cells (CECs) that cover the ocular surface. LESCs play a crucial role in the maintenance and regeneration of the corneal epithelium, and their dysfunction can lead to various corneal diseases. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor family that regulates the growth and differentiation of epithelial tissues. Here, we depicted the dynamic transcriptomic profiles during human CEC differentiation, identifying six gene co-expression modules that were specific to different differentiation stages. We found that the expression of NRG1 was high in human LESCs and decreased dramatically upon differentiation. Knockdown of NRG1 significantly inhibited LESC proliferation and upregulated the expression of the terminal differentiation marker genes KRT3, KRT12 and CLU. In addition, the scratch wound closure assay showed that knockdown of NRG1 attenuated wound closure of LESCs over 24 h. Together, we dissected the transcriptional regulatory dynamics during CEC differentiation and identified NRG1 as a key regulator that promoted LESC proliferation and migration and maintained the undifferentiated state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mingsen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China; (B.W.); (Z.H.)
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Yang F, Liu Y, Wang P, Wang X, Chu M, Wang P. Mutation of the ETS1 3'UTR interacts with miR-216a-3p to regulate granulosa cell apoptosis in sheep. Theriogenology 2023; 210:133-142. [PMID: 37499371 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
ETS1, an important member of the ETS transcription factor family, is involved in a variety of physiological processes in living organisms, such as cell development, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis, and is thought to be associated with embryonic development and reproduction. However, the polymorphism of ETS1 has been rarely studied, and its potential impact on the formation of reproductive traits in sheep remains unclear. Here, we first analyzed polymorphisms of ETS1 in a population of 382 small-tailed Han sheep with a lambing number record using the Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) technique. The results showed the presence of a SNP locus rs161611767 (T > C) in the 3'UTR of ETS1. The association analysis showed the lambing number of first, second and third parity in the individuals with the CC genotype (2.51 ± 0.108, 2.51 ± 0.179, 1.27 ± 0.196) was higher than that of individuals with the TT genotype (1.79 ± 0.086, 1.56 ± 0.102, 0.56 ± 0.100) (P < 0.05). Then, molecular biotechnologies were used to investigate the effects of the EST1 rs161611767 mutant locus on host gene expression in sheep and the underlying mechanism of its effect on sheep reproduction. The RT‒qPCR results showed that the expression of ETS1 was higher in individuals with the CC genotype than in those with the TT genotype (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay showed that the luciferase activity of ETS1 in sheep with the TT genotype was decreased compared to CC genotype (P < 0.05), confirming the existence of EST1 rs161611767 in the 3'UTR as a functional SNP. Given that the 3'UTR is an important regulatory region of gene transcription and translation, we performed bioinformatics prediction and confirmed that the SNP rs161611767 of ETS1 was a direct functional target of miR-216a-3p using dual luciferase activity assay, and the binding capacity of allele T was stronger than that of allele C. Subsequently, the cell transfection results showed that miR-216a-3p suppressed the endogenous expression of ETS1 in sheep primary granulosa cells (GCs). Finally, CCK-8, EdU, WB detection of marker proteins and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of miR-216a-3p on GCs viability and proliferation/apoptosis, respectively. The results showed that miR-216a-3p inhibited the proliferation of GCs while promoting apoptosis of GCs. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the SNP rs161611767 of ETS1 is associated with lambing number in small-tailed Han sheep, and miR-216a-3p can act as a regulatory element binding to the T mutation in rs161611767 to regulate ETS1 expression and affect GCs development, which may indirectly affect the number of lambs in sheep. These studies provide evidence for the involvement of ETS1 polymorphisms in sheep reproduction and are expected to provide new insights to elucidate the molecular genetic mechanisms of lambing traits in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China; State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yufang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Peng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mingxing Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Pingqing Wang
- College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
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