1
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Claus C, Slavin M, Ansseau E, Lancelot C, Bah K, Lassche S, Fiévet M, Greco A, Tomaiuolo S, Tassin A, Dudome V, Kusters B, Declèves AE, Laoudj-Chenivesse D, van Engelen BGM, Nonclercq D, Belayew A, Kalisman N, Coppée F. The double homeodomain protein DUX4c is associated with regenerating muscle fibers and RNA-binding proteins. Skelet Muscle 2023; 13:5. [PMID: 36882853 PMCID: PMC9990282 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-022-00310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that double homeobox 4 centromeric (DUX4C) encoded for a functional DUX4c protein upregulated in dystrophic skeletal muscles. Based on gain- and loss-of-function studies we have proposed DUX4c involvement in muscle regeneration. Here, we provide further evidence for such a role in skeletal muscles from patients affected with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). METHODS DUX4c was studied at RNA and protein levels in FSHD muscle cell cultures and biopsies. Its protein partners were co-purified and identified by mass spectrometry. Endogenous DUX4c was detected in FSHD muscle sections with either its partners or regeneration markers using co-immunofluorescence or in situ proximity ligation assay. RESULTS We identified new alternatively spliced DUX4C transcripts and confirmed DUX4c immunodetection in rare FSHD muscle cells in primary culture. DUX4c was detected in nuclei, cytoplasm or at cell-cell contacts between myocytes and interacted sporadically with specific RNA-binding proteins involved, a.o., in muscle differentiation, repair, and mass maintenance. In FSHD muscle sections, DUX4c was found in fibers with unusual shape or central/delocalized nuclei (a regeneration feature) staining for developmental myosin heavy chain, MYOD or presenting intense desmin labeling. Some couples of myocytes/fibers locally exhibited peripheral DUX4c-positive areas that were very close to each other, but in distinct cells. MYOD or intense desmin staining at these locations suggested an imminent muscle cell fusion. We further demonstrated DUX4c interaction with its major protein partner, C1qBP, inside myocytes/myofibers that presented features of regeneration. On adjacent muscle sections, we could unexpectedly detect DUX4 (the FSHD causal protein) and its interaction with C1qBP in fusing myocytes/fibers. CONCLUSIONS DUX4c upregulation in FSHD muscles suggests it contributes not only to the pathology but also, based on its protein partners and specific markers, to attempts at muscle regeneration. The presence of both DUX4 and DUX4c in regenerating FSHD muscle cells suggests DUX4 could compete with normal DUX4c functions, thus explaining why skeletal muscle is particularly sensitive to DUX4 toxicity. Caution should be exerted with therapeutic agents aiming for DUX4 suppression because they might also repress the highly similar DUX4c and interfere with its physiological role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clothilde Claus
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Moriya Slavin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eugénie Ansseau
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Céline Lancelot
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Karimatou Bah
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Saskia Lassche
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Manon Fiévet
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Anna Greco
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Tomaiuolo
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Tassin
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium.,Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology and Rehabilitation, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Virginie Dudome
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Benno Kusters
- Department of Pathology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Emilie Declèves
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Denis Nonclercq
- Laboratory of Histology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Belayew
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Nir Kalisman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Frédérique Coppée
- Laboratory of Metabolic and Molecular Biochemistry, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, 6, Avenue du Champs de Mars, B-7000, Mons, Belgium.
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2
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Tihaya MS, Mul K, Balog J, de Greef JC, Tapscott SJ, Tawil R, Statland JM, van der Maarel SM. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: the road to targeted therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:91-108. [PMID: 36627512 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the molecular understanding of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) have revealed that FSHD results from epigenetic de-repression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle, which encodes a transcription factor that is active in early embryonic development but is normally silenced in almost all somatic tissues. These advances also led to the identification of targets for disease-altering therapies for FSHD, as well as an improved understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and factors that influence its progression. Together, these developments led the FSHD research community to shift its focus towards the development of disease-modifying treatments for FSHD. This Review presents advances in the molecular and clinical understanding of FSHD, discusses the potential targeted therapies that are currently being explored, some of which are already in clinical trials, and describes progress in the development of FSHD-specific outcome measures and assessment tools for use in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara S Tihaya
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karlien Mul
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica C de Greef
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Statland
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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3
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Verma A, Arya R, Brahmachari V. Identification of a polycomb responsive region in human HoxA cluster and its long-range interaction with polycomb enriched genomic regions. Gene 2022; 845:146832. [PMID: 36007803 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Polycomb and Trithorax group proteins (PcG, TrxG) epigenetically regulate developmental genes. These proteins bind with specific DNA elements, the Polycomb Response Element (PRE). Apart from mutations in polycomb/ trithorax proteins, altered cis-elements like PRE underlie the modified function and thus disease etiology. PREs are well studied in Drosophila, while only a few human PREs have been reported. We have identified a polycomb responsive DNA element, hPRE-HoxA3, in the intron of the HoxA3 gene. The hPRE-HoxA3 represses luciferase reporter activity in a PcG-dependent manner. The endogenous hPRE-HoxA3 element recruits PcG proteins and is enriched with repressive H3K27me3 marks, demonstrating that hPRE-HoxA3 is a part of the PcG-dependent gene regulatory network. Furthermore, it interacts with D11-12, the well-known PRE in the human Hox cluster. hPRE-Hox3 is a part of the 3-dimensional chromosomal domain organization as it is involved in the long-range interaction with other PcG enriched regions of Hox A, B, C, and D clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Verma
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India.
| | - Richa Arya
- Current address- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
| | - Vani Brahmachari
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
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4
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Bhatti GK, Khullar N, Sidhu IS, Navik US, Reddy AP, Reddy PH, Bhatti JS. Emerging role of non-coding RNA in health and disease. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1119-1134. [PMID: 33881724 PMCID: PMC8058498 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00739-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human diseases have always been a significant turf of concern since the origin of mankind. It is cardinal to know the cause, treatment, and cure for every disease condition. With the advent and advancement in technology, the molecular arena at the microscopic level to study the mechanism, progression, and therapy is more rational and authentic pave than a macroscopic approach. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have now emerged as indispensable players in the diagnosis, development, and therapeutics of every abnormality concerning physiology, pathology, genetics, epigenetics, oncology, and developmental diseases. This is a comprehensive attempt to collate all the existing and proven strategies, techniques, mechanisms of genetic disorders including Silver Russell Syndrome, Fascio- scapula humeral muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, cardiac fibrosis, hypertension, etc.), neurodegenerative diseases (Spino-cerebral ataxia type 7, Spino-cerebral ataxia type 8, Spinal muscular atrophy, Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome, etc.) cancers (cervix, breast, lung cancer, etc.), and infectious diseases (viral) studied so far. This article encompasses discovery, biogenesis, classification, and evolutionary prospects of the existence of this junk RNA along with the integrated networks involving chromatin remodelling, dosage compensation, genome imprinting, splicing regulation, post-translational regulation and proteomics. In conclusion, all the major human diseases are discussed with a facilitated technology transfer, advancements, loopholes, and tentative future research prospects have also been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurjit Kaur Bhatti
- Department of Medical Lab Technology, University Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab India
| | - Naina Khullar
- Department of Zoology, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab India
| | | | - Uma Shanker Navik
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | | | - P. Hemachandra Reddy
- Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX USA
- Departments of Neurology, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX USA
- Public Health Department of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX USA
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, School Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX USA
- Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Neurology, Public Health, School of Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430 USA
| | - Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
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5
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Pappalardo XG, Barra V. Losing DNA methylation at repetitive elements and breaking bad. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:25. [PMID: 34082816 PMCID: PMC8173753 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00400-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation is an epigenetic chromatin mark that allows heterochromatin formation and gene silencing. It has a fundamental role in preserving genome stability (including chromosome stability) by controlling both gene expression and chromatin structure. Therefore, the onset of an incorrect pattern of DNA methylation is potentially dangerous for the cells. This is particularly important with respect to repetitive elements, which constitute the third of the human genome. Main body Repetitive sequences are involved in several cell processes, however, due to their intrinsic nature, they can be a source of genome instability. Thus, most repetitive elements are usually methylated to maintain a heterochromatic, repressed state. Notably, there is increasing evidence showing that repetitive elements (satellites, long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), Alus) are frequently hypomethylated in various of human pathologies, from cancer to psychiatric disorders. Repetitive sequences’ hypomethylation correlates with chromatin relaxation and unscheduled transcription. If these alterations are directly involved in human diseases aetiology and how, is still under investigation. Conclusions Hypomethylation of different families of repetitive sequences is recurrent in many different human diseases, suggesting that the methylation status of these elements can be involved in preservation of human health. This provides a promising point of view towards the research of therapeutic strategies focused on specifically tuning DNA methylation of DNA repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xena Giada Pappalardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy.,National Council of Research, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), Unit of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Viviana Barra
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
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Karpukhina A, Tiukacheva E, Dib C, Vassetzky YS. Control of DUX4 Expression in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy and Cancer. Trends Mol Med 2021; 27:588-601. [PMID: 33863674 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
DUX4, a gene encoding a transcription factor involved in early embryogenesis, is located within the D4Z4 subtelomeric repeat on chromosome 4q35. In most healthy somatic tissues, DUX4 is heavily repressed by multiple genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and its aberrant expression is linked to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) where it has been extensively studied. Recently, DUX4 expression has been implicated in oncogenesis, although this is much less explored. In this review, we discuss multiple levels of control of DUX4 expression, including enhancer-promoter interactions, DNA methylation, histone modifications, noncoding RNAs, and telomere positioning effect. We also connect disparate data on intrachromosomal contacts involving DUX4 and emphasize the feedback loops in DUX4 regulation. Finally, we bridge data on DUX4 in FSHD and cancer and discuss prospective approaches for future FSHD therapies and the potential outcomes of DUX4 inhibition in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Karpukhina
- UMR 9018, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow 117334, Russia; Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Eugenia Tiukacheva
- UMR 9018, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France
| | - Carla Dib
- UMR 9018, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France; Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-510, USA
| | - Yegor S Vassetzky
- UMR 9018, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif F-94805, France; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow 117334, Russia.
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7
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Himeda CL, Jones TI, Jones PL. Targeted epigenetic repression by CRISPR/dSaCas9 suppresses pathogenic DUX4-fl expression in FSHD. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 20:298-311. [PMID: 33511244 PMCID: PMC7806950 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by incomplete silencing of the disease locus, leading to pathogenic misexpression of DUX4 in skeletal muscle. Previously, we showed that CRISPR inhibition could successfully target and repress DUX4 in FSHD myocytes. However, an effective therapy will require both efficient delivery of therapeutic components to skeletal muscles and long-term repression of the disease locus. Thus, we re-engineered our platform to allow in vivo delivery of more potent epigenetic repressors. We designed an FSHD-optimized regulatory cassette to drive skeletal muscle-specific expression of dCas9 from Staphylococcus aureus fused to HP1α, HP1γ, the MeCP2 transcriptional repression domain, or the SUV39H1 SET domain. Targeting each regulator to the DUX4 promoter/exon 1 increased chromatin repression at the locus, specifically suppressing DUX4 and its target genes in FSHD myocytes and in a mouse model of the disease. Importantly, minimizing the regulatory cassette and using the smaller Cas9 ortholog allowed our therapeutic cassettes to be effectively packaged into adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for in vivo delivery. By engineering a muscle-specific epigenetic CRISPR platform compatible with AAV vectors for gene therapy, we have laid the groundwork for clinical use of dCas9-based chromatin effectors in skeletal muscle disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis L. Himeda
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Takako I. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Peter L. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
- Corresponding author Peter L. Jones, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Molecular Medicine/MS-0318, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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8
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Aznaourova M, Schmerer N, Schmeck B, Schulte LN. Disease-Causing Mutations and Rearrangements in Long Non-coding RNA Gene Loci. Front Genet 2020; 11:527484. [PMID: 33329688 PMCID: PMC7735109 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.527484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The classic understanding of molecular disease-mechanisms is largely based on protein-centric models. During the past decade however, genetic studies have identified numerous disease-loci in the human genome that do not encode proteins. Such non-coding DNA variants increasingly gain attention in diagnostics and personalized medicine. Of particular interest are long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes, which generate transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that are not translated into proteins. While most of the estimated ~20,000 lncRNAs currently remain of unknown function, a growing number of genetic studies link lncRNA gene aberrations with the development of human diseases, including diabetes, AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease, or cancer. This suggests that the protein-centric view of human diseases does not capture the full complexity of molecular patho-mechanisms, with important consequences for molecular diagnostics and therapy. This review illustrates well-documented lncRNA gene aberrations causatively linked to human diseases and discusses potential lessons for molecular disease models, diagnostics, and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Aznaourova
- Institute for Lung Research, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nils Schmerer
- Institute for Lung Research, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Schmeck
- Institute for Lung Research, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Systems Biology Platform, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Leon N Schulte
- Institute for Lung Research, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Systems Biology Platform, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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9
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Abstract
Neuromuscular disorders are a heterogeneous group of conditions affecting the neuromuscular system. The aim of this article is to review the major epigenetic findings in motor neuron diseases and major hereditary muscular dystrophies. DNA methylation changes are observed in both hereditary and sporadic forms, and combining DNA methylation analysis with mutational screening holds the potential for better diagnostic and prognostic accuracy. Novel, less toxic and more selective epigenetic drugs are designed and tested in animal and cell culture models of neuromuscular disorders, and non-coding RNAs are being investigated as either disease biomarkers or targets of therapeutic approaches to restore gene expression levels. Overall, neuromuscular disorder epigenetic biomarkers have a strong potential for clinical applications in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Coppedè
- Department of Translational Research & of New Surgical & Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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10
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Greco A, Goossens R, van Engelen B, van der Maarel SM. Consequences of epigenetic derepression in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Clin Genet 2020; 97:799-814. [PMID: 32086799 PMCID: PMC7318180 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a common hereditary myopathy, is caused either by the contraction of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat at the distal end of chromosome 4q to a size of 1 to 10 repeat units (FSHD1) or by mutations in D4Z4 chromatin modifiers such as Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes Hinge Domain Containing 1 (FSHD2). These two genotypes share a phenotype characterized by progressive and often asymmetric muscle weakening and atrophy, and common epigenetic alterations of the D4Z4 repeat. All together, these epigenetic changes converge the two genetic forms into one disease and explain the derepression of the DUX4 gene, which is otherwise kept epigenetically silent in skeletal muscle. DUX4 is consistently transcriptionally upregulated in FSHD1 and FSHD2 skeletal muscle cells where it is believed to exercise a toxic effect. Here we provide a review of the recent literature describing the progress in understanding the complex genetic and epigenetic architecture of FSHD, with a focus on one of the consequences that these epigenetic changes inflict, the DUX4-induced immune deregulation cascade. Moreover, we review the latest therapeutic strategies, with particular attention to the potential of epigenetic correction of the FSHD locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Greco
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Internal MedicineRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Remko Goossens
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Baziel van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
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Salsi V, Magdinier F, Tupler R. Does DNA Methylation Matter in FSHD? Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E258. [PMID: 32121044 PMCID: PMC7140823 DOI: 10.3390/genes11030258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) has been associated with the genetic and epigenetic molecular features of the CpG-rich D4Z4 repeat tandem array at 4q35. Reduced DNA methylation of D4Z4 repeats is considered part of the FSHD mechanism and has been proposed as a reliable marker in the FSHD diagnostic procedure. We considered the assessment of D4Z4 DNA methylation status conducted on distinct cohorts using different methodologies. On the basis of the reported results we conclude that the percentage of DNA methylation detected at D4Z4 does not correlate with the disease status. Overall, data suggest that in the case of FSHD1, D4Z4 hypomethylation is a consequence of the chromatin structure present in the contracted allele, rather than a proxy of its function. Besides, CpG methylation at D4Z4 DNA is reduced in patients presenting diseases unrelated to muscle progressive wasting, like Bosma Arhinia and Microphthalmia syndrome, a developmental disorder, as well as ICF syndrome. Consistent with these observations, the analysis of epigenetic reprogramming at the D4Z4 locus in human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells indicate that other mechanisms, independent from the repeat number, are involved in the control of the epigenetic structure at D4Z4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Salsi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 4, 41121 Modena, Italy;
| | | | - Rossella Tupler
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 4, 41121 Modena, Italy
- Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 4, 41121 Modena, Italy
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01003, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01003, USA
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12
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Lim KRQ, Nguyen Q, Yokota T. DUX4 Signalling in the Pathogenesis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E729. [PMID: 31979100 PMCID: PMC7037115 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a disabling inherited muscular disorder characterized by asymmetric, progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Patients display widely variable disease onset and severity, and sometimes present with extra-muscular symptoms. There is a consensus that FSHD is caused by the aberrant production of the double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4) transcription factor in skeletal muscle. DUX4 is normally expressed during early embryonic development, and is then effectively silenced in all tissues except the testis and thymus. Its reactivation in skeletal muscle disrupts numerous signalling pathways that mostly converge on cell death. Here, we review studies on DUX4-affected pathways in skeletal muscle and provide insights into how understanding these could help explain the unique pathogenesis of FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Rowel Q. Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (K.R.Q.L.); (Q.N.)
| | - Quynh Nguyen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (K.R.Q.L.); (Q.N.)
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (K.R.Q.L.); (Q.N.)
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada, HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
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13
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Gaillard MC, Broucqsault N, Morere J, Laberthonnière C, Dion C, Badja C, Roche S, Nguyen K, Magdinier F, Robin JD. Analysis of the 4q35 chromatin organization reveals distinct long-range interactions in patients affected with Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10327. [PMID: 31316120 PMCID: PMC6637155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46861-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Facio-Scapulo Humeral dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common myopathy, affecting 1 amongst 10,000 individuals (FSHD1, OMIM #158900). This autosomal dominant pathology is associated in 95% of cases with genetic and epigenetic alterations in the subtelomeric region at the extremity of the long arm of chromosome 4 (q arm). A large proportion of the remaining 5% of cases carry a mutation in the SMCHD1 gene (FSHD2, OMIM #158901). Here, we explored the 3D organization of the 4q35 locus by three-dimensions DNA in situ fluorescent hybridization (3D-FISH) in primary fibroblasts isolated from patients and healthy donors. We found that D4Z4 contractions and/or SMCHD1 mutations impact the spatial organization of the 4q35 region and trigger changes in the expression of different genes. Changes in gene expression were corroborated in muscle biopsies suggesting that the modified chromatin landscape impelled a modulation in the level of expression of a number of genes across the 4q35 locus in FSHD. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC), we further examined whether chromatin organization is inherited after reprogramming or acquired during differentiation and showed that folding of the 4q35 region is modified upon differentiation. These results together with previous findings highlight the role of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat in the topological organization of chromatin and further indicate that the D4Z4-dependent 3D structure induces transcriptional changes of 4q35 genes expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julia Morere
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France
| | | | - Camille Dion
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France
| | - Cherif Badja
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphane Roche
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France
| | - Karine Nguyen
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France.,APHM, Laboratoire de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | | | - Jérôme D Robin
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France.
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14
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Cortesi A, Pesant M, Sinha S, Marasca F, Sala E, Gregoretti F, Antonelli L, Oliva G, Chiereghin C, Soldà G, Bodega B. 4q-D4Z4 chromatin architecture regulates the transcription of muscle atrophic genes in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Genome Res 2019; 29:883-895. [PMID: 31097473 PMCID: PMC6581056 DOI: 10.1101/gr.233288.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing insights in genome structure organization, the role of DNA repetitive elements, accounting for more than two thirds of the human genome, remains elusive. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is associated with deletion of D4Z4 repeat array below 11 units at 4q35.2. It is known that the deletion alters chromatin structure in cis, leading to gene up-regulation. Here we show a genome-wide role of 4q-D4Z4 array in modulating gene expression via 3D nuclear contacts. We have developed an integrated strategy of 4q-D4Z4-specific 4C-seq and chromatin segmentation analyses, showing that 4q-D4Z4 3D interactome and chromatin states of interacting genes are impaired in FSHD1 condition; in particular, genes that have lost the 4q-D4Z4 interaction and with a more active chromatin state are enriched for muscle atrophy transcriptional signature. Expression level of these genes is restored by the interaction with an ectopic 4q-D4Z4 array, suggesting that the repeat directly modulates the transcription of contacted targets. Of note, the up-regulation of atrophic genes is a common feature of several FSHD1 and FSHD2 patients, indicating that we have identified a core set of deregulated genes involved in FSHD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cortesi
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Matthieu Pesant
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Shruti Sinha
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Marasca
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Sala
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Gregoretti
- CNR Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), 8013, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Antonelli
- CNR Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), 8013, Naples, Italy
| | - Gennaro Oliva
- CNR Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking (ICAR), 8013, Naples, Italy
| | - Chiara Chiereghin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20090, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Soldà
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20090, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), 20122, Milan, Italy
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15
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Sparber P, Filatova A, Khantemirova M, Skoblov M. The role of long non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of hereditary diseases. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:42. [PMID: 30871545 PMCID: PMC6416829 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0487-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thousands of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes are annotated in the human genome. Recent studies showed the key role of lncRNAs in a variety of fundamental cellular processes. Dysregulation of lncRNAs can drive tumorigenesis and they are now considered to be a promising therapeutic target in cancer. However, how lncRNAs contribute to the development of hereditary diseases in human is still mostly unknown. Results This review is focused on hereditary diseases in the pathogenesis of which long non-coding RNAs play an important role. Conclusions Fundamental research in the field of molecular genetics of lncRNA is necessary for a more complete understanding of their significance. Future research will help translate this knowledge into clinical practice which will not only lead to an increase in the diagnostic rate but also in the future can help with the development of etiotropic treatments for hereditary diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sparber
- Research Center for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia.
| | | | - Mira Khantemirova
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail Skoblov
- Research Center for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia.,School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
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16
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He M, Li Y, Tang Q, Li D, Jin L, Tian S, Che T, He S, Deng L, Gao G, Gu Y, Jiang Z, Li X, Li M. Genome-Wide Chromatin Structure Changes During Adipogenesis and Myogenesis. Int J Biol Sci 2018; 14:1571-1585. [PMID: 30263009 PMCID: PMC6158721 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.25328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The recently developed high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) technology enables us to explore the spatial architecture of genomes, which is increasingly considered an important regulator of gene expression. To investigate the changes in three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure and its mediated gene expression during adipogenesis and myogenesis, we comprehensively mapped 3D chromatin organization for four cell types (3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes, 3T3-L1-D adipocytes, C2C12 myoblasts, and C2C12-D myotubes). We demonstrate that the dynamic spatial genome architecture affected gene expression during cell differentiation. A considerable proportion (~22%) of the mouse genome underwent compartment A/B rearrangement during adipogenic and myogenic differentiation, and most (~80%) upregulated marker genes exhibited an active chromatin state with B to A switch or stable A compartment. More than half (65.4%-73.2%) of the topologically associating domains (TADs) are dynamic. The newly formed TAD and intensified local interactions in the Fabp gene cluster indicated more precise structural regulation of the expression of pro-differentiation genes during adipogenesis. About half (32.39%-59.04%) of the differential chromatin interactions (DCIs) during differentiation are promoter interactions, although these DCIs only account for a small proportion of genome-wide interactions (~9.67% in adipogenesis and ~4.24% in myogenesis). These differential promoter interactions were enriched with promoter-enhancer interactions (PEIs), which were mediated by typical adipogenic and myogenic transcription factors. Differential promoter interactions also included more differentially expressed genes than nonpromoter interactions. Our results provide a global view of dynamic chromatin interactions during adipogenesis and myogenesis and are a resource for studying long-range chromatin interactions mediating the expression of pro-differentiation genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengnan He
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qianzi Tang
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Diyan Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Long Jin
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Shilin Tian
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Tiandong Che
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Shen He
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Lamei Deng
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Guangliang Gao
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Chongqing 402460, China
| | - Yiren Gu
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Pig Science Institute, Sichuan Animal Science Academy, Chengdu 610066, China
| | - Zhi Jiang
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Xuewei Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Mingzhou Li
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.,Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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17
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Dumbović G, Biayna J, Banús J, Samuelsson J, Roth A, Diederichs S, Alonso S, Buschbeck M, Perucho M, Forcales SV. A novel long non-coding RNA from NBL2 pericentromeric macrosatellite forms a perinucleolar aggregate structure in colon cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:5504-5524. [PMID: 29912433 PMCID: PMC6009586 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Primate-specific NBL2 macrosatellite is hypomethylated in several types of tumors, yet the consequences of this DNA hypomethylation remain unknown. We show that NBL2 conserved repeats are close to the centromeres of most acrocentric chromosomes. NBL2 associates with the perinucleolar region and undergoes severe demethylation in a subset of colorectal cancer (CRC). Upon DNA hypomethylation and histone acetylation, NBL2 repeats are transcribed in tumor cell lines and primary CRCs. NBL2 monomers exhibit promoter activity, and are contained within novel, non-polyA antisense lncRNAs, which we designated TNBL (Tumor-associated NBL2 transcript). TNBL is stable throughout the mitotic cycle, and in interphase nuclei preferentially forms a perinucleolar aggregate in the proximity of a subset of NBL2 loci. TNBL aggregates interact with the SAM68 perinucleolar body in a mirror-image cancer specific perinucleolar structure. TNBL binds with high affinity to several proteins involved in nuclear functions and RNA metabolism, such as CELF1 and NPM1. Our data unveil novel DNA and RNA structural features of a non-coding macrosatellite frequently altered in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrijela Dumbović
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Josep Biayna
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Carrer de Baldiri Reixac, 10–12, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Jordi Banús
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | | | - Anna Roth
- Division of RNA Biology & Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Sven Diederichs
- Division of RNA Biology & Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Division of Cancer Research, Dept. of Thoracic Surgery, Medical Center – University of Freiburg & Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sergio Alonso
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Marcus Buschbeck
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Campus ICO - Germans Trias i Pujol, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Manuel Perucho
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sonia-V Forcales
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, Ctra Can Ruti, camí de les escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Campus of Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain
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18
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Temporal regulation of chromatin during myoblast differentiation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 72:77-86. [PMID: 29079444 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The commitment to and execution of differentiation programmes involves a significant change in gene expression in the precursor cell to facilitate development of the mature cell type. In addition to being regulated by lineage-determining and auxiliary transcription factors that drive these changes, the structural status of the chromatin has a considerable impact on the transcriptional competence of differentiation-specific genes, which is clearly demonstrated by the large number of cofactors and the extraordinary complex mechanisms by which these genes become activated. The terminal differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes and mature skeletal muscle is an excellent system to illustrate these points. The MyoD family of closely related, lineage-determining transcription factors directs, largely through targeting to chromatin, a cascade of cooperating transcription factors and enzymes that incorporate or remove variant histones, post-translationally modify histones, and alter nucleosome structure and positioning via energy released by ATP hydrolysis. The coordinated action of these transcription factors and enzymes prevents expression of differentiation-specific genes in myoblasts and facilitates the transition of these genes from transcriptionally repressed to activated during the differentiation process. Regulation is achieved in both a temporal as well as spatial manner, as at least some of these factors and enzymes affect local chromatin structure at myogenic gene regulatory sequences as well as higher-order genome organization. Here we discuss the transition of genes that promote myoblast differentiation from the silenced to the activated state with an emphasis on the changes that occur to individual histones and the chromatin structure present at these loci.
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19
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DeSimone AM, Pakula A, Lek A, Emerson CP. Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. Compr Physiol 2017; 7:1229-1279. [PMID: 28915324 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c160039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy is a common form of muscular dystrophy that presents clinically with progressive weakness of the facial, scapular, and humeral muscles, with later involvement of the trunk and lower extremities. While typically inherited as autosomal dominant, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) has a complex genetic and epigenetic etiology that has only recently been well described. The most prevalent form of the disease, FSHD1, is associated with the contraction of the D4Z4 microsatellite repeat array located on a permissive 4qA chromosome. D4Z4 contraction allows epigenetic derepression of the array, and possibly the surrounding 4q35 region, allowing misexpression of the toxic DUX4 transcription factor encoded within the terminal D4Z4 repeat in skeletal muscles. The less common form of the disease, FSHD2, results from haploinsufficiency of the SMCHD1 gene in individuals carrying a permissive 4qA allele, also leading to the derepression of DUX4, further supporting a central role for DUX4. How DUX4 misexpression contributes to FSHD muscle pathology is a major focus of current investigation. Misexpression of other genes at the 4q35 locus, including FRG1 and FAT1, and unlinked genes, such as SMCHD1, has also been implicated as disease modifiers, leading to several competing disease models. In this review, we describe recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology of FSHD, including the application of MRI as a research and diagnostic tool, the genetic and epigenetic disruptions associated with the disease, and the molecular basis of FSHD. We discuss how these advances are leading to the emergence of new approaches to enable development of FSHD therapeutics. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:1229-1279, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec M DeSimone
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna Pakula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Angela Lek
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charles P Emerson
- Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Nguyen K, Puppo F, Roche S, Gaillard MC, Chaix C, Lagarde A, Pierret M, Vovan C, Olschwang S, Salort-Campana E, Attarian S, Bartoli M, Bernard R, Magdinier F, Levy N. Molecular combing reveals complex 4q35 rearrangements in Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. Hum Mutat 2017; 38:1432-1441. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.23304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Nguyen
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Francesca Puppo
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Stéphane Roche
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
| | | | - Charlène Chaix
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Arnaud Lagarde
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
| | | | - Catherine Vovan
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Sylviane Olschwang
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
- Groupe Ramsay Générale de Santé; Hôpital Clairval; Marseille France
| | - Emmanuelle Salort-Campana
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Centre de Référence des Maladies Neuromusculaires et de la SLA; Hôpital de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Shahram Attarian
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Centre de Référence des Maladies Neuromusculaires et de la SLA; Hôpital de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Marc Bartoli
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
| | - Rafaëlle Bernard
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
| | | | - Nicolas Levy
- Aix Marseille Université; INSERM GMGF UMR S_910; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Département de Génétique Médicale; Hôpital d'enfants de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
- APHM; Centre de Ressources Biologiques; Hôpital de la Timone; Marseille 13385 France
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21
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Dumbovic G, Forcales SV, Perucho M. Emerging roles of macrosatellite repeats in genome organization and disease development. Epigenetics 2017; 12:515-526. [PMID: 28426282 PMCID: PMC5687341 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2017.1318235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundant repetitive DNA sequences are an enigmatic part of the human genome. Despite increasing evidence on the functionality of DNA repeats, their biologic role is still elusive and under frequent debate. Macrosatellites are the largest of the tandem DNA repeats, located on one or multiple chromosomes. The contribution of macrosatellites to genome regulation and human health was demonstrated for the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array on chromosome 4q35. Reduced copy number of D4Z4 repeats is associated with local euchromatinization and the onset of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Although the role other macrosatellite families may play remains rather obscure, their diverse functionalities within the genome are being gradually revealed. In this review, we will outline structural and functional features of coding and noncoding macrosatellite repeats, and highlight recent findings that bring these sequences into the spotlight of genome organization and disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrijela Dumbovic
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia-V. Forcales
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Perucho
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (PMPPC), Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), La Jolla, CA, USA
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22
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Casa V, Runfola V, Micheloni S, Aziz A, Dilworth FJ, Gabellini D. Polycomb repressive complex 1 provides a molecular explanation for repeat copy number dependency in FSHD muscular dystrophy. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:753-767. [PMID: 28040729 PMCID: PMC5409123 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Repression of repetitive elements is crucial to preserve genome integrity and has been traditionally ascribed to constitutive heterochromatin pathways. FacioScapuloHumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), one of the most common myopathies, is characterized by a complex interplay of genetic and epigenetic events. The main FSHD form is linked to a reduced copy number of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat on 4q35, causing loss of silencing and aberrant expression of the D4Z4-embedded DUX4 gene leading to disease. By an unknown mechanism, D4Z4 copy-number correlates with FSHD phenotype. Here we show that the DUX4 proximal promoter (DUX4p) is sufficient to nucleate the enrichment of both constitutive and facultative heterochromatin components and to mediate a copy-number dependent gene silencing. We found that both the CpG/GC dense DNA content and the repetitive nature of DUX4p arrays are important for their repressive ability. We showed that DUX4p mediates a copy number-dependent Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) recruitment, which is responsible for the copy-number dependent gene repression. Overall, we directly link genetic and epigenetic defects in FSHD by proposing a novel molecular explanation for the copy number-dependency in FSHD pathogenesis, and offer insight into the molecular functions of repeats in chromatin regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Casa
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Regenerative Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy.,Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Valeria Runfola
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Regenerative Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Stefano Micheloni
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Regenerative Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Arif Aziz
- The Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada
| | - F Jeffrey Dilworth
- The Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada
| | - Davide Gabellini
- Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy Unit, Division of Regenerative Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
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23
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Balog J, Thijssen PE, Shadle S, Straasheijm KR, van der Vliet PJ, Krom YD, van den Boogaard ML, de Jong A, F Lemmers RJL, Tawil R, Tapscott SJ, van der Maarel SM. Increased DUX4 expression during muscle differentiation correlates with decreased SMCHD1 protein levels at D4Z4. Epigenetics 2016; 10:1133-42. [PMID: 26575099 PMCID: PMC4844215 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1113798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is caused by incomplete epigenetic repression of the transcription factor DUX4 in skeletal muscle. A copy of DUX4 is located within each unit of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array and its derepression in somatic cells is caused by either repeat array contraction (FSHD1) or by mutations in the chromatin repressor SMCHD1 (FSHD2). While DUX4 expression has thus far only been detected in FSHD muscle and muscle cell cultures, and increases with in vitro myogenic differentiation, the D4Z4 chromatin structure has only been studied in proliferating myoblasts or non-myogenic cells. We here show that SMCHD1 protein levels at D4Z4 decline during muscle cell differentiation and correlate with DUX4 derepression. In FSHD2, but not FSHD1, the loss of SMCHD1 repressor activity is partially compensated by increased Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2)–mediated H3K27 trimethylation at D4Z4, a situation that can be mimicked by SMCHD1 knockdown in control myotubes. In contrast, moderate overexpression of SMCHD1 results in DUX4 silencing in FSHD1 and FSHD2 myotubes demonstrating that DUX4 derepression in FSHD is reversible. Together, we show that in FSHD1 and FSHD2 the decline in SMCHD1 protein levels during muscle cell differentiation renders skeletal muscle sensitive to DUX4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Balog
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Peter E Thijssen
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Sean Shadle
- b Division of Human Biology; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Seattle 98109 , Washington , United States of America
| | - Kirsten R Straasheijm
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Patrick J van der Vliet
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne D Krom
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | | | - Annika de Jong
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Richard J L F Lemmers
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Rabi Tawil
- c Neuromuscular Disease Unit; Department of Neurology; University of Rochester Medical Center; Rochester 14642 , New York , United States of America
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- b Division of Human Biology; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Seattle 98109 , Washington , United States of America
| | - Silvère M van der Maarel
- a Department of Human Genetics; Leiden University Medical Center; 2333ZA Leiden , The Netherlands
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24
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Caron L, Kher D, Lee KL, McKernan R, Dumevska B, Hidalgo A, Li J, Yang H, Main H, Ferri G, Petek LM, Poellinger L, Miller DG, Gabellini D, Schmidt U. A Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Model of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy-Affected Skeletal Muscles. Stem Cells Transl Med 2016; 5:1145-61. [PMID: 27217344 PMCID: PMC4996435 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED : Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) represents a major unmet clinical need arising from the progressive weakness and atrophy of skeletal muscles. The dearth of adequate experimental models has severely hampered our understanding of the disease. To date, no treatment is available for FSHD. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) potentially represent a renewable source of skeletal muscle cells (SkMCs) and provide an alternative to invasive patient biopsies. We developed a scalable monolayer system to differentiate hESCs into mature SkMCs within 26 days, without cell sorting or genetic manipulation. Here we show that SkMCs derived from FSHD1-affected hESC lines exclusively express the FSHD pathogenic marker double homeobox 4 and exhibit some of the defects reported in FSHD. FSHD1 myotubes are thinner when compared with unaffected and Becker muscular dystrophy myotubes, and differentially regulate genes involved in cell cycle control, oxidative stress response, and cell adhesion. This cellular model will be a powerful tool for studying FSHD and will ultimately assist in the development of effective treatments for muscular dystrophies. SIGNIFICANCE This work describes an efficient and highly scalable monolayer system to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into skeletal muscle cells (SkMCs) and demonstrates disease-specific phenotypes in SkMCs derived from both embryonic and induced hPSCs affected with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. This study represents the first human stem cell-based cellular model for a muscular dystrophy that is suitable for high-throughput screening and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Caron
- Genea Biocells Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Devaki Kher
- Genea Biocells Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kian Leong Lee
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Robert McKernan
- Genea Biocells Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Jia Li
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Henry Yang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Heather Main
- Genea Biocells Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Giulia Ferri
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute and Division of Regenerative Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
| | - Lisa M Petek
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lorenz Poellinger
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniel G Miller
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Davide Gabellini
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute and Division of Regenerative Medicine, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Uli Schmidt
- Genea Biocells Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Genea Biocells US Inc., San Diego, California, USA
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25
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Jones TI, Parilla M, Jones PL. Transgenic Drosophila for Investigating DUX4 and FRG1, Two Genes Associated with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150938. [PMID: 26942723 PMCID: PMC4778869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is typically an adult onset dominant myopathy. Epigenetic changes in the chromosome 4q35 region linked to both forms of FSHD lead to a relaxation of repression and increased somatic expression of DUX4-fl (DUX4-full length), the pathogenic alternative splicing isoform of the DUX4 gene. DUX4-fl encodes a transcription factor expressed in healthy testis and pluripotent stem cells; however, in FSHD, increased levels of DUX4-fl in myogenic cells lead to aberrant regulation of target genes. DUX4-fl has proven difficult to study in vivo; thus, little is known about its normal and pathogenic roles. The endogenous expression of DUX4-fl in FSHD-derived human muscle and myogenic cells is extremely low, exogenous expression of DUX4-fl in somatic cells rapidly induces cytotoxicity, and, due in part to the lack of conservation beyond primate lineages, viable animal models based on DUX4-fl have been difficult to generate. By contrast, the FRG1 (FSHD region gene 1), which is linked to FSHD, is evolutionarily conserved from invertebrates to humans, and has been studied in several model organisms. FRG1 expression is critical for the development of musculature and vasculature, and overexpression of FRG1 produces a myopathic phenotype, yet the normal and pathological functions of FRG1 are not well understood. Interestingly, DUX4 and FRG1 were recently linked when the latter was identified as a direct transcriptional target of DUX4-FL. To better understand the pathways affected in FSHD by DUX4-fl and FRG1, we generated transgenic lines of Drosophila expressing either gene under control of the UAS/GAL4 binary system. Utilizing these lines, we generated screenable phenotypes recapitulating certain known consequences of DUX4-fl or FRG1 overexpression. These transgenic Drosophila lines provide resources to dissect the pathways affected by DUX4-fl or FRG1 in a genetically tractable organism and may provide insight into both muscle development and pathogenic mechanisms in FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako I. Jones
- The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Megan Parilla
- The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Peter L. Jones
- The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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26
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Abstract
Genetic causes for human disorders are being discovered at an unprecedented pace. A growing subclass of disease-causing mutations involves changes in the epigenome or in the abundance and activity of proteins that regulate chromatin structure. This article focuses on research that has uncovered human diseases that stem from such epigenetic deregulation. Disease may be caused by direct changes in epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, commonly found to affect imprinted gene regulation. Also described are disease-causing genetic mutations in epigenetic modifiers that either affect chromatin in trans or have a cis effect in altering chromatin configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huda Y Zoghbi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Arthur L Beaudet
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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27
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Robin JD, Ludlow AT, Batten K, Gaillard MC, Stadler G, Magdinier F, Wright WE, Shay JW. SORBS2 transcription is activated by telomere position effect-over long distance upon telomere shortening in muscle cells from patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. Genome Res 2015; 25:1781-90. [PMID: 26359233 PMCID: PMC4665000 DOI: 10.1101/gr.190660.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
DNA is organized into complex three-dimensional chromatin structures, but how this spatial organization regulates gene expression remains a central question. These DNA/chromatin looping structures can range in size from 10-20 kb (enhancers/repressors) to many megabases during intra- and inter-chromosomal interactions. Recently, the influence of telomere length on chromatin organization prior to senescence has revealed the existence of long-distance chromatin loops that dictate the expression of genes located up to 10 Mb from the telomeres (Telomere Position Effect-Over Long Distances [TPE-OLD]). Here, we demonstrate the existence of a telomere loop at the 4q35 locus involving the sorbin and SH3 domain-containing protein 2 gene, SORBS2, a skeletal muscle protein using a modification of the chromosome conformation capture method. The loop reveals a cis-acting mechanism modifying SORBS2 transcription. The expression of this gene is altered by TPE-OLD in myoblasts from patients affected with the age-associated genetic disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD1A, MIM 158900). SORBS2 is expressed in FSHD myoblasts with short telomeres, while not detectable in FSHD myoblasts with long telomeres or in healthy myoblasts regardless of telomere length. This indicates that TPE-OLD may modify the regulation of the 4q35 locus in a pathogenic context. Upon differentiation, both FSHD and healthy myotubes express SORBS2, suggesting that SORBS2 is normally up-regulated by maturation/differentiation of skeletal muscle and is misregulated by TPE-OLD-dependent variegation in FSHD myoblasts. These findings provide additional insights for the complexity and age-related symptoms of FSHD.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
- Biopsy
- Chromosome Deletion
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4
- DNA Methylation
- Epistasis, Genetic
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Genetic Loci
- Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
- Muscle Cells/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral/genetics
- Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral/metabolism
- Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral/pathology
- MyoD Protein/genetics
- MyoD Protein/metabolism
- Myoblasts
- RNA-Binding Proteins
- Telomere/genetics
- Telomere Shortening
- Transcriptional Activation
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme D Robin
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Andrew T Ludlow
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Kimberly Batten
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | | | - Guido Stadler
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | | | - Woodring E Wright
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA; Center for Excellence in Genomics Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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28
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Moisan S, Berlivet S, Ka C, Le Gac G, Dostie J, Férec C. Analysis of long-range interactions in primary human cells identifies cooperative CFTR regulatory elements. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:2564-76. [PMID: 26615198 PMCID: PMC4824072 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A mechanism by which control DNA elements regulate transcription over large linear genomic distances is by achieving close physical proximity with genes, and looping of the intervening chromatin paths. Alterations of such regulatory 'chromatin looping' systems are likely to play a critical role in human genetic disease at large. Here, we studied the spatial organization of a ≈790 kb locus encompassing the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Dysregulation of CFTR is responsible for cystic fibrosis, which is the most common lethal genetic disorder in Caucasian populations. CFTR is a relatively large gene of 189 kb with a rather complex tissue-specific and temporal expression profile. We used chromatin conformation at the CFTR locus to identify new DNA sequences that regulate its transcription. By comparing 5C chromatin interaction maps of the CFTR locus in expressing and non-expressing human primary cells, we identified several new contact points between the CFTR promoter and its surroundings, in addition to regions featuring previously described regulatory elements. We demonstrate that two of these novel interacting regions cooperatively increase CFTR expression, and suggest that the new enhancer elements located on either side of the gene are brought together through chromatin looping via CTCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Moisan
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire et d'Histocompatibilité, Inserm U1078, Université de Brest, SFR ScInBioS, CHRU de Brest, Établissement Français du Sang - Bretagne, Brest, France
| | - Soizik Berlivet
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Chandran Ka
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire et d'Histocompatibilité, Inserm U1078, Université de Brest, SFR ScInBioS, CHRU de Brest, Établissement Français du Sang - Bretagne, Brest, France
| | - Gérald Le Gac
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire et d'Histocompatibilité, Inserm U1078, Université de Brest, SFR ScInBioS, CHRU de Brest, Établissement Français du Sang - Bretagne, Brest, France
| | - Josée Dostie
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Claude Férec
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire et d'Histocompatibilité, Inserm U1078, Université de Brest, SFR ScInBioS, CHRU de Brest, Établissement Français du Sang - Bretagne, Brest, France
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29
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Randolph ME, Pavlath GK. A muscle stem cell for every muscle: variability of satellite cell biology among different muscle groups. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:190. [PMID: 26500547 PMCID: PMC4595652 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human body contains approximately 640 individual skeletal muscles. Despite the fact that all of these muscles are composed of striated muscle tissue, the biology of these muscles and their associated muscle stem cell populations are quite diverse. Skeletal muscles are affected differentially by various muscular dystrophies (MDs), such that certain genetic mutations specifically alter muscle function in only a subset of muscles. Additionally, defective muscle stem cells have been implicated in the pathology of some MDs. The biology of muscle stem cells varies depending on the muscles with which they are associated. Here we review the biology of skeletal muscle stem cell populations of eight different muscle groups. Understanding the biological variation of skeletal muscles and their resident stem cells could provide valuable insight into mechanisms underlying the susceptibility of certain muscles to myopathic disease.
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30
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Zanconato F, Forcato M, Battilana G, Azzolin L, Quaranta E, Bodega B, Rosato A, Bicciato S, Cordenonsi M, Piccolo S. Genome-wide association between YAP/TAZ/TEAD and AP-1 at enhancers drives oncogenic growth. Nat Cell Biol 2015; 17:1218-27. [PMID: 26258633 PMCID: PMC6186417 DOI: 10.1038/ncb3216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 776] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
YAP/TAZ are nuclear effectors of the Hippo pathway regulating organ growth and tumorigenesis. Yet, their function as transcriptional regulators remains underinvestigated. By ChIP-seq analyses in breast cancer cells, we discovered that the YAP/TAZ transcriptional response is pervasively mediated by a dual element: TEAD factors, through which YAP/TAZ bind to DNA, co-occupying chromatin with activator protein-1 (AP-1, dimer of JUN and FOS proteins) at composite cis-regulatory elements harbouring both TEAD and AP-1 motifs. YAP/TAZ/TEAD and AP-1 form a complex that synergistically activates target genes directly involved in the control of S-phase entry and mitosis. This control occurs almost exclusively from distal enhancers that contact target promoters through chromatin looping. YAP/TAZ-induced oncogenic growth is strongly enhanced by gain of AP-1 and severely blunted by its loss. Conversely, AP-1-promoted skin tumorigenesis is prevented in YAP/TAZ conditional knockout mice. This work highlights a new layer of signalling integration, feeding on YAP/TAZ function at the chromatin level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Zanconato
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Mattia Forcato
- Center for Genome Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Giusy Battilana
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Azzolin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Erika Quaranta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Genome Biology Unit, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare (INGM) 'Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi', via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua School of Medicine, Via Gattamelata 64, 35126 Padua, Italy
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Center for Genome Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via G. Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Michelangelo Cordenonsi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
| | - Stefano Piccolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy
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31
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Kim E, Rich J, Karoutas A, Tarlykov P, Cochet E, Malysheva D, Mamchaoui K, Ogryzko V, Pirozhkova I. ZNF555 protein binds to transcriptional activator site of 4qA allele and ANT1: potential implication in Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:8227-42. [PMID: 26184877 PMCID: PMC4787827 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is an epi/genetic satellite disease associated with at least two satellite sequences in 4q35: (i) D4Z4 macrosatellite and (ii) β-satellite repeats (BSR), a prevalent part of the 4qA allele. Most of the recent FSHD studies have been focused on a DUX4 transcript inside D4Z4 and its tandem contraction in FSHD patients. However, the D4Z4-contraction alone is not pathological, which would also require the 4qA allele. Since little is known about BSR, we investigated the 4qA BSR functional role in the transcriptional control of the FSHD region 4q35. We have shown that an individual BSR possesses enhancer activity leading to activation of the Adenine Nucleotide Translocator 1 gene (ANT1), a major FSHD candidate gene. We have identified ZNF555, a previously uncharacterized protein, as a putative transcriptional factor highly expressed in human primary myoblasts that interacts with the BSR enhancer site and impacts the ANT1 promoter activity in FSHD myoblasts. The discovery of the functional role of the 4qA allele and ZNF555 in the transcriptional control of ANT1 advances our understanding of FSHD pathogenesis and provides potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Kim
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Jeremy Rich
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Adam Karoutas
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Pavel Tarlykov
- National Center for Biotechnology, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Emilie Cochet
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France Proteomic Platform, IRCIV Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Daria Malysheva
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Kamel Mamchaoui
- Thérapie des maladies du muscle strié, Institut de Myologie, UM76-Pierre et Marie CURIE University/U974-INSERM/UMR7215-CNRS, Paris 75013, France
| | - Vasily Ogryzko
- Proteomic Platform, IRCIV Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France INSERM, CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
| | - Iryna Pirozhkova
- CNRS, University Paris-Sud, UMR-8126, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif 94408, France
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32
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Himeda CL, Jones TI, Jones PL. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy as a model for epigenetic regulation and disease. Antioxid Redox Signal 2015; 22:1463-82. [PMID: 25336259 PMCID: PMC4432493 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2014.6090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Aberrant epigenetic regulation is an integral aspect of many diseases and complex disorders. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a progressive myopathy that afflicts individuals of all ages, is caused by disrupted genetic and epigenetic regulation of a macrosatellite repeat. FSHD provides a powerful model to investigate disease-relevant epigenetic modifiers and general mechanisms of epigenetic regulation that govern gene expression. RECENT ADVANCES In the context of a genetically permissive allele, the one aspect of FSHD that is consistent across all known cases is the aberrant epigenetic state of the disease locus. In addition, certain mutations in the chromatin regulator SMCHD1 (structural maintenance of chromosomes hinge-domain protein 1) are sufficient to cause FSHD2 and enhance disease severity in FSHD1. Thus, there are multiple pathways to generate the epigenetic dysregulation required for FSHD. CRITICAL ISSUES Why do some individuals with the genetic requirements for FSHD develop disease pathology, while others remain asymptomatic? Similarly, disease progression is highly variable among individuals. What are the relative contributions of genetic background and environmental factors in determining disease manifestation, progression, and severity in FSHD? What is the interplay between epigenetic factors regulating the disease locus and which, if any, are viable therapeutic targets? FUTURE DIRECTIONS Epigenetic regulation represents a potentially powerful therapeutic target for FSHD. Determining the epigenetic signatures that are predictive of disease severity and identifying the spectrum of disease modifiers in FSHD are vital to the development of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis L Himeda
- The Wellstone Program and the Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
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Jones TI, King OD, Himeda CL, Homma S, Chen JCJ, Beermann ML, Yan C, Emerson CP, Miller JB, Wagner KR, Jones PL. Individual epigenetic status of the pathogenic D4Z4 macrosatellite correlates with disease in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Clin Epigenetics 2015; 7:37. [PMID: 25904990 PMCID: PMC4405830 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-015-0072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Both forms of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) are associated with aberrant epigenetic regulation of the chromosome 4q35 D4Z4 macrosatellite. Chromatin changes due to large deletions of heterochromatin (FSHD1) or mutations in chromatin regulatory proteins (FSHD2) lead to relaxation of epigenetic repression and increased expression of the deleterious double homeobox 4 (DUX4) gene encoded within the distal D4Z4 repeat. However, many individuals with the genetic requirements for FSHD remain asymptomatic throughout their lives. Here we investigated family cohorts of FSHD1 individuals who were either affected (manifesting) or without any discernible weakness (nonmanifesting/asymptomatic) and their unaffected family members to determine if individual epigenetic status and stability of repression at the contracted 4q35 D4Z4 array in myocytes correlates with FSHD disease. Results Family cohorts were analyzed for DNA methylation on the distal pathogenic 4q35 D4Z4 repeat on permissive A-type subtelomeres. We found DNA hypomethylation in FSHD1-affected subjects, hypermethylation in healthy controls, and distinctly intermediate levels of methylation in nonmanifesting subjects. We next tested if these differences in DNA methylation had functional relevance by assaying DUX4-fl expression and the stability of epigenetic repression of DUX4-fl in myogenic cells. Treatment with drugs that alter epigenetic status revealed that healthy cells were refractory to treatment, maintaining stable repression of DUX4, while FSHD1-affected cells were highly responsive to treatment and thus epigenetically poised to express DUX4. Myocytes from nonmanifesting subjects had significantly higher levels of DNA methylation and were more resistant to DUX4 activation in response to epigenetic drug treatment than cells from FSHD1-affected first-degree relatives containing the same contraction, indicating that the epigenetic status of the contracted D4Z4 array is reflective of disease. Conclusions The epigenetic status of the distal 4qA D4Z4 repeat correlates with FSHD disease; FSHD-affected subjects have hypomethylation, healthy unaffected subjects have hypermethylation, and nonmanifesting subjects have characteristically intermediate methylation. Thus, analysis of DNA methylation at the distal D4Z4 repeat could be used as a diagnostic indicator of developing clinical FSHD. In addition, the stability of epigenetic repression upstream of DUX4 expression is a key regulator of disease and a viable therapeutic target. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13148-015-0072-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako I Jones
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Oliver D King
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Charis L Himeda
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Sachiko Homma
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Jennifer C J Chen
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Mary Lou Beermann
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Chi Yan
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1, Shizishan Street, Wuhan, 430070 People's Republic of China
| | - Charles P Emerson
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Jeffrey B Miller
- Neuromuscular Biology & Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118 USA
| | - Kathryn R Wagner
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA ; The Hugo W. Moser Research Institute, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Peter L Jones
- Department of Neurology and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The Wellstone Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA ; The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Sen. Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD USA
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Ranzani V, Rossetti G, Panzeri I, Arrigoni A, Bonnal RJ, Curti S, Gruarin P, Provasi E, Sugliano E, Marconi M, De Francesco R, Geginat J, Bodega B, Abrignani S, Pagani M. The long intergenic noncoding RNA landscape of human lymphocytes highlights the regulation of T cell differentiation by linc-MAF-4. Nat Immunol 2015; 16:318-325. [PMID: 25621826 PMCID: PMC4333215 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding-RNAs are emerging as important regulators of cellular functions but little is known on their role in human immune system. Here we investigated long intergenic non-coding-RNAs (lincRNAs) in thirteen T and B lymphocyte subsets by RNA-seq analysis and de novo transcriptome reconstruction. Over five hundred new lincRNAs were identified and lincRNAs signatures were described. Expression of linc-MAF-4, a chromatin-associated TH1-specific lincRNA, was inversely correlated with MAF, a TH2-associated transcription factor. Linc-MAF-4 down-regulation skewed T cell differentiation toward TH2. We identified a long-distance interaction between linc-MAF-4 and MAF genomic regions, where linc-MAF-4 associates with LSD1 and EZH2, suggesting linc-MAF-4 regulated MAF transcription by recruitment of chromatin modifiers. Our results demonstrate a key role of lincRNAs in T lymphocyte differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Ranzani
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Grazisa Rossetti
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Ilaria Panzeri
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Arrigoni
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Raoul Jp Bonnal
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Serena Curti
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Gruarin
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Provasi
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Sugliano
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Marconi
- IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele De Francesco
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Jens Geginat
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Sergio Abrignani
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Pagani
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", 20122 Milano, Italy
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DNA methylation analysis of the macrosatellite repeat associated with FSHD muscular dystrophy at single nucleotide level. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115278. [PMID: 25545674 PMCID: PMC4278900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common inherited diseases of the skeletal muscle. It is characterized by asymmetric muscle weakness and variable penetrance. FSHD is linked to a reduction in copy number of the D4Z4 3.3 kb macrosatellite repeat, located in 4q35. This causes the epigenetic de-repression of FSHD candidate genes leading to disease. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism responsible for silencing of FSHD candidate genes in healthy subjects is not fully understood. While a role for DNA methylation has been suggested, so far there is limited information regarding the methylation status of the 325 CpGs contained in each D4Z4 unit. Using a human/rodent monochromosomal hybrid cell line containing a single human chromosome 4, we performed an in depth analysis of DNA methylation for the majority of the CpGs inside D4Z4 at single nucleotide level. We found that D4Z4 is not uniformly methylated and that the level of DNA methylation does not correlate with the density of CpG dinucleotides. Moreover, in several D4Z4 regions characterized by near complete methylation, we found specific unmethylated CpGs. These elements are enriched in transcription factor binding sites that could be involved in muscle-specific D4Z4 activity. Our approach also detected differential methylation among different D4Z4 units, suggesting that the D4Z4 array is a mosaic of euchromatic and heterochromatic domains. Finally, we found that DNA methylation and histone de-acetylation are required to maintain FSHD candidate genes repressed. Taken together, our data underscore new players involved in the epigenetic regulation of the FSHD locus that could be targeted for therapeutic purposes.
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Thijssen PE, Balog J, Yao Z, Pham TP, Tawil R, Tapscott SJ, Van der Maarel SM. DUX4 promotes transcription of FRG2 by directly activating its promoter in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Skelet Muscle 2014; 4:19. [PMID: 25789155 PMCID: PMC4364343 DOI: 10.1186/2044-5040-4-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common form of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by a genetic contraction of the polymorphic D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array in the subtelomeric region of chromosome 4q. In some studies, genes centromeric to the D4Z4 repeat array have been reported to be over-expressed in FSHD, including FRG1 and FRG2, presumably due to decreased long-distance repression by the shorter array through a mechanism similar to position-effect variegation. Differential regulation of FRG1 in FSHD has never been unequivocally proven, however, FRG2 has been reproducibly shown to be induced in primary FSHD-derived muscle cells when differentiated in vitro. The molecular function of FRG2 and a possible contribution to FSHD pathology remain unclear. Recent evidence has identified the mis-expression of DUX4, located within the D4Z4 repeat unit, in skeletal muscle as the cause of FSHD. DUX4 is a double homeobox transcription factor that has been shown to be toxic when expressed in muscle cells. METHODS We used a combination of expression analysis by qRT/PCR and RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptional activation of FRG2 and DUX4. We examined this in both differentiating control and FSHD derived muscle cell cultures or DUX4 transduced control cell lines. Next, we used ChIP-seq analysis and luciferase reporter assays to determine the potential DUX4 transactivation effect on the FRG2 promoter. RESULTS We show that DUX4 directly activates the expression of FRG2. Increased expression of FRG2 was observed following expression of DUX4 in myoblasts and fibroblasts derived from control individuals. Moreover, we identified DUX4 binding sites at the FRG2 promoter by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing and confirmed the direct regulation of DUX4 on the FRG2 promoter by luciferase reporter assays. Activation of luciferase was dependent on both DUX4 expression and the presence of the DUX4 DNA binding motifs in the FRG2 promoter. CONCLUSION We show that the FSHD-specific upregulation of FRG2 is a direct consequence of the activity of DUX4 protein rather than representing a regional de-repression secondary to fewer D4Z4 repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E Thijssen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Zizhen Yao
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle WA 98109, USA
| | - Tan Phát Pham
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit, Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle WA 98109, USA
| | - Silvère M Van der Maarel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
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Ferri G, Huichalaf CH, Caccia R, Gabellini D. Direct interplay between two candidate genes in FSHD muscular dystrophy. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 24:1256-66. [PMID: 25326393 PMCID: PMC4321439 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common neuromuscular disorders. The major form of the disease (FSHD1) is linked to decrease in copy number of a 3.3-kb tandem repeated macrosatellite (D4Z4), located on chromosome 4q35. D4Z4 deletion alters chromatin structure of the locus leading to aberrant expression of nearby 4q35 genes. Given the high variability in disease onset and progression, multiple factors could contribute to the pathogenesis of FSHD. Among the FSHD candidate genes are double homeobox 4 (DUX4), encoded by the most telomeric D4Z4 unit, and FSHD region gene 1 (FRG1). DUX4 is a sequence-specific transcription factor. Here, we located putative DUX4 binding sites in the human FRG1 genomic area and we show specific DUX4 association to these regions. We found also that ectopically expressed DUX4 up-regulates the endogenous human FRG1 gene in healthy muscle cells, while DUX4 knockdown leads to a decrease in FRG1 expression in FSHD muscle cells. Moreover, DUX4 binds directly and specifically to its binding site located in the human FRG1 gene and transactivates constructs containing FRG1 genomic regions. Intriguingly, the mouse Frg1 genomic area lacks DUX4 binding sites and DUX4 is unable to activate the endogenous mouse Frg1 gene providing a possible explanation for the lack of muscle phenotype in DUX4 transgenic mice. Altogether, our results demonstrate that FRG1 is a direct DUX4 transcriptional target uncovering a novel regulatory circuit contributing to FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ferri
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Gene Therapy, Dulbecco Telethon Institute at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT2, 5A3, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia H Huichalaf
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Gene Therapy, Dulbecco Telethon Institute at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT2, 5A3, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Caccia
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Gene Therapy, Dulbecco Telethon Institute at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT2, 5A3, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Gabellini
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Gene Therapy, Dulbecco Telethon Institute at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT2, 5A3, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Colangelo V, François S, Soldà G, Picco R, Roma F, Ginelli E, Meneveri R. Next-generation sequencing analysis of miRNA expression in control and FSHD myogenesis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108411. [PMID: 25285664 PMCID: PMC4186784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence has demonstrated that miRNA sequences can regulate skeletal myogenesis by controlling the process of myoblast proliferation and differentiation. However, at present a deep analysis of miRNA expression in control and FSHD myoblasts during differentiation has not yet been derived. To close this gap, we used a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach applied to in vitro myogenesis. Furthermore, to minimize sample genetic heterogeneity and muscle-type specific patterns of gene expression, miRNA profiling from NGS data was filtered with FC≥4 (log2FC≥2) and p-value<0.05, and its validation was derived by qRT-PCR on myoblasts from seven muscle districts. In particular, control myogenesis showed the modulation of 38 miRNAs, the majority of which (34 out 38) were up-regulated, including myomiRs (miR-1, -133a, -133b and -206). Approximately one third of the modulated miRNAs were not previously reported to be involved in muscle differentiation, and interestingly some of these (i.e. miR-874, -1290, -95 and -146a) were previously shown to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. FSHD myogenesis evidenced a reduced number of modulated miRNAs than healthy muscle cells. The two processes shared nine miRNAs, including myomiRs, although with FC values lower in FSHD than in control cells. In addition, FSHD cells showed the modulation of six miRNAs (miR-1268, -1268b, -1908, 4258, -4508- and -4516) not evidenced in control cells and that therefore could be considered FSHD-specific, likewise three novel miRNAs that seem to be specifically expressed in FSHD myotubes. These data further clarify the impact of miRNA regulation during control myogenesis and strongly suggest that a complex dysregulation of miRNA expression characterizes FSHD, impairing two important features of myogenesis: cell cycle and muscle development. The derived miRNA profiling could represent a novel molecular signature for FSHD that includes diagnostic biomarkers and possibly therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Colangelo
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Stéphanie François
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Soldà
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Picco
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Francesca Roma
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Ginelli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Meneveri
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Rich
- CNRS UMR 8126, Universit Paris-Sud 11, Institut Gustave Roussy
| | - V. V. Ogryzko
- CNRS UMR 8126, Universit Paris-Sud 11, Institut Gustave Roussy
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Tawil R, van der Maarel SM, Tapscott SJ. Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy: the path to consensus on pathophysiology. Skelet Muscle 2014; 4:12. [PMID: 24940479 PMCID: PMC4060068 DOI: 10.1186/2044-5040-4-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the pathophysiology of facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) has been controversial over the last decades, progress in recent years has led to a model that incorporates these decades of findings and is gaining general acceptance in the FSHD research community. Here we review how the contributions from many labs over many years led to an understanding of a fundamentally new mechanism of human disease. FSHD is caused by inefficient repeat-mediated epigenetic repression of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array on chromosome 4, resulting in the variegated expression of the DUX4 retrogene, encoding a double-homeobox transcription factor, in skeletal muscle. Normally expressed in the testis and epigenetically repressed in somatic tissues, DUX4 expression in skeletal muscle induces expression of many germline, stem cell, and other genes that might account for the pathophysiology of FSHD. Although some disagreements regarding the details of mechanisms remain in the field, the coalescing agreement on a central model of pathophysiology represents a pivot-point in FSHD research, transitioning the field from discovery-oriented studies to translational studies aimed at developing therapies based on a sound model of disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Silvère M van der Maarel
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Divisions of Human Biology and Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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Himeda CL, Debarnot C, Homma S, Beermann ML, Miller JB, Jones PL, Jones TI. Myogenic enhancers regulate expression of the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy-associated DUX4 gene. Mol Cell Biol 2014; 34:1942-55. [PMID: 24636994 PMCID: PMC4019064 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00149-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is linked to epigenetic dysregulation of the chromosome 4q35 D4Z4 macrosatellite. However, this does not account for the tissue specificity of FSHD pathology, which requires stable expression of an alternative full-length mRNA splice form of DUX4 (DUX4-fl) from the D4Z4 array in skeletal muscle. Here, we describe the identification of two enhancers, DUX4 myogenic enhancer 1 (DME1) and DME2 which activate DUX4-fl expression in skeletal myocytes but not fibroblasts. Analysis of the chromatin revealed histone modifications and RNA polymerase II occupancy consistent with DME1 and DME2 being functional enhancers. Chromosome conformation capture analysis confirmed association of DME1 and DME2 with the DUX4 promoter in vivo. The strong interaction between DME2 and the DUX4 promoter in both FSHD and unaffected primary myocytes was greatly reduced in fibroblasts, suggesting a muscle-specific interaction. Nucleosome occupancy and methylome sequencing analysis indicated that in most FSHD myocytes, both enhancers are associated with nucleosomes but have hypomethylated DNA, consistent with a permissive transcriptional state, sporadic occupancy, and the observed DUX4 expression in rare myonuclei. Our data support a model in which these myogenic enhancers associate with the DUX4 promoter in skeletal myocytes and activate transcription when epigenetically derepressed in FSHD, resulting in the pathological misexpression of DUX4-fl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis L. Himeda
- Wellstone Program, Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Céline Debarnot
- Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Sachiko Homma
- Neuromuscular Biology and Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary Lou Beermann
- Neuromuscular Biology and Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Miller
- Neuromuscular Biology and Disease Group, Departments of Neurology and Physiology Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter L. Jones
- Wellstone Program, Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Takako I. Jones
- Wellstone Program, Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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G R, M Z, R T. Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy: More Complex than it Appears. Curr Mol Med 2014; 14:1052-1068. [PMID: 25323867 PMCID: PMC4264243 DOI: 10.2174/1566524014666141010155054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) has been classified as an autosomal dominant myopathy, linked to rearrangements in an array of 3.3 kb tandemly repeated DNA elements (D4Z4) located at the 4q subtelomere (4q35). For the last 20 years, the diagnosis of FSHD has been confirmed in clinical practice by the detection of one D4Z4 allele with a reduced number (≤8) of repeats at 4q35. Although wide inter- and intra-familial clinical variability was found in subjects carrying D4Z4 alleles of reduced size, this DNA testing has been considered highly sensitive and specific. However, several exceptions to this general rule have been reported. Specifically, FSHD families with asymptomatic relatives carrying D4Z4 reduced alleles, FSHD genealogies with subjects affected with other neuromuscular disorders and FSHD affected patients carrying D4Z4 alleles of normal size have been described. In order to explain these findings, it has been proposed that the reduction of D4Z4 repeats at 4q35 could be pathogenic only in certain chromosomal backgrounds, defined as "permissive" specific haplotypes. However, our most recent studies show that the current DNA signature of FSHD is a common polymorphism and that in FSHD families the risk of developing FSHD for carriers of D4Z4 reduced alleles (DRA) depends on additional factors besides the 4q35 locus. These findings highlight the necessity to re-evaluate the significance and the predictive value of DRA, not only for research but also in clinical practice. Further clinical and genetic analysis of FSHD families will be extremely important for studies aiming at dissecting the complexity of FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricci G
- Department of Life Sciences, “Miogen” Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Zatz M
- Human Genome Research and Stem Cell Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Tupler R
- Department of Life Sciences, “Miogen” Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Program in Gene Function and Expression, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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Dmitriev P, Stankevicins L, Ansseau E, Petrov A, Barat A, Dessen P, Robert T, Turki A, Lazar V, Labourer E, Belayew A, Carnac G, Laoudj-Chenivesse D, Lipinski M, Vassetzky YS. Defective regulation of microRNA target genes in myoblasts from facioscapulohumeral dystrophy patients. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:34989-5002. [PMID: 24145033 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.504522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant hereditary neuromuscular disorder linked to the deletion of an integral number of 3.3-kb-long macrosatellite repeats (D4Z4) within the subtelomeric region of chromosome 4q. Most genes identified in this region are overexpressed in FSHD myoblasts, including the double homeobox genes DUX4 and DUX4c. We have carried out a simultaneous miRNome/transcriptome analysis of FSHD and control primary myoblasts. Of 365 microRNAs (miRNAs) analyzed in this study, 29 were found to be differentially expressed between FSHD and normal myoblasts. Twenty-one microRNAs (miR-1, miR-7, miR-15a, miR-22, miR-30e, miR-32, miR-107, miR-133a, miR-133b, miR-139, miR-152, miR-206, miR-223, miR-302b, miR-331, miR-362, miR-365, miR-382, miR-496, miR-532, miR-654, and miR-660) were up-regulated, and eight were down-regulated (miR-15b, miR-20b, miR-21, miR-25, miR-100, miR-155, miR-345, and miR-594). Twelve of the miRNAs up-regulated in FHSD were also up-regulated in the cells ectopically expressing DUX4c, suggesting that this gene could regulate miRNA gene transcription. The myogenic miRNAs miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b, and miR-206 were highly expressed in FSHD myoblasts, which nonetheless did not prematurely enter myogenic differentiation. This could be accounted for by the fact that in FSHD myoblasts, functionally important target genes, including cell cycle, DNA damage, and ubiquitination-related genes, escape myogenic microRNA-induced repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Dmitriev
- From UMR 8126, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Institut de Cancérologie Gustave-Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif, France
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Broucqsault N, Morere J, Gaillard MC, Dumonceaux J, Torrents J, Salort-Campana E, Maues De Paula A, Bartoli M, Fernandez C, Chesnais AL, Ferreboeuf M, Sarda L, Dufour H, Desnuelle C, Attarian S, Levy N, Nguyen K, Magdinier F, Roche S. Dysregulation of 4q35- and muscle-specific genes in fetuses with a short D4Z4 array linked to facio-scapulo-humeral dystrophy. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:4206-14. [PMID: 23777630 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Facio-scapulo-humeral dystrophy (FSHD) results from deletions in the subtelomeric macrosatellite D4Z4 array on the 4q35 region. Upregulation of the DUX4 retrogene from the last D4Z4 repeated unit is thought to underlie FSHD pathophysiology. However, no one knows what triggers muscle defect and when alteration arises. To gain further insights into the molecular mechanisms of the disease, we evaluated at the molecular level, the perturbation linked to the FSHD genotype with no a priori on disease onset, severity or penetrance and prior to any infiltration by fibrotic or adipose tissue in biopsies from fetuses carrying a short pathogenic D4Z4 array (n = 6) compared with fetuses with a non-pathogenic D4Z4 array (n = 21). By measuring expression of several muscle-specific markers and 4q35 genes including the DUX4 retrogene by an RT-PCR and western blotting, we observed a global dysregulation of genes involved in myogenesis including MYOD1 in samples with <11 D4Z4. The DUX4-fl pathogenic transcript was detected in FSHD biopsies but also in controls. Importantly, in FSHD fetuses, we mainly detected the non-spliced DUX4-fl isoform. In addition, several other genes clustered at the 4q35 locus are upregulated in FSHD fetuses. Our study is the first to examine fetuses carrying an FSHD-linked genotype and reveals an extensive dysregulation of several muscle-specific and 4q35 genes at early development stage at a distance from any muscle defect. Overall, our work suggests that even if FSHD is an adult-onset muscular dystrophy, the disease might also involve early molecular defects arising during myogenesis or early differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Broucqsault
- The authors wish it to be known that in their opinion the first two and the last two authors should be regarded as joint authors
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45
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Huidobro C, Fernandez AF, Fraga MF. The role of genetics in the establishment and maintenance of the epigenome. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:1543-73. [PMID: 23474979 PMCID: PMC11113764 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1296-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in gene regulation during development. DNA methylation, which is probably the most important and best-studied epigenetic mechanism, can be abnormally regulated in common pathologies, but the origin of altered DNA methylation remains unknown. Recent research suggests that these epigenetic alterations could depend, at least in part, on genetic mutations or polymorphisms in DNA methyltransferases and certain genes encoding enzymes of the one-carbon metabolism pathway. Indeed, the de novo methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) has been recently found to be mutated in several types of cancer and in the immunodeficiency, centromeric region instability and facial anomalies syndrome (ICF), in which these mutations could be related to the loss of global DNA methylation. In addition, mutations in glycine-N-methyltransferase (GNMT) could be associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver disease due to an unbalanced S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)/S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) ratio, which leads to aberrant methylation reactions. Also, genetic variants of chromatin remodeling proteins and histone tail modifiers are involved in genetic disorders like α thalassemia X-linked mental retardation syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, Rett syndrome, systemic lupus erythematous, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, Coffin-Lowry syndrome, Sotos syndrome, and facioescapulohumeral syndrome, among others. Here, we review the potential genetic alterations with a possible role on epigenetic factors and discuss their contribution to human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Covadonga Huidobro
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Oncology of Asturias (IUOPA-HUCA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Agustin F. Fernandez
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Oncology of Asturias (IUOPA-HUCA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Mario F. Fraga
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Oncology of Asturias (IUOPA-HUCA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Schaap M, Lemmers RJLF, Maassen R, van der Vliet PJ, Hoogerheide LF, van Dijk HK, Baştürk N, de Knijff P, van der Maarel SM. Genome-wide analysis of macrosatellite repeat copy number variation in worldwide populations: evidence for differences and commonalities in size distributions and size restrictions. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:143. [PMID: 23496858 PMCID: PMC3599962 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Macrosatellite repeats (MSRs), usually spanning hundreds of kilobases of genomic DNA, comprise a significant proportion of the human genome. Because of their highly polymorphic nature, MSRs represent an extreme example of copy number variation, but their structure and function is largely understudied. Here, we describe a detailed study of six autosomal and two X chromosomal MSRs among 270 HapMap individuals from Central Europe, Asia and Africa. Copy number variation, stability and genetic heterogeneity of the autosomal macrosatellite repeats RS447 (chromosome 4p), MSR5p (5p), FLJ40296 (13q), RNU2 (17q) and D4Z4 (4q and 10q) and X chromosomal DXZ4 and CT47 were investigated. Results Repeat array size distribution analysis shows that all of these MSRs are highly polymorphic with the most genetic variation among Africans and the least among Asians. A mitotic mutation rate of 0.4-2.2% was observed, exceeding meiotic mutation rates and possibly explaining the large size variability found for these MSRs. By means of a novel Bayesian approach, statistical support for a distinct multimodal rather than a uniform allele size distribution was detected in seven out of eight MSRs, with evidence for equidistant intervals between the modes. Conclusions The multimodal distributions with evidence for equidistant intervals, in combination with the observation of MSR-specific constraints on minimum array size, suggest that MSRs are limited in their configurations and that deviations thereof may cause disease, as is the case for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. However, at present we cannot exclude that there are mechanistic constraints for MSRs that are not directly disease-related. This study represents the first comprehensive study of MSRs in different human populations by applying novel statistical methods and identifies commonalities and differences in their organization and function in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Schaap
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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47
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Hartweck LM, Anderson LJ, Lemmers RJ, Dandapat A, Toso EA, Dalton JC, Tawil R, Day JW, van der Maarel SM, Kyba M. A focal domain of extreme demethylation within D4Z4 in FSHD2. Neurology 2013; 80:392-9. [PMID: 23284062 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e31827f075c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a neuromuscular disease with an unclear genetic mechanism. Most patients have a contraction of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat array at 4qter, which is thought to cause partial demethylation (FSHD1) of the contracted allele. Demethylation has been surveyed at 3 restriction enzyme sites in the first repeat and only a single site across the entire array, and current models postulate that a generalized D4Z4 chromatin alteration causes FSHD. The background of normal alleles has confounded the study of epigenetic alterations; however, rare patients (FSHD2) have a form of the disease in which demethylation is global, i.e., on all D4Z4 elements throughout the genome. Our objective was to take advantage of the global nature of FSHD2 to identify where disease-relevant methylation changes occur within D4Z4. METHODS Using bisulfite sequencing of DNA from blood and myoblast cells, methylation levels at 74 CpG sites across 3 disparate regions within D4Z4 were measured in FSHD2 patients and controls. RESULTS We found that rates of demethylation caused by FSHD2 are not consistent across D4Z4. We identified a focal region of extreme demethylation within a 5' domain, which we named DR1. Other D4Z4 regions, including the DUX4 ORF, were hypomethylated but to a much lesser extent. CONCLUSIONS These data challenge the simple view that FSHD is caused by a broad "opening" of D4Z4 and lead us to postulate that the region of focal demethylation is the site of action of the key D4Z4 chromatin regulatory factors that go awry in FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn M Hartweck
- Department of Pediatrics and Lillehei Heart Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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48
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Lemmers RJLF, Tawil R, Petek LM, Balog J, Block GJ, Santen GWE, Amell AM, van der Vliet PJ, Almomani R, Straasheijm KR, Krom YD, Klooster R, Sun Y, den Dunnen JT, Helmer Q, Donlin-Smith CM, Padberg GW, van Engelen BGM, de Greef JC, Aartsma-Rus AM, Frants RR, de Visser M, Desnuelle C, Sacconi S, Filippova GN, Bakker B, Bamshad MJ, Tapscott SJ, Miller DG, van der Maarel SM. Digenic inheritance of an SMCHD1 mutation and an FSHD-permissive D4Z4 allele causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 2. Nat Genet 2012; 44:1370-4. [PMID: 23143600 PMCID: PMC3671095 DOI: 10.1038/ng.2454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 437] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is characterized by chromatin relaxation of the D4Z4 macrosatellite array on chromosome 4 and expression of the D4Z4-encoded DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle. The more common form, autosomal dominant FSHD1, is caused by a contraction of the D4Z4 array, whereas the genetic determinants and inheritance of D4Z4 array contraction-independent FSHD2 are unclear. Here we show that mutations in SMCHD1 (structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain containing 1) on chromosome 18 reduce SMCHD1 protein levels and segregate with genome-wide D4Z4 CpG hypomethylation in human kindreds. FSHD2 occurs in individuals who inherited both the SMCHD1 mutation and a normal-sized D4Z4 array on a chromosome 4 haplotype permissive for DUX4 expression. Reducing SMCHD1 levels in skeletal muscle results in contraction-independent DUX4 expression. Our study identifies SMCHD1 as an epigenetic modifier of the D4Z4 metastable epiallele and as a causal genetic determinant of FSHD2 and possibly other human diseases subject to epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J L F Lemmers
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Casa V, Gabellini D. A repetitive elements perspective in Polycomb epigenetics. Front Genet 2012; 3:199. [PMID: 23060903 PMCID: PMC3465993 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Repetitive elements comprise over two-thirds of the human genome. For a long time, these elements have received little attention since they were considered non-functional. On the contrary, recent evidence indicates that they play central roles in genome integrity, gene expression, and disease. Indeed, repeats display meiotic instability associated with disease and are located within common fragile sites, which are hotspots of chromosome re-arrangements in tumors. Moreover, a variety of diseases have been associated with aberrant transcription of repetitive elements. Overall this indicates that appropriate regulation of repetitive elements' activity is fundamental. Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are epigenetic regulators that are essential for the normal development of multicellular organisms. Mammalian PcG proteins are involved in fundamental processes, such as cellular memory, cell proliferation, genomic imprinting, X-inactivation, and cancer development. PcG proteins can convey their activity through long-distance interactions also on different chromosomes. This indicates that the 3D organization of PcG proteins contributes significantly to their function. However, it is still unclear how these complex mechanisms are orchestrated and which role PcG proteins play in the multi-level organization of gene regulation. Intriguingly, the greatest proportion of Polycomb-mediated chromatin modifications is located in genomic repeats and it has been suggested that they could provide a binding platform for Polycomb proteins. Here, these lines of evidence are woven together to discuss how repetitive elements could contribute to chromatin organization in the 3D nuclear space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Casa
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells, and Gene Therapy, Dulbecco Telethon Institute and San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milano, Italy ; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Milano, Italy
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Cabianca DS, Casa V, Gabellini D. A novel molecular mechanism in human genetic disease: a DNA repeat-derived lncRNA. RNA Biol 2012; 9:1211-7. [PMID: 23047063 DOI: 10.4161/rna.21922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Two thirds of the human genome is composed of repetitive sequences. Despite their prevalence, DNA repeats are largely ignored. The vast majority of our genome is transcribed to produce non protein-coding RNAs. Among these, long non protein-coding RNAs represent the most prevalent and functionally diverse class. The relevance of the non protein-coding genome to human disease has mainly been studied regarding the altered microRNA expression and function in human cancer. On the contrary, the elucidation of the involvement of long non-coding RNAs in disease is only in its infancy. We have recently found that a chromatin associated, long non protein-coding RNA regulates a Polycomb/Trithorax epigenetic switch at the basis of the repeat associated facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, a common muscle disorder. Based on this, we propose that long non-coding RNAs produced by repetitive sequences contribute in shaping the epigenetic landscape in normal human physiology and in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne S Cabianca
- Dulbecco Telethon Institute and Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem cells, and Gene therapy, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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