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Shaikh M, Doshi G. Epigenetic aging in major depressive disorder: Clocks, mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 978:176757. [PMID: 38897440 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Depression, a chronic mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and difficulty in daily tasks, impacts millions globally with varying treatment options. Antidepressants, despite their long half-life and minimal effectiveness, leave half of patients undertreated, highlighting the need for new therapies to enhance well-being. Epigenetics, which studies genetic changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype without altering the underlying Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequence, is explored in this article. This article delves into the intricate relationship between epigenetic mechanisms and depression, shedding light on how environmental stressors, early-life adversity, and genetic predispositions shape gene expression patterns associated with depression. We have also discussed Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, which enhance cognitive function and mood regulation in depression. Non-coding RNAs, (ncRNAs) such as Long Non-Coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and micro RNA (miRNAs), are highlighted as potential biomarkers for detecting and monitoring major depressive disorder (MDD). This article also emphasizes the reversible nature of epigenetic modifications and their influence on neuronal growth processes, underscoring the dynamic interplay between genetics, environment, and epigenetics in depression development. It explores the therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic pathways in treating clinical depression. Additionally, it examines clinical findings related to epigenetic clocks and their role in studying depression and biological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muqtada Shaikh
- SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, 400 056, India
| | - Gaurav Doshi
- SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, 400 056, India.
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2
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Fain JS, Wangermez C, Loriot A, Denoue C, De Smet C. DNA Hypomethylation Underlies Epigenetic Swapping between AGO1 and AGO1-V2 Isoforms in Tumors. EPIGENOMES 2024; 8:24. [PMID: 39051182 PMCID: PMC11270204 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8030024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Human tumors progress in part by accumulating epigenetic alterations, which include gains and losses of DNA methylation in different parts of the cancer cell genome. Recent work has revealed a link between these two opposite alterations by showing that DNA hypomethylation in tumors can induce the expression of transcripts that overlap downstream gene promoters and thereby induce their hypermethylation. Preliminary in silico evidence prompted us to investigate if this mechanism applies to the locus harboring AGO1, a gene that plays a central role in miRNA biogenesis and RNA interference. Inspection of public RNA-Seq datasets and RT-qPCR experiments show that an alternative transcript starting 13.4 kb upstream of AGO1 (AGO1-V2) is expressed specifically in testicular germ cells, and becomes aberrantly activated in different types of tumors, particularly in tumors of the esophagus, stomach, and lung. This expression pattern classifies AGO1-V2 into the group of "Cancer-Germline" (CG) genes. Analysis of transcriptomic and methylomic datasets provided evidence that transcriptional activation of AGO1-V2 depends on DNA demethylation of its promoter region. Western blot experiments revealed that AGO1-V2 encodes a shortened isoform of AGO1, corresponding to a truncation of 75 aa in the N-terminal domain, and which we therefore referred to as "∆NAGO1". Interestingly, significant correlations between hypomethylation/activation of AGO1-V2 and hypermethylation/repression of AGO1 were observed upon examination of tumor cell lines and tissue datasets. Overall, our study reveals the existence of a process of interdependent epigenetic alterations in the AGO1 locus, which promotes swapping between two AGO1 protein-coding mRNA isoforms in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean S. Fain
- Group of Genetics and Epigenetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (J.S.F.); (C.W.)
| | - Camille Wangermez
- Group of Genetics and Epigenetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (J.S.F.); (C.W.)
| | - Axelle Loriot
- Group of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Claudia Denoue
- Group of Genetics and Epigenetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (J.S.F.); (C.W.)
| | - Charles De Smet
- Group of Genetics and Epigenetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (J.S.F.); (C.W.)
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3
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Yang Y, Feng W, Zhou J, Zhang R, Lin X, Sooranna SR, Deng Y, Shi D. Epigenetic modifications of gonadotropin receptors can regulate follicular development. Anim Reprod Sci 2024; 268:107534. [PMID: 39047429 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107534] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal transcription of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) are crucial events for follicular development. However, their regulatory mechanisms are unclear. DNA methylation and histone acetylation are the main epigenetic modifications, and play important roles in transcriptional expression, which regulate cell responses including cell proliferation, senescence and apoptosis. This review will discuss the dynamic epigenetic modifications of FSHR and LHCGR that occur during the process of follicular development and their response to gonadotropins. In addition, some alteration patterns that occur during these epigenetic modifications, as well as their retrospect retrotransposons, which regulate the gene expression levels of FSHR and LHCGR will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Yang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Wanyou Feng
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530023, China
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Ruimen Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Xinyue Lin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Suren Rao Sooranna
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London SW10 9NH, United Kingdom
| | - Yanfei Deng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Deshun Shi
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Disease Control, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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4
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Lanciano S, Philippe C, Sarkar A, Pratella D, Domrane C, Doucet AJ, van Essen D, Saccani S, Ferry L, Defossez PA, Cristofari G. Locus-level L1 DNA methylation profiling reveals the epigenetic and transcriptional interplay between L1s and their integration sites. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100498. [PMID: 38309261 PMCID: PMC10879037 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Long interspersed element 1 (L1) retrotransposons are implicated in human disease and evolution. Their global activity is repressed by DNA methylation, but deciphering the regulation of individual copies has been challenging. Here, we combine short- and long-read sequencing to unveil L1 methylation heterogeneity across cell types, families, and individual loci and elucidate key principles involved. We find that the youngest primate L1 families are specifically hypomethylated in pluripotent stem cells and the placenta but not in most tumors. Locally, intronic L1 methylation is intimately associated with gene transcription. Conversely, the L1 methylation state can propagate to the proximal region up to 300 bp. This phenomenon is accompanied by the binding of specific transcription factors, which drive the expression of L1 and chimeric transcripts. Finally, L1 hypomethylation alone is typically insufficient to trigger L1 expression due to redundant silencing pathways. Our results illuminate the epigenetic and transcriptional interplay between retrotransposons and their host genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lanciano
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Claude Philippe
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Arpita Sarkar
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - David Pratella
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Cécilia Domrane
- University Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Paris, France
| | - Aurélien J Doucet
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Dominic van Essen
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Simona Saccani
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France
| | - Laure Ferry
- University Paris Cité, CNRS, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, Paris, France
| | | | - Gael Cristofari
- University Cote d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), Nice, France.
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5
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Morselli M, Bennett R, Shaidani NI, Horb M, Peshkin L, Pellegrini M. Age-associated DNA methylation changes in Xenopus frogs. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2201517. [PMID: 37092296 PMCID: PMC10128463 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2201517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-associated changes in DNA methylation have been characterized across various animals, but not yet in amphibians, which are of particular interest because they include widely studied model organisms. In this study, we present clear evidence that the aquatic vertebrate species Xenopus tropicalis displays patterns of age-associated changes in DNA methylation. We have generated whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) profiles from skin samples of nine frogs representing young, mature, and old adults and characterized the gene- and chromosome-scale DNA methylation changes with age. Many of the methylation features and changes we observe are consistent with what is known in mammalian species, suggesting that the mechanism of age-related changes is conserved. Moreover, we selected a few thousand age-associated CpG sites to build an assay based on targeted DNA methylation analysis (TBSseq) to expand our findings in future studies involving larger cohorts of individuals. Preliminary results of a pilot TBSeq experiment recapitulate the findings obtained with WGBS setting the basis for the development of an epigenetic clock assay. The results of this study will allow us to leverage the unique resources available for Xenopus to study how DNA methylation relates to other hallmarks of ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Morselli
- Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ronan Bennett
- Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nikko-Ideen Shaidani
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Marko Horb
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Leonid Peshkin
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Protti G, Rubbi L, Gören T, Sabirli R, Civlan S, Kurt Ö, Türkçüer İ, Köseler A, Pellegrini M. The methylome of buccal epithelial cells is influenced by age, sex, and physiological properties. Physiol Genomics 2023; 55:618-633. [PMID: 37781740 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00063.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation, have emerged as regulators of gene expression and are implicated in various biological processes and disease states. Understanding the factors influencing the epigenome is essential for unraveling its complexity. In this study, we aimed to identify how the methylome of buccal epithelial cells, a noninvasive and easily accessible tissue, is associated with demographic and health-related variables commonly used in clinical settings, such as age, sex, blood immune composition, hemoglobin levels, and others. We developed a model to assess the association of multiple factors with the human methylome and identify the genomic loci significantly impacted by each trait. We demonstrated that DNA methylation variation is accurately modeled by several factors. We confirmed the well-known impact of age and sex and unveiled novel clinical factors associated with DNA methylation, such as blood neutrophils, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and urea. Genomic regions significantly associated with these traits were enriched in relevant transcription factors, drugs, and diseases. Among our findings, we showed that neutrophil-impacted loci were involved in neutrophil functionality and maturation. Similarly, hemoglobin-influenced sites were associated with several diseases, including aplastic anemia, and the genomic loci affected by urea were related to congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the human methylome plasticity and provide insights into novel factors shaping DNA methylation patterns, highlighting their potential clinical implications as biomarkers and the importance of considering these physiological traits in future medical epigenomic investigations.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We have developed a quantitative model to assess how the human methylome is associated with several factors and to identify the genomic loci significantly impacted by each trait. We reported novel health-related factors driving DNA methylation patterns and new site-specific regulations that further elucidate methylome dynamics. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the plasticity of the human methylome and unveils novel physiological traits with a potential role in future medical epigenomic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Protti
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Liudmilla Rubbi
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Tarik Gören
- Emergency Department, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Ramazan Sabirli
- Emergency Department, Bakircay University Faculty of Medicine Cigli Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serkan Civlan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Özgür Kurt
- Department of Microbiology, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - İbrahim Türkçüer
- Emergency Department, Pamukkale University Medical Faculty, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Aylin Köseler
- Department of Biophysics, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States
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7
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Chen M, Wang N, Yang H, Liu D, Gao Y, Duo L, Cui X, Hao F, Ye J, Gao F, Tu Q, Gui Y. Single-cell transcriptome analysis of the germ cells and somatic cells during mitotic quiescence stage in goats. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23244. [PMID: 37823602 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The mitotic quiescence of prospermatogonia is the event known to occur during genesis of the male germline and is tied to the development of the spermatogenic lineage. The regulatory mechanisms and the functional importance of this process have been demonstrated in mice; however, regulation of this process in human and domestic animal is still largely unknown. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to identify transcriptional signatures of prospermatogonia and major somatic cell types in testes of goats at E85, E105, and E125. We identified both common and specific Gene Ontology categories, transcription factor regulatory networks, and cell-cell interactions in cell types from goat testis. We also analyzed the transcriptional dynamic changes in prospermatogonia, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and interstitial cells. Our datasets provide a useful resource for the study of domestic animal germline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Yang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongjun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Lei Duo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiuhong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Tu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaoting Gui
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
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8
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Yuan M, Yang B, Rothschild G, Mann JJ, Sanford LD, Tang X, Huang C, Wang C, Zhang W. Epigenetic regulation in major depression and other stress-related disorders: molecular mechanisms, clinical relevance and therapeutic potential. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:309. [PMID: 37644009 PMCID: PMC10465587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, generally episodic and debilitating disease that affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The heritability estimate of MDD is 30-40%, suggesting that genetics alone do not account for most of the risk of major depression. Another factor known to associate with MDD involves environmental stressors such as childhood adversity and recent life stress. Recent studies have emerged to show that the biological impact of environmental factors in MDD and other stress-related disorders is mediated by a variety of epigenetic modifications. These epigenetic modification alterations contribute to abnormal neuroendocrine responses, neuroplasticity impairment, neurotransmission and neuroglia dysfunction, which are involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. Furthermore, epigenetic marks have been associated with the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. The evaluation of epigenetic modifications holds promise for further understanding of the heterogeneous etiology and complex phenotypes of MDD, and may identify new therapeutic targets. Here, we review preclinical and clinical epigenetic findings, including DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNA, RNA modification, and chromatin remodeling factor in MDD. In addition, we elaborate on the contribution of these epigenetic mechanisms to the pathological trait variability in depression and discuss how such mechanisms can be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minlan Yuan
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gerson Rothschild
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Larry D Sanford
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Xiangdong Tang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Mental Health Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Canhua Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, and Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology in School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Graham-Paquin AL, Saini D, Sirois J, Hossain I, Katz MS, Zhuang QKW, Kwon SY, Yamanaka Y, Bourque G, Bouchard M, Pastor WA. ZMYM2 is essential for methylation of germline genes and active transposons in embryonic development. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:7314-7329. [PMID: 37395395 PMCID: PMC10415128 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
ZMYM2 is a transcriptional repressor whose role in development is largely unexplored. We found that Zmym2-/- mice show embryonic lethality by E10.5. Molecular characterization of Zmym2-/- embryos revealed two distinct defects. First, they fail to undergo DNA methylation and silencing of germline gene promoters, resulting in widespread upregulation of germline genes. Second, they fail to methylate and silence the evolutionarily youngest and most active LINE element subclasses in mice. Zmym2-/- embryos show ubiquitous overexpression of LINE-1 protein as well as aberrant expression of transposon-gene fusion transcripts. ZMYM2 homes to sites of PRC1.6 and TRIM28 complex binding, mediating repression of germline genes and transposons respectively. In the absence of ZMYM2, hypermethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 occurs at target sites, creating a chromatin landscape unfavourable for establishment of DNA methylation. ZMYM2-/- human embryonic stem cells also show aberrant upregulation and demethylation of young LINE elements, indicating a conserved role in repression of active transposons. ZMYM2 is thus an important new factor in DNA methylation patterning in early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adda-Lee Graham-Paquin
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Deepak Saini
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacinthe Sirois
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ishtiaque Hossain
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Megan S Katz
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Qinwei Kim-Wee Zhuang
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sin Young Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yojiro Yamanaka
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bourque
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto, Japan
- Canadian Center for Computational Genomics,McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maxime Bouchard
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - William A Pastor
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- The Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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10
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Manna S, Mishra J, Baral T, Kirtana R, Nandi P, Roy A, Chakraborty S, Niharika, Patra SK. Epigenetic signaling and crosstalk in regulation of gene expression and disease progression. Epigenomics 2023; 15:723-740. [PMID: 37661861 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin modifications - including DNA methylation, modification of histones and recruitment of noncoding RNAs - are essential epigenetic events. Multiple sequential modifications converge into a complex epigenetic landscape. For example, promoter DNA methylation is recognized by MeCP2/methyl CpG binding domain proteins which further recruit SETDB1/SUV39 to attain a higher order chromatin structure by propagation of inactive epigenetic marks like H3K9me3. Many studies with new information on different epigenetic modifications and associated factors are available, but clear maps of interconnected pathways are also emerging. This review deals with the salient epigenetic crosstalk mechanisms that cells utilize for different cellular processes and how deregulation or aberrant gene expression leads to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumen Manna
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Jagdish Mishra
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Tirthankar Baral
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - R Kirtana
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Piyasa Nandi
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Subhajit Chakraborty
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Niharika
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
| | - Samir K Patra
- Epigenetics & Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India
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11
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Liu C, Xu W, Wang L, Yang Z, Li K, Hu J, Chen Y, Zhang R, Xiao S, Liu W, Wei H, Chen JY, Sun Q, Li W. Dual roles of R-loops in the formation and processing of programmed DNA double-strand breaks during meiosis. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:82. [PMID: 37170281 PMCID: PMC10173651 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01026-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meiotic recombination is initiated by Spo11-dependent programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are preferentially concentrated within genomic regions called hotspots; however, the factor(s) that specify the positions of meiotic DSB hotspots remain unclear. RESULTS Here, we examined the frequency and distribution of R-loops, a type of functional chromatin structure comprising single-stranded DNA and a DNA:RNA hybrid, during budding yeast meiosis and found that the R-loops were changed dramatically throughout meiosis. We detected the formation of multiple de novo R-loops in the pachytene stage and found that these R-loops were associated with meiotic recombination during yeast meiosis. We show that transcription-replication head-on collisions could promote R-loop formation during meiotic DNA replication, and these R-loops are associated with Spo11. Furthermore, meiotic recombination hotspots can be eliminated by reversing the direction of transcription or replication, and reversing both of these directions can reconstitute the hotspots. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that R-loops may play dual roles in meiotic recombination. In addition to participation in meiotic DSB processing, some meiotic DSB hotspots may be originated from the transcription-replication head-on collisions during meiotic DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Liying Wang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kuan Li
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yinghong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruidan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Sai Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huafang Wei
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qianwen Sun
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Wei Li
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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12
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Xiu S, Chi X, Jia Z, Shi C, Zhang X, Li Q, Gao T, Zhang L, Liu Z. NSD3: Advances in cancer therapeutic potential and inhibitors research. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 256:115440. [PMID: 37182335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115440] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 3, otherwise known as NSD3, is a member of the group of lysine methyltransferases and is involved in a variety of cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, DNA damage repair, non-histone related functions and several others. NSD3 gene is mutated or loss of function in a variety of cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic, and osteosarcoma. These mutations produce dysfunction of the corresponding tumor tissue proteins, leading to tumorigenesis, progression, chemoresistance, and unfavorable prognosis, which suggests that the development of NSD3 probe molecules is important for understanding the specific role of NSD3 in disease and drug discovery. In recent years, NSD3 has been increasingly reported, demonstrating that this target is a very hot epigenetic target. However, the number of NSD3 inhibitors available for cancer therapy is limited and none of the drugs that target NSD3 are currently available on the market. In addition, there are very few reviews describing NSD3. Within this review, we highlight the role of NSD3 in tumorigenesis and the development of NSD3 targeted small-molecule inhibitors over the last decade. We hope that this publication can serve as a guide for the development of potential drug candidates for various diseases in the field of epigenetics, especially for the NSD3 target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Xiu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Zhenyu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Cheng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Qi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Tongfei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Liangren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China.
| | - Zhenming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, PR China.
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13
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Tian H, Liu C, Yu J, Han J, Du J, Liang S, Wang W, Liu Q, Lian R, Zhu T, Wu S, Tao T, Ye Y, Zhao J, Yang Y, Zhu X, Cai J, Wu J, Li M. PHF14 enhances DNA methylation of SMAD7 gene to promote TGF-β-driven lung adenocarcinoma metastasis. Cell Discov 2023; 9:41. [PMID: 37072414 PMCID: PMC10113255 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-023-00528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of TGF-β signaling plays a pivotal role in cancer metastasis and progression. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of TGF-β pathway remain to be understood. Here, we found that SMAD7, a direct downstream transcriptional target and also a key antagonist of TGF-β signaling, is transcriptionally suppressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) due to DNA hypermethylation. We further identified that PHF14 binds DNMT3B and serves as a DNA CpG motif reader, recruiting DNMT3B to the SMAD7 gene locus, resulting in DNA methylation and transcriptional suppression of SMAD7. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that PHF14 promotes metastasis through binding DNMT3B to suppress SMAD7 expression. Moreover, our data revealed that PHF14 expression correlates with lowered SMAD7 level and shorter survival of LAD patients, and importantly that SMAD7 methylation level of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can potentially be used for prognosis prediction. Together, our present study illustrates a new epigenetic mechanism, mediated by PHF14 and DNMT3B, in the regulation of SMAD7 transcription and TGF-β-driven LAD metastasis, and suggests potential opportunities for LAD prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Tian
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Cancer Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chenying Liu
- Department of Breast Pathology and Lab, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianchen Yu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Han
- Cancer Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianan Du
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shujun Liang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qin Liu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Rong Lian
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ting Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanshan Wu
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyu Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yaokai Ye
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xun Zhu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junchao Cai
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jueheng Wu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mengfeng Li
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Cancer Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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14
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Cheng Y, Song H, Ming GL, Weng YL. Epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation of axon regeneration. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1440-1450. [PMID: 36922674 PMCID: PMC10650481 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02028-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Effective axonal regeneration in the adult mammalian nervous system requires coordination of elevated intrinsic growth capacity and decreased responses to the inhibitory environment. Intrinsic regenerative capacity largely depends on the gene regulatory network and protein translation machinery. A failure to activate these pathways upon injury is underlying a lack of robust axon regeneration in the mature mammalian central nervous system. Epigenetics and epitranscriptomics are key regulatory mechanisms that shape gene expression and protein translation. Here, we provide an overview of different types of modifications on DNA, histones, and RNA, underpinning the regenerative competence of axons in the mature mammalian peripheral and central nervous systems. We highlight other non-neuronal cells and their epigenetic changes in determining the microenvironment for tissue repair and axon regeneration. We also address advancements of single-cell technology in charting transcriptomic and epigenetic landscapes that may further facilitate the mechanistic understanding of differential regenerative capacity in neuronal subtypes. Finally, as epigenetic and epitranscriptomic processes are commonly affected by brain injuries and psychiatric disorders, understanding their alterations upon brain injury would provide unprecedented mechanistic insights into etiology of injury-associated-psychiatric disorders and facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions to restore brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Yi-Lan Weng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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15
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Qu J, Betting V, van Iterson R, Kwaschik FM, van Rij RP. Chromatin profiling identifies transcriptional readthrough as a conserved mechanism for piRNA biogenesis in mosquitoes. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112257. [PMID: 36930642 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112257] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The piRNA pathway in mosquitoes differs substantially from other model organisms, with an expanded PIWI gene family and functions in antiviral defense. Here, we define core piRNA clusters as genomic loci that show ubiquitous piRNA expression in both somatic and germline tissues. These core piRNA clusters are enriched for non-retroviral endogenous viral elements (nrEVEs) in antisense orientation and depend on key biogenesis factors, Veneno, Tejas, Yb, and Shutdown. Combined transcriptome and chromatin state analyses identify transcriptional readthrough as a conserved mechanism for cluster-derived piRNA biogenesis in the vector mosquitoes Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles gambiae. Comparative analyses between the two Aedes species suggest that piRNA clusters function as traps for nrEVEs, allowing adaptation to environmental challenges such as virus infection. Our systematic transcriptome and chromatin state analyses lay the foundation for studies of gene regulation, genome evolution, and piRNA function in these important vector species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieqiong Qu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Valerie Betting
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben van Iterson
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Florence M Kwaschik
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald P van Rij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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16
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Setd2 supports GATA3 +ST2 + thymic-derived Treg cells and suppresses intestinal inflammation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7468. [PMID: 36463230 PMCID: PMC9719510 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Treg cells acquire distinct transcriptional properties to suppress specific inflammatory responses. Transcription characteristics of Treg cells are regulated by epigenetic modifications, the mechanism of which remains obscure. Here, we report that Setd2, a histone H3K36 methyltransferase, is important for the survival and suppressive function of Treg cells, especially those from the intestine. Setd2 supports GATA3+ST2+ intestinal thymic-derived Treg (tTreg) cells by facilitating the expression and reciprocal relationship of GATA3 and ST2 in tTreg cells. IL-33 preferentially boosts Th2 cells rather than GATA3+ Treg cells in Foxp3Cre-YFPSetd2 flox/flox mice, corroborating the constraint of Th2 responses by Setd2 expression in Treg cells. SETD2 sustains GATA3 expression in human Treg cells, and SETD2 expression is increased in Treg cells from human colorectal cancer tissues. Epigenetically, Setd2 regulates the transcription of target genes (including Il1rl1) by modulating the activity of promoters and intragenic enhancers where H3K36me3 is typically deposited. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of Treg cells and intestinal immunity by Setd2.
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17
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Sharda A, Humphrey TC. The role of histone H3K36me3 writers, readers and erasers in maintaining genome stability. DNA Repair (Amst) 2022; 119:103407. [PMID: 36155242 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Histone Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) play fundamental roles in mediating DNA-related processes such as transcription, replication and repair. The histone mark H3K36me3 and its associated methyltransferase SETD2 (Set2 in yeast) are archetypical in this regard, performing critical roles in each of these DNA transactions. Here, we present an overview of H3K36me3 regulation and the roles of its writers, readers and erasers in maintaining genome stability through facilitating DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, checkpoint signalling and replication stress responses. Further, we consider how loss of SETD2 and H3K36me3, frequently observed in a number of different cancer types, can be specifically targeted in the clinic through exploiting loss of particular genome stability functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmita Sharda
- CRUK and MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Timothy C Humphrey
- CRUK and MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Old Road Campus Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
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18
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Shao W, Ning W, Liu C, Zou Y, Yao Y, Kang J, Cao Z. Histone Methyltransferase SETD2 Is Required for Porcine Early Embryonic Development. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172226. [PMID: 36077946 PMCID: PMC9454584 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Normal early embryonic development is important for ensuring sow fertility. Low quality of in vitro production embryos severely limits extensive application of porcine embryo engineering technologies in animal agriculture and the biomedicine field. Histone H3K36 methyltransferase SETD2 reportedly regulates oocyte maturation and preimplantation embryonic development in mice. However, the specific substrate and function of SETD2 in porcine early embryonic development remains unclear. Here, we show that SETD2 preferentially catalyzes H3K36me3 in porcine early embryos. SETD2 knockdown severely impeded blastocyst cavitation and perturbed normal allocation of inner cell mass and trophectoderm. SETD2 knockdown caused the apoptosis of cells within blastocysts. Therefore, SETD2 is essential for porcine early embryonic development. These findings provide a better understanding of porcine early embryonic development and lay a potential basis for improving the quality of porcine in vitro production embryos. Abstract SET domain-containing 2 (SETD2) is a methyltransferase that can catalyze the di- and tri-methylation of lysine 36 on histone H3 (H3K36me2/me3). SETD2 frequently mediates H3K36me3 modification to regulate both oocyte maturation and preimplantation embryonic development in mice. However, the specific substrate and function of SETD2 in porcine early embryonic development are still unclear. In this study, SETD2 preferentially catalyzed H3K36me3 to regulate porcine early embryonic development. SETD2 mRNA is dynamically expressed during early embryonic development. Functional studies using an RNA interference (RNAi) approach revealed that the expression levels of SETD2 mRNA were effectively knocked down by siRNA microinjection. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that SETD2 knockdown (KD) did not affect H3K36me2 modification but significantly reduced H3K36me3 levels, suggesting a preferential H3K36me3 recognition of SETD2 in porcine embryos. Furthermore, SETD2 KD significantly reduced blastocyst rate and disrupted allocation between inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) lineage. The expression levels of key genes important for specification of the first two lineages apparently decreased in SETD2 KD blastocysts. SETD2 KD markedly increased the apoptotic percentage of cells within embryos and altered the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes. Therefore, our data indicate that SETD2 is essential for porcine early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Zubing Cao
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-551-6578-6537
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19
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Shirane K. The dynamic chromatin landscape and mechanisms of DNA methylation during mouse germ cell development. Gene 2022; 97:3-14. [PMID: 35431282 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.21-00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic marks including DNA methylation (DNAme) play a critical role in the transcriptional regulation of genes and retrotransposons. Defects in DNAme are detected in infertility, imprinting disorders and congenital diseases in humans, highlighting the broad importance of this epigenetic mark in both development and disease. While DNAme in terminally differentiated cells is stably propagated following cell division by the maintenance DNAme machinery, widespread erasure and subsequent de novo establishment of this epigenetic mark occur early in embryonic development as well as in germ cell development. Combined with deep sequencing, low-input methods that have been developed in the past several years have enabled high-resolution and genome-wide mapping of both DNAme and histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) in rare cell populations including developing germ cells. Epigenome studies using these novel methods reveal an unprecedented view of the dynamic chromatin landscape during germ cell development. Furthermore, integrative analysis of chromatin marks in normal germ cells and in those deficient in chromatin-modifying enzymes uncovers a critical interplay between histone PTMs and de novo DNAme in the germline. This review discusses work on mechanisms of the erasure and subsequent de novo DNAme in mouse germ cells as well as the outstanding questions relating to the regulation of the dynamic chromatin landscape in germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenjiro Shirane
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University
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20
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Chang J, Ji X, Deng T, Qiu J, Ding Z, Li Z, Ma Y, Hu X, Li L, Qiu J. Setd2 determines distinct properties of intestinal ILC3 subsets to regulate intestinal immunity. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110530. [PMID: 35294891 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Subsets of group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are heterogeneous in development and function and play differential roles in intestinal immunity. Histone modifications are involved in the fate commitment of immune cells, including ILC3s. Here, we report that deletion of Setd2, histone H3K36 methyltransferase, in ILC3s results in increased generation of NKp46+ILC3s with enhanced cytotoxic signatures and tumor-suppressive capacity. Meanwhile, Rag1-/-RorcCreSetd2flox/flox mice have fewer CCR6+ILC3s and less defective solitary intestinal lymphoid tissue formation, accompanied by reduced granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production by NKp46-ILC3s and decreased CD11b+CD103+ dendritic cell accumulation. The deficiency of Setd2-/-NKp46-ILC3s may contribute to disturbed RORγt+Treg homeostasis and intestinal inflammation in Rag1-/-RorcCreSetd2flox/flox mice upon T cell reconstitution. Setd2 regulates genome accessibility imprinting gene mRNA expression, with a more profound effect on NKp46+ILC3s than NKp46-ILC3s. Therefore, Setd2 determines distinct chromatin status and transcriptomic programs of ILC3 subsets to affect their function and intestinal immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Chang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaojuan Ji
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Tian Deng
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jinxin Qiu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhaoyun Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhao Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yanhui Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Key Laboratory for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
| | - Ju Qiu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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21
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Zhang L, Rong W, Ma J, Li H, Tang X, Xu S, Wang L, Wan L, Zhu Q, Jiang B, Su F, Cui H. Comprehensive Analysis of DNA 5-Methylcytosine and N6-Adenine Methylation by Nanopore Sequencing in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:827391. [PMID: 35321246 PMCID: PMC8937020 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.827391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a widespread epigenetic signal in human genome. With Nanopore technology, differential methylation modifications including 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 6-methyladenine (6mA) can be identified. 5mC is the most important modification in mammals, although 6mA may also function in growth and development as well as in pathogenesis. While the role of 5mC at CpG islands in promoter regions associated with transcriptional regulation has been well studied, but the relationship between 6mA and transcription is still unclear. Thus, we collected two pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surgical samples for Nanopore sequencing and transcriptome sequencing. It was found that 2,373 genes had both 5mC and 6mA, along with up- and down-regulated methylation sites. These genes were regarded as unstable methylation genes. Compared with 6mA, 5mC had more inclined distribution of unstable methylation sites. Chi-square test showed that the levels of 5mC were consistent with both up- and down-regulated genes, but 6mA was not significant. Moreover, the top three unstable methylation genes, TBC1D3H, CSMD1, and ROBO2, were all related to cancer. Transcriptome and survival analyses revealed four potential tumor suppressor genes including KCNIP4, CACNA1C, PACRG, and ST6GALNAC3. In this study, we firstly proposed to combine 5mC and 6mA methylation sites to explore functional genes, and further research found top of these unstable methylation genes might be functional and some of them could serve as potential tumor suppressor genes. Our study provided a new solution for epigenetic regulation research and therapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhang
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, Department of Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiqi Rong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Qinghai, China
| | - Hexin Li
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaokun Tang
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Siyuan Xu
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wan
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Qinghai, China
| | - Boyue Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Department of Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Su
- Clinical Biobank, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyuan Cui
- Department of General Surgery, Department of Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Qinghai, China
- *Correspondence: Hongyuan Cui,
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22
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Janssen SM, Lorincz MC. Interplay between chromatin marks in development and disease. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:137-153. [PMID: 34608297 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00416-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAme) and histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) have important roles in transcriptional regulation. Although many reports have characterized the functions of such chromatin marks in isolation, recent genome-wide studies reveal surprisingly complex interactions between them. Here, we focus on the interplay between DNAme and methylation of specific lysine residues on the histone H3 tail. We describe the impact of genetic perturbation of the relevant methyltransferases in the mouse on the landscape of chromatin marks as well as the transcriptome. In addition, we discuss the specific neurodevelopmental growth syndromes and cancers resulting from pathogenic mutations in the human orthologues of these genes. Integrating these observations underscores the fundamental importance of crosstalk between DNA and histone H3 methylation in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M Janssen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew C Lorincz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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23
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Wong CH, Li CH, Man Tong JH, Zheng D, He Q, Luo Z, Lou UK, Wang J, To KF, Chen Y. The Establishment of CDK9/ RNA PolII/H3K4me3/DNA Methylation Feedback Promotes HOTAIR Expression by RNA Elongation Enhancement in Cancer. Mol Ther 2022; 30:1597-1609. [PMID: 35121112 PMCID: PMC9077372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA HOX Transcript Antisense RNA (HOTAIR) is overexpressed in multiple cancers with diverse genetic profiles. Importantly, since HOTAIR heavily contributes to cancer progression by promoting tumor growth and metastasis, HOTAIR becomes a potential target for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanism leading to HOTAIR deregulation is largely unexplored. Here, we performed a pan-cancer analysis using more than 4,200 samples and found that intragenic exon CpG island (Ex-CGI) was hypermethylated and was positively correlated to HOTAIR expression. Also, we revealed that Ex-CGI methylation promotes HOTAIR expression through enhancing the transcription elongation process. Furthermore, we linked up the aberrant intragenic tri-methylation on H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and Ex-CGI DNA methylation in promoting transcription elongation of HOTAIR. Targeting the oncogenic CDK7-CDK9-H3K4me3 axis downregulated HOTAIR expression and inhibited cell growth in many cancers. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a positive feedback loop that involved CDK9-mediated phosphorylation of RNA Polymerase II Serine 2 (RNA PolII Ser2), H3K4me3, and intragenic DNA methylation, which induced robust transcriptional elongation and heavily contributed to the upregulation of oncogenic lncRNA in cancer has been demonstrated. Targeting the oncogenic CDK7-CDK9-H3K4me3 axis could be a novel therapy in many cancers through inhibiting the HOTAIR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Hin Wong
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Chi Han Li
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Joanna Hung Man Tong
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Duo Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qifang He
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Zhiyuan Luo
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Ut Kei Lou
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Jiatong Wang
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Ka-Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yangchao Chen
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518087, China.
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24
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Yao Y, Wen Q, Zhang T, Yu C, Chan KM, Gan H. Advances in Approaches to Study Chromatin-Mediated Epigenetic Memory. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:16-25. [PMID: 34965084 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin structure contains critical epigenetic information in various forms, such as histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). The deposition of certain histone PTMs can remodel the chromatin structure, resulting in gene expression alteration. The epigenetic information carried by histone PTMs could be inherited by daughter cells to maintain the gene expression status. Recently, studies revealed that several conserved replisome proteins regulate the recycling of parental histones carrying epigenetic information in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Hence, the proper recycling and deposition of parental histones onto newly synthesized DNA strands is presumed to be essential for epigenetic inheritance. Here, we first reviewed the fundamental mechanisms of epigenetic modification establishment and maintenance discovered within fungal models. Next, we discussed the functions of parental histone chaperones and the potential impacts of the parental histone recycling process on heterochromatin-mediated transcriptional silencing inheritance. Subsequently, we summarized novel synthetic biology approaches developed to analyze individual epigenetic components during epigenetic inheritance in fungal and mammalian systems. These newly emerged research paradigms enable us to dissect epigenetic systems in a bottom-up manner. Furthermore, we highlighted the approaches developed in this emerging field and discussed the potential applications of these engineered regulators to building synthetic epigenetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qing Wen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Tianjun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Chuanhe Yu
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota 55912, United States
| | - Kui Ming Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Haiyun Gan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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25
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Pastor WA, Kwon SY. Distinctive aspects of the placental epigenome and theories as to how they arise. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:569. [PMID: 36287261 PMCID: PMC9606139 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04568-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The placenta has a methylome dramatically unlike that of any somatic cell type. Among other distinctions, it features low global DNA methylation, extensive “partially methylated domains” packed in dense heterochromatin and methylation of hundreds of CpG islands important in somatic development. These features attract interest in part because a substantial fraction of human cancers feature the exact same phenomena, suggesting parallels between epigenome formation in placentation and cancer. Placenta also features an expanded set of imprinted genes, some of which come about by distinctive developmental pathways. Recent discoveries, some from far outside the placental field, shed new light on how the unusual placental epigenetic state may arise. Nonetheless, key questions remain unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Pastor
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada.
- Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A3, Canada.
| | - Sin Young Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada
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26
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Jurkowska RZ, Jeltsch A. Enzymology of Mammalian DNA Methyltransferases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1389:69-110. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11454-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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27
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Mensah IK, Norvil AB, AlAbdi L, McGovern S, Petell CJ, He M, Gowher H. Misregulation of the expression and activity of DNA methyltransferases in cancer. NAR Cancer 2021; 3:zcab045. [PMID: 34870206 PMCID: PMC8634572 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, DNA methyltransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3's (A, B and L) deposit and maintain DNA methylation in dividing and nondividing cells. Although these enzymes have an unremarkable DNA sequence specificity (CpG), their regional specificity is regulated by interactions with various protein factors, chromatin modifiers, and post-translational modifications of histones. Changes in the DNMT expression or interacting partners affect DNA methylation patterns. Consequently, the acquired gene expression may increase the proliferative potential of cells, often concomitant with loss of cell identity as found in cancer. Aberrant DNA methylation, including hypermethylation and hypomethylation at various genomic regions, therefore, is a hallmark of most cancers. Additionally, somatic mutations in DNMTs that affect catalytic activity were mapped in Acute Myeloid Leukemia cancer cells. Despite being very effective in some cancers, the clinically approved DNMT inhibitors lack specificity, which could result in a wide range of deleterious effects. Elucidating distinct molecular mechanisms of DNMTs will facilitate the discovery of alternative cancer therapeutic targets. This review is focused on: (i) the structure and characteristics of DNMTs, (ii) the prevalence of mutations and abnormal expression of DNMTs in cancer, (iii) factors that mediate their abnormal expression and (iv) the effect of anomalous DNMT-complexes in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaiah K Mensah
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Lama AlAbdi
- Department of Zoology, Collage of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah McGovern
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Ming He
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Humaira Gowher
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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28
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Holoch D, Wassef M, Lövkvist C, Zielinski D, Aflaki S, Lombard B, Héry T, Loew D, Howard M, Margueron R. A cis-acting mechanism mediates transcriptional memory at Polycomb target genes in mammals. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1686-1697. [PMID: 34782763 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00964-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance of gene expression states enables a single genome to maintain distinct cellular identities. How histone modifications contribute to this process remains unclear. Using global chromatin perturbations and local, time-controlled modulation of transcription, we establish the existence of epigenetic memory of transcriptional activation for genes that can be silenced by the Polycomb group. This property emerges during cell differentiation and allows genes to be stably switched after a transient transcriptional stimulus. This transcriptional memory state at Polycomb targets operates in cis; however, rather than relying solely on read-and-write propagation of histone modifications, the memory is also linked to the strength of activating inputs opposing Polycomb proteins, and therefore varies with the cellular context. Our data and computational simulations suggest a model whereby transcriptional memory arises from double-negative feedback between Polycomb-mediated silencing and active transcription. Transcriptional memory at Polycomb targets thus depends not only on histone modifications but also on the gene-regulatory network and underlying identity of a cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Holoch
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Michel Wassef
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Cecilia Lövkvist
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK. .,Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Dina Zielinski
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France.,INSERM U900, Mines ParisTech, Paris, France
| | - Setareh Aflaki
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Bérangère Lombard
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Tiphaine Héry
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France
| | - Damarys Loew
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Martin Howard
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Raphaël Margueron
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France. .,INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris, France.
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29
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Transcriptional overlap links DNA hypomethylation with DNA hypermethylation at adjacent promoters in cancer. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17346. [PMID: 34462486 PMCID: PMC8405634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96844-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor development involves alterations in DNA methylation patterns, which include both gains (hypermethylation) and losses (hypomethylation) in different genomic regions. The mechanisms underlying these two opposite, yet co-existing, alterations in tumors remain unclear. While studying the human MAGEA6/GABRA3 gene locus, we observed that DNA hypomethylation in tumor cells can lead to the activation of a long transcript (CT-GABRA3) that overlaps downstream promoters (GABRQ and GABRA3) and triggers their hypermethylation. Overlapped promoters displayed increases in H3K36me3, a histone mark deposited during transcriptional elongation and known to stimulate de novo DNA methylation. Consistent with such a processive mechanism, increases in H3K36me3 and DNA methylation were observed over the entire region covered by the CT-GABRA3 overlapping transcript. Importantly, experimental induction of CT-GABRA3 by depletion of DNMT1 DNA methyltransferase, resulted in a similar pattern of regional DNA hypermethylation. Bioinformatics analyses in lung cancer datasets identified other genomic loci displaying this process of coupled DNA hypo/hypermethylation, and some of these included tumor suppressor genes, e.g. RERG and PTPRO. Together, our work reveals that focal DNA hypomethylation in tumors can indirectly contribute to hypermethylation of nearby promoters through activation of overlapping transcription, and establishes therefore an unsuspected connection between these two opposite epigenetic alterations.
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30
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Moesslacher CS, Kohlmayr JM, Stelzl U. Exploring absent protein function in yeast: assaying post translational modification and human genetic variation. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2021; 8:164-183. [PMID: 34395585 PMCID: PMC8329848 DOI: 10.15698/mic2021.08.756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Yeast is a valuable eukaryotic model organism that has evolved many processes conserved up to humans, yet many protein functions, including certain DNA and protein modifications, are absent. It is this absence of protein function that is fundamental to approaches using yeast as an in vivo test system to investigate human proteins. Functionality of the heterologous expressed proteins is connected to a quantitative, selectable phenotype, enabling the systematic analyses of mechanisms and specificity of DNA modification, post-translational protein modifications as well as the impact of annotated cancer mutations and coding variation on protein activity and interaction. Through continuous improvements of yeast screening systems, this is increasingly carried out on a global scale using deep mutational scanning approaches. Here we discuss the applicability of yeast systems to investigate absent human protein function with a specific focus on the impact of protein variation on protein-protein interaction modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Moesslacher
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and BioTechMed-Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Contributed equally to the writing of this review
| | - Johanna M Kohlmayr
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and BioTechMed-Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Contributed equally to the writing of this review
| | - Ulrich Stelzl
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and BioTechMed-Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Contributed equally to the writing of this review
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31
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Separovich RJ, Wilkins MR. Ready, SET, Go: Post-translational regulation of the histone lysine methylation network in budding yeast. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:100939. [PMID: 34224729 PMCID: PMC8329514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone lysine methylation is a key epigenetic modification that regulates eukaryotic transcription. Here, we comprehensively review the function and regulation of the histone methylation network in the budding yeast and model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, we outline the lysine methylation sites that are found on histone proteins in yeast (H3K4me1/2/3, H3K36me1/2/3, H3K79me1/2/3, and H4K5/8/12me1) and discuss their biological and cellular roles. Next, we detail the reduced but evolutionarily conserved suite of methyltransferase (Set1p, Set2p, Dot1p, and Set5p) and demethylase (Jhd1p, Jhd2p, Rph1p, and Gis1p) enzymes that are known to control histone lysine methylation in budding yeast cells. Specifically, we illustrate the domain architecture of the methylation enzymes and highlight the structural features that are required for their respective functions and molecular interactions. Finally, we discuss the prevalence of post-translational modifications on yeast histone methylation enzymes and how phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination in particular are emerging as key regulators of enzyme function. We note that it will be possible to completely connect the histone methylation network to the cell's signaling system, given that all methylation sites and cognate enzymes are known, most phosphosites on the enzymes are known, and the mapping of kinases to phosphosites is tractable owing to the modest set of protein kinases in yeast. Moving forward, we expect that the rich variety of post-translational modifications that decorates the histone methylation machinery will explain many of the unresolved questions surrounding the function and dynamics of this intricate epigenetic network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Separovich
- Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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32
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Abstract
Animal and humans exposed to stress early in life are more likely to suffer from long-term behavioral, mental health, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular health consequences. The hypothalamus plays a nodal role in programming, controlling, and regulating stress responses throughout the life course. Epigenetic reprogramming in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus play an important role in adapting genome function to experiences and exposures during the perinatal and early life periods and setting up stable phenotypic outcomes. Epigenetic programming during development enables one genome to express multiple cell type identities. The most proximal epigenetic mark to DNA is a covalent modification of the DNA itself by enzymatic addition of methyl moieties. Cell-type-specific DNA methylation profiles are generated during gestational development and define cell and tissue specific phenotypes. Programming of neuronal phenotypes and sex differences in the hypothalamus is achieved by developmentally timed rearrangement of DNA methylation profiles. Similarly, other stations in the life trajectory such as puberty and aging involve predictable and scheduled reorganization of DNA methylation profiles. DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks are critical for maintaining cell-type identity in the brain, across the body, and throughout life. Data that have emerged in the last 15 years suggest that like its role in defining cell-specific phenotype during development, DNA methylation might be involved in defining experiential identities, programming similar genes to perform differently in response to diverse experiential histories. Early life stress impact on lifelong phenotypes is proposed to be mediated by DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks. Epigenetic marks, as opposed to genetic mutations, are reversible by either pharmacological or behavioral strategies and therefore offer the potential for reversing or preventing disease including behavioral and mental health disorders. This chapter discusses data testing the hypothesis that DNA methylation modulations of the HPA axis mediate the impact of early life stress on lifelong behavioral and physical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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33
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Abstract
Determining the effect of DNA methylation on chromatin structure and function in higher organisms is challenging due to the extreme complexity of epigenetic regulation. We studied a simpler model system, budding yeast, that lacks DNA methylation machinery making it a perfect model system to study the intrinsic role of DNA methylation in chromatin structure and function. We expressed the murine DNA methyltransferases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and analyzed the correlation between DNA methylation, nucleosome positioning, gene expression and 3D genome organization. Despite lacking the machinery for positioning and reading methylation marks, induced DNA methylation follows a conserved pattern with low methylation levels at the 5’ end of the gene increasing gradually toward the 3’ end, with concentration of methylated DNA in linkers and nucleosome free regions, and with actively expressed genes showing low and high levels of methylation at transcription start and terminating sites respectively, mimicking the patterns seen in mammals. We also see that DNA methylation increases chromatin condensation in peri-centromeric regions, decreases overall DNA flexibility, and favors the heterochromatin state. Taken together, these results demonstrate that methylation intrinsically modulates chromatin structure and function even in the absence of cellular machinery evolved to recognize and process the methylation signal. Multi-layered epigenetic regulation in higher eukaryotes makes it challenging to disentangle the individual effects of modifications on chromatin structure and function. Here, the authors expressed mammalian DNA methyltransferases in yeast, which have no DNA methylation, to show that methylation has intrinsic effects on chromatin structure.
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34
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Li Y, Chen X, Lu C. The interplay between DNA and histone methylation: molecular mechanisms and disease implications. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e51803. [PMID: 33844406 PMCID: PMC8097341 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylation of cytosine in CpG dinucleotides and histone lysine and arginine residues is a chromatin modification that critically contributes to the regulation of genome integrity, replication, and accessibility. A strong correlation exists between the genome-wide distribution of DNA and histone methylation, suggesting an intimate relationship between these epigenetic marks. Indeed, accumulating literature reveals complex mechanisms underlying the molecular crosstalk between DNA and histone methylation. These in vitro and in vivo discoveries are further supported by the finding that genes encoding DNA- and histone-modifying enzymes are often mutated in overlapping human diseases. Here, we summarize recent advances in understanding how DNA and histone methylation cooperate to maintain the cellular epigenomic landscape. We will also discuss the potential implication of these insights for understanding the etiology of, and developing biomarkers and therapies for, human congenital disorders and cancers that are driven by chromatin abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinglu Li
- Department of Genetics and Development and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer CenterColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
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The regulation mechanisms and the Lamarckian inheritance property of DNA methylation in animals. Mamm Genome 2021; 32:135-152. [PMID: 33860357 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09870-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a stable and heritable epigenetic mechanism, of which the main functions are stabilizing the transcription of genes and promoting genetic conservation. In animals, the direct molecular inducers of DNA methylation mainly include histone covalent modification and non-coding RNA, whereas the fundamental regulators of DNA methylation are genetic and environmental factors. As is well known, competition is present everywhere in life systems, and will finally strike a balance that is optimal for the animal's survival and reproduction. The same goes for the regulation of DNA methylation. Genetic and environmental factors, respectively, are responsible for the programmed and plasticity changes of DNA methylation, and keen competition exists between genetically influenced procedural remodeling and environmentally influenced plastic alteration. In this process, genetic and environmental factors collaboratively decide the methylation patterns of corresponding loci. DNA methylation alterations induced by environmental factors can be transgenerationally inherited, and exhibit the characteristic of Lamarckian inheritance. Further research on regulatory mechanisms and the environmental plasticity of DNA methylation will provide strong support for understanding the biological function and evolutionary effects of DNA methylation.
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Velasco G, Ulveling D, Rondeau S, Marzin P, Unoki M, Cormier-Daire V, Francastel C. Interplay between Histone and DNA Methylation Seen through Comparative Methylomes in Rare Mendelian Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3735. [PMID: 33916664 PMCID: PMC8038329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAme) profiling is used to establish specific biomarkers to improve the diagnosis of patients with inherited neurodevelopmental disorders and to guide mutation screening. In the specific case of mendelian disorders of the epigenetic machinery, it also provides the basis to infer mechanistic aspects with regard to DNAme determinants and interplay between histone and DNAme that apply to humans. Here, we present comparative methylomes from patients with mutations in the de novo DNA methyltransferases DNMT3A and DNMT3B, in their catalytic domain or their N-terminal parts involved in reading histone methylation, or in histone H3 lysine (K) methylases NSD1 or SETD2 (H3 K36) or KMT2D/MLL2 (H3 K4). We provide disease-specific DNAme signatures and document the distinct consequences of mutations in enzymes with very similar or intertwined functions, including at repeated sequences and imprinted loci. We found that KMT2D and SETD2 germline mutations have little impact on DNAme profiles. In contrast, the overlapping DNAme alterations downstream of NSD1 or DNMT3 mutations underlines functional links, more specifically between NSD1 and DNMT3B at heterochromatin regions or DNMT3A at regulatory elements. Together, these data indicate certain discrepancy with the mechanisms described in animal models or the existence of redundant or complementary functions unforeseen in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Velasco
- Université de Paris, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, CNRS UMR7216, 75013 Paris, France; (G.V.); (D.U.)
| | - Damien Ulveling
- Université de Paris, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, CNRS UMR7216, 75013 Paris, France; (G.V.); (D.U.)
| | - Sophie Rondeau
- Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, Clinical Genetics, INSERM UMR 1163, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, 75015 Paris, France; (S.R.); (P.M.); (V.C.-D.)
| | - Pauline Marzin
- Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, Clinical Genetics, INSERM UMR 1163, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, 75015 Paris, France; (S.R.); (P.M.); (V.C.-D.)
| | - Motoko Unoki
- Division of Epigenomics and Development, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan;
| | - Valérie Cormier-Daire
- Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, Clinical Genetics, INSERM UMR 1163, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, 75015 Paris, France; (S.R.); (P.M.); (V.C.-D.)
| | - Claire Francastel
- Université de Paris, Epigenetics and Cell Fate, CNRS UMR7216, 75013 Paris, France; (G.V.); (D.U.)
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Species-Specific Relationships between DNA and Chromatin Properties of CpG Islands in Embryonic Stem Cells and Differentiated Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:899-912. [PMID: 33770494 PMCID: PMC8072027 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CpG islands often exhibit low DNA methylation, high histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, low nucleosome density, and high DNase I hypersensitivity, yet the rules by which CpG islands are sensed remain poorly understood. In this study, we first evaluated the relationships between the DNA and the chromatin properties of CpG islands in embryonic stem cells using modified bacterial artificial chromosomes. Then, using a bioinformatic approach, we identified strict CpG-island density and length thresholds in mouse embryonic stem and differentiated cells that consistently specify low DNA methylation levels. Surprisingly, the human genome exhibited a dramatically different relationship between DNA properties and DNA methylation levels of CpG islands. Further analysis allowed speculation that this difference is accommodated in part by evolutionary changes in the nucleotide composition of orthologous promoters. Thus, a change in the rules by which CpG-island properties are sensed may have co-evolved with compensatory genome adaptation events during mammalian evolution. Strict DNA property rules can predict low DNA methylation at murine CpG islands Mice and humans differ greatly in how DNA properties influence DNA methylation Evolutionary adaptation of CpG islands compensates for the species differences
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The incorporation loci of H3.3K36M determine its preferential prevalence in chondroblastomas. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:311. [PMID: 33762579 PMCID: PMC7991640 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03597-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The histone H3.3K36M mutation, identified in over 90% of chondroblastoma cases, reprograms the H3K36 methylation landscape and gene expression to promote tumorigenesis. However, it's still unclear how the H3K36M mutation preferentially occurs in the histone H3 variant H3.3 in chondroblastomas. Here, we report that H3.3K36M-, but not H3.1K36M-, mutant cells showed increased colony formation ability and differentiation defects. H3K36 methylations and enhancers were reprogrammed to different status in H3.3K36M- and H3.1K36M-mutant cells. The reprogramming of H3K36 methylation and enhancers was depended on the specific loci at which H3.3K36M and H3.1K36M were incorporated. Moreover, targeting H3K36M-mutant proteins to the chromatin inhibited the H3K36 methylation locally. Taken together, these results highlight the roles of the chromatic localization of H3.3K36M-mutant protein in the reprogramming of the epigenome and the subsequent induction of tumorigenesis, and shed light on the molecular mechanisms by which the H3K36M mutation mainly occurs in histone H3.3 in chondroblastomas.
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Mallona I, Ilie IM, Karemaker ID, Butz S, Manzo M, Caflisch A, Baubec T. Flanking sequence preference modulates de novo DNA methylation in the mouse genome. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:145-157. [PMID: 33290556 PMCID: PMC7797059 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) are responsible for the establishment of cell-type-specific DNA methylation in healthy and diseased tissues. Through genome-wide analysis of de novo methylation activity in murine stem cells we uncover that DNMT3A prefers to methylate CpGs followed by cytosines or thymines, while DNMT3B predominantly methylates CpGs followed by guanines or adenines. These signatures are further observed at non-CpG sites, resembling methylation context observed in specialised cell types, including neurons and oocytes. We further show that these preferences result from structural differences in the catalytic domains of the two de novo DNMTs and are not a consequence of differential recruitment to the genome. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that, in case of human DNMT3A, the preference is due to favourable polar interactions between the flexible Arg836 side chain and the guanine that base-pairs with the cytosine following the CpG. By exchanging arginine to a lysine, the corresponding side chain in DNMT3B, the sequence preference is reversed, confirming the requirement for arginine at this position. This context-dependent enzymatic activity provides additional insights into the complex regulation of DNA methylation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izaskun Mallona
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Ioana Mariuca Ilie
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Ino Dominiek Karemaker
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Butz
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Massimiliano Manzo
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Tuncay Baubec
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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40
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Zhang Y, Sun Z, Jia J, Du T, Zhang N, Tang Y, Fang Y, Fang D. Overview of Histone Modification. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1283:1-16. [PMID: 33155134 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8104-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the epi-information beyond the DNA sequence that can be inherited from parents to offspring. From years of studies, people have found that histone modifications, DNA methylation, and RNA-based mechanism are the main means of epigenetic control. In this chapter, we will focus on the general introductions of epigenetics, which is important in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. With the development and expansion of high-throughput sequencing, various mutations of epigenetic regulators have been identified and proven to be the drivers of tumorigenesis. Epigenetic alterations are used to diagnose individual patients more accurately and specifically. Several drugs, which are targeting epigenetic changes, have been developed to treat patients regarding the awareness of precision medicine. Emerging researches are connecting the epigenetics and cancers together in the molecular mechanism exploration and the development of druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Zhongxing Sun
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Junqi Jia
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Tianjiao Du
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Nachuan Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yin Tang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Dong Fang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
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41
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Bertozzi TM, Elmer JL, Macfarlan TS, Ferguson-Smith AC. KRAB zinc finger protein diversification drives mammalian interindividual methylation variability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31290-31300. [PMID: 33239447 PMCID: PMC7733849 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017053117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most transposable elements (TEs) in the mouse genome are heavily modified by DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications. However, a subset of TEs exhibit variable methylation levels in genetically identical individuals, and this is associated with epigenetically conferred phenotypic differences, environmental adaptability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The evolutionary origins and molecular mechanisms underlying interindividual epigenetic variability remain unknown. Using a repertoire of murine variably methylated intracisternal A-particle (VM-IAP) epialleles as a model, we demonstrate that variable DNA methylation states at TEs are highly susceptible to genetic background effects. Taking a classical genetics approach coupled with genome-wide analysis, we harness these effects and identify a cluster of KRAB zinc finger protein (KZFP) genes that modifies VM-IAPs in trans in a sequence-specific manner. Deletion of the cluster results in decreased DNA methylation levels and altered histone modifications at the targeted VM-IAPs. In some cases, these effects are accompanied by dysregulation of neighboring genes. We find that VM-IAPs cluster together phylogenetically and that this is linked to differential KZFP binding, suggestive of an ongoing evolutionary arms race between TEs and this large family of epigenetic regulators. These findings indicate that KZFP divergence and concomitant evolution of DNA binding capabilities are mechanistically linked to methylation variability in mammals, with implications for phenotypic variation and putative paradigms of mammalian epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M Bertozzi
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica L Elmer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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42
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Xu W, Li J, Rong B, Zhao B, Wang M, Dai R, Chen Q, Liu H, Gu Z, Liu S, Guo R, Shen H, Wu F, Lan F. DNMT3A reads and connects histone H3K36me2 to DNA methylation. Protein Cell 2020; 11:150-154. [PMID: 31758527 PMCID: PMC6954886 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-019-00672-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Jiahui Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Bowen Rong
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, 201103, China
| | - Ruofei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Qilong Chen
- Research Center for Chinese Traditional Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Zhongkai Gu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Shuxian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Hongjie Shen
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
| | - Feizhen Wu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
| | - Fei Lan
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
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43
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Kubiura-Ichimaru M, Ito T, Lefebvre L, Tada M. Cyclic DNA remethylation following active demethylation at euchromatic regions in mouse embryonic stem cells. Chromosome Res 2020; 29:145-157. [PMID: 33205231 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-020-09645-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic mark that regulates normal mammalian embryonic development. DNA methylation profiles are not always static, especially during germline development. In zygotes, DNA is typically highly methylated but, during preimplantation, DNA methylation is erased globally. Then, at the start of post-implantation development in mouse embryos, DNA again becomes dramatically hypermethylated. Chromatin structure regulates the accessibility of DNA-modifying enzymes to target DNA. Beyond that, however, our understanding of the pathway by which chromatin regulation initiates changes in global DNA methylation during mouse embryonic development remains incomplete. To analyse the relationship between global regulation of DNA methylation and chromatin status, we examined 5-methylcytosine (5mC), modified by the DNA methyltransferase DNMT, and the oxidative derivative 5-hydroxymethylation (5hmC), converted from 5mC by TET-family enzymes, by means of immunofluorescence staining of mitotic chromosomes in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Our comparison of immunostaining patterns for those epigenetic modifications in wild-type, DNMT-deficient, and TET-deficient ESCs allowed us to visualise cell cycle-mediated DNA methylation changes, especially in euchromatic regions. Our findings suggest that DNA methylation patterns in undifferentiated mouse ESCs are stochastically balanced by the opposing effects of two activities: demethylation by TET and subsequent remethylation by DNMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musashi Kubiura-Ichimaru
- Stem Cells & Reprogramming Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
| | - Takamasa Ito
- Stem Cells & Reprogramming Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
| | - Louis Lefebvre
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Masako Tada
- Stem Cells & Reprogramming Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan.
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Rwigemera A, El Omri-Charai R, Lecante LL, Delbes G. Dynamics in the expression of epigenetic modifiers and histone modifications in perinatal rat germ cells during de novo DNA methylation†. Biol Reprod 2020; 104:361-373. [PMID: 33324985 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic reprogramming during perinatal germ cell development is essential for genomic imprinting and cell differentiation; however, the actors of this key event and their dynamics are poorly understood in rats. Our study aimed to characterize the expression patterns of epigenetic modifiers and the changes in histone modifications in rat gonocytes at the time of de novo DNA methylation. Using transgenic rats expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) specifically in germ cells, we purified male gonocytes by fluorescent activated cell sorting at various stages of perinatal development and established the transcriptomic profile of 165 epigenetic regulators. Using immunofluorescence on gonad sections, we tracked six histone modifications in rat male and female perinatal germ cells over time, including methylation of histone H3 on lysines 27, 9, and 4; ubiquitination of histone H2A on lysine119; and acetylation of histone H2B on lysine 20. The results revealed the dynamics in the expression of ten-eleven translocation enzymes and DNA methyltransferases in male gonocytes at the time of de novo DNA methylation. Moreover, our transcriptomic data indicate a decrease in histone ubiquitination and methylation coinciding with the beginning of de novo DNA methylation. Decreases in H2AK119Ub and H3K27me3 were further confirmed by immunofluorescence in the male germ cells but were not consistent for all H3 methylation sites examined. Together, our data highlighted transient chromatin remodeling involving histone modifications during de novo DNA methylation. Further studies addressing how these dynamic changes in histone posttranslational modifications could guide de novo DNA methylation will help explain the complex establishment of the male germ cell epigenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlette Rwigemera
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Laetitia L Lecante
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Geraldine Delbes
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
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setd2 knockout zebrafish is viable and fertile: differential and developmental stress-related requirements for Setd2 and histone H3K36 trimethylation in different vertebrate animals. Cell Discov 2020; 6:72. [PMID: 33088589 PMCID: PMC7573620 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-020-00203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Setd2 is the only enzyme that catalyzes histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) on virtually all actively transcribed protein-coding genes, and this mechanism is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. Despite this widespread and conserved activity, Setd2 and H3K36me3 are dispensable for normal growth of yeast but are absolutely required for mammalian embryogenesis, such as oocyte maturation and embryonic vasculogenesis in mice, raising a question of how the functional requirements of Setd2 in specific developmental stages have emerged through evolution. Here, we explored this issue by studying the essentiality and function of Setd2 in zebrafish. Surprisingly, the setd2-null zebrafish are viable and fertile. They show Mendelian birth ratio and normal embryogenesis without vascular defect as seen in mice; however, they have a small body size phenotype attributed to insufficient energy metabolism and protein synthesis, which is reversable in a nutrition-dependent manner. Unlike the sterile Setd2-null mice, the setd2-null zebrafish can produce functional sperms and oocytes. Nonetheless, related to the requirement of maternal Setd2 for oocyte maturation in mice, the second generation of setd2-null zebrafish that carry no maternal setd2 show decreased survival rate and a developmental delay at maternal-to-zygotic transition. Taken together, these results indicate that, while the phenotypes of the setd2-null zebrafish and mice are apparently different, they are matched in parallel as the underlying mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved. Thus, the differential requirements of Setd2 may reflect distinct viability thresholds that associate with intrinsic and/or extrinsic stresses experienced by the organism through development, and these epigenetic regulatory mechanisms may serve as a reserved source supporting the evolution of life from simplicity to complexity.
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NSD1-deposited H3K36me2 directs de novo methylation in the mouse male germline and counteracts Polycomb-associated silencing. Nat Genet 2020; 52:1088-1098. [PMID: 32929285 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0689-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
De novo DNA methylation (DNAme) in mammalian germ cells is dependent on DNMT3A and DNMT3L. However, oocytes and spermatozoa show distinct patterns of DNAme. In mouse oocytes, de novo DNAme requires the lysine methyltransferase (KMTase) SETD2, which deposits H3K36me3. We show here that SETD2 is dispensable for de novo DNAme in the male germline. Instead, the lysine methyltransferase NSD1, which broadly deposits H3K36me2 in euchromatic regions, plays a critical role in de novo DNAme in prospermatogonia, including at imprinted genes. However, males deficient in germline NSD1 show a more severe defect in spermatogenesis than Dnmt3l-/- males. Notably, unlike DNMT3L, NSD1 safeguards a subset of genes against H3K27me3-associated transcriptional silencing. In contrast, H3K36me2 in oocytes is predominantly dependent on SETD2 and coincides with H3K36me3. Furthermore, females with NSD1-deficient oocytes are fertile. Thus, the sexually dimorphic pattern of DNAme in mature mouse gametes is orchestrated by distinct profiles of H3K36 methylation.
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47
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The Absence of C-5 DNA Methylation in Leishmania donovani Allows DNA Enrichment from Complex Samples. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8081252. [PMID: 32824654 PMCID: PMC7463849 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytosine C5 methylation is an important epigenetic control mechanism in a wide array of eukaryotic organisms and generally carried out by proteins of the C-5 DNA methyltransferase family (DNMTs). In several protozoans, the status of this mechanism remains elusive, such as in Leishmania, the causative agent of the disease leishmaniasis in humans and a wide array of vertebrate animals. In this work, we showed that the Leishmania donovani genome contains a C-5 DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) from the DNMT6 subfamily, whose function is still unclear, and verified its expression at the RNA level. We created viable overexpressor and knock-out lines of this enzyme and characterized their genome-wide methylation patterns using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, together with promastigote and amastigote control lines. Interestingly, despite the DNMT6 presence, we found that methylation levels were equal to or lower than 0.0003% at CpG sites, 0.0005% at CHG sites, and 0.0126% at CHH sites at the genomic scale. As none of the methylated sites were retained after manual verification, we conclude that there is no evidence for DNA methylation in this species. We demonstrated that this difference in DNA methylation between the parasite (no detectable DNA methylation) and the vertebrate host (DNA methylation) allowed enrichment of parasite vs. host DNA using methyl-CpG-binding domain columns, readily available in commercial kits. As such, we depleted methylated DNA from mixes of Leishmania promastigote and amastigote DNA with human DNA, resulting in average Leishmania:human enrichments from 62× up to 263×. These results open a promising avenue for unmethylated DNA enrichment as a pre-enrichment step before sequencing Leishmania clinical samples.
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Leung CS, Douglass SM, Morselli M, Obusan MB, Pavlyukov MS, Pellegrini M, Johnson TL. H3K36 Methylation and the Chromodomain Protein Eaf3 Are Required for Proper Cotranscriptional Spliceosome Assembly. Cell Rep 2020; 27:3760-3769.e4. [PMID: 31242410 PMCID: PMC6904931 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the eukaryotic cell, spliceosomes assemble onto pre-mRNA cotranscriptionally. Spliceosome assembly takes place in the context of the chromatin environment, suggesting that the state of the chromatin may affect splicing. The molecular details and mechanisms through which chromatin affects splicing, however, are still unclear. Here, we show a role for the histone methyltransferase Set2 and its histone modification, H3K36 methylation, in pre-mRNA splicing through high-throughput sequencing. Moreover, the effect of H3K36 methylation on pre-mRNA splicing is mediated through the chromodomain protein Eaf3. We find that Eaf3 is recruited to intron-containing genes and that Eaf3 interacts with the splicing factor Prp45. Eaf3 acts with Prp45 and Prp19 after formation of the precatalytic B complex around the time of splicing activation, thus revealing the step in splicing that is regulated by H3K36 methylation. These studies support a model whereby H3K36 facilitates recruitment of an "adapter protein" to support efficient, constitutive splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin S Leung
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stephen M Douglass
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marco Morselli
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Matthew B Obusan
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Marat S Pavlyukov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russian Federation
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tracy L Johnson
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Walker C, Burggren W. Remodeling the epigenome and (epi)cytoskeleton: a new paradigm for co-regulation by methylation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/13/jeb220632. [PMID: 32620673 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The epigenome determines heritable patterns of gene expression in the absence of changes in DNA sequence. The result is programming of different cellular-, tissue- and organ-specific phenotypes from a single organismic genome. Epigenetic marks that comprise the epigenome (e.g. methylation) are placed upon or removed from chromatin (histones and DNA) to direct the activity of effectors that regulate gene expression and chromatin structure. Recently, the cytoskeleton has been identified as a second target for the cell's epigenetic machinery. Several epigenetic 'readers, writers and erasers' that remodel chromatin have been discovered to also remodel the cytoskeleton, regulating structure and function of microtubules and actin filaments. This points to an emerging paradigm for dual-function remodelers with 'chromatocytoskeletal' activity that can integrate cytoplasmic and nuclear functions. For example, the SET domain-containing 2 methyltransferase (SETD2) has chromatocytoskeletal activity, methylating both histones and microtubules. The SETD2 methyl mark on chromatin is required for efficient DNA repair, and its microtubule methyl mark is required for proper chromosome segregation during mitosis. This unexpected convergence of SETD2 activity on histones and microtubules to maintain genomic stability suggests the intriguing possibility of an expanded role in the cell for chromatocytoskeletal proteins that read, write and erase methyl marks on the cytoskeleton as well as chromatin. Coordinated use of methyl marks to remodel both the epigenome and the (epi)cytoskeleton opens the possibility for integrated regulation (which we refer to as 'epiregulation') of other higher-level functions, such as muscle contraction or learning and memory, and could even have evolutionary implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Walker
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Warren Burggren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203, USA
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Marcho C, Oluwayiose OA, Pilsner JR. The preconception environment and sperm epigenetics. Andrology 2020; 8:924-942. [PMID: 31901222 PMCID: PMC7346722 DOI: 10.1111/andr.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infertility is a common reproductive disorder, with male factor infertility accounting for approximately half of all cases. Taking a paternal perceptive, recent research has shown that sperm epigenetics, such as changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin structure, and noncoding RNA expression, can impact reproductive and offspring health. Importantly, environmental conditions during the preconception period has been demonstrated to shape sperm epigenetics. OBJECTIVES To provide an overview on epigenetic modifications that regulate normal gene expression and epigenetic remodeling that occurs during spermatogenesis, and to discuss the epigenetic alterations that may occur to the paternal germline as a consequence of preconception environmental conditions and exposures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined published literature available on databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect) focusing on adult male preconception environmental exposures and sperm epigenetics in epidemiologic studies and animal models. RESULTS The preconception period is a sensitive developmental window in which a variety of exposures such as toxicants, nutrition, drugs, stress, and exercise, affects sperm epigenetics. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Understanding the environmental legacy of the sperm epigenome during spermatogenesis will enhance our understanding of reproductive health and improve reproductive success and offspring well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - J. Richard Pilsner
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
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