SET-9 and SET-26 are H3K4me3 readers and play critical roles in germline development and longevity

The chromatin factors SET-26 and HCF-1 oppose the histone deacetylase HDA-1 in longevity and gene regulation in C. elegans

SET-26, HCF-1, and HDA-1 are highly conserved chromatin factors with key roles in development and aging. Here we present mechanistic insights into how these factors regulate gene expression and modulate longevity in C. elegans. We show that SET-26 and HCF-1 cooperate to regulate a common set of genes, and both antagonize the histone deacetylase HDA-1 to limit longevity. HCF-1 localization at chromatin is largely dependent on functional SET-26, whereas SET-26 is only minorly affected by loss of HCF-1, suggesting that SET-26 could recruit HCF-1 to chromatin. HDA-1 opposes SET-26 and HCF-1 on the regulation of a subset of their common target genes and in longevity. Our findings suggest that SET-26, HCF-1, and HDA-1 comprise a mechanism to fine-tune gene expression and longevity and likely have important implications for the mechanistic understanding of how these factors function in diverse organisms, particularly in aging biology.

Genome-wide profiling of histone (H3) lysine 4 (K4) tri-methylation (me3) under drought, heat, and combined stresses in switchgrass

BACKGROUND

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial (C4) grass identified as an important biofuel crop in the United States. It is well adapted to the marginal environment where heat and moisture stresses predominantly affect crop growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with heat and drought stress tolerance still need to be fully understood in switchgrass. The methylation of H3K4 is often associated with transcriptional activation of genes, including stress-responsive. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze genome-wide histone H3K4-tri-methylation in switchgrass under heat, drought, and combined stress.

RESULTS

In total, ~ 1.3 million H3K4me3 peaks were identified in this study using SICER. Among them, 7,342; 6,510; and 8,536 peaks responded under drought (DT), drought and heat (DTHT), and heat (HT) stresses, respectively. Most DT and DTHT peaks spanned 0 to + 2000 bases from the transcription start site [TSS]. By comparing differentially marked peaks with RNA-Seq data, we identified peaks associated with genes: 155 DT-responsive peaks with 118 DT-responsive genes, 121 DTHT-responsive peaks with 110 DTHT-responsive genes, and 175 HT-responsive peaks with 136 HT-responsive genes. We have identified various transcription factors involved in DT, DTHT, and HT stresses. Gene Ontology analysis using the AgriGO revealed that most genes belonged to biological processes. Most annotated peaks belonged to metabolite interconversion, RNA metabolism, transporter, protein modifying, defense/immunity, membrane traffic protein, transmembrane signal receptor, and transcriptional regulator protein families. Further, we identified significant peaks associated with TFs, hormones, signaling, fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism, and secondary metabolites. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the relative expressions of six abiotic stress-responsive genes (transketolase, chromatin remodeling factor-CDH3, fatty-acid desaturase A, transmembrane protein 14C, beta-amylase 1, and integrase-type DNA binding protein genes) that were significantly (P < 0.05) marked during drought, heat, and combined stresses by comparing stress-induced against un-stressed and input controls.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides a comprehensive and reproducible epigenomic analysis of drought, heat, and combined stress responses in switchgrass. Significant enrichment of H3K4me3 peaks downstream of the TSS of protein-coding genes was observed. In addition, the cost-effective experimental design, modified ChIP-Seq approach, and analyses presented here can serve as a prototype for other non-model plant species for conducting stress studies.

Characterization of the distribution and dynamics of chromatin states in the C. elegans germline reveals substantial H3K4me3 remodeling during oogenesis

Chromatin organization in the C. elegans germline is tightly regulated and critical for germ cell differentiation. Although certain germline epigenetic regulatory mechanisms have been identified, how they influence chromatin structure and ultimately gene expression remains unclear, in part because most genomic studies have focused on data collected from intact worms comprising both somatic and germline tissues. We therefore analyzed histone modification and chromatin accessibility data from isolated germ nuclei representing undifferentiated proliferating and meiosis I populations to define chromatin states. We correlated these states with overall transcript abundance, spatiotemporal expression patterns, and the function of small RNA pathways. Because the essential role of the germline is to transmit genetic information and establish gene expression in the early embryo, we compared epigenetic and transcriptomic profiles from undifferentiated germ cells to those of embryos to define the epigenetic changes during this developmental transition. The active histone modification H3K4me3 shows particularly dynamic remodeling as germ cells differentiate into oocytes, which suggests a mechanism for establishing early transcription of essential genes during zygotic genome activation. This analysis highlights the dynamism of the chromatin landscape across developmental transitions and provides a resource for future investigation into epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in germ cells.

Chromatin: the old and young of it

Aging affects nearly all aspects of our cells, from our DNA to our proteins to how our cells handle stress and communicate with each other. Age-related chromatin changes are of particular interest because chromatin can dynamically respond to the cellular and organismal environment, and many modifications at chromatin are reversible. Changes at chromatin occur during aging, and evidence from model organisms suggests that chromatin factors could play a role in modulating the aging process itself, as altering proteins that work at chromatin often affect the lifespan of yeast, worms, flies, and mice. The field of chromatin and aging is rapidly expanding, and high-resolution genomics tools make it possible to survey the chromatin environment or track chromatin factors implicated in longevity with precision that was not previously possible. In this review, we discuss the state of chromatin and aging research. We include examples from yeast, Drosophila, mice, and humans, but we particularly focus on the commonly used aging model, the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, in which there are many examples of chromatin factors that modulate longevity. We include evidence of both age-related changes to chromatin and evidence of specific chromatin factors linked to longevity in core histones, nuclear architecture, chromatin remodeling, and histone modifications.

Different gametogenesis states uniquely impact longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Curtailed reproduction affects lifespan and fat metabolism in diverse organisms, suggesting a regulatory axis between these processes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, ablation of germline stem cells (GSCs) leads to extended lifespan and increased fat accumulation, suggesting GSCs emit signals that modulate systemic physiology. Previous studies mainly focused on the germline-less glp-1(e2141) mutant, however, the hermaphroditic germline of C. elegans provides an excellent opportunity to study the impact of different types of germline anomalies on longevity and fat metabolism. In this study, we compared the metabolomic, transcriptomic, and genetic pathway differences in three sterile mutants: germline-less glp-1, feminized fem-3, and masculinized mog-3. We found that although the three sterile mutants all accumulate excess fat and share expression changes in stress response and metabolism genes, the germline-less glp-1 mutant exhibits the most robust lifespan increase, whereas the feminized fem-3 mutant only lives longer at specific temperatures, and the masculinized mog-3 mutant lives drastically shorter. We demonstrated that overlapping but distinct genetic pathways are required for the longevity of the three different sterile mutants. Our data showed that disruptions of different germ cell populations result in unique and complex physiological and longevity consequences, highlighting exciting avenues for future investigations.

The chromatin factors SET-26 and HCF-1 oppose the histone deacetylase HDA-1 in longevity and gene regulation in C. elegans

SET-26, HCF-1, and HDA-1 are highly conserved chromatin factors with key roles in development and aging. Here we present mechanistic insights into how these factors regulate gene expression and modulate longevity in C. elegans. We show that SET-26 and HCF-1 cooperate to regulate a common set of genes, and both antagonize the histone deacetylase HDA-1 to limit longevity. We propose a model in which SET-26 recruits HCF-1 to chromatin in somatic cells, where they stabilize each other at the promoters of a subset of genes, particularly mitochondrial function genes, and regulate their expression. HDA-1 opposes SET-26 and HCF-1 on the regulation of a subset of their common target genes and in longevity. Our findings suggest that SET-26, HCF-1, and HDA-1 comprise a mechanism to fine-tune gene expression and longevity and likely have important implications for the mechanistic understanding of how these factors function in diverse organisms, particularly in aging biology.

CUT&RUN for Chromatin Profiling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Cleavage under targets and release using nuclease (CUT&RUN) is a recently developed chromatin profiling technique that uses a targeted micrococcal nuclease cleavage strategy to obtain high-resolution binding profiles of protein factors or to map histones with specific post-translational modifications. Due to its high sensitivity, CUT&RUN allows quality binding profiles to be obtained with only a fraction of the starting material and sequencing depth typically required for other chromatin profiling techniques such as chromatin immunoprecipitation. Although CUT&RUN has been widely adopted in multiple model systems, it has rarely been utilized in Caenorhabditis elegans, a model system of great importance to genomic research. Cell dissociation techniques, which are required for this approach, can be challenging in C. elegans due to the toughness of the worm's cuticle and the sensitivity of the cells themselves. Here, we describe a robust CUT&RUN protocol for use in C. elegans to determine the genome-wide localization of protein factors and specific histone marks. With a simple protocol utilizing live, uncrosslinked tissue as the starting material, performing CUT&RUN in worms has the potential to produce physiologically relevant data at a higher resolution than chromatin immunoprecipitation. This protocol involves a simple dissociation step to uniformly permeabilize worms while avoiding sample loss or cell damage, resulting in high-quality CUT&RUN profiles with as few as 100 worms and detectable signal with as few as 10 worms. This represents a significant advancement over chromatin immunoprecipitation, which typically uses thousands or hundreds of thousands of worms for a single experiment. The protocols presented here provide a detailed description of worm growth, sample preparation, CUT&RUN workflow, library preparation for high-throughput sequencing, and a basic overview of data analysis, making CUT&RUN simple and accessible for any worm lab. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Growth and synchronization of C. elegans Basic Protocol 2: Worm dissociation, sample preparation, and optimization Basic Protocol 3: CUT&RUN chromatin profiling Alternate Protocol: Improving CUT&RUN signal using a secondary antibody Basic Protocol 4: CUT&RUN library preparation for Illumina high-throughput sequencing Basic Protocol 5: Basic data analysis using Linux.

SETDB1-like MET-2 promotes transcriptional silencing and development independently of its H3K9me-associated catalytic activity

Transcriptionally silenced heterochromatin bearing methylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me) is critical for maintaining organismal viability and tissue integrity. Here we show that in addition to ensuring H3K9me, MET-2, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the SETDB1 histone methyltransferase, has a noncatalytic function that contributes to gene repression. Subnuclear foci of MET-2 coincide with H3K9me deposition, yet these foci also form when MET-2 is catalytically deficient and H3K9me is compromised. Whereas met-2 deletion triggers a loss of silencing and increased histone acetylation, foci of catalytically deficient MET-2 maintain silencing of a subset of genes, blocking acetylation on H3K9 and H3K27. In normal development, this noncatalytic MET-2 activity helps to maintain fertility. Under heat stress MET-2 foci disperse, coinciding with increased acetylation and transcriptional derepression. Our study suggests that the noncatalytic, focus-forming function of this SETDB1-like protein and its intrinsically disordered cofactor LIN-65 is physiologically relevant.

Genetic and genome-wide analysis of a catalytically deficient SETDB1-like enzyme, MET-2, in Caenorhabditiselegans reveals that MET-2 promotes transcriptional silencing and fertility through both H3K9 methylation and focus formation, which blocks histone acetylation.

Set4 regulates stress response genes and coordinates histone deacetylases within yeast subtelomeres

The yeast chromatin protein Set4 is a member of the Set3-subfamily of SET domain proteins which play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression in diverse developmental and environmental contexts. We previously reported that Set4 promotes survival during oxidative stress and regulates expression of stress response genes via stress-dependent chromatin localization. In this study, global gene expression analysis and investigation of histone modification status identified a role for Set4 in maintaining gene repressive mechanisms within yeast subtelomeres under both normal and stress conditions. We show that Set4 works in a partially overlapping pathway to the SIR complex and the histone deacetylase Rpd3 to maintain proper levels of histone acetylation and expression of stress response genes encoded in subtelomeres. This role for Set4 is particularly critical for cells under hypoxic conditions, where the loss of Set4 decreases cell fitness and cell wall integrity. These findings uncover a new regulator of subtelomeric chromatin that is key to stress defense pathways and demonstrate a function for Set4 in regulating repressive, heterochromatin-like environments.

Investigating autism associated genes in C. elegans reveals candidates with a role in social behaviour

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by a triad of behavioural impairments and includes disruption in social behaviour. ASD has a clear genetic underpinning and hundreds of genes are implicated in its aetiology. However, how single penetrant genes disrupt activity of neural circuits which lead to affected behaviours is only beginning to be understood and less is known about how low penetrant genes interact to disrupt emergent behaviours. Investigations are well served by experimental approaches that allow tractable investigation of the underpinning genetic basis of circuits that control behaviours that operate in the biological domains that are neuro-atypical in autism. The model organism C. elegans provides an experimental platform to investigate the effect of genetic mutations on behavioural outputs including those that impact social biology. Here we use progeny-derived social cues that modulate C. elegans food leaving to assay genetic determinants of social behaviour. We used the SAFRI Gene database to identify C. elegans orthologues of human ASD associated genes. We identified a number of mutants that displayed selective deficits in response to progeny. The genetic determinants of this complex social behaviour highlight the important contribution of synaptopathy and implicates genes within cell signalling, epigenetics and phospholipid metabolism functional domains. The approach overlaps with a growing number of studies that investigate potential molecular determinants of autism in C. elegans. However, our use of a complex, sensory integrative, emergent behaviour provides routes to enrich new or underexplored biology with the identification of novel candidate genes with a definable role in social behaviour.

How do histone modifications contribute to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in C. elegans?

Gene regulatory information can be inherited between generations in a phenomenon termed transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI). While examples of TEI in many animals accumulate, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has proven particularly useful in investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon. In C. elegans and other animals, the modification of histone proteins has emerged as a potential carrier and effector of transgenerational epigenetic information. In this review, we explore the contribution of histone modifications to TEI in C. elegans. We describe the role of repressive histone marks, histone methyltransferases, and associated chromatin factors in heritable gene silencing, and discuss recent developments and unanswered questions in how these factors integrate with other known TEI mechanisms. We also review the transgenerational effects of the manipulation of histone modifications on germline health and longevity.

Serotonin signaling by maternal neurons upon stress ensures progeny survival

Germ cells are vulnerable to stress. Therefore, how organisms protect their future progeny from damage in a fluctuating environment is a fundamental question in biology. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans, serotonin released by maternal neurons during stress ensures the viability and stress resilience of future offspring. Serotonin acts through a signal transduction pathway conserved between C. elegans and mammalian cells to enable the transcription factor HSF1 to alter chromatin in soon-to-be fertilized germ cells by recruiting the histone chaperone FACT, displacing histones, and initiating protective gene expression. Without serotonin release by maternal neurons, FACT is not recruited by HSF1 in germ cells, transcription occurs but is delayed, and progeny of stressed C. elegans mothers fail to complete development. These studies uncover a novel mechanism by which stress sensing by neurons is coupled to transcription response times of germ cells to protect future offspring.

Developmental ROS individualizes organismal stress resistance and lifespan

A central aspect of aging research concerns the question of when individuality in lifespan arises¹. Here we show that a transient increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which occurs naturally during early development in a subpopulation of synchronized Caenorhabditis elegans, sets processes in motion that increase stress resistance, improve redox homeostasis and ultimately prolong lifespan in those animals. We find that these effects are linked to the global ROS-mediated decrease in developmental histone H3K4me3 levels. Studies in HeLa cells confirmed that global H3K4me3 levels are ROS-sensitive and that depletion of H3K4me3 levels increases stress resistance in mammalian cell cultures. In vitro studies identified SET1/MLL histone methyltransferases as redox sensitive units of the H3K4-trimethylating complex of proteins (COMPASS). Our findings implicate a link between early-life events, ROS-sensitive epigenetic marks, stress resistance and lifespan.

Nuclear Organization in Stress and Aging

The eukaryotic nucleus controls most cellular processes. It is isolated from the cytoplasm by the nuclear envelope, which plays a prominent role in the structural organization of the cell, including nucleocytoplasmic communication, chromatin positioning, and gene expression. Alterations in nuclear composition and function are eminently pronounced upon stress and during premature and physiological aging. These alterations are often accompanied by epigenetic changes in histone modifications. We review, here, the role of nuclear envelope proteins and histone modifiers in the 3-dimensional organization of the genome and the implications for gene expression. In particular, we focus on the nuclear lamins and the chromatin-associated protein BAF, which are linked to Hutchinson–Gilford and Nestor–Guillermo progeria syndromes, respectively. We also discuss alterations in nuclear organization and the epigenetic landscapes during normal aging and various stress conditions, ranging from yeast to humans.

Emerging topics in C. elegans aging research: Transcriptional regulation, stress response and epigenetics

Key discoveries in aging research have been made possible with the use of model organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans is a short-lived nematode that has become a well-established system to study aging. The practicality and powerful genetic manipulations associated with this metazoan have revolutionized our ability to understand how organisms age. 25 years after the publication of the discovery of the daf-2 gene as a genetic modifier of lifespan, C. elegans remains as relevant as ever in the quest to understand the process of aging. Nematode aging research has proven useful in identifying transcriptional regulators, small molecule signals, cellular mechanisms, epigenetic modifications associated with stress resistance and longevity, and lifespan-extending compounds. Here, we review recent discoveries and selected topics that have emerged in aging research using this incredible little worm.