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Tomizawa SI, Fellows R, Ono M, Kuroha K, Dočkal I, Kobayashi Y, Minamizawa K, Natsume K, Nakajima K, Hoshi I, Matsuda S, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Aoto K, Saitsu H, Ohbo K. The non-canonical bivalent gene Wfdc15a controls spermatogenic protease and immune homeostasis. Development 2024; 151:dev202834. [PMID: 39222051 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202834] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Male infertility can be caused by chromosomal abnormalities, mutations and epigenetic defects. Epigenetic modifiers pre-program hundreds of spermatogenic genes in spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) for expression later in spermatids, but it remains mostly unclear whether and how those genes are involved in fertility. Here, we report that Wfdc15a, a WFDC family protease inhibitor pre-programmed by KMT2B, is essential for spermatogenesis. We found that Wfdc15a is a non-canonical bivalent gene carrying both H3K4me3 and facultative H3K9me3 in SSCs, but is later activated along with the loss of H3K9me3 and acquisition of H3K27ac during meiosis. We show that WFDC15A deficiency causes defective spermiogenesis at the beginning of spermatid elongation. Notably, depletion of WFDC15A causes substantial disturbance of the testicular protease-antiprotease network and leads to an orchitis-like inflammatory response associated with TNFα expression in round spermatids. Together, our results reveal a unique epigenetic program regulating innate immunity crucial for fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Tomizawa
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Rachel Fellows
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Michio Ono
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazushige Kuroha
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Ivana Dočkal
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yuki Kobayashi
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Keisuke Minamizawa
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Koji Natsume
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kuniko Nakajima
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Ikue Hoshi
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Shion Matsuda
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Masahide Seki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kazushi Aoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
- Central Laboratory, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
| | - Hirotomo Saitsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Ohbo
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
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2
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Kulikova DA, Bespalova AV, Zelentsova ES, Evgen'ev MB, Funikov SY. Epigenetic Phenomenon of Paramutation in Plants and Animals. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:1429-1450. [PMID: 39245454 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924080054] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
The phenomenon of paramutation describes the interaction between two alleles, in which one allele initiates inherited epigenetic conversion of another allele without affecting the DNA sequence. Epigenetic transformations due to paramutation are accompanied by the change in DNA and/or histone methylation patterns, affecting gene expression. Studies of paramutation in plants and animals have identified small non-coding RNAs as the main effector molecules required for the initiation of epigenetic changes in gene loci. Due to the fact that small non-coding RNAs can be transmitted across generations, the paramutation effect can be inherited and maintained in a population. In this review, we will systematically analyze examples of paramutation in different living systems described so far, highlighting common and different molecular and genetic aspects of paramutation between organisms, and considering the role of this phenomenon in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina A Kulikova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Alina V Bespalova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Elena S Zelentsova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Mikhail B Evgen'ev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Sergei Yu Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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3
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Basak S, Mallick R, Navya Sree B, Duttaroy AK. Placental Epigenome Impacts Fetal Development: Effects of Maternal Nutrients and Gut Microbiota. Nutrients 2024; 16:1860. [PMID: 38931215 PMCID: PMC11206482 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121860] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence is emerging on the role of maternal diet, gut microbiota, and other lifestyle factors in establishing lifelong health and disease, which are determined by transgenerationally inherited epigenetic modifications. Understanding epigenetic mechanisms may help identify novel biomarkers for gestation-related exposure, burden, or disease risk. Such biomarkers are essential for developing tools for the early detection of risk factors and exposure levels. It is necessary to establish an exposure threshold due to nutrient deficiencies or other environmental factors that can result in clinically relevant epigenetic alterations that modulate disease risks in the fetus. This narrative review summarizes the latest updates on the roles of maternal nutrients (n-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamins) and gut microbiota on the placental epigenome and its impacts on fetal brain development. This review unravels the potential roles of the functional epigenome for targeted intervention to ensure optimal fetal brain development and its performance in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Basak
- Molecular Biology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad 500007, India; (S.B.); (B.N.S.)
| | - Rahul Mallick
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Boga Navya Sree
- Molecular Biology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad 500007, India; (S.B.); (B.N.S.)
| | - Asim K. Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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Serra-Cardona A, Hua X, McNutt SW, Zhou H, Toda T, Jia S, Chu F, Zhang Z. The PCNA-Pol δ complex couples lagging strand DNA synthesis to parental histone transfer for epigenetic inheritance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn5175. [PMID: 38838138 PMCID: PMC11152121 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn5175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Inheritance of epigenetic information is critical for maintaining cell identity. The transfer of parental histone H3-H4 tetramers, the primary carrier of epigenetic modifications on histone proteins, represents a crucial yet poorly understood step in the inheritance of epigenetic information. Here, we show the lagging strand DNA polymerase, Pol δ, interacts directly with H3-H4 and that the interaction between Pol δ and the sliding clamp PCNA regulates parental histone transfer to lagging strands, most likely independent of their roles in DNA synthesis. When combined, mutations at Pol δ and Mcm2 that compromise parental histone transfer result in a greater reduction in nucleosome occupancy at nascent chromatin than mutations in either alone. Last, PCNA contributes to nucleosome positioning on nascent chromatin. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the PCNA-Pol δ complex couples lagging strand DNA synthesis to parental H3-H4 transfer, facilitating epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Serra-Cardona
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Xu Hua
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Seth W. McNutt
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Hui Zhou
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Takenori Toda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Songtao Jia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Feixia Chu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10019, USA
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Kitamura Y, Namekawa SH. Epigenetic priming in the male germline. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 86:102190. [PMID: 38608568 PMCID: PMC11162906 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic priming presets chromatin states that allow the rapid induction of gene expression programs in response to differentiation cues. In the germline, it provides the blueprint for sexually dimorphic unidirectional differentiation. In this review, we focus on epigenetic priming in the mammalian male germline and discuss how cellular memories are regulated and inherited to the next generation. During spermatogenesis, epigenetic priming predetermines cellular memories that ensure the lifelong maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells and their subsequent commitment to meiosis and to the production of haploid sperm. The paternal chromatin state is also essential for the recovery of totipotency after fertilization and contributes to paternal epigenetic inheritance. Thus, epigenetic priming establishes stable but reversible chromatin states during spermatogenesis and enables epigenetic inheritance and reprogramming in the next generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Kitamura
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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6
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Deng X, Liang S, Tang Y, Li Y, Xu R, Luo L, Wang Q, Zhang X, Liu Y. Adverse effects of bisphenol A and its analogues on male fertility: An epigenetic perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123393. [PMID: 38266695 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123393] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing concern about the adverse effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on male fertility. Epigenetic modification is critical for male germline development, and has been suggested as a potential mechanism for impaired fertility induced by EDCs. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been recognized as a typical EDC. BPA and its analogues, which are still widely used in various consumer products, have garnered increasing attention due to their reproductive toxicity and the potential to induce epigenetic alteration. This literature review provides an overview of studies investigating the adverse effects of bisphenol exposures on epigenetic modifications and male fertility. Existing studies provide evidence that exposure to bisphenols can lead to adverse effects on male fertility, including declined semen quality, altered reproductive hormone levels, and adverse reproductive outcomes. Epigenetic patterns, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA expression, can be altered by bisphenol exposures. Transgenerational effects, which influence the fertility and epigenetic patterns of unexposed generations, have also been identified. However, the magnitude and direction of certain outcomes varied across different studies. Investigations into the dynamics of histopathological and epigenetic alterations associated with bisphenol exposures during developmental stages can enhance the understanding of the epigenetic effects of bisphenols, the implication of epigenetic alteration on male fertility, and the health of successive generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Deng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sihan Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqian Tang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingxin Li
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruijun Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Luo
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiling Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinzong Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Science Institute, Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuewei Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Senaldi L, Hassan N, Cullen S, Balaji U, Trigg N, Gu J, Finkelstein H, Phillips K, Conine C, Smith-Raska M. Khdc3 Regulates Metabolism Across Generations in a DNA-Independent Manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582278. [PMID: 38464133 PMCID: PMC10925209 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Genetic variants can alter the profile of heritable molecules such as small RNAs in sperm and oocytes, and in this manner ancestral genetic variants can have a significant effect on offspring phenotypes even if they are not themselves inherited. Here we show that wild type female mice descended from ancestors with a mutation in the mammalian germ cell gene Khdc3 have hepatic metabolic defects that persist over multiple generations. We find that genetically wild type females descended from Khdc3 mutants have transcriptional dysregulation of critical hepatic metabolic genes, which persist over multiple generations and pass through both female and male lineages. This was associated with dysregulation of hepatically-metabolized molecules in the blood of these wild type mice with mutational ancestry. The oocytes of Khdc3-null females, as well as their wild type descendants, had dysregulation of multiple small RNAs, suggesting that these epigenetic changes in the gametes transmit the phenotype between generations. Our results demonstrate that ancestral mutation in Khdc3 can produce transgenerational inherited phenotypes, potentially indefinitely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Senaldi
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nora Hassan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean Cullen
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uthra Balaji
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Trigg
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinghua Gu
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hailey Finkelstein
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Phillips
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Colin Conine
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Smith-Raska
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Fangninou FF, Yu Z, Li W, Xue L, Yin D. Metastatic effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on Drosophila melanogaster with metabolic reprogramming and dysrhythmia in a multigenerational exposure scenario. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169305. [PMID: 38103603 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169305] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure correlated with various cancers and their mortality. Its persistence in the environment made its long-term multigenerational influences of significant concerns. However, it remained unanswered whether its multigenerational exposure could influence metastasis which contributes ~90 % to cancer mortality. In the present study, long-term effects of PFOA were measured in Drosophila melanogaster over 3 consecutive generations. In the morning-eclosed (AM) adult flies, PFOA significantly promoted tumor invasion rates and distances which increased over generations. Regarding metabolic reprogramming, PFOA disturbed the expressions of Glut1 and Pdk1, activities and contents of FASN1 (fatty acid synthase), ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) and SREBP1 (sterol regulatory element binding protein). Regarding antioxidant responses, PFOA exposure generated provoked oxidative stress via H2O2 and stimulated antioxidants including glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), melatonin, serotonin and cortisol, with downregulations on PI3K/AKT pathways and upregulations on MAPK ones. The biochemical and molecular effects altered over generations. In the afternoon-eclosed (PM) adult flies, the metastasis of PFOA was more deteriorated than in AM adults. The significant influences of dysrhythmia were also observed in the multigenerational effects of PFOA on the metabolism reprogramming and antioxidant responses. The effects on rhythm-regulating gene expressions and protein levels explained the dysrhythmia and also indicated close interactions among metabolism reprogramming, antioxidant responses and rhythm regulation. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Numerous emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are being detected. Meanwhile, the toxicities of the emerging PFASs still depend on the progress of legacy PFASs for the continuity of scientific studies. As one legacy PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure correlated with various cancers and their mortality. Its persistence in the environment made its long-term multigenerational influences of significant concerns. However, it remained unanswered whether its multigenerational exposure could influence metastasis which contributes ~90 % to cancer mortality. The present study performed PFOA exposure for 3 consecutive generations. Results showed that the metastasis by PFOA increased over generations, and it was further deteriorated by dysrhythmia. Further analysis demonstrated the interactive involvement of metabolism reprogramming, antioxidant responses and rhythm regulation. The findings of the present study would highlight considerate points for studying the toxicities of emerging PFASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangnon Firmin Fangninou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 01 BP 526, Benin
| | - Zhenyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Wenzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Lei Xue
- College of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Daqiang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, PR China
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9
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Walters BW, Rainsford SR, Heuer RA, Dias N, Huang X, de Rooij D, Lesch BJ. KDM6A/UTX promotes spermatogenic gene expression across generations and is not required for male fertility†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:391-407. [PMID: 37861693 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad141] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal chromatin undergoes extensive structural and epigenetic changes during mammalian spermatogenesis, producing sperm with an epigenome optimized for the transition to embryogenesis. Lysine demethylase 6a (KDM6A, also called UTX) promotes gene activation in part via demethylation of H3K27me3, a developmentally important repressive modification abundant throughout the epigenome of spermatogenic cells and sperm. We previously demonstrated increased cancer risk in genetically wild-type mice derived from a paternal germ line lacking Kdm6a (Kdm6a cKO), indicating a role for KDM6A in regulating heritable epigenetic states. However, the regulatory function of KDM6A during spermatogenesis is not known. Here, we show that Kdm6a is transiently expressed in spermatogenesis, with RNA and protein expression largely limited to late spermatogonia and early meiotic prophase. Kdm6a cKO males do not have defects in fertility or the overall progression of spermatogenesis. However, hundreds of genes are deregulated upon loss of Kdm6a in spermatogenic cells, with a strong bias toward downregulation coinciding with the time when Kdm6a is expressed. Misregulated genes encode factors involved in chromatin organization and regulation of repetitive elements, and a subset of these genes was persistently deregulated in the male germ line across two generations of offspring of Kdm6a cKO males. Genome-wide epigenetic profiling revealed broadening of H3K27me3 peaks in differentiating spermatogonia of Kdm6a cKO mice, suggesting that KDM6A demarcates H3K27me3 domains in the male germ line. Our findings highlight KDM6A as a transcriptional activator in the mammalian male germ line that is dispensable for spermatogenesis but important for safeguarding gene regulatory state intergenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rachel A Heuer
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicolas Dias
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiaofang Huang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dirk de Rooij
- Reproductive Biology Group, Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bluma J Lesch
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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10
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Lismer A, Shao X, Dumargne MC, Lafleur C, Lambrot R, Chan D, Toft G, Bonde JP, MacFarlane AJ, Bornman R, Aneck-Hahn N, Patrick S, Bailey JM, de Jager C, Dumeaux V, Trasler JM, Kimmins S. The Association between Long-Term DDT or DDE Exposures and an Altered Sperm Epigenome-a Cross-Sectional Study of Greenlandic Inuit and South African VhaVenda Men. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:17008. [PMID: 38294233 PMCID: PMC10829569 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The organochlorine dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is banned worldwide owing to its negative health effects. It is exceptionally used as an insecticide for malaria control. Exposure occurs in regions where DDT is applied, as well as in the Arctic, where its endocrine disrupting metabolite, p , p ' -dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p , p ' -DDE) accumulates in marine mammals and fish. DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposures are linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer, and neurodevelopmental delays. Of particular concern is the potential of DDT use to impact the health of generations to come via the heritable sperm epigenome. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to assess the sperm epigenome in relation to p , p ' -DDE serum levels between geographically diverse populations. METHODS In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, we recruited 247 VhaVenda South African men and selected 50 paired blood serum and semen samples, and 47 Greenlandic Inuit blood and semen paired samples were selected from a total of 193 samples from the biobank of the INUENDO cohort, an EU Fifth Framework Programme Research and Development project. Sample selection was based on obtaining a range of p , p ' -DDE serum levels (mean = 870.734 ± 134.030 ng / mL ). We assessed the sperm epigenome in relation to serum p , p ' -DDE levels using MethylC-Capture-sequencing (MCC-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). We identified genomic regions with altered DNA methylation (DNAme) and differential enrichment of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in sperm. RESULTS Differences in DNAme and H3K4me3 enrichment were identified at transposable elements and regulatory regions involved in fertility, disease, development, and neurofunction. A subset of regions with sperm DNAme and H3K4me3 that differed between exposure groups was predicted to persist in the preimplantation embryo and to be associated with embryonic gene expression. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that DDT and p , p ' -DDE exposure impacts the sperm epigenome in a dose-response-like manner and may negatively impact the health of future generations through epigenetic mechanisms. Confounding factors, such as other environmental exposures, genetic diversity, and selection bias, cannot be ruled out. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xiaojian Shao
- Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie-Charlotte Dumargne
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christine Lafleur
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Romain Lambrot
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Donovan Chan
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amanda J. MacFarlane
- Agriculture Food and Nutrition Evidence Center, Texas A&M University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Riana Bornman
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Natalie Aneck-Hahn
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sean Patrick
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Janice M. Bailey
- Research Centre on Reproduction and Intergenerational Health, Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christiaan de Jager
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Vanessa Dumeaux
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacquetta M. Trasler
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Child Health and Human Development Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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11
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Yin Q, Yang CH, Strelkova OS, Wu J, Sun Y, Gopalan S, Yang L, Dekker J, Fazzio TG, Li XZ, Gibcus J, Rando OJ. Revisiting chromatin packaging in mouse sperm. Genome Res 2023; 33:2079-2093. [PMID: 38129076 PMCID: PMC10760523 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277845.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm show an unusual and heavily compacted genomic packaging state. In addition to its role in organizing the compact and hydrodynamic sperm head, it has been proposed that sperm chromatin architecture helps to program gene expression in the early embryo. Scores of genome-wide surveys in sperm have reported patterns of chromatin accessibility, nucleosome localization, histone modification, and chromosome folding. Here, we revisit these studies in light of recent reports that sperm obtained from the mouse epididymis are contaminated with low levels of cell-free chromatin. In the absence of proper sperm lysis, we readily recapitulate multiple prominent genome-wide surveys of sperm chromatin, suggesting that these profiles primarily reflect contaminating cell-free chromatin. Removal of cell-free DNA, and appropriate lysis conditions, are together required to reveal a sperm chromatin state distinct from most previous reports. Using ATAC-seq to explore relatively accessible genomic loci, we identify a landscape of open loci associated with early development and transcriptional control. Histone modification and chromosome folding profiles also strongly support the hypothesis that prior studies suffer from contamination, but technical challenges associated with reliably preserving the architecture of the compacted sperm head prevent us from confidently assaying true localization patterns for these epigenetic marks. Together, our studies show that our knowledge of chromosome packaging in mammalian sperm remains largely incomplete, and motivate future efforts to more accurately characterize genome organization in mature sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangzong Yin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Chih-Hsiang Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Olga S Strelkova
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Jingyi Wu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
- Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Yu Sun
- Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Sneha Gopalan
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Liyan Yang
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Job Dekker
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Thomas G Fazzio
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Xin Zhiguo Li
- Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Johan Gibcus
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
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12
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Benetatos L, Vartholomatos G. Embryonic transcription and epigenetics: root of the evil. Hum Cell 2023; 36:1830-1833. [PMID: 37330916 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00937-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonidas Benetatos
- Hematology Unit, Preveza General Hospital, Selefkias 2, 48100, Preveza, Greece.
| | - George Vartholomatos
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Ioannina University Hospital, Niarchos Ave, 45100, Ioannina, Greece
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13
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Sakashita A, Ooga M, Otsuka K, Maezawa S, Takeuchi C, Wakayama S, Wakayama T, Namekawa S. Polycomb protein SCML2 mediates paternal epigenetic inheritance through sperm chromatin. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6668-6683. [PMID: 37283086 PMCID: PMC10359620 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm chromatin retains small amounts of histones, and chromatin states of sperm mirror gene expression programs of the next generation. However, it remains largely unknown how paternal epigenetic information is transmitted through sperm chromatin. Here, we present a novel mouse model of paternal epigenetic inheritance, in which deposition of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) mediated-repressive H3K27me3 is attenuated in the paternal germline. By applying modified methods of assisted reproductive technology using testicular sperm, we rescued infertility of mice missing Polycomb protein SCML2, which regulates germline gene expression by establishing H3K27me3 on bivalent promoters with other active marks H3K4me2/3. We profiled epigenomic states (H3K27me3 and H3K4me3) of testicular sperm and epididymal sperm, demonstrating that the epididymal pattern of the sperm epigenome is already established in testicular sperm and that SCML2 is required for this process. In F1 males of X-linked Scml2-knockout mice, which have a wild-type genotype, gene expression is dysregulated in the male germline during spermiogenesis. These dysregulated genes are targets of SCML2-mediated H3K27me3 in F0 sperm. Further, dysregulation of gene expression was observed in the mutant-derived wild-type F1 preimplantation embryos. Together, we present functional evidence that the classic epigenetic regulator Polycomb mediates paternal epigenetic inheritance through sperm chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Sakashita
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo160-8582, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Ooga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Yamanashi, Kofu400-8510, Japan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616, USA
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa252-5201, Japan
| | - Kai Otsuka
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - So Maezawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229, USA
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa252-5201, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba278-8510, Japan
| | - Chikara Takeuchi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo160-8582, Japan
| | - Sayaka Wakayama
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu400-8510, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Wakayama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of Yamanashi, Kofu400-8510, Japan
- Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu400-8510, Japan
| | - Satoshi H Namekawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA95616, USA
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14
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Kachhawaha AS, Mishra S, Tiwari AK. Epigenetic control of heredity. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 198:25-60. [PMID: 37225323 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the field of science that deals with the study of changes in gene function that do not involve changes in DNA sequence and are heritable while epigenetics inheritance is the process of transmission of epigenetic modifications to the next generation. It can be transient, intergenerational, or transgenerational. There are various epigenetic modifications involving mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA expression, all of which are inheritable. In this chapter, we summarize the information on epigenetic inheritance, its mechanism, inheritance studies on various organisms, factors affecting epigenetic modifications and their inheritance, and the role of epigenetic inheritance in the heritability of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Singh Kachhawaha
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Sarita Mishra
- Laboratory of Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology, School of Forensic Sciences, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anand Krishna Tiwari
- Genetics & Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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15
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Lismer A, Kimmins S. Emerging evidence that the mammalian sperm epigenome serves as a template for embryo development. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2142. [PMID: 37059740 PMCID: PMC10104880 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37820-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Although more studies are demonstrating that a father's environment can influence child health and disease, the molecular mechanisms underlying non-genetic inheritance remain unclear. It was previously thought that sperm exclusively contributed its genome to the egg. More recently, association studies have shown that various environmental exposures including poor diet, toxicants, and stress, perturbed epigenetic marks in sperm at important reproductive and developmental loci that were associated with offspring phenotypes. The molecular and cellular routes that underlie how epigenetic marks are transmitted at fertilization, to resist epigenetic reprogramming in the embryo, and drive phenotypic changes are only now beginning to be unraveled. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the field of intergenerational paternal epigenetic inheritance in mammals and present new insights into the relationship between embryo development and the three pillars of epigenetic inheritance: chromatin, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs. We evaluate compelling evidence of sperm-mediated transmission and retention of paternal epigenetic marks in the embryo. Using landmark examples, we discuss how sperm-inherited regions may escape reprogramming to impact development via mechanisms that implicate transcription factors, chromatin organization, and transposable elements. Finally, we link paternally transmitted epigenetic marks to functional changes in the pre- and post-implantation embryo. Understanding how sperm-inherited epigenetic factors influence embryo development will permit a greater understanding related to the developmental origins of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Lismer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada.
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.
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Barbero G, de Sousa Serro MG, Perez Lujan C, Vitullo AD, González CR, González B. Transcriptome profiling of histone writers/erasers enzymes across spermatogenesis, mature sperm and pre-cleavage embryo: Implications in paternal epigenome transitions and inheritance mechanisms. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1086573. [PMID: 36776561 PMCID: PMC9911891 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1086573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence points out that sperm carry epigenetic instructions to embryo in the form of retained histones marks and RNA cargo that can transmit metabolic and behavioral traits to offspring. However, the mechanisms behind epigenetic inheritance of paternal environment are still poorly understood. Here, we curated male germ cells RNA-seq data and analyzed the expression profile of all known histone lysine writers and erasers enzymes across spermatogenesis, unraveling the developmental windows at which they are upregulated, and the specific activity related to canonical and non-canonical histone marks deposition and removal. We also characterized the epigenetic enzymes signature in the mature sperm RNA cargo, showing most of them positive translation at pre-cleavage zygote, suggesting that paternally-derived enzymes mRNA cooperate with maternal factors to embryo chromatin assembly. Our study shows several histone modifying enzymes not described yet in spermatogenesis and even more, important mechanistic aspects behind transgenerational epigenetics. Epigenetic enzymes not only can respond to environmental stressors, but could function as vectors of epigenetic information and participate in chromatin organization during maternal-to-zygote transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gastón Barbero
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano G. de Sousa Serro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camila Perez Lujan
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfredo D. Vitullo
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Candela R. González
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo (CEBBAD), Universidad Maimónides, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Betina González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,*Correspondence: Betina González,
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17
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Hocher B, Lu YP, Reichetzeder C, Zhang X, Tsuprykov O, Rahnenführer J, Xie L, Li J, Hu L, Krämer BK, Hasan AA. Paternal eNOS deficiency in mice affects glucose homeostasis and liver glycogen in male offspring without inheritance of eNOS deficiency itself. Diabetologia 2022; 65:1222-1236. [PMID: 35488925 PMCID: PMC9174141 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-022-05700-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS It was shown that maternal endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) deficiency causes fatty liver disease and numerically lower fasting glucose in female wild-type offspring, suggesting that parental genetic variants may influence the offspring's phenotype via epigenetic modifications in the offspring despite the absence of a primary genetic defect. The aim of the current study was to analyse whether paternal eNOS deficiency may cause the same phenotype as seen with maternal eNOS deficiency. METHODS Heterozygous (+/-) male eNOS (Nos3) knockout mice or wild-type male mice were bred with female wild-type mice. The phenotype of wild-type offspring of heterozygous male eNOS knockout mice was compared with offspring from wild-type parents. RESULTS Global sperm DNA methylation decreased and sperm microRNA pattern altered substantially. Fasting glucose and liver glycogen storage were increased when analysing wild-type male and female offspring of +/- eNOS fathers. Wild-type male but not female offspring of +/- eNOS fathers had increased fasting insulin and increased insulin after glucose load. Analysing candidate genes for liver fat and carbohydrate metabolism revealed that the expression of genes encoding glucocorticoid receptor (Gr; also known as Nr3c1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (Pgc1a; also known as Ppargc1a) was increased while DNA methylation of Gr exon 1A and Pgc1a promoter was decreased in the liver of male wild-type offspring of +/- eNOS fathers. The endocrine pancreas in wild-type offspring was not affected. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Our study suggests that paternal genetic defects such as eNOS deficiency may alter the epigenome of the sperm without transmission of the paternal genetic defect itself. In later life wild-type male offspring of +/- eNOS fathers developed increased fasting insulin and increased insulin after glucose load. These effects are associated with increased Gr and Pgc1a gene expression due to altered methylation of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berthold Hocher
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China.
- Institute of Medical Diagnostics, IMD Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Yong-Ping Lu
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Center of Kidney and Urology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oleg Tsuprykov
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Rahnenführer
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Li Xie
- Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Jian Li
- Key Laboratory of Study and Discovery of Small Targeted Molecules of Hunan Province, School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Liang Hu
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bernhard K Krämer
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ahmed A Hasan
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Pepin AS, Lafleur C, Lambrot R, Dumeaux V, Kimmins S. Sperm histone H3 lysine 4 tri-methylation serves as a metabolic sensor of paternal obesity and is associated with the inheritance of metabolic dysfunction. Mol Metab 2022; 59:101463. [PMID: 35183795 PMCID: PMC8931445 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parental environmental exposures can strongly influence descendant risks for adult disease. How paternal obesity changes the sperm chromatin leading to the acquisition of metabolic disease in offspring remains controversial and ill-defined. The objective of this study was to assess (1) whether obesity induced by a high-fat diet alters sperm histone methylation; (2) whether paternal obesity can induce metabolic disturbances across generations; (3) whether there could be cumulative damage to the sperm epigenome leading to enhanced metabolic dysfunction in descendants; and (4) whether obesity-sensitive regions associate with embryonic epigenetic and transcriptomic profiles. Using a genetic mouse model of epigenetic inheritance, we investigated the role of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me3) in the paternal transmission of metabolic dysfunction. This transgenic mouse overexpresses the histone demethylase enzyme KDM1A in the developing germline and has an altered sperm epigenome at the level of histone H3K4 methylation. We hypothesized that challenging transgenic sires with a high-fat diet would further erode the sperm epigenome and lead to enhanced metabolic disturbances in the next generations. METHODS To assess whether paternal obesity can have inter- or transgenerational impacts, and if so to identify potential mechanisms of this non-genetic inheritance, we used wild-type C57BL/6NCrl and transgenic males with a pre-existing altered sperm epigenome. To induce obesity, sires were fed either a control or high-fat diet (10% or 60% kcal fat, respectively) for 10-12 weeks, then bred to wild-type C57BL/6NCrl females fed a regular diet. F1 and F2 descendants were characterized for metabolic phenotypes by examining the effects of paternal obesity by sex, on body weight, fat mass distribution, the liver transcriptome, intraperitoneal glucose, and insulin tolerance tests. To determine whether obesity altered the F0 sperm chromatin, native chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing targeting H3K4me3 was performed. To gain insight into mechanisms of paternal transmission, we compared our sperm H3K4me3 profiles with embryonic and placental chromatin states, histone modification, and gene expression profiles. RESULTS Obesity-induced alterations in H3K4me3 occurred in genes implicated in metabolic, inflammatory, and developmental processes. These processes were associated with offspring metabolic dysfunction and corresponded to genes enriched for H3K4me3 in embryos and overlapped embryonic and placenta gene expression profiles. Transgenerational susceptibility to metabolic disease was only observed when obese F0 had a pre-existing modified sperm epigenome. This coincided with increased H3K4me3 alterations in sperm and more severe phenotypes affecting their offspring. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest sperm H3K4me3 might serve as a metabolic sensor that connects paternal diet with offspring phenotypes via the placenta. This non-DNA-based knowledge of inheritance has the potential to improve our understanding of how environment shapes heritability and may lead to novel routes for the prevention of disease. This study highlights the need to further study the connection between the sperm epigenome, placental development, and children's health. SUMMARY SENTENCE Paternal obesity impacts sperm H3K4me3 and is associated with placenta, embryonic and metabolic outcomes in descendants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Pepin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Christine Lafleur
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Romain Lambrot
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Vanessa Dumeaux
- Department of Biology, PERFORM Center, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Sarah Kimmins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
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Nicolella HD, de Assis S. Epigenetic Inheritance: Intergenerational Effects of Pesticides and Other Endocrine Disruptors on Cancer Development. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:4671. [PMID: 35563062 PMCID: PMC9102839 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental environmental experiences affect disease susceptibility in the progeny through epigenetic inheritance. Pesticides are substances or mixtures of chemicals-some of which are persistent environmental pollutants-that are used to control pests. This review explores the evidence linking parental exposure to pesticides and endocrine disruptors to intergenerational and transgenerational susceptibility of cancer in population studies and animal models. We also discuss the impact of pesticides and other endocrine disruptors on the germline epigenome as well as the emerging evidence for how epigenetic information is transmitted between generations. Finally, we discuss the importance of this mode of inheritance in the context of cancer prevention and the challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloiza Diniz Nicolella
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Sonia de Assis
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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20
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Lee GS, Conine CC. The Transmission of Intergenerational Epigenetic Information by Sperm microRNAs. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:12. [PMID: 35466187 PMCID: PMC9036291 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next, modulating the phenotype of offspring non-genetically in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. For intergenerational non-genetic inheritance to occur, epigenetic information must accumulate in germ cells. The three main carriers of epigenetic information-histone post-translational modifications, DNA modifications, and RNAs-all exhibit dynamic patterns of regulation during germ cell development. For example, histone modifications and DNA methylation are extensively reprogrammed and often eliminated during germ cell maturation and after fertilization during embryogenesis. Consequently, much attention has been given to RNAs, specifically small regulatory RNAs, as carriers of inherited epigenetic information. In this review, we discuss examples in which microRNAs have been implicated as key players in transmitting paternal epigenetic information intergenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace S. Lee
- Pharmacology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Colin C. Conine
- Departments of Genetics and Pediatrics—Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Reproduction and Women’s Health, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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21
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Genetic and epigenetic processes linked to cancer. Cancer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91904-3.00013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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22
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Usman T, Ali N, Wang Y, Yu Y. Association of Aberrant DNA Methylation Level in the CD4 and JAK-STAT-Pathway-Related Genes with Mastitis Indicator Traits in Chinese Holstein Dairy Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010065. [PMID: 35011171 PMCID: PMC8749870 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study was designed to evaluate the gene expression and DNA methylation level in the promoter region of the CD4 and the JAK-STAT-pathway-related genes. A total of 24 samples were deployed in the gene expression and 118 samples were used in the DNA methylation study. Student's t-tests were used to analyze the gene expression and DNA methylation. The evaluation of DNA methylation in promoter regions of JAK2 and STAT5A revealed hypo-methylation levels of CpG sites and higher gene expression in cows diagnosed with mastitis as compared to the healthy control, and vice versa in those with CD4. DNA methylation was negatively correlated with gene expression in JAK2, STAT5A, and CD4 genes. Six, two, and four active transcription factors were identified on the CpG sites in the promoter regions of JAK2, STAT5A, and CD4 genes, respectively. Regarding correlation analysis, the DNA methylation levels of CD4 showed significantly higher positive correlations with somatic cell counts (p < 0.05). Findings of the current study inferred that aberrant DNA methylation in the CpG sites at the 1 kb promoter region in JAK2, STAT5A, and CD4 genes due to mastitis in cows can be used as potential epigenetic markers to estimate bovine mastitis susceptibility in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Usman
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
- College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (T.U.); (Y.Y.); Tel.: +92-313-092-0177 (T.U.); +86-10-62-734-611 (Y.Y.); Fax: +86-10-62-732-439 (Y.Y.)
| | - Nawab Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan;
| | - Yachun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Ying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
- Correspondence: (T.U.); (Y.Y.); Tel.: +92-313-092-0177 (T.U.); +86-10-62-734-611 (Y.Y.); Fax: +86-10-62-732-439 (Y.Y.)
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Cheuquemán C, Maldonado R. Non-coding RNAs and chromatin: key epigenetic factors from spermatogenesis to transgenerational inheritance. Biol Res 2021; 54:41. [PMID: 34930477 PMCID: PMC8686607 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-021-00364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular fate and gene expression patterns are modulated by different epigenetic factors including non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and chromatin organization. Both factors are dynamic throughout male germ cell differentiation on the seminiferous tubule, despite the transcriptional inactivation in the last stages of spermatogenesis. Sperm maturation during the caput-to-cauda transit on the epididymis involves changes in chromatin organization and the soma-to-germ line transference of ncRNAs that are essential to obtain a functional sperm for fertilization and embryo development. Here, the male environment (diseases, drugs, mental stress) is crucial to modulate these epigenetic factors throughout sperm maturation, affecting the corresponding offspring. Paternal transgenerational inheritance has been directly related to sperm epigenetic changes, most of them associated with variations in the ncRNA content and chromatin marks. Our aim is to give an overview about how epigenetics, focused on ncRNAs and chromatin, is pivotal to understand spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, and how the male environment impacts the sperm epigenome modulating the offspring gene expression pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cheuquemán
- Núcleo de Ciencias Biológicas, Dirección de Núcleos Transversales, Facultad de estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Temuco, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Maldonado
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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24
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Mi S, Chen S, Li W, Fang L, Yu Y. Effects of sperm DNA methylation on domesticated animal performance and perspectives on cross-species epigenetics in animal breeding. Anim Front 2021; 11:39-47. [PMID: 34934528 PMCID: PMC8683132 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Mi
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqian Chen
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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25
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Burton NO, Greer EL. Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance: Transmitting information across generations. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:121-132. [PMID: 34426067 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Inherited epigenetic information has been observed to regulate a variety of complex organismal phenotypes across diverse taxa of life. This continually expanding body of literature suggests that epigenetic inheritance plays a significant, and potentially fundamental, role in inheritance. Despite the important role these types of effects play in biology, the molecular mediators of this non-genetic transmission of information are just now beginning to be deciphered. Here we provide an intellectual framework for interpreting these findings and how they can interact with each other. We also define the different types of mechanisms that have been found to mediate epigenetic inheritance and to regulate whether epigenetic information persists for one or many generations. The field of epigenetic inheritance is entering an exciting phase, in which we are beginning to understand the mechanisms by which non-genetic information is transmitted to, and deciphered by, subsequent generations to maintain essential environmental information without permanently altering the genetic code. A more complete understanding of how and when epigenetic inheritance occurs will advance our understanding of numerous different aspects of biology ranging from how organisms cope with changing environments to human pathologies influenced by a parent's environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas O Burton
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.
| | - Eric L Greer
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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26
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Cullen SM, Hassan N, Smith-Raska M. Effects of non-inherited ancestral genotypes on offspring phenotypes. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:747-760. [PMID: 34159361 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab120] [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: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that environmental exposures can modify the profile of heritable factors in an individual's germ cells, ultimately affecting the inheritance of phenotypes in descendants. Similar to exposures, an ancestor's genotype can also affect the inheritance of phenotypes across generations, sometimes in offspring who do not inherit the genetic aberration. This can occur via a variety of prenatal, in utero, or postnatal mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the evidence for this process in mammals, with a focus on examples that are potentially mediated through the germline, while also considering alternate routes of inheritance. Non-inherited ancestral genotypes may influence descendant's disease risk to a much greater extent than currently appreciated, and focused evaluation of this phenomenon may reveal novel mechanisms of inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Cullen
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
| | - Nora Hassan
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
| | - Matthew Smith-Raska
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 East 69th Street, Room 1252D, New York, NY 10021
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27
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Reid BM, Fridley BL. DNA Methylation in Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:E108. [PMID: 33396385 PMCID: PMC7795210 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations are somatically acquired over the lifetime and during neoplastic transformation but may also be inherited as widespread 'constitutional' alterations in normal tissues that can cause cancer predisposition. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has an established genetic susceptibility and mounting epidemiological evidence demonstrates that DNA methylation (DNAm) intermediates as well as independently contributes to risk. Targeted studies of known EOC susceptibility genes (CSGs) indicate rare, constitutional BRCA1 promoter methylation increases familial and sporadic EOC risk. Blood-based epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for EOC have detected a total of 2846 differentially methylated probes (DMPs) with 71 genes replicated across studies despite significant heterogeneity. While EWAS detect both symptomatic and etiologic DMPs, adjustments and analytic techniques may enrich risk associations, as evidenced by the detection of dysregulated methylation of BNC2-a known CSG identified by genome-wide associations studies (GWAS). Integrative genetic-epigenetic approaches have mapped methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL) to EOC risk, revealing DNAm variations that are associated with nine GWAS loci and, further, one novel risk locus. Increasing efforts to mapping epigenome variation across populations and cell types will be key to decoding both the genomic and epigenomic causal pathways to EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M. Reid
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Brooke L. Fridley
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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28
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Huang W, Sundquist K, Sundquist J, Ji J. Risk of somatic diseases in offspring of survivors with childhood or adolescent central nervous system tumor in Sweden. Int J Cancer 2020; 148:2184-2192. [PMID: 33186480 PMCID: PMC8048456 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
With the improvement of treatments, a growing number of survivors with childhood or adolescent central nervous system (CNS) tumor are parenting their own children. We aimed to explore the risk of somatic diseases among children of these survivors compared to population controls. Children of survivors with CNS tumor below age of 20 were identified between 1973 and 2014 by combining the several Swedish registers. Five children without parental CNS tumor were matched randomly to generate the population comparisons. Relative risk (RR) and absolute excess risk (AER) were calculated for overall somatic diseases, and hazard ratio (HR) was calculated for specific type of somatic diseases. A total of 2231 somatic disease diagnoses were identified in children of survivors with a cumulative incidence rate of 94.77 per 1000 person‐years, whereas the rate was 92.79 in matched comparisons thus resulting in an overall RR of 1.02 (95% CI = 0.98‐1.07) and AER of 1.98 (95% CI = −2.06, 6.13). Specifically, five of 1364 children of survivors had CNS tumor with an incidence rate of 0.21 per 1000 person‐year, whereas the rate was 0.04 in children of matched children, generating a HR of 4.91 (95% CI = 1.42‐16.96). Children of male survivors were at a statistically increased risk of malignancy, as well as infectious and parasitic diseases. In conclusion, no significantly higher risk of overall somatic diseases was found in children of survivors with CNS tumor before the age of 20, but children with a paternal diagnosis of CNS tumor had significantly increased risk of malignancies and infectious and parasitic diseases. What's new? Survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors are at higher risk of experiencing late adverse effects on reproductive function. However, it remains unknown if the tumor or related treatments subsequently affect the physical health of their offspring. This population‐based study did not find an association of parental CNS tutors in childhood or adolescence with the risk of overall somatic diseases in the offspring. Nonetheless, an increased risk was observed in preterm born children, and children of male survivors had an increased risk of malignancies and infectious and parasitic diseases, calling for a tailored surveillance strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuqing Huang
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden.,Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Center for Community-based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane, Japan
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden.,Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Center for Community-based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane, Japan
| | - Jianguang Ji
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
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29
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Deshpande SS, Nemani H, Arumugam G, Ravichandran A, Balasinor NH. High-fat diet-induced and genetically inherited obesity differentially alters DNA methylation profile in the germline of adult male rats. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:179. [PMID: 33213487 PMCID: PMC7678167 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00974-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Paternal obesity has been associated with reduced live birth rates. It could lead to inheritance of metabolic disturbances to the offspring through epigenetic mechanisms. However, obesity is a multifactorial disorder with genetic or environmental causes. Earlier we had demonstrated differential effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) and genetically inherited obesity (GIO) on metabolic, hormonal profile, male fertility, and spermatogenesis using two rat models. The present study aimed to understand the effect of DIO and GIO on DNA methylation in male germline, and its subsequent effects on the resorbed (post-implantation embryo loss) and normal embryos. First, we assessed the DNA methylation enzymatic machinery in the testis by Real-Time PCR, followed global DNA methylation levels in spermatozoa and testicular cells by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. Further, we performed Methylation Sequencing in spermatozoa for both the groups. Sequencing data in spermatozoa from both the groups were validated using Pyrosequencing. Expression of the differentially methylated genes was assessed in the resorbed and normal embryos sired by the DIO group using Real-Time PCR for functional validation. RESULTS We noted a significant decrease in Dnmt transcript and global DNA methylation levels in the DIO group and an increase in the GIO group. Sequencing analysis showed 16,966 and 9113 differentially methylated regions in the spermatozoa of the DIO and GIO groups, respectively. Upon pathway analysis, we observed genes enriched in pathways involved in embryo growth and development namely Wnt, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, and Notch in spermatozoa for both the groups, the methylation status of which partially correlated with the gene expression pattern in resorbed and normal embryos sired by the DIO group. CONCLUSION Our study reports the mechanism by which diet-induced and genetically inherited obesity causes differential effects on the DNA methylation in the male germline that could be due to a difference in the white adipose tissue accumulation. These differences could either lead to embryo loss or transmit obesity-related traits to the offspring in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharvari S. Deshpande
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Jehangir Merwanji Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012 India
| | - Harishankar Nemani
- National Institute of Nutrition Animal Facility, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Jamai-Osmania PO, Hyderabad 500 007 India
| | - Gandhimathi Arumugam
- Genome Informatics Department, Genotypic Technologies Pvt. Ltd., #2/13, Balaji Complex, Poojari Layout, 80 Feet Road, R.M.V. 2nd stage, Bengaluru, India
| | - Avinash Ravichandran
- Genome Informatics Department, Genotypic Technologies Pvt. Ltd., #2/13, Balaji Complex, Poojari Layout, 80 Feet Road, R.M.V. 2nd stage, Bengaluru, India
| | - Nafisa H. Balasinor
- Department of Neuroendocrinology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Jehangir Merwanji Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012 India
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30
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Nohara K, Suzuki T, Okamura K. Gestational arsenic exposure and paternal intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 409:115319. [PMID: 33160984 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has shown that gestational exposure to environmental factors such as imbalanced diet, environmental chemicals, and stress can lead to late-onset health effects in offspring and that some of these effects are heritable by the next generation and subsequent generations. Furthermore, altered epigenetic modifications in DNA methylation, histone modifications and small RNAs in a single sperm genome have been shown to transmit disease phenotypes acquired from the environment to later generations. Recently, our group found that gestational exposure of F0 pregnant dams to an inorganic arsenic, sodium arsenite, increases the incidence of hepatic tumors in male F2 mice, and the effects are paternally transmitted to the F2. Here, we first overview the epigenetic changes involved in paternal intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance caused by exposure to environmental factors. Then, we discuss our recent studies regarding paternal inheritance of the tumor-augmenting effects in F2 mice by gestational arsenite exposure, in which we investigated alterations of DNA methylation status in F2 tumors and causative F1 sperm. We also discuss the possible targets of the F2 effects. Finally, we discuss future perspectives on the studies that are needed to fully understand the health effects of arsenic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Nohara
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
| | - Takehiro Suzuki
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Okamura
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
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31
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Bicho RC, Scott-Fordsmand JJ, Amorim MJB. Developing an epigenetics model species - From blastula to mature adult, life cycle methylation profile of Enchytraeus crypticus (Oligochaete). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 732:139079. [PMID: 32428769 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism of particular importance in developmental biology, but methylation also varies along organisms' life cycle. Recent studies have deliberated copper (Cu) exposure induced epigenetic changes in Enchytraeus crypticus, a standard species belonging to one of the most common and important genera of soil invertebrates in many ecosystems. There is however no information on how DNA methylation levels change within the life cycle of this species. We here investigate the global DNA methylation profile along the life cycle of E. crypticus and compare this to the expression of target genes involved in methylation. Results showed that after the lowest DNA methylation level at day 3 (early embryonic stage, blastula) there was an increase by day 7 (organogenesis) after which levels were maintained at days 11, 18 and 25. DNA methyltransferase associated protein 1 (DMPA1) and Methyl Binding Domain 2 (MBD2) gene expression was highest during embryo stages (3 to 7 days), then decreasing (11, 18 days) and finally unregulated in adults (25 days). Hence, we here show that DNA methylation in E. crypticus changes among the different life stages, from cocoons to adults. Such information is a key knowledge to use this endpoint and tool in an ecotoxicology context. This means that it is almost implicit that gene expression levels are age specific for a given stressor. It seems logic to recommend to always compare individuals with the same age between treatments, and to be careful when extrapolating results among life stages. Once, we understand more of these effects we may even be able to predict which life stage is more sensitive to specific stressors. An experimental design that aims to cover epigenetics of stressors in a multigenerational exposure, including transgenerational effects, should ensure the synchronous age of organisms for sampling analysis purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita C Bicho
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Janeck J Scott-Fordsmand
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsovej 25, PO Box 314, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Mónica J B Amorim
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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Galan C, Krykbaeva M, Rando OJ. Early life lessons: The lasting effects of germline epigenetic information on organismal development. Mol Metab 2020; 38:100924. [PMID: 31974037 PMCID: PMC7300385 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An organism's metabolic phenotype is primarily affected by its genotype, its lifestyle, and the nutritional composition of its food supply. In addition, it is now clear from studies in many different species that ancestral environments can also modulate metabolism in at least one to two generations of offspring. SCOPE OF REVIEW We limit ourselves here to paternal effects in mammals, primarily focusing on studies performed in inbred rodent models. Although hundreds of studies link paternal diets and offspring metabolism, the mechanistic basis by which epigenetic information in sperm programs nutrient handling in the next generation remains mysterious. Our goal in this review is to provide a brief overview of paternal effect paradigms and the germline epigenome. We then pivot to exploring one key mystery in this literature: how do epigenetic changes in sperm, most of which are likely to act transiently in the early embryo, ultimately direct a long-lasting physiological response in offspring? MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Several potential mechanisms exist by which transient epigenetic modifications, such as small RNAs or methylation states erased shortly after fertilization, could be transferred to more durable heritable information. A detailed mechanistic understanding of this process will provide deep insights into early development, and could be of great relevance for human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Galan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Marina Krykbaeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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33
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Tricarico R, Nicolas E, Hall MJ, Golemis EA. X- and Y-Linked Chromatin-Modifying Genes as Regulators of Sex-Specific Cancer Incidence and Prognosis. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5567-5578. [PMID: 32732223 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-1741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Biological sex profoundly conditions organismal development and physiology, imposing wide-ranging effects on cell signaling, metabolism, and immune response. These effects arise from sex-specified differences in hormonal exposure, and from intrinsic genetic and epigenetic differences associated with the presence of an XX versus XY chromosomal complement. In addition, biological sex is now recognized to be a determinant of the incidence, presentation, and therapeutic response of multiple forms of cancer, including cancers not specifically associated with male or female anatomy. Although multiple factors contribute to sex-based differences in cancer, a growing body of research emphasizes a role for differential activity of X- and Y-linked tumor-suppressor genes in males and females. Among these, the X-linked KDM6A/UTX and KDM5C/JARID1C/SMCX, and their Y-linked paralogs UTY/KDM6C and KDM5D/JARID1D/SMCY encode lysine demethylases. These epigenetic modulators profoundly influence gene expression, based on enzymatic activity in demethylating H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, and nonenzymatic scaffolding roles for large complexes that open and close chromatin for transcription. In a growing number of cases, mutations affecting these proteins have been recognized to strongly influence cancer risk, prognosis, and response to specific therapies. However, sex-specific patterns of mutation, expression, and activity of these genes, coupled with tissue-specific requirement for their function as tumor suppressors, together exemplify the complex relationship between sex and cancer vulnerabilities. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current state of the literature on the roles of these proteins in contributing to sex bias in cancer, and the status of clinical agents relevant to their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Tricarico
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. .,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Emmanuelle Nicolas
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael J Hall
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Department of Clinical Genetics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Erica A Golemis
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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34
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Genetic control of non-genetic inheritance in mammals: state-of-the-art and perspectives. Mamm Genome 2020; 31:146-156. [PMID: 32529318 PMCID: PMC7369129 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-020-09841-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Thought to be directly and uniquely dependent from genotypes, the ontogeny of individual phenotypes is much more complicated. Individual genetics, environmental exposures, and their interaction are the three main determinants of individual's phenotype. This picture has been further complicated a decade ago when the Lamarckian theory of acquired inheritance has been rekindled with the discovery of epigenetic inheritance, according to which acquired phenotypes can be transmitted through fertilization and affect phenotypes across generations. The results of Genome-Wide Association Studies have also highlighted a big degree of missing heritability in genetics and have provided hints that not only acquired phenotypes, but also individual's genotypes affect phenotypes intergenerationally through indirect genetic effects. Here, we review available examples of indirect genetic effects in mammals, what is known of the underlying molecular mechanisms and their potential impact for our understanding of missing heritability, phenotypic variation. and individual disease risk.
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Burkhart KB, Sando SR, Corrionero A, Horvitz HR. H3.3 Nucleosome Assembly Mutants Display a Late-Onset Maternal Effect. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2343-2352.e3. [PMID: 32470364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Maternally inherited RNA and proteins control much of embryonic development. The effect of such maternal information beyond embryonic development is largely unclear. Here, we report that maternal contribution of histone H3.3 assembly complexes can prevent the expression of late-onset anatomical, physiologic, and behavioral abnormalities of C. elegans. We show that mutants lacking hira-1, an evolutionarily conserved H3.3-deposition factor, have severe pleiotropic defects that manifest predominantly at adulthood. These late-onset defects can be maternally rescued, and maternally derived HIRA-1 protein can be detected in hira-1(-/-) progeny. Mitochondrial stress likely contributes to the late-onset defects, given that hira-1 mutants display mitochondrial stress, and the induction of mitochondrial stress results in at least some of the hira-1 late-onset abnormalities. A screen for mutants that mimic the hira-1 mutant phenotype identified PQN-80-a HIRA complex component, known as UBN1 in humans-and XNP-1-a second H3.3 chaperone, known as ATRX in humans. pqn-80 and xnp-1 abnormalities are also maternally rescued. Furthermore, mutants lacking histone H3.3 have a late-onset defect similar to a defect of hira-1, pqn-80, and xnp-1 mutants. These data demonstrate that H3.3 assembly complexes provide non-DNA-based heritable information that can markedly influence adult phenotype. We speculate that similar maternal effects might explain the missing heritability of late-onset human diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk B Burkhart
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Steven R Sando
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anna Corrionero
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - H Robert Horvitz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Cao N, Yu Y, Zhu H, Chen M, Chen P, Zhuo M, Mao Y, Li L, Zhao Q, Wu M, Ye M. SETDB1 promotes the progression of colorectal cancer via epigenetically silencing p21 expression. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:351. [PMID: 32393761 PMCID: PMC7214465 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SETDB1, a histone H3K9 methyltransferase, has been reported to be upregulated in a variety of tumors and promotes cancer development. However, the exact pathogenesis of SETDB1 in human colorectal cancer (CRC) is hitherto unknown. Here, we showed that SETDB1 expression was highly amplified in CRC. Functionally, SETDB1 downregulation in SW480 and HCT116 cells reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and increased CRC cells apoptosis. In contrast, SETDB1 overexpression promoted CRC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion. High expression of SETDB1 was associated with a more aggressive phenotype in vitro. Flow cytometry showed that cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase after SETDB1 silencing. Furthermore, depletion of SETDB1 in vivo suppressed CRC cells proliferation. Mechanistically, p21 was identified as the target of SETDB1. After transfected with siSETDB1, expression of p21 was distinctly increased. In contrast, expression of p21 was significantly decreased after overexpression SETDB1. We also showed that SETDB1 could be involved in the regulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCT116 cells. Moreover, we confirmed that SETDB1 could regulate the activity of p21 promoter by dual-luciferase repoter assay, and proved that SETDB1 could bind to the promoter of p21 and regulate its H3K9me3 enrichment level by ChIP-PCR experiment. Finally, we verified that silencing of SETDB1 inhibited CRC tumorigenesis in vivo. In conclusion, our results indicate that SETDB1 is a major driver of CRC development and might provide a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Yali Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Meng Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Mingxing Zhuo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Yujuan Mao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Lianyun Li
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Qiu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Min Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Mei Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China. .,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
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37
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Tikhodeyev ON. Heredity determined by the environment: Lamarckian ideas in modern molecular biology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 710:135521. [PMID: 31784162 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Inheritance of acquired characteristics (IAC) is a well-documented phenomenon occurring both in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, it is not included in current biological theories, and the risks of IAC induction are not assessed by genetic toxicology. Furthermore, different kinds of IAC (transgenerational and intergenerational inheritance, genotrophic changes, dauermodifications, vernalization, and some others) are traditionally considered in isolation, thus impeding the development of a comprehensive view on IAC as a whole. Herein, we discuss all currently known kinds of IAC as well as their mechanisms, if unraveled. We demonstrate that IAC is a special case of genotype × environment interactions requiring certain genotypes and, as a rule, prolonged exposure to the inducing influence. Most mechanisms of IAC are epigenetic; these include but not limited to DNA methylation, histone modifications, competition of transcription factors, induction of non-coding RNAs, inhibition of plastid translation, and curing of amyloid and non-amyloid prions. In some cases, changes in DNA sequences or host-microbe interactions are involved as well. The only principal difference between IAC and other environmentally inducible hereditary changes such as the effects of radiation is the origin of the changes: in case of IAC they are definite (determined by the environment), while the others are indefinite (arise from environmentally provoked molecular stochasticity). At least some kinds of IAC are adaptive and could be regarded as the elements of natural selection, though non-canonical in their origin and molecular nature. This is a probable way towards synthesis of the Lamarckian and Darwinian evolutionary conceptions. Applied issues of IAC are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg N Tikhodeyev
- Department of Genetics & Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, University emb. 7/9, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia.
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Qu P, Wang Y, Zhang C, Liu E. Insights into the roles of sperm in animal cloning. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:65. [PMID: 32070430 PMCID: PMC7027237 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01599-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has shown a wide application in the generation of transgenic animals, protection of endangered animals, and therapeutic cloning. However, the efficiency of SCNT remains very low due to some poorly characterized key factors. Compared with fertilized embryos, somatic donor cells lack some important components of sperm, such as sperm small noncoding RNA (sncRNA) and proteins. Loss of these factors is considered an important reason for the abnormal development of SCNT embryo. This study focused on recent advances of SCNT and the roles of sperm in development. Sperm-derived factors play an important role in nucleus reprogramming and cytoskeleton remodeling during SCNT embryo development. Hence, considering the role of sperm may provide a new strategy for improving cloning efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxiang Qu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yongsheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chengsheng Zhang
- Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.,The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA
| | - Enqi Liu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
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Li K, Pan W, Ma Y, Xu X, Gao Y, He Y, Wei L, Zhang J. A novel oncogene TRIM63 promotes cell proliferation and migration via activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in breast cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2019; 215:152573. [PMID: 31399258 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2019.152573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of breast cancer is still a relatively unclear biological process, and there is currently no consensus on the occurrence of breast cancer and the process of tumor metastases. This study was to reveal a correlation between TRIM63 and the development of breast cancer. In this study, we found that the expression of TRIM63 was significantly increased in breast cancer tissues and closely related to pathological differentiation and TNM stage of breast cancer. Overexpression of TRIM63 could significantly promote proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells, while TRIM63 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. In addition, TRIM63 could activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in breast cancer cells. Further study found that TRIM63 could regulate β-catenin degradation by promoting GSK3β phosphorylation. Our study revealed that TRIM63, as an oncogene, involved in breast cancer progression by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that the potential applicability of TRIM63 as a target for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Li
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Wenting Pan
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Yanbin Ma
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaolong Xu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Yanqi He
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Lei Wei
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Jingwei Zhang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.
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