bims-crepig Biomed News
on Chromatin regulation and epigenetics in cell fate and cancer
Issue of 2020–03–22
sixty-two papers selected by
Connor Rogerson, University of Cambridge, MRC Cancer Unit
  1. Global regulation of the histone mark H3K36me2 underlies epithelial plasticity and metastatic progression.
  2. Phylogenetic modeling of regulatory element turnover based on epigenomic data.
  3. RNA Polymerase II CTD phosphatase Rtr1 fine-tunes transcription termination.
  4. N6-Deoxyadenosine Methylation in Mammalian Mitochondrial DNA.
  5. Chromatin accessibility promotes hematopoietic and leukemia stem cell activity.
  6. The Transcription Factor-microRNA Regulatory Network during hESC-chondrogenesis.
  7. MIIP inhibits EMT and cell invasion in prostate cancer through miR-181a/b-5p-KLF17 axis.
  8. ITR-Seq, a next-generation sequencing assay, identifies genome-wide DNA editing sites in vivo following adeno-associated viral vector-mediated genome editing.
  9. Targeting Hippo coactivator YAP1 through BET bromodomain inhibition in esophageal adenocarcinoma.
  10. Structure of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeller RSC bound to a nucleosome.
  11. Dissecting the early steps of MLL induced leukaemogenic transformation using a mouse model of AML.
  12. Glycolysis-Independent Glucose Metabolism Distinguishes TE from ICM Fate during Mammalian Embryogenesis.
  13. Energy Metabolism Regulates Stem Cell Pluripotency.
  14. A novel transcriptional cascade is involved in Fzr-mediated endoreplication.
  15. MAML1-dependent Notch responsive genes exhibit differing co-factor requirements for transcriptional activation.
  16. Inhibition of transcription leads to rewiring of locus-specific chromatin proteomes.
  17. The Transcription Factor NR4A2 Plays an Essential Role in Driving Prolactin Expression in Female Pituitary Lactotropes.
  18. Extracellular matrix-inducing Sox9 promotes both basal progenitor proliferation and gliogenesis in developing neocortex.
  19. Morphine and Naloxone Facilitate Neural Stem Cells Proliferation via a TET1-Dependent and Receptor-Independent Pathway.
  20. Promoter-Proximal Chromatin Domain Insulator Protein BEAF Mediates Local and Long-Range Communication with a Transcription Factor and Directly Activates a Housekeeping Promoter in Drosophila.
  21. Mitochondrial genetic variation is enriched in G-quadruplex regions that stall DNA synthesis in vitro.
  22. YAP1/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional networks maintain skin homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation and limiting KLF4 activity.
  23. FRA1 contributes to MEK-ERK pathway-dependent PD-L1 upregulation by KRAS mutation in premalignant human bronchial epithelial cells.
  24. RNA-seq Analysis of Wild-Type vs. FOXC2-Deficient Melanoma Cells Reveals a Role for the FOXC2 Transcription Factor in the Regulation of Multiple Oncogenic Pathways.
  25. The histone methyltransferase Setd8 alters the chromatin landscape and regulates the expression of key transcription factors during erythroid differentiation.
  26. Norrin mediates tumor-promoting and -suppressive effects in glioblastoma via Notch and WNT.
  27. Both combinatorial K4me0-K36me3 marks on sister histone H3s of a nucleosome are required for Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L mediated de novo DNA methylation.
  28. Time course regulatory analysis based on paired expression and chromatin accessibility data.
  29. Utility of GATA-3 Expression in the Analysis of Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumour (PitNET) Transcription Factors.
  30. Cis-regulatory analysis of Onecut1 expression in fate-restricted retinal progenitor cells.
  31. A Model of Differential Mammary Growth Initiation by Stat3 and Asymmetric Integrin-α6 Inheritance.
  32. Dynamic shifts in chromatin states differentially mark the proliferative basal cells and terminally differentiated cells of the developing epidermis.
  33. TWIST1 homodimers and heterodimers orchestrate lineage-specific differentiation.
  34. Methylome-based cell-of-origin modeling (Methyl-COOM) identifies aberrant expression of immune regulatory molecules in CLL.
  35. Computational identification of cell-specific variable regions in ChIP-seq data.
  36. Crosstalk between DNA methylation and histone acetylation triggers GDNF high transcription in glioblastoma cells.
  37. Nuclear receptor CAR-ERα signaling regulates the estrogen sulfotransferase gene in the liver.
  38. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles distinguish silent from non-silent ACTH adenomas.
  39. Transcriptional regulation by the KMT2 histone H3K4 methyltransferases.
  40. A small molecule NRF2 activator BC-1901S ameliorates inflammation through DCAF1/NRF2 axis.
  41. miR-125a Induces HER2 Expression and Sensitivity to Trastuzumab in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Lines.
  42. Dissecting the transcriptional regulatory networks of promoter-associated noncoding RNAs in development and cancer.
  43. A metabolic switch regulates the transition between growth and diapause in C. elegans.
  44. FBP1 binds to the bromodomain of BRD4 to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression.
  45. Significance of MEF2C and RUNX3 Regulation for Endochondral Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells.
  46. Histone H1 eviction by the histone chaperone SET reduces cell survival following DNA damage.
  47. Mutations in the RNA splicing factor SF3B1 promote tumorigenesis through MYC stabilization.
  48. HOTAIRM1, an enhancer lncRNA, promotes glioma proliferation by regulating long-range chromatin interactions within HOXA cluster genes.
  49. m6A Modification in Coding and Non-coding RNAs: Roles and Therapeutic Implications in Cancer.
  50. Epigenetic engineering of yeast reveals dynamic molecular adaptation to methylation stress and genetic modulators of specific DNMT3 family members.
  51. Fighting Against Promoter DNA Hyper-Methylation: Protective Histone Modification Profiles of Stress-Resistant Intestinal Stem Cells.
  52. Epigenetic changes occur at decidualisation genes as a function of reproductive ageing in mice.
  53. The replisome guides nucleosome assembly during DNA replication.
  54. DNA looping by two 5-methylcytosine-binding proteins quantified using nanofluidic devices.
  55. Transcription factor p73 regulates Th1 differentiation.
  56. Cyb5r3 links FoxO1-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction with β-cell failure.
  57. Targeted DNA demethylation of the Fgf21 promoter by CRISPR/dCas9-mediated epigenome editing.
  58. ATF7-Dependent Epigenetic Changes Are Required for the Intergenerational Effect of a Paternal Low-Protein Diet.
  59. SUMOylation in development and neurodegeneration.
  60. RUNX1 and RUNX2 transcription factors function in opposing roles to regulate breast cancer stem cells.
  61. Cellular Functions of OCT-3/4 Regulated by Ubiquitination in Proliferating Cells.
  62. Tissue-Specific Metabolic Regulation of FOXO-Binding Protein: FOXO Does Not Act Alone.
  1. Cancer Discov. 2020 Mar 18. pii: CD-19-1299. [Epub ahead of print]
    Global regulation of the histone mark H3K36me2 underlies epithelial plasticity and metastatic progression.
    Salina Yuan, Ramakrishnan Natesan, Francisco J Sanchez-Rivera, Jinyang Li, Natarajan V Bhanu, Taiji Yamazoe, Jeffrey H Lin, Allyson J Merrell, Yogev Sela, Stacy K Thomas, Yanqing Jiang, Jacqueline B Plesset, Emma M Miller, Junwei Shi, Benjamin A Garcia, Scott W Lowe, Irfan A Asangani, Ben Z Stanger.
      Epithelial plasticity - reversible modulation of a cell's epithelial and mesenchymal features - is associated with tumor metastasis and chemoresistance, leading causes of cancer mortality. While different master transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers have been implicated in this process in various contexts, the extent to which a unifying, generalized mechanism of transcriptional regulation underlies epithelial plasticity remains largely unknown. Here, through targeted CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we discovered two histone-modifying enzymes involved in the writing and erasing of H3K36me2 that act reciprocally to regulate epithelial-mesenchymal identity, tumor differentiation, and metastasis. Using a K-to-M histone mutant to directly inhibit H3K36me2, we found that global modulation of the mark is a conserved mechanism underlying the mesenchymal state in various contexts. Mechanistically, regulation of H3K36me2 reprograms enhancers associated with master regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal state. Our results thus outline a unifying epigenome-scale mechanism by which a specific histone modification regulates cellular plasticity and metastasis in cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-19-1299
  2. Mol Biol Evol. 2020 Mar 16. pii: msaa073. [Epub ahead of print]
    Phylogenetic modeling of regulatory element turnover based on epigenomic data.
    Noah Dukler, Yi-Fei Huang, Adam Siepel.
      Evolutionary changes in gene expression are often driven by gains and losses of cis-regulatory elements (CREs). The dynamics of CRE evolution can be examined using multi-species epigenomic data, but so far such analyses have generally been descriptive and model-free. Here, we introduce a probabilistic modeling framework for the evolution of CREs that operates directly on raw chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-seq) data and fully considers the phylogenetic relationships among species. Our framework includes a phylogenetic hidden Markov model, called epiPhyloHMM, for identifying the locations of multiply aligned CREs, and a combined phylogenetic and generalized linear model, called phyloGLM, for accounting for the influence of a rich set of genomic features in describing their evolutionary dynamics. We apply these methods to previously published ChIP-seq data for the H3K4me3 and H3K27ac histone modifications in liver tissue from nine mammals. We find that enhancers are gained and lost during mammalian evolution at about twice the rate of promoters, and that turnover rates are negatively correlated with DNA sequence conservation, expression level, and tissue breadth, and positively correlated with distance from the transcription start site, consistent with previous findings. In addition, we find that the predicted dosage sensitivity of target genes positively correlates with DNA sequence constraint in CREs but not with turnover rates, perhaps owing to differences in the effect sizes of the relevant mutations. Altogether, our probabilistic modeling framework enables a variety of powerful new analyses.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa073
  3. PLoS Genet. 2020 Mar 18. 16(3): e1008317
    RNA Polymerase II CTD phosphatase Rtr1 fine-tunes transcription termination.
    Jose F Victorino, Melanie J Fox, Whitney R Smith-Kinnaman, Sarah A Peck Justice, Katlyn H Burriss, Asha K Boyd, Megan A Zimmerly, Rachel R Chan, Gerald O Hunter, Yunlong Liu, Amber L Mosley.
      RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription termination is regulated by the phosphorylation status of the C-terminal domain (CTD). The phosphatase Rtr1 has been shown to regulate serine 5 phosphorylation on the CTD; however, its role in the regulation of RNAPII termination has not been explored. As a consequence of RTR1 deletion, interactions within the termination machinery and between the termination machinery and RNAPII were altered as quantified by Disruption-Compensation (DisCo) network analysis. Of note, interactions between RNAPII and the cleavage factor IA (CF1A) subunit Pcf11 were reduced in rtr1Δ, whereas interactions with the CTD and RNA-binding termination factor Nrd1 were increased. Globally, rtr1Δ leads to decreases in numerous noncoding RNAs that are linked to the Nrd1, Nab3 and Sen1 (NNS) -dependent RNAPII termination pathway. Genome-wide analysis of RNAPII and Nrd1 occupancy suggests that loss of RTR1 leads to increased termination at noncoding genes. Additionally, premature RNAPII termination increases globally at protein-coding genes with a decrease in RNAPII occupancy occurring just after the peak of Nrd1 recruitment during early elongation. The effects of rtr1Δ on RNA expression levels were lost following deletion of the exosome subunit Rrp6, which works with the NNS complex to rapidly degrade a number of noncoding RNAs following termination. Overall, these data suggest that Rtr1 restricts the NNS-dependent termination pathway in WT cells to prevent premature termination of mRNAs and ncRNAs. Rtr1 facilitates low-level elongation of noncoding transcripts that impact RNAPII interference thereby shaping the transcriptome.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1008317
  4. Mol Cell. 2020 Mar 09. pii: S1097-2765(20)30111-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    N6-Deoxyadenosine Methylation in Mammalian Mitochondrial DNA.
    Ziyang Hao, Tong Wu, Xiaolong Cui, Pingping Zhu, Caiping Tan, Xiaoyang Dou, Kai-Wen Hsu, Yueh-Te Lin, Pei-Hua Peng, Li-Sheng Zhang, Yawei Gao, Lulu Hu, Hui-Lung Sun, Allen Zhu, Jianzhao Liu, Kou-Juey Wu, Chuan He.
      N6-Methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA) has recently been shown to exist and play regulatory roles in eukaryotic genomic DNA (gDNA). However, the biological functions of 6mA in mammals have yet to be adequately explored, largely due to its low abundance in most mammalian genomes. Here, we report that mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is enriched for 6mA. The level of 6mA in HepG2 mtDNA is at least 1,300-fold higher than that in gDNA under normal growth conditions, corresponding to approximately four 6mA modifications on each mtDNA molecule. METTL4, a putative mammalian methyltransferase, can mediate mtDNA 6mA methylation, which contributes to attenuated mtDNA transcription and a reduced mtDNA copy number. Mechanistically, the presence of 6mA could repress DNA binding and bending by mitochondrial transcription factor (TFAM). Under hypoxia, the 6mA level in mtDNA could be further elevated, suggesting regulatory roles for 6mA in mitochondrial stress response. Our study reveals DNA 6mA as a regulatory mark in mammalian mtDNA.
    Keywords:  METTL4; N(6)-methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA); TFAM; methyltransferase; mitochondrial DNA methylation; mitochondrial replication; mitochondrial transcription regulation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2020.02.018
  5. Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 16. 11(1): 1406
    Chromatin accessibility promotes hematopoietic and leukemia stem cell activity.
    Lucia Cabal-Hierro, Peter van Galen, Miguel A Prado, Kelly J Higby, Katsuhiro Togami, Cody T Mowery, Joao A Paulo, Yingtian Xie, Paloma Cejas, Takashi Furusawa, Michael Bustin, Henry W Long, David B Sykes, Steven P Gygi, Daniel Finley, Bradley E Bernstein, Andrew A Lane.
      Chromatin organization is a highly orchestrated process that influences gene expression, in part by modulating access of regulatory factors to DNA and nucleosomes. Here, we report that the chromatin accessibility regulator HMGN1, a target of recurrent DNA copy gains in leukemia, controls myeloid differentiation. HMGN1 amplification is associated with increased accessibility, expression, and histone H3K27 acetylation of loci important for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia, such as HoxA cluster genes. In vivo, HMGN1 overexpression is linked to decreased quiescence and increased HSC activity in bone marrow transplantation. HMGN1 overexpression also cooperates with the AML-ETO9a fusion oncoprotein to impair myeloid differentiation and enhance leukemia stem cell (LSC) activity. Inhibition of histone acetyltransferases CBP/p300 relieves the HMGN1-associated differentiation block. These data nominate factors that modulate chromatin accessibility as regulators of HSCs and LSCs, and suggest that targeting HMGN1 or its downstream effects on histone acetylation could be therapeutically active in AML.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15221-z
  6. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 16. 10(1): 4744
    The Transcription Factor-microRNA Regulatory Network during hESC-chondrogenesis.
    Rosie Griffiths, Steven Woods, Aixin Cheng, Ping Wang, Sam Griffiths-Jones, Matthew Ronshaugen, Susan J Kimber.
      Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) offer a promising therapeutic approach for osteoarthritis (OA). The unlimited source of cells capable of differentiating to chondrocytes has potential for repairing damaged cartilage or to generate disease models via gene editing. However their use is limited by the efficiency of chondrogenic differentiation. An improved understanding of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of chondrogenesis will enable us to improve hESC chondrogenic differentiation protocols. Small RNA-seq and whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on distinct stages of hESC-directed chondrogenesis. This revealed significant changes in the expression of several microRNAs including upregulation of known cartilage associated microRNAs and those transcribed from the Hox complexes, and the downregulation of pluripotency associated microRNAs. Integration of miRomes and transcriptomes generated during hESC-directed chondrogenesis identified key functionally related clusters of co-expressed microRNAs and protein coding genes, associated with pluripotency, primitive streak, limb development and extracellular matrix. Analysis identified regulators of hESC-directed chondrogenesis such as miR-29c-3p with 10 of its established targets identified as co-regulated 'ECM organisation' genes and miR-22-3p which is highly co-expressed with ECM genes and may regulate these genes indirectly by targeting the chondrogenic regulators SP1 and HDAC4. We identified several upregulated transcription factors including HOXA9/A10/D13 involved in limb patterning and RELA, JUN and NFAT5, which have targets enriched with ECM associated genes. We have developed an unbiased approach for integrating transcriptome and miRome using protein-protein interactions, transcription factor regulation and miRNA target interactions and identified key regulatory networks prominent in hESC chondrogenesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61734-4
  7. Am J Cancer Res. 2020 ;10(2): 630-647
    MIIP inhibits EMT and cell invasion in prostate cancer through miR-181a/b-5p-KLF17 axis.
    Wei Hu, Fengqi Yan, Yi Ru, Mingyuan Xia, Guang Yan, Mei Zhang, He Wang, Guojun Wu, Libo Yao, Lan Shen, Xia Li, Qinhao Wang.
      Growing evidence have shown that the migration and invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP, also known as IIp45) functions as a tumor suppressor and its expression is downregulated in several types of cancer, yet the function of MIIP in prostate cancer (PCa) and the underlying mechanism of action remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrated that MIIP acts as a suppressor of PCa by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell invasion. Overexpressing MIIP repressed cellular invasion of PC3 and DU145 in vitro, accompanied by a decrease of EMT-inducing factors, and an increase of E-cadherin and KLF17. Moreover, a stable MIIP knockdown in PCa cells promoted the tumor growth or bone osteolytic lesions, when xenografted subcutaneously or via tibia injection. Mechanistically, MIIP represses two onco-miRNAs, miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p, thus removing the inhibitory effect of these two miRNAs on their target KLF17, which functions as a negative regulator of EMT by directly suppressing the transcription of SNAIL1/2 and TWIST. Finally, by examining the expression of MIIP, miR-181a/b-5p, KLF17, and E-cadherin in paired cancer samples v.s. adjacent normal tissues from a cohort of human prostate cancer patients, we demonstrated that downregulation of MIIP was well associated with downregulation of KLF17 and E-cadherin, but upregulation of miR-181a/b-5p. The positive correlation between MIIP and KLF17 was also confirmed via immunohistochemical staining of a PCa tissue microarray. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel function of MIIP as an EMT inhibitor in PCa and illustrate the underlying molecular mechanisms, providing new insights into the tumor-suppressor role of MIIP.
    Keywords:  EMT; KLF17; MIIP; miR-181a/b-5p; prostate cancer
  8. BMC Genomics. 2020 Mar 17. 21(1): 239
    ITR-Seq, a next-generation sequencing assay, identifies genome-wide DNA editing sites in vivo following adeno-associated viral vector-mediated genome editing.
    Camilo Breton, Peter M Clark, Lili Wang, Jenny A Greig, James M Wilson.
       BACKGROUND: Identifying nuclease-induced double-stranded breaks in DNA on a genome-wide scale is critical for assessing the safety and efficacy of genome editing therapies. We previously demonstrated that after administering adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated genome-editing strategies in vivo, vector sequences integrated into the host organism's genomic DNA at double-stranded breaks. Thus, identifying the genomic location of inserted AAV sequences would enable us to identify DSB events, mainly derived from the nuclease on- and off-target activity.
    RESULTS: Here, we developed a next-generation sequencing assay that detects insertions of specific AAV vector sequences called inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). This assay, ITR-Seq, enables us to identify off-target nuclease activity in vivo. Using ITR-Seq, we analyzed liver DNA samples of rhesus macaques treated with AAV vectors expressing a meganuclease. We found dose-dependent off-target activity and reductions in off-target events induced by further meganuclease development. In mice, we identified the genomic locations of ITR integration after treatment with Cas9 nucleases and their corresponding single-guide RNAs.
    CONCLUSIONS: In sum, ITR-Seq is a powerful method for identifying off-target sequences induced by AAV vector-delivered genome-editing nucleases. ITR-Seq will help us understand the specificity and efficacy of different genome-editing nucleases in animal models and clinical studies. This information can help enhance the safety profile of gene-editing therapies.
    Keywords:  AAV integration; Editing; Genome editing; In vivo; Next-generation sequencing; Off-targets
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-6655-4
  9. Mol Oncol. 2020 Mar 16.
    Targeting Hippo coactivator YAP1 through BET bromodomain inhibition in esophageal adenocarcinoma.
    Shumei Song, Yuan Li, Yan Xu, Lang Ma, Mellissa Pool Pizzi, Jiankang Jin, Ailing W Scott, Longfei Huo, Ying Wang, Jeffrey H Lee, Manoop S Bhutani, Brian Weston, Namita D Shanbhag, Randy L Johnson, Jaffer A Ajani.
      Hippo/YAP1 signaling is a major regulator of organ size, cancer stemness and aggressive phenotype. Thus, targeting YAP1 may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for tumors with high YAP1 expression in esophageal cancer (EC). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChiP) and quantitative ChiP-PCR were used to determine the regulation of the chromatin remodeling protein bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) on YAP1. The role of the bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) inhibitor JQ1, an established BRD4 inhibitor, on inhibition of YAP1 in EC cells was dissected using western blot, immunofluorescence, Q-PCR and transient transfection. The anti-tumor activities of BET inhibitor were further examined by variety of functional assays-cell proliferation (MTS), tumor sphere and ALDH1 + labeling in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that BRD4 regulates YAP1 expression and transcription. ChiP assays revealed that BRD4 directly occupies YAP1 promoter and that JQ1 robustly blocks BRD4 binding to the YAP1 promoter. Consequently, JQ1 strongly suppresses constitutive or induced YAP1 expression and transcription in EC cells as well as YAP1/Tead downstream transcriptional activity. Intriguingly, radiation-resistant cells that acquire strong cancer stem cell traits and an aggressive phenotype can be effectively suppressed by JQ1 as assessed by cell proliferation, tumor sphere formation, and reduction in the ALDH1 + cells. Moreover, effects of JQ1 are synergistically amplified by the addition of docetaxel in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrate that BRD4 is a critical regulator of Hippo/YAP1 signaling and that BRD4 inhibitorJQ1 represents a new class of inhibitor of Hippo/YAP1 signaling, primarily targeting YAP1 high and therapy-resistant cancer cells enriched with cancer stem cell properties.
    Keywords:  BRD4; CSCs; Hippo/YAP1; JQ1; esophageal cancer; therapy resistance
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/1878-0261.12667
  10. Nature. 2020 Mar;579(7799): 448-451
    Structure of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeller RSC bound to a nucleosome.
    Felix R Wagner, Christian Dienemann, Haibo Wang, Alexandra Stützer, Dimitry Tegunov, Henning Urlaub, Patrick Cramer.
      Chromatin-remodelling complexes of the SWI/SNF family function in the formation of nucleosome-depleted, transcriptionally active promoter regions (NDRs)1,2. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the essential SWI/SNF complex RSC3 contains 16 subunits, including the ATP-dependent DNA translocase Sth14,5. RSC removes nucleosomes from promoter regions6,7 and positions the specialized +1 and -1 nucleosomes that flank NDRs8,9. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of RSC in complex with a nucleosome substrate. The structure reveals that RSC forms five protein modules and suggests key features of the remodelling mechanism. The body module serves as a scaffold for the four flexible modules that we call DNA-interacting, ATPase, arm and actin-related protein (ARP) modules. The DNA-interacting module binds extra-nucleosomal DNA and is involved in the recognition of promoter DNA elements8,10,11 that influence RSC functionality12. The ATPase and arm modules sandwich the nucleosome disc with the Snf2 ATP-coupling (SnAC) domain and the finger helix, respectively. The translocase motor of the ATPase module engages with the edge of the nucleosome at superhelical location +2. The mobile ARP module may modulate translocase-nucleosome interactions to regulate RSC activity5. The RSC-nucleosome structure provides a basis for understanding NDR formation and the structure and function of human SWI/SNF complexes that are frequently mutated in cancer13.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2088-0
  11. Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 16. 11(1): 1407
    Dissecting the early steps of MLL induced leukaemogenic transformation using a mouse model of AML.
    Silvia Basilico, Xiaonan Wang, Alison Kennedy, Konstantinos Tzelepis, George Giotopoulos, Sarah J Kinston, Pedro M Quiros, Kim Wong, David J Adams, Larissa S Carnevalli, Brian J P Huntly, George S Vassiliou, Fernando J Calero-Nieto, Berthold Göttgens.
      Leukaemogenic mutations commonly disrupt cellular differentiation and/or enhance proliferation, thus perturbing the regulatory programs that control self-renewal and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells. Translocations involving the Mll1 (Kmt2a) gene generate powerful oncogenic fusion proteins, predominantly affecting infant and paediatric AML and ALL patients. The early stages of leukaemogenic transformation are typically inaccessible from human patients and conventional mouse models. Here, we take advantage of cells conditionally blocked at the multipotent haematopoietic progenitor stage to develop a MLL-r model capturing early cellular and molecular consequences of MLL-ENL expression based on a clear clonal relationship between parental and leukaemic cells. Through a combination of scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq and genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening, we identify pathways and genes likely to drive the early phases of leukaemogenesis. Finally, we demonstrate the broad utility of using matched parental and transformed cells for small molecule inhibitor studies by validating both previously known and other potential therapeutic targets.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15220-0
  12. Dev Cell. 2020 Mar 12. pii: S1534-5807(20)30142-8. [Epub ahead of print]
    Glycolysis-Independent Glucose Metabolism Distinguishes TE from ICM Fate during Mammalian Embryogenesis.
    Fangtao Chi, Mark S Sharpley, Raghavendra Nagaraj, Shubhendu Sen Roy, Utpal Banerjee.
      The mouse embryo undergoes compaction at the 8-cell stage, and its transition to 16 cells generates polarity such that the outer apical cells are trophectoderm (TE) precursors and the inner cell mass (ICM) gives rise to the embryo. Here, we report that this first cell fate specification event is controlled by glucose. Glucose does not fuel mitochondrial ATP generation, and glycolysis is dispensable for blastocyst formation. Furthermore, glucose does not help synthesize amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleobases. Instead, glucose metabolized by the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) allows nuclear localization of YAP1. In addition, glucose-dependent nucleotide synthesis by the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), along with sphingolipid (S1P) signaling, activates mTOR and allows translation of Tfap2c. YAP1, TEAD4, and TFAP2C interact to form a complex that controls TE-specific gene transcription. Glucose signaling has no role in ICM specification, and this process of developmental metabolism specifically controls TE cell fate.
    Keywords:  S1P signaling; Tfap2c; YAP1; developmental metabolism; glucose; hexosamine biosynthetic pathway; morula blastocyst; pentose phosphate pathway; preimplantation embryo; trophectoderm
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2020.02.015
  13. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 ;8 87
    Energy Metabolism Regulates Stem Cell Pluripotency.
    Enkhtuul Tsogtbaatar, Chelsea Landin, Katherine Minter-Dykhouse, Clifford D L Folmes.
      Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are characterized by their unique capacity for both unlimited self-renewal and their potential to differentiate to all cell lineages contained within the three primary germ layers. While once considered a distinct cellular state, it is becoming clear that pluripotency is in fact a continuum of cellular states, all capable of self-renewal and differentiation, yet with distinct metabolic, mitochondrial and epigenetic features dependent on gestational stage. In this review we focus on two of the most clearly defined states: "naïve" and "primed" PSCs. Like other rapidly dividing cells, PSCs have a high demand for anabolic precursors necessary to replicate their genome, cytoplasm and organelles, while concurrently consuming energy in the form of ATP. This requirement for both anabolic and catabolic processes sufficient to supply a highly adapted cell cycle in the context of reduced oxygen availability, distinguishes PSCs from their differentiated progeny. During early embryogenesis PSCs adapt their substrate preference to match the bioenergetic requirements of each specific developmental stage. This is reflected in different mitochondrial morphologies, membrane potentials, electron transport chain (ETC) compositions, and utilization of glycolysis. Additionally, metabolites produced in PSCs can directly influence epigenetic and transcriptional programs, which in turn can affect self-renewal characteristics. Thus, our understanding of the role of metabolism in PSC fate has expanded from anabolism and catabolism to include governance of the pluripotent epigenetic landscape. Understanding the roles of metabolism and the factors influencing metabolic pathways in naïve and primed pluripotent states provide a platform for understanding the drivers of cell fate during development. This review highlights the roles of the major metabolic pathways in the acquisition and maintenance of the different states of pluripotency.
    Keywords:  amino acids; glycolysis; induced pluripotent stem cells; naïve and primed embryonic stem cells; nuclear reprogramming; oxidative metabolism; oxidative phosphorylation; tricarboxylic acid cycle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.00087
  14. Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 Mar 17. pii: gkaa158. [Epub ahead of print]
    A novel transcriptional cascade is involved in Fzr-mediated endoreplication.
    Wenliang Qian, Zheng Li, Wei Song, Tujing Zhao, Weina Wang, Jian Peng, Ling Wei, Qingyou Xia, Daojun Cheng.
      Endoreplication, known as endocycle, is a variant of the cell cycle that differs from mitosis and occurs in specific tissues of different organisms. Endoreplicating cells generally undergo multiple rounds of genome replication without chromosome segregation. Previous studies demonstrated that Drosophila fizzy-related protein (Fzr) and its mammalian homolog Cdh1 function as key regulators of endoreplication entrance by activating the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome to initiate the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of cell cycle factors such as Cyclin B (CycB). However, the molecular mechanism underlying Fzr-mediated endoreplication is not completely understood. In this study, we demonstrated that the transcription factor Myc acts downstream of Fzr during endoreplication in Drosophila salivary gland. Mechanistically, Fzr interacts with chromatin-associated histone H2B to enhance H2B ubiquitination in the Myc promoter and promotes Myc transcription. In addition to negatively regulating CycB transcription, the Fzr-ubiquitinated H2B (H2Bub)-Myc signaling cascade also positively regulates the transcription of the MCM6 gene that is involved in DNA replication by directly binding to specific motifs within their promoters. We further found that the Fzr-H2Bub-Myc signaling cascade regulating endoreplication progression is conserved between insects and mammalian cells. Altogether, our work uncovers a novel transcriptional cascade that is involved in Fzr-mediated endoreplication.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa158
  15. Mol Cell Biol. 2020 Mar 16. pii: MCB.00014-20. [Epub ahead of print]
    MAML1-dependent Notch responsive genes exhibit differing co-factor requirements for transcriptional activation.
    Julia M Rogers, Bingqian Guo, Emily D Egan, Jon C Aster, Karen Adelman, Stephen C Blacklow.
      Mastermind proteins are required for transcription of Notch target genes, yet the molecular basis for mastermind function remains incompletely understood. Previous work has shown that Notch can induce transcriptional responses by binding to promoters, but more often by binding to enhancers, with HES4 and DTX1 as representative mammalian examples of promoter and enhancer responsiveness, respectively. Here, we show that mastermind dependence of the Notch response at these loci is differentially encoded in Jurkat T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells. Knockout of Mastermind-like1 (MAML1) eliminates Notch responsive activation of both these genes, and reduced target gene expression is accompanied by a decrease in H3K27 acetylation, consistent with the importance of MAML1 for p300 activity. Add-back of MAML1 variants in knockout cells identifies residues 151-350 of MAML1 as essential for expression of either Notch-responsive gene. Fusion of the Notch-binding region of MAML1 to the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) domain of p300 rescues expression of HES4 but not DTX1, suggesting that an additional activity of MAML1 is needed for gene induction at a distance. Together, these studies establish the functional importance of the MAML1 151-350 region for Notch-dependent transcriptional induction, and reveal differential requirements for MAML1-dependent recruitment activities at different Notch responsive loci, highlighting the molecular complexity of Notch-stimulated transcription.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.00014-20
  16. Genome Res. 2020 Mar 18. pii: gr.256255.119. [Epub ahead of print]
    Inhibition of transcription leads to rewiring of locus-specific chromatin proteomes.
    Deepani W Poramba-Liyanage, Tessy Korthout, Christine E Cucinotta, Ila van Kruijsbergen, Tibor van Welsem, Dris El Atmioui, Huib Ovaa, Toshio Tsukiyama, Fred van Leeuwen.
      Transcription of a chromatin template involves the concerted interaction of many different proteins and protein complexes. Analyses of specific factors showed that these interactions change during stress and upon developmental switches. However, how the binding of multiple factors at any given locus is coordinated has been technically challenging to investigate. Here we employed Epi-Decoder in yeast to systematically decode, at one transcribed locus, the chromatin binding changes of hundreds of proteins in parallel upon perturbation of transcription. Taking advantage of improved Epi-Decoder libraries, we observed broad rewiring of local chromatin proteomes following chemical inhibition of RNA polymerase. Rapid reduction of RNA polymerase II binding was accompanied by reduced binding of many other core transcription proteins and gain of chromatin remodelers. In quiescent cells, where strong transcriptional repression is induced by physiological signals, eviction of the core transcriptional machinery was accompanied by the appearance of quiescent-cell specific repressors and rewiring of the interactions of protein-folding factors and metabolic enzymes. These results show that Epi-Decoder provides a powerful strategy for capturing the temporal binding dynamics of multiple chromatin proteins under varying conditions and cell states. The systematic and comprehensive delineation of dynamic local chromatin proteomes will greatly aid in uncovering protein-protein relationships and protein functions at the chromatin template.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.256255.119
  17. Endocrinology. 2020 Mar 19. pii: bqaa046. [Epub ahead of print]
    The Transcription Factor NR4A2 Plays an Essential Role in Driving Prolactin Expression in Female Pituitary Lactotropes.
    Michael T Peel, Yugong Ho, Stephen A Liebhaber.
      Differentiation of the hormone-producing cells of the pituitary represents an informative model of cell fate determination. The generation and maintenance of two pituitary lineages, the growth hormone (GH) producing somatotropes and the prolactin (PRL) producing lactotropes, are dependent on the pituitary-specific transcription factor, POU1F1. While POU1F1 is expressed in both cell types, and plays a role in activation of both the Gh and Prl genes, expression of GH and Prl is restricted to somatotropes and lactotropes, respectively. These observations imply the existence of additional factors that contribute to the somatotrope and lactotrope identities and their hormone expressions. Prior transcriptome analysis of primary somatotropes and lactotropes isolated from the mouse pituitary identified enrichment of a transcription factor, Nr4a2, in the lactotropes. Nr4a2 was shown in a cell culture model to bind the Prl promoter at a position adjacent to Pou1f1 and to synergize with Pou1f1 in driving Prl transcription. Here we demonstrate in vivo the role of Nr4a2 as an enhancer of Prl expression by conditional gene inactivation of the Nr4a2 gene in mouse lactotropes. We demonstrate that NR4A2 binding at the Prl promoter is dependent on actions of POU1F1; while POU1F1 is essential to loading Pol II on the Prl promoter, Nr4a2 plays a role in enhancing Pol II release into the Prl gene body. These studies establish an in vivo role of Nr4a2 in enhancing Prl expression in mouse lactotropes, explore its mechanism of action, and establish a system for further study of the lactotrope lineage in the pituitary.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1210/endocr/bqaa046
  18. Elife. 2020 Mar 19. pii: e49808. [Epub ahead of print]9
    Extracellular matrix-inducing Sox9 promotes both basal progenitor proliferation and gliogenesis in developing neocortex.
    Ayse Güven, Nereo Kalebic, Katherine R Long, Marta Florio, Samir Vaid, Holger Brandl, Denise Stenzel, Wieland B Huttner.
      Neocortex expansion is largely based on the proliferative capacity of basal progenitors (BPs), which is increased by extracellular matrix (ECM) components via integrin signaling. Here we show that the transcription factor Sox9 drives expression of ECM components and that laminin 211 increases BP proliferation in embryonic mouse neocortex. We show that Sox9 is expressed in human and ferret BPs and is required for BP proliferation in embryonic ferret neocortex. Conditional Sox9 expression in the mouse BP lineage, where it normally is not expressed, increases BP proliferation, reduces Tbr2 levels and induces Olig2 expression, indicative of premature gliogenesis. Conditional Sox9 expression also results in cell-non-autonomous stimulation of BP proliferation followed by increased upper-layer neuron production. Our findings demonstrate that Sox9 exerts concerted effects on transcription, BP proliferation, neuron production, and neurogenic vs. gliogenic BP cell fate, suggesting that Sox9 may have contributed to promote neocortical expansion.
    Keywords:  developmental biology; human; mouse; neuroscience
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.49808
  19. Cell Rep. 2020 Mar 17. pii: S2211-1247(20)30244-8. [Epub ahead of print]30(11): 3625-3631.e6
    Morphine and Naloxone Facilitate Neural Stem Cells Proliferation via a TET1-Dependent and Receptor-Independent Pathway.
    Lining Liang, Jinlong Chen, Yuan Li, Xiaowei Lai, Hao Sun, Changpeng Li, Mengdan Zhang, Tingting Yang, Fei Meng, Ping-Yee Law, Horace H Loh, Hui Zheng.
      Normally, opioids function in a receptor-dependent manner. They bind to opioid receptors, activate or inhibit receptor activation, and subsequently modulate downstream signal transduction. However, the complex functions of opioids and the low expression of opioid receptors and their endogenous peptide agonists in neural stem cells (NSCs) suggest that some opioids may also modulate NSCs via a receptor-independent pathway. In the current study, two opioids, morphine and naloxone, are demonstrated to facilitate NSC proliferation via a receptor-independent and ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1)-dependent pathway. Morphine and naloxone penetrate cell membrane, bind to TET1 protein via three key residues (1,880-1,882), and subsequently result in facilitated proliferation of NSCs. In addition, the two opioids also inhibit the DNA demethylation ability of TET1. In summary, the current results connect opioids and DNA demethylation directly at least in NSCs and extend our understanding on both opioids and NSCs.
    Keywords:  Tet1; morphine; naloxone; neural stem cells; proliferation; receptor-independent
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.075
  20. Genetics. 2020 Mar 16. pii: genetics.303144.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Promoter-Proximal Chromatin Domain Insulator Protein BEAF Mediates Local and Long-Range Communication with a Transcription Factor and Directly Activates a Housekeeping Promoter in Drosophila.
    Yuankai Dong, S V Satya Prakash Avva, Mukesh Maharjan, Janice Jacobi, Craig M Hart.
      BEAF (Boundary Element-Associated Factor) was originally identified as a Drosophila melanogaster chromatin domain insulator binding protein, suggesting a role in gene regulation through chromatin organization and dynamics. Genome-wide mapping found that BEAF usually binds near transcription start sites, often of housekeeping genes, suggesting a role in promoter function. This would be a nontraditional role for an insulator binding protein. To gain insight into molecular mechanisms of BEAF function, we identified interacting proteins using yeast 2-hybrid assays. Here we focus on the transcription factor Sry-δ. Interactions were confirmed in pull-down experiments using bacterially expressed proteins, by bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and in a genetic assay in transgenic flies. Sry-δ interacted with promoter-proximal BEAF both when bound to DNA adjacent to BEAF or over 2 kb upstream to activate a reporter gene in transient transfection experiments. The interaction between BEAF and Sry-δ was detected using both a minimal developmental promoter (y) and a housekeeping promoter (RpS12), while BEAF alone strongly activated the housekeeping promoter. These two functions for BEAF implicate it in playing a direct role in gene regulation at hundreds of BEAF-associated promoters.
    Keywords:  BEAF; Chromatin domains; Drosophila; Enhancer-promoter looping; Gene regulation; Insulators
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.120.303144
  21. Hum Mol Genet. 2020 Mar 19. pii: ddaa043. [Epub ahead of print]
    Mitochondrial genetic variation is enriched in G-quadruplex regions that stall DNA synthesis in vitro.
    Thomas J Butler, Katrina N Estep, Joshua A Sommers, Robert W Maul, Ann Zenobia Moore, Stefania Bandinelli, Francesco Cucca, Marcus A Tuke, Andrew R Wood, Sanjay Kumar Bharti, Daniel F Bogenhagen, Elena Yakubovskaya, Miguel Garcia-Diaz, Thomas A Guilliam, Alicia K Byrd, Kevin D Raney, Aidan J Doherty, Luigi Ferrucci, David Schlessinger, Jun Ding, Robert M Brosh.
      As the powerhouses of the eukaryotic cell, mitochondria must maintain their genomes which encode proteins essential for energy production. Mitochondria are characterized by guanine-rich DNA sequences that spontaneously form unusual three-dimensional structures known as G-quadruplexes (G4). G4 structures can be problematic for the essential processes of DNA replication and transcription because they deter normal progression of the enzymatic-driven processes. In this study, we addressed the hypothesis that mitochondrial G4 is a source of mutagenesis leading to base pair substitutions. Our computational analysis of 2757 individual genomes from two Italian population cohorts (SardiNIA and InCHIANTI) revealed a statistically significant enrichment of mitochondrial mutations within sequences corresponding to stable G4 DNA structures. Guided by the computational analysis results, we designed biochemical reconstitution experiments and demonstrated that DNA synthesis by two known mitochondrial DNA polymerases (Pol γ, PrimPol) in vitro was strongly blocked by representative stable G4 mitochondrial DNA structures, which could be overcome in a specific manner by the ATP-dependent G4-resolving helicase Pif1. However, error-prone DNA synthesis by PrimPol using the G4 template sequence persisted even in the presence of Pif1. Altogether, our results suggest that genetic variation is enriched in G-quadruplex regions that impede mitochondrial DNA replication.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa043
  22. Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 19. 11(1): 1472
    YAP1/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional networks maintain skin homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation and limiting KLF4 activity.
    Yao Yuan, Jeannie Park, Amber Feng, Parirokh Awasthi, Zhiyong Wang, Qianming Chen, Ramiro Iglesias-Bartolome.
      The Hippo TEAD-transcriptional regulators YAP1 and TAZ are central for cell renewal and cancer growth; however, the specific downstream gene networks involved in their activity are not completely understood. Here we introduce TEADi, a genetically encoded inhibitor of the interaction of YAP1 and TAZ with TEAD, as a tool to characterize the transcriptional networks and biological effects regulated by TEAD transcription factors. Blockage of TEAD activity by TEADi in human keratinocytes and mouse skin leads to reduced proliferation and rapid activation of differentiation programs. Analysis of gene networks affected by TEADi and YAP1/TAZ knockdown identifies KLF4 as a central transcriptional node regulated by YAP1/TAZ-TEAD in keratinocyte differentiation. Moreover, we show that TEAD and KLF4 can regulate the activity of each other, indicating that these factors are part of a transcriptional regulatory loop. Our study establishes TEADi as a resource for studying YAP1/TAZ-TEAD dependent effects.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15301-0
  23. Am J Transl Res. 2020 ;12(2): 409-427
    FRA1 contributes to MEK-ERK pathway-dependent PD-L1 upregulation by KRAS mutation in premalignant human bronchial epithelial cells.
    Mi-Heon Lee, Jane Yanagawa, Linh Tran, Tonya C Walser, Bharti Bisht, Eileen Fung, Stacy J Park, Gang Zeng, Kostyantyn Krysan, William D Wallace, Manash K Paul, Luc Girard, Boning Gao, John D Minna, Steven M Dubinett, Jay M Lee.
      Oncogenic KRAS mutations are frequently found in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and cause constitutive activation of the MEK-ERK pathway. Many cancer types have been shown to overexpress PD-L1 to escape immune surveillance. FRA1 is a MEK/ERK-dependent oncogenic transcription factor and a member of the AP-1 transcriptional factor superfamily. This study assesses the hypothesis that KRAS mutation directly regulates PD-L1 expression through the MEK-ERK pathway mediated by FRA1. Premalignant human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) lines harboring the KRAS mutationV12, EGFR mutation, p53 knock-down, or both KRAS mutation and p53 knock-down were tested for levels of PD-L1, FRA1, and ERK activation (pERK). Our results showed that KRAS mutation alone, but not other genetic alterations, induced significantly higher expression of PD-L1 compared to its vector counterparts. The increased PD-L1 expression in the KRAS mutated cells was dramatically reduced by inhibition of ERK activation. Furthermore, the MEK-ERK pathway-dependent PD-L1 expression was markedly reduced by FRA1 silencing. Interestingly, FRA1 silencing led to inhibition of ERK activation, indicating that FRA1 plays a role in PD-L1 regulation via positive feedback of ERK activation. Correlation of PD-L1 and FRA1 mRNA expression was validated using human lung cancer specimens from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and established NSCLC cell lines from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). FRA1 expression was significantly associated with PD-L1 expression, and high FRA1 expression was correlated with poor overall survival. Our findings suggest that oncogenic KRAS-driven PD-L1 expression is dependent on MEK-ERK and FRA1 in high risk, premalignant HBEC.
    Keywords:  FRA1; KRAS; MEK-ERK pathway; PD-L1; premalignant human bronchial epithelial cells
  24. Front Oncol. 2020 ;10 267
    RNA-seq Analysis of Wild-Type vs. FOXC2-Deficient Melanoma Cells Reveals a Role for the FOXC2 Transcription Factor in the Regulation of Multiple Oncogenic Pathways.
    Kristian M Hargadon, Corey J Williams.
      
    Keywords:  FOXC2; RNA-seq; differential expression; gene regulation; melanoma; oncogene
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.00267
  25. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2020 Mar 16. 13(1): 16
    The histone methyltransferase Setd8 alters the chromatin landscape and regulates the expression of key transcription factors during erythroid differentiation.
    Jacquelyn A Myers, Tyler Couch, Zachary Murphy, Jeffrey Malik, Michael Getman, Laurie A Steiner.
       BACKGROUND: SETD8 is the sole methyltransferase capable of mono-methylating histone H4, lysine 20. SETD8 and H4K20me1 play a role in a number of essential biologic processes, including cell cycle progression, establishment of higher order chromatin structure, and transcriptional regulation. SETD8 is highly expressed in erythroid cells and erythroid deletion of Setd8 is embryonic lethal by embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) due to profound anemia, suggesting that it has an erythroid-specific function. The function of SETD8 in the hemopoietic system is poorly understood. The goal of our study was to gain insights into the function of SETD8 during erythroid differentiation.
    RESULTS: We performed ATAC-seq (assay for transposase-accessible chromatin) on sorted populations of E10.5 Setd8 mutant and control erythroblasts. Accessibility profiles were integrated with expression changes and a mark of heterochromatin (H3K27me3) performed in wild-type E10.5 erythroblasts to further understand the role of SETD8 in erythropoiesis. Data integration identified regions of greater chromatin accessibility in Setd8 mutant cells that co-located with H3K27me3 in wild-type E10.5 erythroblasts suggesting that these regions, and their associated genes, are repressed during normal erythropoiesis. The majority of these more accessible regions were located in promoters and they frequently co-located with the NFY complex. Pathway analysis of genes identified through data integration revealed stemness-related pathways. Among those genes were multiple transcriptional regulators active in multipotent progenitors, but repressed during erythroid differentiation including Hhex, Hlx, and Gata2. Consistent with a role for SETD8 in erythroid specification, SETD8 expression is up-regulated upon erythroid commitment, and Setd8 disruption impairs erythroid colony forming ability.
    CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that SETD8 is an important regulator of the chromatin landscape during erythroid differentiation, particularly at promoters. Our results also identify a novel role for Setd8 in the establishment of appropriate patterns of lineage-restricted gene expression during erythroid differentiation.
    Keywords:  Chromatin; Differentiation; Erythroid; H4K20me1; Setd8
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-020-00337-9
  26. J Clin Invest. 2020 Mar 17. pii: 128994. [Epub ahead of print]
    Norrin mediates tumor-promoting and -suppressive effects in glioblastoma via Notch and WNT.
    Ahmed El-Sehemy, Hayden J Selvadurai, Arturo Ortin-Martinez, Neno T Pokrajac, Yasin Mamatjan, Nobuhiko Tachibana, Katherine J Rowland, Lilian Lee, Nicole I Park, Kenneth D Aldape, Peter Dirks, Valerie A Wallace.
      Glioblastoma (GBM) contains a subpopulation of cells, GBM stem cells (GSCs), that maintain the bulk tumor and represent a key therapeutic target. Norrin is a Wnt ligand that binds the Frizzled4 (FZD4) receptor to activate canonical Wnt signaling. While Norrin, encoded by NDP, has a well- described role in vascular development, its function in human tumorigenesis is largely unexplored. Here, we show that NDP expression is enriched in neurological cancers, including GBM, and its levels positively correlated with survival in a GBM subtype defined by low expression of ASCL1, a proneural factor. We investigated the function of Norrin and FZD4 in GSCs and found that it mediated opposing tumor-promoting and -suppressive effects on ASCL1lo and ASCL1hi GSCs. Consistent with a potential tumor suppressive effect of Norrin suggested by the tumour outcome data, we found that Norrin signaling through FZD4 inhibited growth in ASCL1lo GSCs. In contrast, in ASCL1hi GSCs Norrin promoted Notch signaling, independently of WNT, to promote tumor progression. Forced ASCL1 expression reversed the tumor suppressive effects of Norrin in ASCL1lo GSCs. Our results identify Norrin as a modulator of human brain cancer progression and reveal an unanticipated Notch mediated function of Norrin in regulating cancer stem cell biology.
    Keywords:  Brain cancer; Neuronal stem cells; Oncogenes; Oncology; Stem cells
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI128994
  27. J Genet Genomics. 2020 Feb 21. pii: S1673-8527(20)30029-1. [Epub ahead of print]
    Both combinatorial K4me0-K36me3 marks on sister histone H3s of a nucleosome are required for Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L mediated de novo DNA methylation.
    Ting Gong, Xin Gu, Yu-Ting Liu, Zhen Zhou, Ling-Li Zhang, Yang Wen, Wei-Li Zhong, Guo-Liang Xu, Jin-Qiu Zhou.
      A nucleosome contains two copies of each histone H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. Histone H3 K4me0 and K36me3 are two key chromatin marks for de novo DNA methylation catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases in mammals. However, it remains unclear whether K4me0 and K36me3 marks on both sister histone H3s regulate de novo DNA methylation independently or cooperatively. Here, taking advantage of the bivalent histone H3 system in yeast, we examined the contributions of K4 and K36 on sister histone H3s to genomic DNA methylation catalyzed by ectopically co-expressed murine Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L. The results show that lack of both K4me0 and K36me3 on one sister H3 tail, or lack of K4me0 and K36me3 on respective sister H3s results in a dramatic reduction of 5mC, revealing a synergy of two sister H3s in DNA methylation regulation. Accordingly, the Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L mutation that disrupts the interaction of Dnmt3aADD domain-H3K4me0, Dnmt3LADD domain-H3K4me0, or Dnmt3aPWWP domain-H3K36me3 causes a significant reduction of DNA methylation. These results support the model that each heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L reads both K4me0 and K36me3 marks on one tail of sister H3s, and the dimer of heterodimeric Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L recognizes two tails of sister histone H3s to efficiently execute de novo DNA methylation.
    Keywords:  Asymmetrical nucleosome; De novo DNA methylation; Histone H3K36 methylation; Histone H3K4 methylation; Yeast
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2019.12.006
  28. Genome Res. 2020 Mar 18. pii: gr.257063.119. [Epub ahead of print]
    Time course regulatory analysis based on paired expression and chromatin accessibility data.
    Zhana Duren, Xi Chen, Jingxue Xin, Yong Wang, Wing Wong.
      Time course experiment is a widely used design in the study of cellular processes such as differentiation or response to stimuli. In this paper, we propose TimeReg (Time Course Regulatory Analysis) as a method for the analysis of gene regulatory networks based on paired gene expression and chromatin accessibility data from the time course. TimeReg can be used to prioritize regulatory elements, to extract core regulatory modules at each time point, to identify key regulators driving changes of the cellular state, and to causally connect the modules across different time points. We applied the method to analyze paired chromatin accessibility and gene expression data from retinoic acid (RA) induced mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) differentiation experiment. The analysis identified 57,048 novel regulatory elements, regulating cerebellar development, synapse assembly and hindbrain morphogenesis, which substantially extended our knowledge of cis-regulatory elements during the differentiation. Using single cell RNA-seq data, we showed that the core regulatory modules can reflect the properties of different subpopulations of cells. Finally, the driver regulators are shown to be important in clarifying the relations between modules across adjacent time points. As a second example, our method on Ascl1 induced direct reprogramming from fibroblast to neuron time-course data identified Id1/2 as driver regulators of early stage of reprogramming.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.257063.119
  29. Endocr Pathol. 2020 Mar 19.
    Utility of GATA-3 Expression in the Analysis of Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumour (PitNET) Transcription Factors.
    John Turchini, Loretta Sioson, Adele Clarkson, Amy Sheen, Anthony J Gill.
      With the introduction of the WHO 2017 classification of endocrine neoplasms, the use of the pituitary transcription factors PIT-1, Tpit and SF-1 has become the standard of care. However, immunohistochemistry for these transcription factors is not available in all institutions, and their reliability has been questioned. We read with interest the findings of Mete et al. that GATA-3 expression was detected in some pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNET). We therefore sort to validate this in our large cohort of PitNETs. We searched the database of Royal North Shore Hospital for PitNETs between 1998 and 2012, constructed a tissue microarray and reclassified these entities based on their expression for PIT-1, Tpit and SF-1. We then scored the expression of GATA-3 immunohistochemistry on a scale of 0-2, where 0 was no staining, 1 was patchy or weak staining and 2 was strong and diffuse staining. 265 of 346 tumours were able to be classified into a specific tumour subtype, and 263 tumours had tissue available for GATA-3 immunohistochemistry. 89% of gonadotrophs and 93% of triple-negative tumours with expression for luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone were positive for GATA-3. In the triple-negative group, GATA-3 was positive in 1 mammosomatotroph and 80% of tumours with thyroid-stimulating hormone expression. In the triple-negative hormone-negative group, 21 of 33 tumours were positive (64%). The results demonstrate that GATA-3 is a useful marker to supplement the existing pituitary transcription factors, albeit slightly less sensitive and specific than previously reported. GATA-3 may be employed in addition to the current array of immunohistochemical transcription factors, especially in the resource poor setting. However, given its potential cross-reactivity with other entities of the Sella, positive staining should be interpreted with caution and in the morphological and clinical context.
    Keywords:  GATA-3; PitNET; Pituitary adenoma; Pituitary neuroendocrine tumour; Transcription factors
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-020-09615-4
  30. Neural Dev. 2020 Mar 19. 15(1): 5
    Cis-regulatory analysis of Onecut1 expression in fate-restricted retinal progenitor cells.
    Sruti Patoori, Nathalie Jean-Charles, Ariana Gopal, Sacha Sulaiman, Sneha Gopal, Brian Wang, Benjamin Souferi, Mark M Emerson.
       BACKGROUND: The vertebrate retina consists of six major classes of neuronal cells. During development, these cells are generated from a pool of multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that express the gene Vsx2. Fate-restricted RPCs have recently been identified, with limited mitotic potential and cell fate possibilities compared to multipotent RPCs. One population of fate-restricted RPCs, marked by activity of the regulatory element ThrbCRM1, gives rise to both cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells. These cells do not express Vsx2, but co-express the transcription factors (TFs) Onecut1 and Otx2, which bind to ThrbCRM1. The components of the gene regulatory networks that control the transition from multipotent to fate-restricted gene expression are not known. This work aims to identify and evaluate cis-regulatory elements proximal to Onecut1 to identify the gene regulatory networks involved in RPC fate-restriction.
    METHOD: We identified regulatory elements through ATAC-seq and conservation, followed by reporter assays to screen for activity based on temporal and spatial criteria. The regulatory elements of interest were subject to deletion and mutation analysis to identify functional sequences and evaluated by quantitative flow cytometry assays. Finally, we combined the enhancer::reporter assays with candidate TF overexpression to evaluate the relationship between the TFs, the enhancers, and early vertebrate retinal development. Statistical tests included ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, or unpaired t-tests.
    RESULTS: Two regulatory elements, ECR9 and ECR65, were identified to be active in ThrbCRM1(+) restricted RPCs. Candidate bHLH binding sites were identified as critical sequences in both elements. Overexpression of candidate bHLH TFs revealed specific enhancer-bHLH interactions. Nhlh1 overexpression expanded ECR65 activity into the Vsx2(+) RPC population, and overexpression of NeuroD1/NeuroG2/NeuroD4 had a similar effect on ECR9. Furthermore, bHLHs that were able to activate ectopic ECR9 reporter were able to induce endogenous Otx2 expression.
    CONCLUSIONS: This work reports a large-scale screen to identify spatiotemporally specific regulatory elements near the Onecut1 locus. These elements were used to identify distinct populations in the developing retina. In addition, fate-restricted regulatory elements responded differentially to bHLH factors, and suggest a role for retinal bHLHs upstream of the Otx2 and Onecut1 genes during the formation of restricted RPCs from multipotent RPCs.
    Keywords:  Basic helix-loop-helix; Chicken; Cone photoreceptors; Electroporation; Fate-restricted; Multipotent; Retinal progenitor cells
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13064-020-00142-w
  31. Cell Rep. 2020 Mar 17. pii: S2211-1247(20)30253-9. [Epub ahead of print]30(11): 3605-3615.e5
    A Model of Differential Mammary Growth Initiation by Stat3 and Asymmetric Integrin-α6 Inheritance.
    Edward J Morris, Jordan A Gillespie, Christopher A Maxwell, Shoukat Dedhar.
      Multiple cancer-related genes both promote and paradoxically suppress growth initiation, depending on the cell context. We discover an explanation for how this occurs for one such protein, Stat3, based on asymmetric cell division. Here, we show that Stat3, by Stathmin/PLK-1, regulates mitotic spindle orientation, and we use it to create and test a model for differential growth initiation. We demonstrate that Integrin-α6 is polarized and required for mammary growth initiation. Spindles orient relative to polar Integrin-α6, dividing perpendicularly in normal cells and parallel in tumor-derived cells, resulting in asymmetric or symmetric Integrin-α6 inheritance, respectively. Stat3 inhibition randomizes spindle orientation, which promotes normal growth initiation while reducing tumor-derived growth initiation. Lipid raft disruption depolarizes Integrin-α6, inducing spindle-orientation-independent Integrin-α6 inheritance. Stat3 inhibition no longer affects the growth of these cells, suggesting Stat3 acts through the regulation of spindle orientation to control growth initiation.
    Keywords:  Integrin-α6; Stat3; asymmetric cell division; mammary growth initiation; mitotic spindle orientation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.079
  32. Epigenetics. 2020 Mar 16. 1-17
    Dynamic shifts in chromatin states differentially mark the proliferative basal cells and terminally differentiated cells of the developing epidermis.
    Yan Ting Shue, Kang Ting Lee, Benjamin William Walters, Hui Binn Ong, Shaktheeshwari Silvaraju, Wei Jun Lam, Chin Yan Lim.
      Post-translational modifications on nucleosomal histones represent a key epigenetic regulatory mechanism to mediate the complex gene expression, DNA replication, and cell cycle changes that occur in embryonic cells undergoing lineage specification, maturation, and differentiation during development. Here, we investigated the dynamics of 13 key histone marks in epidermal cells at three distinct stages of embryonic skin development and identified significant changes that corresponded with the maturation of the proliferative basal epidermal cells and terminally differentiated cells in the stratified layers. In particular, H3K4me3 and H3K27ac were accumulated and became more prominent in the basal cells at later stages of epidermal development, while H3K27me3 was found to be low in the basal cells but highly enriched in the differentiated suprabasal cell types. Constitutive heterochromatin marked by H4K20me3 was also significantly elevated in differentiated epidermal cells at late gestation stages, which exhibited a concomitant loss of H4K16 acetylation. These differential chromatin profiles were established in the embryonic skin by gestation day 15 and further amplified at E18 and in postnatal skin. Our results reveal the dynamic chromatin states that occur as epidermal progenitor cells commit to the lineage and differentiate into the different cells of the stratified epidermis and provide insight to the underlying epigenetic pathways that support normal epidermal development and homoeostasis.
    Keywords:  Histone modifications; cellular differentiation; chromatin states; epidermal development
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2020.1738028
  33. Mol Cell Biol. 2020 Mar 16. pii: MCB.00663-19. [Epub ahead of print]
    TWIST1 homodimers and heterodimers orchestrate lineage-specific differentiation.
    Xiaochen Fan, Ashley J Waardenberg, Madeleine Demuth, Pierre Osteil, Jane Sun, David A F Loebel, Mark Graham, Patrick P L Tam, Nicolas Fossat.
      The extensive array of bHLH transcription factors and their combinations as dimers underpin the diversity of molecular function required for cell type specification during embryogenesis. The bHLH factor TWIST1 plays pleiotropic roles during development. However, which combinations of TWIST1 dimers are involved and what impact each dimer imposes on the gene regulation network controlled by TWIST1 remain elusive. In this work, proteomic profiling of human-TWIST1 expressing cell lines and transcriptome analysis of mouse cranial mesenchyme have revealed that TWIST1 homodimer and heterodimers with TCF3, TCF4, and TCF12 E-proteins are the predominant dimer combinations. Disease-causing mutations in TWIST1 can impact on dimer formation or shift the balance of different types of TWIST1-dimers in the cell, which may underpin the defective differentiation of the craniofacial mesenchyme. Functional analyses of the loss and gain of TWIST1-E-protein dimer activity have revealed previously unappreciated roles in guiding lineage differentiation of embryonic stem cells: TWIST1-E-protein heterodimers activate the differentiation of mesoderm and neural crest cells, which is accompanied by the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. At the same time, TWIST1 homodimers maintain the stem cells in a progenitor state and block entry to the endoderm lineage.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.00663-19
  34. Genome Med. 2020 Mar 18. 12(1): 29
    Methylome-based cell-of-origin modeling (Methyl-COOM) identifies aberrant expression of immune regulatory molecules in CLL.
    Justyna A Wierzbinska, Reka Toth, Naveed Ishaque, Karsten Rippe, Jan-Philipp Mallm, Lara C Klett, Daniel Mertens, Thorsten Zenz, Thomas Hielscher, Marc Seifert, Ralf Küppers, Yassen Assenov, Pavlo Lutsik, Stephan Stilgenbauer, Philipp M Roessner, Martina Seiffert, John Byrd, Christopher C Oakes, Christoph Plass, Daniel B Lipka.
       BACKGROUND: In cancer, normal epigenetic patterns are disturbed and contribute to gene expression changes, disease onset, and progression. The cancer epigenome is composed of the epigenetic patterns present in the tumor-initiating cell at the time of transformation, and the tumor-specific epigenetic alterations that are acquired during tumor initiation and progression. The precise dissection of these two components of the tumor epigenome will facilitate a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying malignant transformation. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) originates from differentiating B cells, which undergo extensive epigenetic programming. This poses the challenge to precisely determine the epigenomic ground state of the cell-of-origin in order to identify CLL-specific epigenetic aberrations.
    METHODS: We developed a linear regression model, methylome-based cell-of-origin modeling (Methyl-COOM), to map the cell-of-origin for individual CLL patients based on the continuum of epigenomic changes during normal B cell differentiation.
    RESULTS: Methyl-COOM accurately maps the cell-of-origin of CLL and identifies CLL-specific aberrant DNA methylation events that are not confounded by physiologic epigenetic B cell programming. Furthermore, Methyl-COOM unmasks abnormal action of transcription factors, altered super-enhancer activities, and aberrant transcript expression in CLL. Among the aberrantly regulated transcripts were many genes that have previously been implicated in T cell biology. Flow cytometry analysis of these markers confirmed their aberrant expression on malignant B cells at the protein level.
    CONCLUSIONS: Methyl-COOM analysis of CLL identified disease-specific aberrant gene regulation. The aberrantly expressed genes identified in this study might play a role in immune-evasion in CLL and might serve as novel targets for immunotherapy approaches. In summary, we propose a novel framework for in silico modeling of reference DNA methylomes and for the identification of cancer-specific epigenetic changes, a concept that can be broadly applied to other human malignancies.
    Keywords:  Cell-of-origin; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; DNA methylation; T cell antigens
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13073-020-00724-7
  35. Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 Mar 18. pii: gkaa180. [Epub ahead of print]
    Computational identification of cell-specific variable regions in ChIP-seq data.
    Tommaso Andreani, Steffen Albrecht, Jean-Fred Fontaine, Miguel A Andrade-Navarro.
      Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) is used to identify genome-wide DNA regions bound by proteins. Given one ChIP-seq experiment with replicates, binding sites not observed in all the replicates will usually be interpreted as noise and discarded. However, the recent discovery of high-occupancy target (HOT) regions suggests that there are regions where binding of multiple transcription factors can be identified. To investigate ChIP-seq variability, we developed a reproducibility score and a method that identifies cell-specific variable regions in ChIP-seq data by integrating replicated ChIP-seq experiments for multiple protein targets on a particular cell type. Using our method, we found variable regions in human cell lines K562, GM12878, HepG2, MCF-7 and in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). These variable-occupancy target regions (VOTs) are CG dinucleotide rich, and show enrichment at promoters and R-loops. They overlap significantly with HOT regions, but are not blacklisted regions producing non-specific binding ChIP-seq peaks. Furthermore, in mESCs, VOTs are conserved among placental species suggesting that they could have a function important for this taxon. Our method can be useful to point to such regions along the genome in a given cell type of interest, to improve the downstream interpretative analysis before follow-up experiments.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa180
  36. Clin Epigenetics. 2020 Mar 17. 12(1): 47
    Crosstalk between DNA methylation and histone acetylation triggers GDNF high transcription in glioblastoma cells.
    Baole Zhang, Xiaohe Gu, Xiao Han, Qing Gao, Jie Liu, Tingwen Guo, Dianshuai Gao.
       BACKGROUND: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is highly expressed in glioblastoma (GBM) and blocking its expression can inhibit the initiation and development of GBM. GDNF is a dual promoter gene, and the promoter II with two enhancers and two silencers plays a major role in transcription initiation. We had previously reported that histone hyperacetylation and DNA hypermethylation in GDNF promoter II region result in high transcription of GDNF in GBM cells, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether these modifications synergistically regulate high GDNF transcription in GBM.
    RESULTS: Cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) expression and phosphorylation at S133 were significantly increased in human GBM tissues and GBM cell lines (U251 and U343). In U251 GBM cells, high expressed CREB significantly enhanced GDNF transcription and promoter II activity. CREB regulated GDNF transcription via the cyclic AMP response elements (CREs) in enhancer II and silencer II of GDNF promoter II. However, the two CREs played opposite regulatory roles. Interestingly, hypermethylation of CRE in silencer II occurred in GBM tissues and cells which led to decreased and increased phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) binding to silencer II and enhancer II, respectively. Moreover, pCREB recruited CREB binding protein (CBP) with histone acetylase activity to the CRE of GDNF enhancer II, thereby increasing histone H3 acetylation and RNA polymerase II recruitment there and at the transcription start site (TSS), and promoted GDNF high transcription in U251 cells. The results indicated that high GDNF transcription was attributable to DNA hypermethylation in CRE of GDNF silencer II increasing pCREB binding to CRE in enhancer II, which enhanced CBP recruitment, histone H3 acetylation, and RNA polymerase II recruitment there and at the TSS.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that pCREB-induced crosstalk between DNA methylation and histone acetylation at the GDNF promoter II enhanced GDNF high transcription, providing a new perspective for GBM treatment.
    Keywords:  CREB; DNA methylation; GDNF; Glioblastoma; Histone acetylation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-020-00835-3
  37. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 19. 10(1): 5001
    Nuclear receptor CAR-ERα signaling regulates the estrogen sulfotransferase gene in the liver.
    MyeongJin Yi, Muluneh Fashe, Shingo Arakawa, Rick Moore, Tatsuya Sueyoshi, Masahiko Negishi.
      Estrogen sulfotransferase (SULT1E1) inactivates estrogen and regulates its metabolic homeostats. Whereas SULT1E1 is expressed low in the liver of adult mice, it is induced by phenobarbital (PB) treatment or spontaneously in diabetic livers via nuclear receptors. Utilizing constitutive active/androstane receptor (CAR) KO, estrogen receptor α (ERα KO, phosphorylation-blocked ERα S216A KI mice, it is now demonstrated that, after being activated by PB, CAR binds and recruits ERα onto the Sulte1 promoter for subsequent phosphorylation at Ser216. This phosphorylation tightens CAR interacting with ERα and to activates the promoter. Hepatic SULT1E1 mRNA levels are constitutively up-regulated in type 1 diabetic Akita mice; CAR spontaneously accumulates in the nucleus and activates the Sult1e1 promoter by recruiting phosphorylated ERα in the liver as observed with PB-induced livers. Thus, this CAR-phosphorylated ERα signaling enables these two nuclear receptors to communicate, activating the Sult1e1 gene in response to either PB or diabetes in mice. ERα phosphorylation may integrate CAR into estrogen actions, providing insights into understanding drug-hormone interactions in clinical therapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61767-9
  38. Acta Neuropathol. 2020 Mar 17.
    Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles distinguish silent from non-silent ACTH adenomas.
    Franz L Ricklefs, Krystian D Fita, Roman Rotermund, Andras Piffko, Simone Schmid, David Capper, Rolf Buslei, Michael Buchfelder, Till Burkhardt, Jakob Matschke, Katrin Lamszus, Manfred Westphal, Ulrich Schüller, Jörg Flitsch.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-020-02149-3
  39. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech. 2020 Mar 16. pii: S1874-9399(19)30347-5. [Epub ahead of print] 194545
    Transcriptional regulation by the KMT2 histone H3K4 methyltransferases.
    Kihyun Park, Jung-Ae Kim, Jaehoon Kim.
      Histone lysine methyltransferase 2 (KMT2) proteins form multimeric enzymatic complexes that methylate lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4) at transcription regulatory elements in the genome. A strong association of H3K4 methylation with active transcription has led to intense efforts to reveal the functional involvement of KMT2 complexes in transcriptional regulation. A number of biochemical and cellular studies have shown that KMT2 complexes regulate transcription of target genes via H3K4 methylation. However, in many cases, loss of KMT2 complex enzymatic activity fails to fully account for observed transcriptional defects. Accumulating evidence indicates that, in certain contexts, KMT2 complex-mediated transcriptional regulation can occur in an H3K4 methylation-independent manner. Here, we comprehensively review functions of KMT2 complexes in gene expression, focusing on what we currently know about the molecular mechanisms by which the KMT2 complexes regulate transcription. We also discuss how aberrant transcriptional regulation by KMT2 complexes contributes to different human diseases, such as cancer.
    Keywords:  Gene expression; Histone H3K4 methylation; KMT2 complexes; KMT2 family methyltransferases; Transcriptional regulation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194545
  40. Redox Biol. 2020 Mar 04. pii: S2213-2317(20)30296-2. [Epub ahead of print]32 101485
    A small molecule NRF2 activator BC-1901S ameliorates inflammation through DCAF1/NRF2 axis.
    Yanwen Chen, John W Evankovich, Travis B Lear, Ferhan Tuncer, Jason R Kennerdell, Daniel P Camarco, Morgan S Shishido, Yuan Liu, Bill B Chen.
      NRF2 is a master regulator of cellular anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, and strategies to augment NRF2-dependent responses may beneficial in many diseases. Basal NRF2 protein level is constrained by constitutive KEAP1-mediated degradation, but in the presence of electrophiles, NRF2 ubiquitination is inhibited. Impeded NRF2 degradation increases NRF2 protein, resulting in up-regulation of anti-oxidant gene transcription, and decreased inflammation. KEAP1-independent mechanisms regulating NRF2 stability have also been reported. Here we employed an HTS approach and identified a small molecule, BC-1901S, that stabilized NRF2 and increased its activity. BC-1901S activated NRF2 by inhibiting NRF2 ubiquitination in a KEAP1-independent manner. It further increased NRF2-dependent anti-oxidant gene transcription, and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. Further, we identified a new NRF2-interacting partner, DDB1 and CUL4 Associated Factor 1 (DCAF1), an E3 ligase that targeted NRF2 for proteasomal degradation. Mechanistically, BC-1901S directly bound to DCAF1 and disrupted NRF2/DCAF1 interaction, thus activating NRF2. These findings provide new insights in NRF2 biology and NRF2 based anti-inflammatory therapy.
    Keywords:  DCAF1; Drug discovery; E3 ligase; High throughput screening; NRF2; Ubiquitination
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101485
  41. Front Oncol. 2020 ;10 191
    miR-125a Induces HER2 Expression and Sensitivity to Trastuzumab in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Lines.
    Lihi Ninio-Many, Elad Hikri, Tamar Burg-Golani, Salomon M Stemmer, Ruth Shalgi, Irit Ben-Aharon.
      The EGFR/HER2 signaling network is an effective therapeutic target for HER2-positive cancers, which are known for their aggressive biological course. Evidence indicates that the EGFR/HER2 network plays a role in the aggressive basal-like subtype as well. Here, we studied the potential role of miR-125a-3p as a modulator of the EGFR/HER2 pathway in basal-like breast cancer. Over-expression of miR-125a-3p reduced the migratory capability of MDA-MB-231 cells and led to an increase in the expression of ErbB2 transcript and protein. The induced ErbB2 responded to trastuzumab and underwent internalization and subsequent intra-lysosomal degradation. Trastuzumab treatment further reduced the migratory capability and induced the apoptosis of the cells. An in-vivo mouse model, which supported the in-vitro findings, showed a synergistic effect for miR-125a-3p and trastuzumab. Trastuzumab-treated miR-125a-3p-induced tumors were significantly smaller than control induced tumors. Our findings indicate that, in the basal-like subtype of breast cancer, miR-125a-3p may act as a tumor suppressor. miR-125a-3p induces an increase in the expression of ErbB2 that may render the cells suitable for treatment with anti-HER2 therapies.
    Keywords:  ErbB2; TNBC; apoptosis; epigenetics; miRNA; migration
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.00191
  42. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Mar 17. 39(1): 51
    Dissecting the transcriptional regulatory networks of promoter-associated noncoding RNAs in development and cancer.
    Lidia Chellini, Valentina Frezza, Maria Paola Paronetto.
      In-depth analysis of global RNA sequencing has enabled a comprehensive overview of cellular transcriptomes and revealed the pervasive transcription of divergent RNAs from promoter regions across eukaryotic genomes. These studies disclosed that genomes encode a vast repertoire of RNAs beyond the well-known protein-coding messenger RNAs. Furthermore, they have provided novel insights into the regulation of eukaryotic epigenomes, and transcriptomes, including the identification of novel classes of noncoding transcripts, such as the promoter-associated noncoding RNAs (pancRNAs).PancRNAs are defined as transcripts transcribed within few hundred bases from the transcription start sites (TSSs) of protein-coding or non-coding genes. Unlike the long trans-acting ncRNAs that regulate expression of target genes located in different chromosomal domains and displaying their function both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm, the pancRNAs operate as cis-acting elements in the transcriptional regulation of neighboring genes. PancRNAs are very recently emerging as key players in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression programs in development and diseases.Herein, we review the complex epigenetic network driven by pancRNAs in eukaryotic cells, their impact on physiological and pathological states, which render them promising targets for novel therapeutic strategies.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Chromatin remodeling; Development; Epigenome; Promoter-associated noncoding RNA (pancRNA)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-020-01552-8
  43. BMC Biol. 2020 Mar 18. 18(1): 31
    A metabolic switch regulates the transition between growth and diapause in C. elegans.
    Sider Penkov, Bharath Kumar Raghuraman, Cihan Erkut, Jana Oertel, Roberta Galli, Eduardo Jacobo Miranda Ackerman, Daniela Vorkel, Jean-Marc Verbavatz, Edmund Koch, Karim Fahmy, Andrej Shevchenko, Teymuras V Kurzchalia.
       BACKGROUND: Metabolic activity alternates between high and low states during different stages of an organism's life cycle. During the transition from growth to quiescence, a major metabolic shift often occurs from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. We use the entry of Caenorhabditis elegans into the dauer larval stage, a developmentally arrested stage formed in response to harsh environmental conditions, as a model to study the global metabolic changes and underlying molecular mechanisms associated with growth to quiescence transition.
    RESULTS: Here, we show that the metabolic switch involves the concerted activity of several regulatory pathways. Whereas the steroid hormone receptor DAF-12 controls dauer morphogenesis, the insulin pathway maintains low energy expenditure through DAF-16/FoxO, which also requires AAK-2/AMPKα. DAF-12 and AAK-2 separately promote a shift in the molar ratios between competing enzymes at two key branch points within the central carbon metabolic pathway diverting carbon atoms from the TCA cycle and directing them to gluconeogenesis. When both AAK-2 and DAF-12 are suppressed, the TCA cycle is active and the developmental arrest is bypassed.
    CONCLUSIONS: The metabolic status of each developmental stage is defined by stoichiometric ratios within the constellation of metabolic enzymes driving metabolic flux and controls the transition between growth and quiescence.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-020-0760-3
  44. Am J Cancer Res. 2020 ;10(2): 523-535
    FBP1 binds to the bromodomain of BRD4 to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression.
    Chong Yang, Shikai Zhu, Hongji Yang, Ping Fan, Zibo Meng, Jingyuan Zhao, Kun Zhang, Xin Jin.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive tumour that is characteristically unresponsive to most chemotherapeutic regimens. Bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) inhibitors that specifically repress the function of BET family proteins, such as BRD4, are under evaluation in clinical trials for their activity in repressing cancer growth. However, resistance to BET inhibitors has hindered their further clinical application in pancreatic cancer. We previously reported that FBP1 contributes to the resistance to BET inhibitors, but the underlying mechanism of this resistance remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that FBP1 is a binding partner of BRD4 in pancreatic cancer cells. We reveal that FBP1 binds to the BD2 domain of BD4 in an acetylation-dependent manner. Moreover, we found that Tip60 and HDAC3 were key to the acetylation and de-acetylation of FBP1 at K110 and K113, which are critical for mediating FBP1-BRD4 binding in pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that FBP1 decreases the expression of genes downstream of BRD4 to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell progression. Our results, therefore, provide evidence of the novel anti-tumour effect of FBP1 via its blockade of BRD4 function in pancreatic cancer cells.
    Keywords:  Fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (FBP1); acetylation; bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4); pancreatic cancer
  45. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 ;8 81
    Significance of MEF2C and RUNX3 Regulation for Endochondral Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells.
    Simon I Dreher, Jennifer Fischer, Tilman Walker, Solvig Diederichs, Wiltrud Richter.
      Guiding progenitor cell development between chondral versus endochondral pathways is still an unachieved task of cartilage neogenesis, and human mesenchymal progenitor cell (MPC) chondrogenesis is considered as a valuable model to better understand hypertrophic development of chondrocytes. Transcription factors Runx2, Runx3, and Mef2c play prominent roles for chondrocyte hypertrophy during mouse development, but little is known on the importance of these key fate-determining factors for endochondral development of human MPCs. The aim of this study was to unravel the regulation of RUNX2, RUNX3, and MEF2C during MPC chondrogenesis, the pathways driving their expression, and the downstream hypertrophic targets affected by their regulation. RUNX2, RUNX3, and MEF2C gene expression was differentially regulated during chondrogenesis of MPCs, but remained low and unregulated when non-hypertrophic articular chondrocytes were differentiated under the same conditions. RUNX3 and MEF2C mRNA and protein levels rose in parallel to hypertrophic marker upregulation, but surprisingly, RUNX2 gene expression changed only by trend and RUNX2 protein remained undetectable. While RUNX3 expression was driven by TGF-β and BMP signaling, MEF2C responded to WNT-, BMP-, and Hedgehog-pathway inhibition. MEF2C but not RUNX3 levels correlated significantly with COL10A1, IHH, and IBSP gene expression when hypertrophy was attenuated. IBSP was a downstream target of RUNX3 and MEF2C but not RUNX2 in SAOS-2 cells, underlining the capacity of RUNX3 and MEF2C to stimulate osteogenic marker expression in human cells. Conclusively, RUNX3 and MEF2C appeared more important than RUNX2 for human endochondral MPC chondrogenesis. Pathways altering the speed of chondrogenesis (FGF, TGF-β, BMP) affected RUNX2 or RUNX3, while pathways changing hypertrophy (WNT, PTHrP/HH) regulated mainly MEF2C. Taken together, reduction of MEF2C levels is a new goal to shift human cartilage neogenesis toward the chondral pathway.
    Keywords:  BMP; FGF; PTHrP; RUNX2; WNT; cartilage; chondrogenesis; hypertrophy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.00081
  46. J Cell Sci. 2020 Mar 17. pii: jcs.235473. [Epub ahead of print]
    Histone H1 eviction by the histone chaperone SET reduces cell survival following DNA damage.
    Imke K Mandemaker, Di Zhou, Serena T Bruens, Dick H Dekkers, Pernette J Verschure, Raghu R Edupuganti, Eran Meshorer, Jeroen A Demmers, Jurgen A Marteijn.
      Many chromatin remodeling and modifying proteins are involved in the DNA damage response by stimulating repair or inducing DNA damage signaling. Interestingly, here we identified that down regulation of the H1-interacting protein SET results in increased resistance to a wide variety of DNA damaging agents. We found that this increased resistance is not the result of an inhibitory effect of SET on DNA repair, but rather the consequence of a suppressed apoptotic response to DNA damage. We further provide evidence that the histone chaperone SET is responsible for the eviction of H1 from chromatin. Knock down of H1 in SET-depleted cells resulted in re-sensitization of cells to DNA damage, suggesting that the increased DNA damage resistance in SET-depleted cells is the result of enhanced retention of H1 on chromatin. Finally, clonogenic survival assays show that SET and p53 are epistatic in attenuating DNA damage-induced cell death. Altogether, our data show a role for SET in the DNA damage response as a regulator of cell survival following genotoxic stress.
    Keywords:  DNA damage; Histone H1; Histone chaperone; SET
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.235473
  47. Cancer Discov. 2020 Mar 18. pii: CD-19-1330. [Epub ahead of print]
    Mutations in the RNA splicing factor SF3B1 promote tumorigenesis through MYC stabilization.
    Zhaoqi Liu, Akihide Yoshimi, Jiguang Wang, Hana Cho, Stanley Chun-Wei Lee, Michelle Ki, Lillian Bitner, Timothy Chu, Harshal Shah, Bo Liu, Anthony R Mato, Peter Ruvolo, Giulia Fabbri, Laura Pasqualucci, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Raul Rabadan.
      Although mutations in the RNA splicing factor SF3B1 are frequent in multiple cancers, their functional effects and therapeutic dependencies are poorly understood. Here we characterize 98 tumors and 12 isogenic cell lines harboring SF3B1 hotspot mutations, identifying hundreds of cryptic 3' splice sites common and specific to different cancer types. Regulatory network analysis revealed that the most common SF3B1 mutation activates MYC via effects conserved across human and mouse cells. SF3B1 mutations promote decay of transcripts encoding the PP2A phosphatase subunit PPP2R5A, increasing c-MYC S62 and BCL2 S70 phosphorylation which, in turn, promote MYC protein stability and impair apoptosis, respectively. Genetic PPP2R5A restoration or pharmacologic PP2A activation impaired SF3B1-mutant tumorigenesis elucidating a therapeutic approach to aberrant splicing by mutant SF3B1.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-19-1330
  48. Mol Biol Rep. 2020 Mar 16.
    HOTAIRM1, an enhancer lncRNA, promotes glioma proliferation by regulating long-range chromatin interactions within HOXA cluster genes.
    Tengfei Shi, Dianhao Guo, Heming Xu, Guangsong Su, Jun Chen, Zhongfang Zhao, Jiandang Shi, Michelle Wedemeyer, Frank Attenello, Lei Zhang, Wange Lu.
      The long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 reportedly plays important roles in acute myeloid leukemia, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. Here, we analyzed potential function of HOTAIRM1 in glioma and asked whether it participates in long-range chromatin interactions. We monitored expression of HOTAIRM1 in glioma tissues and correlated levels with patient survival using the TCGA dataset. HOTAIRM1 was highly expressed in glioma tissue, with high levels associated with shortened patient survival time. We then suppressed HOTAIRM1 activity in the human glioblastoma U251 line using CRISPR-cas9 to knock in a truncating polyA fragment. Reporter analysis of these and control cells confirmed that the HOTAIRM1 locus serves as an active enhancer. We then performed Capture-C analysis to identify target genes of that locus and applied RNA antisense purification to assess chromatin interactions between the HOTAIRM1 locus and HOXA cluster genes. HOTAIRM1 knockdown in glioma cells decreased proliferation and reduced expression of HOXA cluster genes. HOTAIRM1 regulates long-range interactions between the HOTAIRM1 locus and HOXA genes. Our work suggests a new mechanism by which HOTAIRM1 regulates glioma progression by regulating high-order chromatin structure and could suggest novel therapeutic targets to treat an intractable cancer.
    Keywords:  Enhancer lncRNA; Glioma; HOTAIRM1; HOXA cluster genes; Long-range chromatin interaction
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05371-0
  49. Cancer Cell. 2020 Mar 16. pii: S1535-6108(20)30093-3. [Epub ahead of print]37(3): 270-288
    m6A Modification in Coding and Non-coding RNAs: Roles and Therapeutic Implications in Cancer.
    Huilin Huang, Hengyou Weng, Jianjun Chen.
      N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification has emerged in recent years as a new layer of regulatory mechanism controlling gene expression in eukaryotes. As a reversible epigenetic modification found not only in messenger RNAs but also in non-coding RNAs, m6A affects the fate of the modified RNA molecules and plays important roles in almost all vital bioprocesses, including cancer development. Here we review the up-to-date knowledge of the pathological roles and underlying molecular mechanism of m6A modifications (in both coding and non-coding RNAs) in cancer pathogenesis and drug response/resistance, and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting m6A regulators for cancer therapy.
    Keywords:  N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A); RNA modification; cancer epigenetics; cancer stem cells; drug resistance; epitranscriptome; immune therapy; non-coding RNA; prognosis; targeted therapeutics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2020.02.004
  50. Nucleic Acids Res. 2020 Mar 18. pii: gkaa161. [Epub ahead of print]
    Epigenetic engineering of yeast reveals dynamic molecular adaptation to methylation stress and genetic modulators of specific DNMT3 family members.
    Alex I Finnegan, Somang Kim, Hu Jin, Michael Gapinske, Wendy S Woods, Pablo Perez-Pinera, Jun S Song.
      Cytosine methylation is a ubiquitous modification in mammalian DNA generated and maintained by several DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) with partially overlapping functions and genomic targets. To systematically dissect the factors specifying each DNMT's activity, we engineered combinatorial knock-in of human DNMT genes in Komagataella phaffii, a yeast species lacking endogenous DNA methylation. Time-course expression measurements captured dynamic network-level adaptation of cells to DNMT3B1-induced DNA methylation stress and showed that coordinately modulating the availability of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), the essential metabolite for DNMT-catalyzed methylation, is an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic stress response, also implicated in several human diseases. Convolutional neural networks trained on genome-wide CpG-methylation data learned distinct sequence preferences of DNMT3 family members. A simulated annealing interpretation method resolved these preferences into individual flanking nucleotides and periodic poly(A) tracts that rotationally position highly methylated cytosines relative to phased nucleosomes. Furthermore, the nucleosome repeat length defined the spatial unit of methylation spreading. Gene methylation patterns were similar to those in mammals, and hypo- and hypermethylation were predictive of increased and decreased transcription relative to control, respectively, in the absence of mammalian readers of DNA methylation. Introducing controlled epigenetic perturbations in yeast thus enabled characterization of fundamental genomic features directing specific DNMT3 proteins.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa161
  51. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Mar 12. pii: E1941. [Epub ahead of print]21(6):
    Fighting Against Promoter DNA Hyper-Methylation: Protective Histone Modification Profiles of Stress-Resistant Intestinal Stem Cells.
    Torsten Thalheim, Lydia Hopp, Maria Herberg, Susann Siebert, Christiane Kerner, Marianne Quaas, Michal R Schweiger, Gabriela Aust, Joerg Galle.
      Aberrant DNA methylation in stem cells is a hallmark of aging and tumor development. Recently, we have suggested that promoter DNA hyper-methylation originates in DNA repair and that even successful DNA repair might confer this kind of epigenetic long-term change. Here, we ask for interrelations between promoter DNA methylation and histone modification changes observed in the intestine weeks after irradiation and/or following Msh2 loss. We focus on H3K4me3 recruitment to the promoter of H3K27me3 target genes. By RNA- and histone ChIP-sequencing, we demonstrate that this recruitment occurs without changes of the average gene transcription and does not involve H3K9me3. Applying a mathematical model of epigenetic regulation of transcription, we show that the recruitment can be explained by stronger DNA binding of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 histone methyl-transferases as a consequence of lower DNA methylation. This scenario implicates stable transcription despite of H3K4me3 recruitment, in agreement with our RNA-seq data. Following several kinds of stress, including moderate irradiation, stress-sensitive intestinal stem cell (ISCs) are known to become replaced by more resistant populations. Our simulation results suggest that the stress-resistant ISCs are largely protected against promoter hyper-methylation of H3K27me3 target genes.
    Keywords:  DNA damage; computational modeling; histone methylation; irradiation; loss of Msh2 function; promoter DNA hyper-methylation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21061941
  52. Development. 2020 Mar 17. pii: dev185629. [Epub ahead of print]147(6):
    Epigenetic changes occur at decidualisation genes as a function of reproductive ageing in mice.
    Laura Woods, Natasha Morgan, Xiang Zhao, Wendy Dean, Vicente Perez-Garcia, Myriam Hemberger.
      Reproductive decline in older female mice can be attributed to a failure of the uterus to decidualise in response to steroid hormones. Here, we show that normal decidualisation is associated with significant epigenetic changes. Notably, we identify a cohort of differentially methylated regions (DMRs), most of which gain DNA methylation between the early and late stages of decidualisation. These DMRs are enriched at progesterone-responsive gene loci that are essential for reproductive function. In female mice nearing the end of their reproductive lifespan, DNA methylation fidelity is lost at a number of CpG islands (CGIs) resulting in CGI hypermethylation at key decidualisation genes. Importantly, this hypermethylated state correlates with the failure of the corresponding genes to become transcriptionally upregulated during the implantation window. Thus, age-associated DNA methylation changes may underlie the decidualisation defects that are a common occurrence in older females. Alterations to the epigenome of uterine cells may therefore contribute significantly to the reproductive decline associated with advanced maternal age.
    Keywords:  Ageing; CpG islands; DNA methylation; Decidua; Epigenetics; Reproduction
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.185629
  53. Cell Biosci. 2020 ;10 37
    The replisome guides nucleosome assembly during DNA replication.
    Wenshuo Zhang, Jianxun Feng, Qing Li.
      Nucleosome assembly during DNA replication is tightly coupled to ongoing DNA synthesis. This process, termed DNA replication-coupled (RC) nucleosome assembly, is essential for chromatin replication and has a great impact on both genome stability maintenance and epigenetic inheritance. This review discusses a set of recent findings regarding the role of replisome components contributing to RC nucleosome assembly. Starting with a brief introduction to the factors involved in nucleosome assembly and some aspects of the architecture of the eukaryotic replisome, we discuss studies from yeast to mammalian cells and the interactions of replisome components with histones and histone chaperones. We describe the proposed functions of replisome components during RC nucleosome assembly and discuss their impacts on histone segregation and implications for epigenetic inheritance.
    Keywords:  Chromatin replication; Histone chaperone; Nucleosome assembly; Replisome component
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13578-020-00398-z
  54. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2020 Mar 16. 13(1): 18
    DNA looping by two 5-methylcytosine-binding proteins quantified using nanofluidic devices.
    Ming Liu, Saeid Movahed, Saroj Dangi, Hai Pan, Parminder Kaur, Stephanie M Bilinovich, Edgar M Faison, Gage O Leighton, Hong Wang, David C Williams, Robert Riehn.
       BACKGROUND: MeCP2 and MBD2 are members of a family of proteins that possess a domain that selectively binds 5-methylcytosine in a CpG context. Members of the family interact with other proteins to modulate DNA packing. Stretching of DNA-protein complexes in nanofluidic channels with a cross-section of a few persistence lengths allows us to probe the degree of compaction by proteins.
    RESULTS: We demonstrate DNA compaction by MeCP2 while MBD2 does not affect DNA configuration. By using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we determined that the mechanism for compaction by MeCP2 is the formation of bridges between distant DNA stretches and the formation of loops.
    CONCLUSIONS: Despite sharing a similar specific DNA-binding domain, the impact of full-length 5-methylcytosine-binding proteins can vary drastically between strong compaction of DNA and no discernable large-scale impact of protein binding. We demonstrate that ATTO 565-labeled MBD2 is a good candidate as a staining agent for epigenetic mapping.
    Keywords:  DNA compaction; DNA methylation; MBD2; MeCP2
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-020-00339-7
  55. Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 19. 11(1): 1475
    Transcription factor p73 regulates Th1 differentiation.
    Min Ren, Majid Kazemian, Ming Zheng, JianPing He, Peng Li, Jangsuk Oh, Wei Liao, Jessica Li, Jonathan Rajaseelan, Brian L Kelsall, Gary Peltz, Warren J Leonard.
      Inter-individual differences in T helper (Th) cell responses affect susceptibility to infectious, allergic and autoimmune diseases. To identify factors contributing to these response differences, here we analyze in vitro differentiated Th1 cells from 16 inbred mouse strains. Haplotype-based computational genetic analysis indicates that the p53 family protein, p73, affects Th1 differentiation. In cells differentiated under Th1 conditions in vitro, p73 negatively regulates IFNγ production. p73 binds within, or upstream of, and modulates the expression of Th1 differentiation-related genes such as Ifng and Il12rb2. Furthermore, in mouse experimental autoimmune encephalitis, p73-deficient mice have increased IFNγ production and less disease severity, whereas in an adoptive transfer model of inflammatory bowel disease, transfer of p73-deficient naïve CD4+ T cells increases Th1 responses and augments disease severity. Our results thus identify p73 as a negative regulator of the Th1 immune response, suggesting that p73 dysregulation may contribute to susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15172-5
  56. Mol Metab. 2020 Feb 04. pii: S2212-8778(19)30959-7. [Epub ahead of print]34 97-111
    Cyb5r3 links FoxO1-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction with β-cell failure.
    Jason Fan, Wen Du, Ja Young Kim-Muller, Jinsook Son, Taiyi Kuo, Delfina Larrea, Christian Garcia, Takumi Kitamoto, Michael J Kraakman, Edward Owusu-Ansah, Vincenzo Cirulli, Domenico Accili.
       OBJECTIVE: Diabetes is characterized by pancreatic β-cell dedifferentiation. Dedifferentiating β cells inappropriately metabolize lipids over carbohydrates and exhibit impaired mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. However, the mechanism linking the β-cell's response to an adverse metabolic environment with impaired mitochondrial function remains unclear.
    METHODS: Here we report that the oxidoreductase cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (Cyb5r3) links FoxO1 signaling to β-cell stimulus/secretion coupling by regulating mitochondrial function, reactive oxygen species generation, and nicotinamide actin dysfunction (NAD)/reduced nicotinamide actin dysfunction (NADH) ratios.
    RESULTS: The expression of Cyb5r3 is decreased in FoxO1-deficient β cells. Mice with β-cell-specific deletion of Cyb5r3 have impaired insulin secretion, resulting in glucose intolerance and diet-induced hyperglycemia. Cyb5r3-deficient β cells have a blunted respiratory response to glucose and display extensive mitochondrial and secretory granule abnormalities, consistent with altered differentiation. Moreover, FoxO1 is unable to maintain expression of key differentiation markers in Cyb5r3-deficient β cells, suggesting that Cyb5r3 is required for FoxO1-dependent lineage stability.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight a pathway linking FoxO1 to mitochondrial dysfunction that can mediate β-cell failure.
    Keywords:  Beta cell dedifferentiation; Diabetes genetics; Diabetes therapy; Endocrine pancreas; Glucose clamp; Hyperglycemia; Mitochondrial complex III failure; Transcription factor in beta cell function; Type 2 diabetes
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2019.12.008
  57. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 20. 10(1): 5181
    Targeted DNA demethylation of the Fgf21 promoter by CRISPR/dCas9-mediated epigenome editing.
    Nozomi Hanzawa, Koshi Hashimoto, Xunmei Yuan, Kenichi Kawahori, Kazutaka Tsujimoto, Miho Hamaguchi, Toshiya Tanaka, Yuya Nagaoka, Hiroshi Nishina, Sumiyo Morita, Izuho Hatada, Tetsuya Yamada, Yoshihiro Ogawa.
      Recently, we reported PPARα-dependent DNA demethylation of the Fgf21 promoter in the postnatal mouse liver, where reduced DNA methylation is associated with enhanced gene expression after PPARα activation. However, there is no direct evidence for the effect of site-specific DNA methylation on gene expression. We employed the dCas9-SunTag and single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-TET1 catalytic domain (TET1CD) system to induce targeted DNA methylation of the Fgf21 promoter both in vitro and in vivo. We succeeded in targeted DNA demethylation of the Fgf 21 promoter both in Hepa1-6 cells and PPARα-deficient mice, with increased gene expression response to PPARα synthetic ligand administration and fasting, respectively. This study provides direct evidence that the DNA methylation status of a particular gene may determine the magnitude of the gene expression response to activation cues.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62035-6
  58. Mol Cell. 2020 Mar 17. pii: S1097-2765(20)30148-9. [Epub ahead of print]
    ATF7-Dependent Epigenetic Changes Are Required for the Intergenerational Effect of a Paternal Low-Protein Diet.
    Keisuke Yoshida, Toshio Maekawa, Nhung Hong Ly, Shin-Ichiro Fujita, Masafumi Muratani, Minami Ando, Yuki Katou, Hiromitsu Araki, Fumihito Miura, Katsuhiko Shirahige, Mariko Okada, Takashi Ito, Bruno Chatton, Shunsuke Ishii.
      Paternal dietary conditions may contribute to metabolic disorders in offspring. We have analyzed the role of the stress-dependent epigenetic regulator cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor 7 (ATF7) in paternal low-protein diet (pLPD)-induced gene expression changes in mouse liver. Atf7+/- mutations cause an offspring phenotype similar to that caused by pLPD, and the effect of pLPD almost vanished when paternal Atf7+/- mice were used. ATF7 binds to the promoter regions of ∼2,300 genes, including cholesterol biosynthesis-related and tRNA genes in testicular germ cells (TGCs). LPD induces ATF7 phosphorylation by p38 via reactive oxygen species (ROS) in TGCs. This leads to the release of ATF7 and a decrease in histone H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) on its target genes. These epigenetic changes are maintained and induce expression of some tRNA fragments in spermatozoa. These results indicate that LPD-induced and ATF7-dependent epigenetic changes in TGCs play an important role in paternal diet-induced metabolic reprograming in offspring.
    Keywords:  ATF7; ROS; cholesterol biosynthesis; epigenetic regulation; histone modification; intergenerational inheritance; paternal diet
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2020.02.028
  59. Development. 2020 Mar 18. pii: dev175703. [Epub ahead of print]147(6):
    SUMOylation in development and neurodegeneration.
    Tak-Yu Yau, Oscar Molina, Albert J Courey.
      In essentially all eukaryotes, proteins can be modified by the attachment of small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins to lysine side chains to produce branched proteins. This process of 'SUMOylation' plays essential roles in plant and animal development by altering protein function in spatially and temporally controlled ways. In this Primer, we explain the process of SUMOylation and summarize how SUMOylation regulates a number of signal transduction pathways. Next, we discuss multiple roles of SUMOylation in the epigenetic control of transcription. In addition, we evaluate the role of SUMOylation in the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischemia. Finally, we discuss the possibility that SUMOylation may stimulate survival and neurogenesis of neuronal stem cells.
    Keywords:  Epigenetics; Neurodegenerative disorder; Post-translational protein modification; SUMO; Signal transduction; Ubiquitin-like protein
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.175703
  60. J Cell Physiol. 2020 Mar 17.
    RUNX1 and RUNX2 transcription factors function in opposing roles to regulate breast cancer stem cells.
    Andrew J Fritz, Deli Hong, Joseph Boyd, Jason Kost, Kristiaan H Finstaad, Mark P Fitzgerald, Sebastian Hanna, Alqassem H Abuarqoub, Miles Malik, John Bushweller, Coralee Tye, Prachi Ghule, Jonathan Gordon, Seth Frietze, Sayyed K Zaidi, Jane B Lian, Janet L Stein, Gary S Stein.
      Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are competent to initiate tumor formation and growth and refractory to conventional therapies. Consequently BCSCs are implicated in tumor recurrence. Many signaling cascades associated with BCSCs are critical for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We developed a model system to mechanistically examine BCSCs in basal-like breast cancer using MCF10AT1 FACS sorted for CD24 (negative/low in BCSCs) and CD44 (positive/high in BCSCs). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis comparing RNA-seq on the CD24-/low versus CD24+/high MCF10AT1 indicates that the top activated upstream regulators include TWIST1, TGFβ1, OCT4, and other factors known to be increased in BCSCs and during EMT. The top inhibited upstream regulators include ESR1, TP63, and FAS. Consistent with our results, many genes previously demonstrated to be regulated by RUNX factors are altered in BCSCs. The RUNX2 interaction network is the top significant pathway altered between CD24-/low and CD24+/high MCF10AT1. RUNX1 is higher in expression at the RNA level than RUNX2. RUNX3 is not expressed. While, human-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction primers demonstrate that RUNX1 and CDH1 decrease in human MCF10CA1a cells that have grown tumors within the murine mammary fat pad microenvironment, RUNX2 and VIM increase. Treatment with an inhibitor of RUNX binding to CBFβ for 5 days followed by a 7-day recovery period results in EMT suggesting that loss of RUNX1, rather than increase in RUNX2, is a driver of EMT in early stage breast cancer. Increased understanding of RUNX regulation on BCSCs and EMT will provide novel insight into therapeutic strategies to prevent recurrence.
    Keywords:  RUNX1; RUNX2; breast cancer; breast cancer stem cells; epithelial to mesenchymal transition
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.29625
  61. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Mar 12. pii: E663. [Epub ahead of print]12(3):
    Cellular Functions of OCT-3/4 Regulated by Ubiquitination in Proliferating Cells.
    Kwang-Hyun Baek, Jihye Choi, Chang-Zhu Pei.
      Octamer-binding transcription factor 3/4 (OCT-3/4), which is involved in the tumorigenesis of somatic cancers, has diverse functions during cancer development. Overexpression of OCT-3/4 has been detected in various human somatic tumors, indicating that OCT-3/4 activation may contribute to the development and progression of cancers. Stem cells can undergo self-renewal, pluripotency, and reprogramming with the help of at least four transcription factors, OCT-3/4, SRY box-containing gene 2 (SOX2), Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and c-MYC. Of these, OCT-3/4 plays a critical role in maintenance of undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Stem cells can undergo partitioning through mitosis and separate into specific cell types, three embryonic germ layers: the endoderm, the mesoderm, and the trophectoderm. It has been demonstrated that the stability of OCT-3/4 is mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is one of the key cellular mechanisms for cellular homeostasis. The framework of the mechanism is simple, but the proteolytic machinery is complicated. Ubiquitination promotes protein degradation, and ubiquitination of OCT-3/4 leads to regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, it is expected that OCT-3/4 may play a key role in proliferation and differentiation of proliferating cells.
    Keywords:  E3 ligase; OCT-3/4; deubiquitination; post-translational modification; stem cell; transcription factors; ubiquitination
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12030663
  62. Cells. 2020 Mar 13. pii: E702. [Epub ahead of print]9(3):
    Tissue-Specific Metabolic Regulation of FOXO-Binding Protein: FOXO Does Not Act Alone.
    Noriko Kodani, Jun Nakae.
      The transcription factor forkhead box (FOXO) controls important biological responses, including proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, metabolism, and oxidative stress resistance. The transcriptional activity of FOXO is tightly regulated in a variety of cellular processes. FOXO can convert the external stimuli of insulin, growth factors, nutrients, cytokines, and oxidative stress into cell-specific biological responses by regulating the transcriptional activity of target genes. However, how a single transcription factor regulates a large set of target genes in various tissues in response to a variety of external stimuli remains to be clarified. Evidence indicates that FOXO-binding proteins synergistically function to achieve tightly controlled processes. Here, we review the elaborate mechanism of FOXO-binding proteins, focusing on adipogenesis, glucose homeostasis, and other metabolic regulations in order to deepen our understanding and to identify a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders.
    Keywords:  FOXO; FOXO-binding protein; transcription factor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9030702
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