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Ciorba MA, Konnikova L, Hirota SA, Lucchetta EM, Turner JR, Slavin A, Johnson K, Condray CD, Hong S, Cressall BK, Pizarro TT, Hurtado-Lorenzo A, Heller CA, Moss AC, Swantek JL, Garrett WS. Challenges in IBD Research 2024: Preclinical Human IBD Mechanisms. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2024; 30:S5-S18. [PMID: 38778627 DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izae081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mechanisms is one of 5 focus areas of the Challenges in IBD Research 2024 document, which also includes environmental triggers, novel technologies, precision medicine, and pragmatic clinical research. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of current gaps in inflammatory bowel diseases research that relate to preclinical research and deliver actionable approaches to address them with a focus on how these gaps can lead to advancements in IBD interception, remission, and restoration. The document is the result of multidisciplinary input from scientists, clinicians, patients, and funders and represents a valuable resource for patient-centric research prioritization. This preclinical human IBD mechanisms section identifies major research gaps whose investigation will elucidate pathways and mechanisms that can be targeted to address unmet medical needs in IBD. Research gaps were identified in the following areas: genetics, risk alleles, and epigenetics; the microbiome; cell states and interactions; barrier function; IBD complications (specifically fibrosis and stricturing); and extraintestinal manifestations. To address these gaps, we share specific opportunities for investigation for basic and translational scientists and identify priority actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Ciorba
- Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Liza Konnikova
- Departments of Pediatrics, Immunobiology, and Obstetric, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Simon A Hirota
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elena M Lucchetta
- The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jerrold R Turner
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Cass D Condray
- Patient Representative for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sungmo Hong
- Patient Representative for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brandon K Cressall
- Patient Representative for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Theresa T Pizarro
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Caren A Heller
- Research Department, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan C Moss
- Research Department, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Wendy S Garrett
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- The Harvard T. H. Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Kymera Therapeutics, Watertown, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Meyer KJ, Fingert JH, Anderson MG. Lack of evidence for GWAS signals of exfoliation glaucoma working via monogenic loss-of-function mutation in the nearest gene. Hum Mol Genet 2024:ddae088. [PMID: 38770563 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a systemic disease of elastin-rich tissues involving a deposition of fibrillar exfoliative material (XFM) in the anterior chamber of the eye, which can promote glaucoma. The purpose of this study was to create mice with CRISPR/Cas9-induced variations in candidate genes identified from human genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and screen them for indices of XFS. METHODS Variants predicted to be deleterious were sought in the Agpat1, Cacna1a, Loxl1, Pomp, Rbms3, Sema6a, and Tlcd5 genes of C57BL/6J mice using CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. Strains were phenotyped by slit-lamp, SD-OCT imaging, and fundus exams at 1-5 mos of age. Smaller cohorts of 12-mos-old mice were also studied. RESULTS Deleterious variants were identified in six targets; Pomp was recalcitrant to targeting. Multiple alleles of some targets were isolated, yielding 12 strains. Across all genotypes and ages, 277 mice were assessed by 902 slit-lamp exams, 928 SD-OCT exams, and 358 fundus exams. Homozygosity for Agpat1 or Cacna1a mutations led to early lethality; homozygosity for Loxl1 mutations led to pelvic organ prolapse, preventing aging. Loxl1 homozygotes exhibited a conjunctival phenotype of potential relevance to XFS. Multiple other genotype-specific phenotypes were variously identified. XFM was not observed in any mice. CONCLUSIONS This study did not detect XFM in any of the strains. This may have been due to species-specific differences, background dependence, or insufficient aging. Alternatively, it is possible that the current candidates, selected based on proximity to GWAS signals, are not effectors acting via monogenic loss-of-function mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacie J Meyer
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, 375 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - John H Fingert
- Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, 375 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - Michael G Anderson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, 375 Newton Rd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
- Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Iowa City VA Health Care System, 601 Hwy 6 W, Iowa City, IA 52246, United States
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Siraj L, Castro RI, Dewey H, Kales S, Nguyen TTL, Kanai M, Berenzy D, Mouri K, Wang QS, McCaw ZR, Gosai SJ, Aguet F, Cui R, Vockley CM, Lareau CA, Okada Y, Gusev A, Jones TR, Lander ES, Sabeti PC, Finucane HK, Reilly SK, Ulirsch JC, Tewhey R. Functional dissection of complex and molecular trait variants at single nucleotide resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.05.592437. [PMID: 38766054 PMCID: PMC11100724 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.05.592437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the causal variants and mechanisms that drive complex traits and diseases remains a core problem in human genetics. The majority of these variants have individually weak effects and lie in non-coding gene-regulatory elements where we lack a complete understanding of how single nucleotide alterations modulate transcriptional processes to affect human phenotypes. To address this, we measured the activity of 221,412 trait-associated variants that had been statistically fine-mapped using a Massively Parallel Reporter Assay (MPRA) in 5 diverse cell-types. We show that MPRA is able to discriminate between likely causal variants and controls, identifying 12,025 regulatory variants with high precision. Although the effects of these variants largely agree with orthogonal measures of function, only 69% can plausibly be explained by the disruption of a known transcription factor (TF) binding motif. We dissect the mechanisms of 136 variants using saturation mutagenesis and assign impacted TFs for 91% of variants without a clear canonical mechanism. Finally, we provide evidence that epistasis is prevalent for variants in close proximity and identify multiple functional variants on the same haplotype at a small, but important, subset of trait-associated loci. Overall, our study provides a systematic functional characterization of likely causal common variants underlying complex and molecular human traits, enabling new insights into the regulatory grammar underlying disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Siraj
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Biophysics, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology MD/PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Masahiro Kanai
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Qingbo S. Wang
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Sager J. Gosai
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - François Aguet
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ran Cui
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Caleb A. Lareau
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yukinori Okada
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Alexander Gusev
- Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thouis R. Jones
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric S. Lander
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Hilary K. Finucane
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Steven K. Reilly
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jacob C. Ulirsch
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Tewhey
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Deng S, Zhang Y, Wang H, Liang W, Xie L, Li N, Fang Y, Wang Y, Liu J, Chi H, Sun Y, Ye R, Shan L, Shi J, Shen Z, Wang Y, Wang S, Brosseau JP, Wang F, Liu G, Quan Y, Xu J. ITPRIPL1 binds CD3ε to impede T cell activation and enable tumor immune evasion. Cell 2024; 187:2305-2323.e33. [PMID: 38614099 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment possibilities, but its effectiveness differs significantly among patients, indicating the presence of alternative pathways for immune evasion. Here, we show that ITPRIPL1 functions as an inhibitory ligand of CD3ε, and its expression inhibits T cells in the tumor microenvironment. The binding of ITPRIPL1 extracellular domain to CD3ε on T cells significantly decreased calcium influx and ZAP70 phosphorylation, impeding initial T cell activation. Treatment with a neutralizing antibody against ITPRIPL1 restrained tumor growth and promoted T cell infiltration in mouse models across various solid tumor types. The antibody targeting canine ITPRIPL1 exhibited notable therapeutic efficacy against naturally occurring tumors in pet clinics. These findings highlight the role of ITPRIPL1 (or CD3L1, CD3ε ligand 1) in impeding T cell activation during the critical "signal one" phase. This discovery positions ITPRIPL1 as a promising therapeutic target against multiple tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouyan Deng
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yibo Zhang
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | | | - Wenhua Liang
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lu Xie
- Musculoskeletal Tumor Center, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ning Li
- Clinical Trials Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Clinical Trials Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yiting Wang
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiayang Liu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hao Chi
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yufan Sun
- BioTroy Therapeutics, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Rui Ye
- BioTroy Therapeutics, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Lishen Shan
- BioTroy Therapeutics, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Jiawei Shi
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zan Shen
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600, Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Yonggang Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600, Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Shuhang Wang
- Clinical Trials Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jean-Philippe Brosseau
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Feng Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Grace Liu
- Arctic Animal Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350007, China
| | | | - Jie Xu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Nizomov J, Jin W, Xia Y, Liu Y, Li Z, Chen L. MPRAVarDB: an online database and web server for exploring regulatory effects of genetic variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.02.587790. [PMID: 38617248 PMCID: PMC11014600 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) is an important technology to evaluate the impact of genetic variants on gene regulation. Here, we present MPRAVarDB, an online database and web server, for exploring regulatory effects of genetic variants. MPRAVarDB harbors 18 MPRA experiments designed to assess the regulatory effects of genetic variants associated with GWAS loci, eQTLs and various genomic features, resulting in a total of 242,818 variants tested across more than 30 cell lines and 30 human diseases or traits. MPRAVarDB empowers the query of MPRA variants by genomic region, disease and cell line or by any combination of these query terms. Notably, MPRAVarDB offers a suite of pretrained machine learning models tailored to the specific disease and cell line, facilitating the genome-wide prediction of regulatory variants. MPRAVarDB is friendly to use, and users only need a few clicks to receive query and prediction results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javlon Nizomov
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603
| | - Weijia Jin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603
| | - Yi Xia
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603
| | - Yunlong Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603
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6
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Sakaue S, Weinand K, Isaac S, Dey KK, Jagadeesh K, Kanai M, Watts GFM, Zhu Z, Brenner MB, McDavid A, Donlin LT, Wei K, Price AL, Raychaudhuri S. Tissue-specific enhancer-gene maps from multimodal single-cell data identify causal disease alleles. Nat Genet 2024; 56:615-626. [PMID: 38594305 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01682-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Translating genome-wide association study (GWAS) loci into causal variants and genes requires accurate cell-type-specific enhancer-gene maps from disease-relevant tissues. Building enhancer-gene maps is essential but challenging with current experimental methods in primary human tissues. Here we developed a nonparametric statistical method, SCENT (single-cell enhancer target gene mapping), that models association between enhancer chromatin accessibility and gene expression in single-cell or nucleus multimodal RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing data. We applied SCENT to 9 multimodal datasets including >120,000 single cells or nuclei and created 23 cell-type-specific enhancer-gene maps. These maps were highly enriched for causal variants in expression quantitative loci and GWAS for 1,143 diseases and traits. We identified likely causal genes for both common and rare diseases and linked somatic mutation hotspots to target genes. We demonstrate that application of SCENT to multimodal data from disease-relevant human tissue enables the scalable construction of accurate cell-type-specific enhancer-gene maps, essential for defining noncoding variant function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saori Sakaue
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn Weinand
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shakson Isaac
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kushal K Dey
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karthik Jagadeesh
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Masahiro Kanai
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gerald F M Watts
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhu Zhu
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael B Brenner
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew McDavid
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Laura T Donlin
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin Wei
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alkes L Price
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Lagattuta KA, Park HL, Rumker L, Ishigaki K, Nathan A, Raychaudhuri S. The genetic basis of autoimmunity seen through the lens of T cell functional traits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1204. [PMID: 38331990 PMCID: PMC10853555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune disease heritability is enriched in T cell-specific regulatory regions of the genome. Modern-day T cell datasets now enable association studies between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a myriad of molecular phenotypes, including chromatin accessibility, gene expression, transcriptional programs, T cell antigen receptor (TCR) amino acid usage, and cell state abundances. Such studies have identified hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in T cells that colocalize with genetic risk for autoimmune disease. The key challenge facing immunologists today lies in synthesizing these results toward a unified understanding of the autoimmune T cell: which genes, cell states, and antigens drive tissue destruction?
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A Lagattuta
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah L Park
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laurie Rumker
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Aparna Nathan
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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8
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Shook MS, Lu X, Chen X, Parameswaran S, Edsall L, Trimarchi MP, Ernst K, Granitto M, Forney C, Donmez OA, Diouf AA, VonHandorf A, Rothenberg ME, Weirauch MT, Kottyan LC. Systematic identification of genotype-dependent enhancer variants in eosinophilic esophagitis. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:280-294. [PMID: 38183988 PMCID: PMC10870143 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a rare atopic disorder associated with esophageal dysfunction, including difficulty swallowing, food impaction, and inflammation, that develops in a small subset of people with food allergies. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified 9 independent EoE risk loci reaching genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10-8) and 27 additional loci of suggestive significance (5 × 10-8 < p < 1 × 10-5). In the current study, we perform linkage disequilibrium (LD) expansion of these loci to nominate a set of 531 variants that are potentially causal. To systematically interrogate the gene regulatory activity of these variants, we designed a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) containing the alleles of each variant within their genomic sequence context cloned into a GFP reporter library. Analysis of reporter gene expression in TE-7, HaCaT, and Jurkat cells revealed cell-type-specific gene regulation. We identify 32 allelic enhancer variants, representing 6 genome-wide significant EoE loci and 7 suggestive EoE loci, that regulate reporter gene expression in a genotype-dependent manner in at least one cellular context. By annotating these variants with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and chromatin looping data in related tissues and cell types, we identify putative target genes affected by genetic variation in individuals with EoE. Transcription factor enrichment analyses reveal possible roles for cell-type-specific regulators, including GATA3. Our approach reduces the large set of EoE-associated variants to a set of 32 with allelic regulatory activity, providing functional insights into the effects of genetic variation in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly S Shook
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Xiaoming Lu
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sreeja Parameswaran
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Lee Edsall
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Michael P Trimarchi
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Kevin Ernst
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Marissa Granitto
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Carmy Forney
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Omer A Donmez
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Arame A Diouf
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Andrew VonHandorf
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Marc E Rothenberg
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Leah C Kottyan
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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9
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Trujillo-Ochoa JL, Kazemian M, Afzali B. The role of transcription factors in shaping regulatory T cell identity. Nat Rev Immunol 2023; 23:842-856. [PMID: 37336954 PMCID: PMC10893967 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box protein 3-expressing (FOXP3+) regulatory T cells (Treg cells) suppress conventional T cells and are essential for immunological tolerance. FOXP3, the master transcription factor of Treg cells, controls the expression of multiples genes to guide Treg cell differentiation and function. However, only a small fraction (<10%) of Treg cell-associated genes are directly bound by FOXP3, and FOXP3 alone is insufficient to fully specify the Treg cell programme, indicating a role for other accessory transcription factors operating upstream, downstream and/or concurrently with FOXP3 to direct Treg cell specification and specialized functions. Indeed, the heterogeneity of Treg cells can be at least partially attributed to differential expression of transcription factors that fine-tune their trafficking, survival and functional properties, some of which are niche-specific. In this Review, we discuss the emerging roles of accessory transcription factors in controlling Treg cell identity. We specifically focus on members of the basic helix-loop-helix family (AHR), basic leucine zipper family (BACH2, NFIL3 and BATF), CUT homeobox family (SATB1), zinc-finger domain family (BLIMP1, Ikaros and BCL-11B) and interferon regulatory factor family (IRF4), as well as lineage-defining transcription factors (T-bet, GATA3, RORγt and BCL-6). Understanding the imprinting of Treg cell identity and specialized function will be key to unravelling basic mechanisms of autoimmunity and identifying novel targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Trujillo-Ochoa
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Majid Kazemian
- Departments of Biochemistry and Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Behdad Afzali
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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10
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Kleinschmidt H, Xu C, Bai L. Using Synthetic DNA Libraries to Investigate Chromatin and Gene Regulation. Chromosoma 2023; 132:167-189. [PMID: 37184694 PMCID: PMC10542970 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-023-00796-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite the recent explosion in genome-wide studies in chromatin and gene regulation, we are still far from extracting a set of genetic rules that can predict the function of the regulatory genome. One major reason for this deficiency is that gene regulation is a multi-layered process that involves an enormous variable space, which cannot be fully explored using native genomes. This problem can be partially solved by introducing synthetic DNA libraries into cells, a method that can test the regulatory roles of thousands to millions of sequences with limited variables. Here, we review recent applications of this method to study transcription factor (TF) binding, nucleosome positioning, and transcriptional activity. We discuss the design principles, experimental procedures, and major findings from these studies and compare the pros and cons of different approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Kleinschmidt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Cheng Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
- Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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11
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Simeonov DR, Park K, Cortez JT, Young A, Li Z, Nguyen V, Umhoefer J, Indart AC, Woo JM, Anderson MS, Tsang JS, Germain RN, Wong HS, Marson A. Non-coding sequence variation reveals fragility within interleukin 2 feedback circuitry and shapes autoimmune disease risk. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.17.545426. [PMID: 37503101 PMCID: PMC10370162 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.17.545426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variants associated with human autoimmune diseases commonly map to non-coding control regions, particularly enhancers that function selectively in immune cells and fine-tune gene expression within a relatively narrow range of values. How such modest, cell-type-selective changes can meaningfully shape organismal disease risk remains unclear. To explore this issue, we experimentally manipulated species-conserved enhancers within the disease-associated IL2RA locus and studied accompanying changes in the progression of autoimmunity. Perturbing distinct enhancers with restricted activity in conventional T cells (Tconvs) or regulatory T cells (Tregs)-two functionally antagonistic T cell subsets-caused only modest, cell-type-selective decreases in IL2ra expression parameters. However, these same perturbations had striking and opposing effects in vivo , completely preventing or severely accelerating disease in a murine model of type 1 diabetes. Quantitative tissue imaging and computational modelling revealed that each enhancer manipulation impinged on distinct IL-2-dependent feedback circuits. These imbalances altered the intracellular signaling and intercellular communication dynamics of activated Tregs and Tconvs, producing opposing spatial domains that amplified or constrained ongoing autoimmune responses. These findings demonstrate how subtle changes in gene regulation stemming from non-coding variation can propagate across biological scales due to non-linearities in intra- and intercellular feedback circuitry, dramatically shaping disease risk at the organismal level.
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12
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Song Q, Mao X, Jing M, Fu Y, Yan W. Pathophysiological role of BACH transcription factors in digestive system diseases. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1121353. [PMID: 37228820 PMCID: PMC10203417 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1121353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BTB and CNC homologous (BACH) proteins, including BACH1 and BACH2, are transcription factors that are widely expressed in human tissues. BACH proteins form heterodimers with small musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma (MAF) proteins to suppress the transcription of target genes. Furthermore, BACH1 promotes the transcription of target genes. BACH proteins regulate physiological processes, such as the differentiation of B cells and T cells, mitochondrial function, and heme homeostasis as well as pathogenesis related to inflammation, oxidative-stress damage caused by drugs, toxicants, or infections; autoimmunity disorders; and cancer angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, chemotherapy resistance, progression, and metabolism. In this review, we discuss the function of BACH proteins in the digestive system, including the liver, gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and pancreas. BACH proteins directly target genes or indirectly regulate downstream molecules to promote or inhibit biological phenomena such as inflammation, tumor angiogenesis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. BACH proteins are also regulated by proteins, miRNAs, LncRNAs, labile iron, and positive and negative feedback. Additionally, we summarize a list of regulators targeting these proteins. Our review provides a reference for future studies on targeted drugs in digestive diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianben Song
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xin Mao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mengjia Jing
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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13
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Harroud A, Hafler DA. Common genetic factors among autoimmune diseases. Science 2023; 380:485-490. [PMID: 37141355 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg2992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases display a high degree of comorbidity within individuals and families, suggesting shared risk factors. Over the past 15 years, genome-wide association studies have established the polygenic basis of these common conditions and revealed widespread sharing of genetic effects, indicative of a shared immunopathology. Despite ongoing challenges in determining the precise genes and molecular consequences of these risk variants, functional experiments and integration with multimodal genomic data are providing valuable insights into key immune cells and pathways driving these diseases, with potential therapeutic implications. Moreover, genetic studies of ancient populations are shedding light on the contribution of pathogen-driven selection pressures to the increased prevalence of autoimmune disease. This Review summarizes the current understanding of autoimmune disease genetics, including shared effects, mechanisms, and evolutionary origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adil Harroud
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital), McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David A Hafler
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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14
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Gundry M, Sankaran VG. Hacking hematopoiesis - emerging tools for examining variant effects. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:288409. [PMID: 36826849 PMCID: PMC9983777 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoiesis is a continuous process of blood and immune cell production. It is orchestrated by thousands of gene products that respond to extracellular signals by guiding cell fate decisions to meet the needs of the organism. Although much of our knowledge of this process comes from work in model systems, we have learned a great deal from studies on human genetic variation. Considerable insight has emerged from studies on presumed monogenic blood disorders, which continue to provide key insights into the mechanisms critical for hematopoiesis. Furthermore, the emergence of large-scale biobanks and cohorts has uncovered thousands of genomic loci associated with blood cell traits and diseases. Some of these blood cell trait-associated loci act as modifiers of what were once thought to be monogenic blood diseases. However, most of these loci await functional validation. Here, we discuss the validation bottleneck and emerging methods to more effectively connect variant to function. In particular, we highlight recent innovations in genome editing, which have paved the path forward for high-throughput functional assessment of loci. Finally, we discuss existing barriers to progress, including challenges in manipulating the genomes of primary hematopoietic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gundry
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vijay G. Sankaran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Author for correspondence ()
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15
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Carrasco Pro S, Hook H, Bray D, Berenzy D, Moyer D, Yin M, Labadorf AT, Tewhey R, Siggers T, Fuxman Bass JI. Widespread perturbation of ETS factor binding sites in cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:913. [PMID: 36808133 PMCID: PMC9938127 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36535-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Although >90% of somatic mutations reside in non-coding regions, few have been reported as cancer drivers. To predict driver non-coding variants (NCVs), we present a transcription factor (TF)-aware burden test based on a model of coherent TF function in promoters. We apply this test to NCVs from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes cohort and predict 2555 driver NCVs in the promoters of 813 genes across 20 cancer types. These genes are enriched in cancer-related gene ontologies, essential genes, and genes associated with cancer prognosis. We find that 765 candidate driver NCVs alter transcriptional activity, 510 lead to differential binding of TF-cofactor regulatory complexes, and that they primarily impact the binding of ETS factors. Finally, we show that different NCVs within a promoter often affect transcriptional activity through shared mechanisms. Our integrated computational and experimental approach shows that cancer NCVs are widespread and that ETS factors are commonly disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather Hook
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Bray
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Devlin Moyer
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meimei Yin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Thomas Labadorf
- Bioinformatics Hub, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Trevor Siggers
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Juan Ignacio Fuxman Bass
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Hendriks WJAJ, van Cruchten RTP, Pulido R. Hereditable variants of classical protein tyrosine phosphatase genes: Will they prove innocent or guilty? Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:1051311. [PMID: 36755664 PMCID: PMC9900141 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1051311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein tyrosine phosphatases, together with protein tyrosine kinases, control many molecular signaling steps that control life at cellular and organismal levels. Impairing alterations in the genes encoding the involved proteins is expected to profoundly affect the quality of life-if compatible with life at all. Here, we review the current knowledge on the effects of germline variants that have been reported for genes encoding a subset of the protein tyrosine phosphatase superfamily; that of the thirty seven classical members. The conclusion must be that the newest genome research tools produced an avalanche of data that suggest 'guilt by association' for individual genes to specific disorders. Future research should face the challenge to investigate these accusations thoroughly and convincingly, to reach a mature genotype-phenotype map for this intriguing protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiljan J. A. J. Hendriks
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,*Correspondence: Wiljan J. A. J. Hendriks,
| | | | - Rafael Pulido
- Biomarkers in Cancer Unit, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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17
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Zhao Y. TFSyntax: a database of transcription factors binding syntax in mammalian genomes. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:D306-D314. [PMID: 36200824 PMCID: PMC9825613 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, transcriptional factors (TFs) drive gene expression by binding to regulatory elements in a cooperative manner. Deciphering the rules of such cooperation is crucial to obtain a full understanding of cellular homeostasis and development. Although this is a long-standing topic, there is no comprehensive database for biologists to access the syntax of TF binding sites. Here we present TFSyntax (https://tfsyntax.zhaopage.com), a database focusing on the arrangement of TF binding sites. TFSyntax maps the binding motif of 1299 human TFs and 890 mouse TFs across 382 cells and tissues, representing the most comprehensive TF binding map to date. In addition to location, TFSyntax defines motif positional preference, density and colocalization within accessible elements. Powered by a series of functional modules based on web interface, users can freely search, browse, analyze, and download data of interest. With comprehensive characterization of TF binding syntax across distinct tissues and cell types, TFSyntax represents a valuable resource and platform for studying the mechanism of transcriptional regulation and exploring how regulatory DNA variants cause disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbing Zhao
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 301 480 5852;
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18
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Hocking AM, Buckner JH. Genetic basis of defects in immune tolerance underlying the development of autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:972121. [PMID: 35979360 PMCID: PMC9376219 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.972121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants associated with susceptibility to autoimmune disease have provided important insight into the mechanisms responsible for the loss of immune tolerance and the subsequent development of autoantibodies, tissue damage, and onset of clinical disease. Here, we review how genetic variants shared across multiple autoimmune diseases have contributed to our understanding of global tolerance failure, focusing on variants in the human leukocyte antigen region, PTPN2 and PTPN22, and their role in antigen presentation and T and B cell homeostasis. Variants unique to a specific autoimmune disease such as those in PADI2 and PADI4 that are associated with rheumatoid arthritis are also discussed, addressing their role in disease-specific immunopathology. Current research continues to focus on determining the functional consequences of autoimmune disease-associated variants but has recently expanded to variants in the non-coding regions of the genome using novel approaches to investigate the impact of these variants on mechanisms regulating gene expression. Lastly, studying genetic risk variants in the setting of autoimmunity has clinical implications, helping predict who will develop autoimmune disease and also identifying potential therapeutic targets.
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