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Bower G, Kvon EZ. Genetic factors mediating long-range enhancer-promoter communication in mammalian development. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2025; 90:102282. [PMID: 39579740 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102282] [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: 08/20/2024] [Revised: 10/20/2024] [Accepted: 10/28/2024] [Indexed: 11/25/2024]
Abstract
Enhancers are remotely located noncoding DNA sequences that regulate gene expression in response to developmental, homeostatic, and environmental cues. Canonical short-range enhancers located <50 kb from their cognate promoters function by binding transcription factors, coactivators, and chromatin modifiers. In this review, we discuss recent evidence that medium-range (50-400 kb) and long-range (>400 kb) enhancers rely on additional mechanisms, including cohesin, CCCTC-binding factor, and high-affinity protein-protein interactions. These mechanisms are crucial for establishing the physical proximity and interaction between enhancers and their target promoters over extended genomic distances and ensuring robust gene activation during mammalian development. Future studies will be critical to unravel their prevalence and evolutionary significance across various genomic loci, cell types, and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Bower
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92967, USA. https://twitter.com/@gracecbower
| | - Evgeny Z Kvon
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92967, USA.
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2
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Harke J, Lee JR, Nguyen SC, Arab A, Rakowiecki SM, Hugelier S, Paliou C, Rauseo A, Yunker R, Xu K, Yao Y, Lakadamyali M, Andrey G, Epstein DJ, Joyce EF. Multiple allelic configurations govern long-range Shh enhancer-promoter communication in the embryonic forebrain. Mol Cell 2024; 84:4698-4710.e6. [PMID: 39579767 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.10.042] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 10/30/2024] [Indexed: 11/25/2024]
Abstract
Developmental gene regulation requires input from enhancers spread over large genomic distances. Our understanding of long-range enhancer-promoter (E-P) communication, characterized as loops, remains incomplete without addressing the role of intervening chromatin. Here, we examine the topology of the entire Sonic hedgehog (Shh) regulatory domain in individual alleles from the mouse embryonic forebrain. Through sequential Oligopaint labeling and super-resolution microscopy, we find that the Shh locus maintains a compact structure that adopts several diverse configurations independent of Shh expression. The most frequent configuration contained distal E-P contacts at the expense of those more proximal to Shh, consistent with an interconnected loop. Genetic perturbations demonstrate that this long-range E-P communication operates by Shh-expression-independent and dependent mechanisms, involving CTCF binding sites and active enhancers, respectively. We propose a model whereby gene regulatory elements secure long-range E-P interactions amid an inherent architectural framework to coordinate spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jailynn Harke
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeewon R Lee
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Son C Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arian Arab
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Staci M Rakowiecki
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Siewert Hugelier
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christina Paliou
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Spanish National Research Council, Pablo de Olavide University, Andalusian Regional Government, Seville, Spain
| | - Antonella Rauseo
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca Yunker
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kellen Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Melike Lakadamyali
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guillaume Andrey
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Douglas J Epstein
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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3
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Qiao L, Welch CL, Hernan R, Wynn J, Krishnan US, Zalieckas JM, Buchmiller T, Khlevner J, De A, Farkouh-Karoleski C, Wagner AJ, Heydweiller A, Mueller AC, de Klein A, Warner BW, Maj C, Chung D, McCulley DJ, Schindel D, Potoka D, Fialkowski E, Schulz F, Kipfmuller F, Lim FY, Magielsen F, Mychaliska GB, Aspelund G, Reutter HM, Needelman H, Schnater JM, Fisher JC, Azarow K, Elfiky M, Nöthen MM, Danko ME, Li M, Kosiński P, Wijnen RMH, Cusick RA, Soffer SZ, Cochius-Den Otter SCM, Schaible T, Crombleholme T, Duron VP, Donahoe PK, Sun X, High FA, Bendixen C, Brosens E, Shen Y, Chung WK. Common variants increase risk for congenital diaphragmatic hernia within the context of de novo variants. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:2362-2381. [PMID: 39332409 PMCID: PMC11568762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.08.024] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a severe congenital anomaly often accompanied by other structural anomalies and/or neurobehavioral manifestations. Rare de novo protein-coding variants and copy-number variations contribute to CDH in the population. However, most individuals with CDH remain genetically undiagnosed. Here, we perform integrated de novo and common-variant analyses using 1,469 CDH individuals, including 1,064 child-parent trios and 6,133 ancestry-matched, unaffected controls for the genome-wide association study. We identify candidate CDH variants in 15 genes, including eight novel genes, through deleterious de novo variants. We further identify two genomic loci contributing to CDH risk through common variants with similar effect sizes among Europeans and Latinx. Both loci are in putative transcriptional regulatory regions of developmental patterning genes. Estimated heritability in common variants is ∼19%. Strikingly, there is no significant difference in estimated polygenic risk scores between isolated and complex CDH or between individuals harboring deleterious de novo variants and individuals without these variants. The data support a polygenic model as part of the CDH genetic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Qiao
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Carrie L Welch
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rebecca Hernan
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julia Wynn
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Usha S Krishnan
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jill M Zalieckas
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Terry Buchmiller
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julie Khlevner
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Aliva De
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Amy J Wagner
- Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Andreas Heydweiller
- Department of General, Visceral, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Unit of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas C Mueller
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Annelies de Klein
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Brad W Warner
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carlo Maj
- Institute for Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dai Chung
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - David J McCulley
- Department of Pediatrics, San Diego Medical School, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92092, USA
| | | | | | | | - Felicitas Schulz
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Florian Kipfmuller
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Foong-Yen Lim
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Frank Magielsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Gudrun Aspelund
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Heiko Martin Reutter
- Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Howard Needelman
- University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68114, USA
| | - J Marco Schnater
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jason C Fisher
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kenneth Azarow
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Melissa E Danko
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Mindy Li
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Przemyslaw Kosiński
- Department of Obstetrics, Perinatology and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rene M H Wijnen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert A Cusick
- University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68114, USA
| | | | - Suzan C M Cochius-Den Otter
- Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Schaible
- Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Vincent P Duron
- Department of Surgery (Pediatrics), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Patricia K Donahoe
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, San Diego Medical School, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92092, USA
| | - Frances A High
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Charlotte Bendixen
- Department of General, Visceral, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Unit of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Erwin Brosens
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yufeng Shen
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; JP Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Abnizova I, Stapel C, Boekhorst RT, Lee JTH, Hemberg M. Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and epigenomic data reveals distinct patterns for developmental and housekeeping gene regulation. BMC Biol 2024; 22:78. [PMID: 38600550 PMCID: PMC11005181 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01869-2] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulation of transcription is central to the emergence of new cell types during development, and it often involves activation of genes via proximal and distal regulatory regions. The activity of regulatory elements is determined by transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetic marks, but despite extensive mapping of such patterns, the extraction of regulatory principles remains challenging. RESULTS Here we study differentially and similarly expressed genes along with their associated epigenomic profiles, chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation, during lineage specification at gastrulation in mice. Comparison of the three lineages allows us to identify genomic and epigenomic features that distinguish the two classes of genes. We show that differentially expressed genes are primarily regulated by distal elements, while similarly expressed genes are controlled by proximal housekeeping regulatory programs. Differentially expressed genes are relatively isolated within topologically associated domains, while similarly expressed genes tend to be located in gene clusters. Transcription of differentially expressed genes is associated with differentially open chromatin at distal elements including enhancers, while that of similarly expressed genes is associated with ubiquitously accessible chromatin at promoters. CONCLUSION Based on these associations of (linearly) distal genes' transcription start sites (TSSs) and putative enhancers for developmental genes, our findings allow us to link putative enhancers to their target promoters and to infer lineage-specific repertoires of putative driver transcription factors, within which we define subgroups of pioneers and co-operators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Abnizova
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Carine Stapel
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Martin Hemberg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
- The Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
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5
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Sabarís G, Ortíz DM, Laiker I, Mayansky I, Naik S, Cavalli G, Stern DL, Preger-Ben Noon E, Frankel N. The Density of Regulatory Information Is a Major Determinant of Evolutionary Constraint on Noncoding DNA in Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae004. [PMID: 38364113 PMCID: PMC10871701 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae004] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary analyses have estimated that ∼60% of nucleotides in intergenic regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome are functionally relevant, suggesting that regulatory information may be encoded more densely in intergenic regions than has been revealed by most functional dissections of regulatory DNA. Here, we approached this issue through a functional dissection of the regulatory region of the gene shavenbaby (svb). Most of the ∼90 kb of this large regulatory region is highly conserved in the genus Drosophila, though characterized enhancers occupy a small fraction of this region. By analyzing the regulation of svb in different contexts of Drosophila development, we found that the regulatory information that drives svb expression in the abdominal pupal epidermis is organized in a different way than the elements that drive svb expression in the embryonic epidermis. While in the embryonic epidermis svb is activated by compact enhancers separated by large inactive DNA regions, svb expression in the pupal epidermis is driven by regulatory information distributed over broader regions of svb cis-regulatory DNA. In the same vein, we observed that other developmental genes also display a dense distribution of putative regulatory elements in their regulatory regions. Furthermore, we found that a large percentage of conserved noncoding DNA of the Drosophila genome is contained within regions of open chromatin. These results suggest that part of the evolutionary constraint on noncoding DNA of Drosophila is explained by the density of regulatory information, which may be greater than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Sabarís
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniela M Ortíz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Ian Laiker
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Mayansky
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Sujay Naik
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Giacomo Cavalli
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ella Preger-Ben Noon
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Nicolás Frankel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
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6
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Zimmermann B, Montenegro JD, Robb SMC, Fropf WJ, Weilguny L, He S, Chen S, Lovegrove-Walsh J, Hill EM, Chen CY, Ragkousi K, Praher D, Fredman D, Schultz D, Moran Y, Simakov O, Genikhovich G, Gibson MC, Technau U. Topological structures and syntenic conservation in sea anemone genomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8270. [PMID: 38092765 PMCID: PMC10719294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44080-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is currently little information about the evolution of gene clusters, genome architectures and karyotypes in early branching animals. Slowly evolving anthozoan cnidarians can be particularly informative about the evolution of these genome features. Here we report chromosome-level genome assemblies of two related anthozoans, the sea anemones Nematostella vectensis and Scolanthus callimorphus. We find a robust set of 15 chromosomes with a clear one-to-one correspondence between the two species. Both genomes show chromosomal conservation, allowing us to reconstruct ancestral cnidarian and metazoan chromosomal blocks, consisting of at least 19 and 16 ancestral linkage groups, respectively. We show that, in contrast to Bilateria, the Hox and NK clusters of investigated cnidarians are largely disintegrated, despite the presence of staggered hox/gbx expression in Nematostella. This loss of microsynteny conservation may be facilitated by shorter distances between cis-regulatory sequences and their cognate transcriptional start sites. We find no clear evidence for topologically associated domains, suggesting fundamental differences in long-range gene regulation compared to vertebrates. These data suggest that large sets of ancestral metazoan genes have been retained in ancestral linkage groups of some extant lineages; yet, higher order gene regulation with associated 3D architecture may have evolved only after the cnidarian-bilaterian split.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Zimmermann
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan D Montenegro
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sofia M C Robb
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Whitney J Fropf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Lukas Weilguny
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shuonan He
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Shiyuan Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eric M Hill
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Cheng-Yi Chen
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - Katerina Ragkousi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Daniela Praher
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Fredman
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Darrin Schultz
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Grigory Genikhovich
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew C Gibson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
| | - Ulrich Technau
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Research platform SinCeReSt, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Max Perutz laboratories, University of Vienna, Dr. Bohrgasse 5, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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7
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Yang K, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Shao Y, Zhai M, Liu H, Zhang L. Whole Genome Resequencing Revealed the Genetic Relationship and Selected Regions among Baicheng-You, Beijing-You, and European-Origin Broilers. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1397. [PMID: 37997996 PMCID: PMC10669838 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
As the only two You-chicken breeds in China, Baicheng-You (BCY) and Beijing-You (BJY) chickens are famous for their good meat quality. However, so far, the molecular basis of germplasm of the two You-chicken breeds is not yet clear. The genetic relationship among BCY, BJY, and European-origin broilers (BRs) was analyzed using whole genome resequencing data to contribute to this issue. A total of 18,852,372 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained in this study. After quality control, 8,207,242 SNPs were applied to subsequent analysis. The data indicated that BJY chickens possessed distant distance with BRs (genetic differentiation coefficient (FST) = 0.1681) and BCY (FST = 0.1231), respectively, while BCY and BRs had a closer relationship (FST = 0.0946). In addition, by using FST, cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH), and cross-population composite likelihood ratio (XP-CLR) methods, we found 374 selected genes between BJY and BRs chickens and 279 selected genes between BCY and BJY chickens, respectively, which contained a number of important candidates or genetic variations associated with feather growth and fat deposition of BJY chickens and potential disease resistance of BCY chickens. Our study demonstrates a genome-wide view of genetic diversity and differentiation among BCY, BJY, and BRs. These results may provide useful information on a molecular basis related to the special characteristics of these broiler breeds, thus enabling us to better understand the formation mechanism of Chinese-You chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (K.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jian Zhang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (J.Z.); (H.L.)
| | - Yuelei Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (K.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yonggang Shao
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (Y.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Manjun Zhai
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (Y.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Huagui Liu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (J.Z.); (H.L.)
| | - Lifan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (K.Y.); (Y.Z.)
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8
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Chen Y, Zhou T, Liao Z, Gao W, Wu J, Zhang S, Li Y, Liu H, Zhou H, Xu C, Su P. Hnrnpk is essential for embryonic limb bud development as a transcription activator and a collaborator of insulator protein Ctcf. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:2293-2308. [PMID: 37608075 PMCID: PMC10589297 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01207-z] [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: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper development of the limb bud relies on the concordance of various signals, but its molecular mechanisms have not yet been fully illustrated. Here we report that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) is essential for limb bud development. Its ablation in the limb bud results in limbless forelimbs and severe deformities of the hindlimbs. In terms of mechanism, hnRNPK functions as a transcription activator for the vital genes involved in the three regulatory axes of limb bud development. Simultaneously, for the first time we elucidate that hnRNPK binds to and coordinates with the insulator protein CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) to maintain a three-dimensional chromatin architecture. Ablation of hnRNPK weakens the binding strength of CTCF to topologically associating domain (TAD) boundaries, then leading to the loose TADs, and decreased interactions between promoters and enhancers, and further decreased transcription of developmental genes. Our study establishes a fundamental and novel role of hnRNPK in regulating limb bud development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyu Chen
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Taifeng Zhou
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhiheng Liao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenjie Gao
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Jinna Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
| | - Shun Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yongyong Li
- Precision Medicine Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Hengyu Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Caixia Xu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Peiqiang Su
- Department of Spine Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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9
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Thomas HF, Buecker C. What is an enhancer? Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300044. [PMID: 37256273 PMCID: PMC11475577 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Tight control of the transcription process is essential for the correct spatial and temporal gene expression pattern during development and in homeostasis. Enhancers are at the core of correct transcriptional activation. The original definition of an enhancer is straightforward: a DNA sequence that activates transcription independent of orientation and direction. Dissection of numerous enhancer loci has shown that many enhancer-like elements might not conform to the original definition, suggesting that enhancers and enhancer-like elements might use multiple different mechanisms to contribute to transcriptional activation. Here, we review methodologies to identify enhancers and enhancer-like elements and discuss pitfalls and consequences for our understanding of transcriptional regulation.
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10
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Luo R, Yan J, Oh JW, Xi W, Shigaki D, Wong W, Cho HS, Murphy D, Cutler R, Rosen BP, Pulecio J, Yang D, Glenn RA, Chen T, Li QV, Vierbuchen T, Sidoli S, Apostolou E, Huangfu D, Beer MA. Dynamic network-guided CRISPRi screen identifies CTCF-loop-constrained nonlinear enhancer gene regulatory activity during cell state transitions. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1336-1346. [PMID: 37488417 PMCID: PMC11012226 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01450-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive enhancer discovery is challenging because most enhancers, especially those contributing to complex diseases, have weak effects on gene expression. Our gene regulatory network modeling identified that nonlinear enhancer gene regulation during cell state transitions can be leveraged to improve the sensitivity of enhancer discovery. Using human embryonic stem cell definitive endoderm differentiation as a dynamic transition system, we conducted a mid-transition CRISPRi-based enhancer screen. We discovered a comprehensive set of enhancers for each of the core endoderm-specifying transcription factors. Many enhancers had strong effects mid-transition but weak effects post-transition, consistent with the nonlinear temporal responses to enhancer perturbation predicted by the modeling. Integrating three-dimensional genomic information, we were able to develop a CTCF-loop-constrained Interaction Activity model that can better predict functional enhancers compared to models that rely on Hi-C-based enhancer-promoter contact frequency. Our study provides generalizable strategies for sensitive and systematic enhancer discovery in both normal and pathological cell state transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renhe Luo
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Jielin Yan
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Jin Woo Oh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wang Xi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dustin Shigaki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Wilfred Wong
- Computational & Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Hyein S Cho
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Dylan Murphy
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Ronald Cutler
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Bess P Rosen
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Julian Pulecio
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Dapeng Yang
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Rachel A Glenn
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Tingxu Chen
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Qing V Li
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Vierbuchen
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Effie Apostolou
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Danwei Huangfu
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Michael A Beer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Mach P, Giorgetti L. Integrative approaches to study enhancer-promoter communication. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 80:102052. [PMID: 37257410 PMCID: PMC10293802 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal control of gene expression in complex multicellular organisms relies on noncoding regulatory sequences such as enhancers, which activate transcription of target genes often over large genomic distances. Despite the advances in the identification and characterization of enhancers, the principles and mechanisms by which enhancers select and control their target genes remain largely unknown. Here, we review recent interdisciplinary and quantitative approaches based on emerging techniques that aim to address open questions in the field, notably how regulatory information is encoded in the DNA sequence, how this information is transferred from enhancers to promoters, and how these processes are regulated in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Mach
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. https://twitter.com/@MachPia
| | - Luca Giorgetti
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
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12
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Chen LF, Long HK, Park M, Swigut T, Boettiger AN, Wysocka J. Structural elements promote architectural stripe formation and facilitate ultra-long-range gene regulation at a human disease locus. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1446-1461.e6. [PMID: 36996812 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer clusters overlapping disease-associated mutations in Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) patients regulate SOX9 expression at genomic distances over 1.25 Mb. We applied optical reconstruction of chromatin architecture (ORCA) imaging to trace 3D locus topology during PRS-enhancer activation. We observed pronounced changes in locus topology between cell types. Subsequent analysis of single-chromatin fiber traces revealed that these ensemble-average differences arise through changes in the frequency of commonly sampled topologies. We further identified two CTCF-bound elements, internal to the SOX9 topologically associating domain, which promote stripe formation, are positioned near the domain's 3D geometric center, and bridge enhancer-promoter contacts in a series of chromatin loops. Ablation of these elements results in diminished SOX9 expression and altered domain-wide contacts. Polymer models with uniform loading across the domain and frequent cohesin collisions recapitulate this multi-loop, centrally clustered geometry. Together, we provide mechanistic insights into architectural stripe formation and gene regulation over ultra-long genomic ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Fu Chen
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hannah Katherine Long
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Minhee Park
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tomek Swigut
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alistair Nicol Boettiger
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Joanna Wysocka
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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13
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Luo R, Yan J, Oh JW, Xi W, Shigaki D, Wong W, Cho H, Murphy D, Cutler R, Rosen BP, Pulecio J, Yang D, Glenn R, Chen T, Li QV, Vierbuchen T, Sidoli S, Apostolou E, Huangfu D, Beer MA. Dynamic network-guided CRISPRi screen reveals CTCF loop-constrained nonlinear enhancer-gene regulatory activity in cell state transitions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531569. [PMID: 36945628 PMCID: PMC10028945 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive enhancer discovery is challenging because most enhancers, especially those affected in complex diseases, have weak effects on gene expression. Our network modeling revealed that nonlinear enhancer-gene regulation during cell state transitions can be leveraged to improve the sensitivity of enhancer discovery. Utilizing hESC definitive endoderm differentiation as a dynamic transition system, we conducted a mid-transition CRISPRi-based enhancer screen. The screen discovered a comprehensive set of enhancers (4 to 9 per locus) for each of the core endoderm lineage-specifying transcription factors, and many enhancers had strong effects mid-transition but weak effects post-transition. Through integrating enhancer activity measurements and three-dimensional enhancer-promoter interaction information, we were able to develop a CTCF loop-constrained Interaction Activity (CIA) model that can better predict functional enhancers compared to models that rely on Hi-C-based enhancer-promoter contact frequency. Our study provides generalizable strategies for sensitive and more comprehensive enhancer discovery in both normal and pathological cell state transitions.
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14
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Chemotherapy suppresses SHH gene expression via a specific enhancer. J Genet Genomics 2023; 50:27-37. [PMID: 35998878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling is a key regulator of embryonic development and tissue homeostasis that is involved in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer progression. Regulation of SHH gene expression is a paradigm of long-range enhancer function. Using the classical chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) as an example, here we show that SHH gene expression is suppressed by chemotherapy. SHH is downstream of immediate early genes (IEGs), including Early growth response 1 (Egr1). A specific 139 kb upstream enhancer is responsible for its down-regulation. Knocking down EGR1 expression or blocking its binding to this enhancer renders SHH unresponsive to chemotherapy. We further demonstrate that down-regulation of SHH expression does not depend on 5FU's impact on nucleotide metabolism or DNA damage; rather, a sustained oxidative stress response mediates this rapid suppression. This enhancer is present in a wide range of tumors and normal tissues, thus providing a target for cancer chemotherapy and its adverse effects on normal tissues. We propose that SHH is a stress-responsive gene downstream of IEGs, and that traditional chemotherapy targets a specific enhancer to suppress its expression.
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15
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Zhu M, Tabin CJ. The role of timing in the development and evolution of the limb. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1135519. [PMID: 37200627 PMCID: PMC10185760 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1135519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The term heterochrony was coined to describe changes in the timing of developmental processes relative to an ancestral state. Limb development is a well-suited system to address the contribution of heterochrony to morphological evolution. We illustrate how timing mechanisms have been used to establish the correct pattern of the limb and provide cases where natural variations in timing have led to changes in limb morphology.
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16
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Diacou R, Nandigrami P, Fiser A, Liu W, Ashery-Padan R, Cvekl A. Cell fate decisions, transcription factors and signaling during early retinal development. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 91:101093. [PMID: 35817658 PMCID: PMC9669153 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate eyes is a complex process starting from anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral patterning of the anterior neural tube, resulting in the formation of the eye field. Symmetrical separation of the eye field at the anterior neural plate is followed by two symmetrical evaginations to generate a pair of optic vesicles. Next, reciprocal invagination of the optic vesicles with surface ectoderm-derived lens placodes generates double-layered optic cups. The inner and outer layers of the optic cups develop into the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), respectively. In vitro produced retinal tissues, called retinal organoids, are formed from human pluripotent stem cells, mimicking major steps of retinal differentiation in vivo. This review article summarizes recent progress in our understanding of early eye development, focusing on the formation the eye field, optic vesicles, and early optic cups. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies are integrated with classical in vivo genetic and functional studies to uncover a range of cellular mechanisms underlying early eye development. The functions of signal transduction pathways and lineage-specific DNA-binding transcription factors are dissected to explain cell-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fate determination during early eye development. The functions of homeodomain (HD) transcription factors Otx2, Pax6, Lhx2, Six3 and Six6, which are required for early eye development, are discussed in detail. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of early eye development provides insight into the molecular and cellular basis of developmental ocular anomalies, such as optic cup coloboma. Lastly, modeling human development and inherited retinal diseases using stem cell-derived retinal organoids generates opportunities to discover novel therapies for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raven Diacou
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Prithviraj Nandigrami
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Andras Fiser
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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17
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Ringel AR, Szabo Q, Chiariello AM, Chudzik K, Schöpflin R, Rothe P, Mattei AL, Zehnder T, Harnett D, Laupert V, Bianco S, Hetzel S, Glaser J, Phan MHQ, Schindler M, Ibrahim DM, Paliou C, Esposito A, Prada-Medina CA, Haas SA, Giere P, Vingron M, Wittler L, Meissner A, Nicodemi M, Cavalli G, Bantignies F, Mundlos S, Robson MI. Repression and 3D-restructuring resolves regulatory conflicts in evolutionarily rearranged genomes. Cell 2022; 185:3689-3704.e21. [PMID: 36179666 PMCID: PMC9567273 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory landscapes drive complex developmental gene expression, but it remains unclear how their integrity is maintained when incorporating novel genes and functions during evolution. Here, we investigated how a placental mammal-specific gene, Zfp42, emerged in an ancient vertebrate topologically associated domain (TAD) without adopting or disrupting the conserved expression of its gene, Fat1. In ESCs, physical TAD partitioning separates Zfp42 and Fat1 with distinct local enhancers that drive their independent expression. This separation is driven by chromatin activity and not CTCF/cohesin. In contrast, in embryonic limbs, inactive Zfp42 shares Fat1's intact TAD without responding to active Fat1 enhancers. However, neither Fat1 enhancer-incompatibility nor nuclear envelope-attachment account for Zfp42's unresponsiveness. Rather, Zfp42's promoter is rendered inert to enhancers by context-dependent DNA methylation. Thus, diverse mechanisms enabled the integration of independent Zfp42 regulation in the Fat1 locus. Critically, such regulatory complexity appears common in evolution as, genome wide, most TADs contain multiple independently expressed genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessa R Ringel
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Quentin Szabo
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Andrea M Chiariello
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples, Italy
| | - Konrad Chudzik
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Schöpflin
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patricia Rothe
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra L Mattei
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tobias Zehnder
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dermot Harnett
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Verena Laupert
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simona Bianco
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Hetzel
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Glaser
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mai H Q Phan
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT-Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
| | - Magdalena Schindler
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel M Ibrahim
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT-Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina Paliou
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Andrea Esposito
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples, Italy
| | - Cesar A Prada-Medina
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stefan A Haas
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Giere
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Wittler
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Meissner
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mario Nicodemi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II and INFN Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, Naples, Italy; Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giacomo Cavalli
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Bantignies
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT-Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Michael I Robson
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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18
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Cohesin is required for long-range enhancer action at the Shh locus. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:891-897. [PMID: 36097291 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00821-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The regulatory landscapes of developmental genes in mammals can be complex, with enhancers spread over many hundreds of kilobases. It has been suggested that three-dimensional genome organization, particularly topologically associating domains formed by cohesin-mediated loop extrusion, is important for enhancers to act over such large genomic distances. By coupling acute protein degradation with synthetic activation by targeted transcription factor recruitment, here we show that cohesin, but not CTCF, is required for activation of the target gene Shh by distant enhancers in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cohesin is not required for activation directly at the promoter or by an enhancer located closer to the Shh gene. Our findings support the hypothesis that chromatin compaction via cohesin-mediated loop extrusion allows for genes to be activated by enhancers that are located many hundreds of kilobases away in the linear genome and suggests that cohesin is dispensable for enhancers located more proximally.
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19
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Chua EHZ, Yasar S, Harmston N. The importance of considering regulatory domains in genome-wide analyses - the nearest gene is often wrong! Biol Open 2022; 11:274931. [PMID: 35377406 PMCID: PMC9002814 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression of a large number of genes is regulated by regulatory elements that are located far away from their promoters. Identifying which gene is the target of a specific regulatory element or is affected by a non-coding mutation is often accomplished by assigning these regions to the nearest gene in the genome. However, this heuristic ignores key features of genome organisation and gene regulation; in that the genome is partitioned into regulatory domains, which at some loci directly coincide with the span of topologically associated domains (TADs), and that genes are regulated by enhancers located throughout these regions, even across intervening genes. In this review, we examine the results from genome-wide studies using chromosome conformation capture technologies and from those dissecting individual gene regulatory domains, to highlight that the phenomenon of enhancer skipping is pervasive and affects multiple types of genes. We discuss how simply assigning a genomic region of interest to its nearest gene is problematic and often leads to incorrect predictions and highlight that where possible information on both the conservation and topological organisation of the genome should be used to generate better hypotheses. The article has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview. Summary: Identifying which gene is the target of an enhancer is often accomplished by assigning it to the nearest gene, here we discuss how this heuristic can lead to incorrect predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samen Yasar
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore
| | - Nathan Harmston
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore.,Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
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20
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Zuin J, Roth G, Zhan Y, Cramard J, Redolfi J, Piskadlo E, Mach P, Kryzhanovska M, Tihanyi G, Kohler H, Eder M, Leemans C, van Steensel B, Meister P, Smallwood S, Giorgetti L. Nonlinear control of transcription through enhancer-promoter interactions. Nature 2022; 604:571-577. [PMID: 35418676 PMCID: PMC9021019 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome structure in mammals is thought to regulate transcription by modulating three-dimensional interactions between enhancers and promoters, notably through CTCF-mediated loops and topologically associating domains (TADs)1-4. However, how chromosome interactions are actually translated into transcriptional outputs remains unclear. Here, to address this question, we use an assay to position an enhancer at large numbers of densely spaced chromosomal locations relative to a fixed promoter, and measure promoter output and interactions within a genomic region with minimal regulatory and structural complexity. A quantitative analysis of hundreds of cell lines reveals that the transcriptional effect of an enhancer depends on its contact probabilities with the promoter through a nonlinear relationship. Mathematical modelling suggests that nonlinearity might arise from transient enhancer-promoter interactions being translated into slower promoter bursting dynamics in individual cells, therefore uncoupling the temporal dynamics of interactions from those of transcription. This uncovers a potential mechanism of how distal enhancers act from large genomic distances, and of how topologically associating domain boundaries block distal enhancers. Finally, we show that enhancer strength also determines absolute transcription levels as well as the sensitivity of a promoter to CTCF-mediated transcriptional insulation. Our measurements establish general principles for the context-dependent role of chromosome structure in long-range transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Zuin
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gregory Roth
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yinxiu Zhan
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julie Cramard
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josef Redolfi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ewa Piskadlo
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pia Mach
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Gergely Tihanyi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hubertus Kohler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Eder
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christ Leemans
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas van Steensel
- Division of Gene Regulation and Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Luca Giorgetti
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
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21
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Karr JP, Ferrie JJ, Tjian R, Darzacq X. The transcription factor activity gradient (TAG) model: contemplating a contact-independent mechanism for enhancer-promoter communication. Genes Dev 2022; 36:7-16. [PMID: 34969825 PMCID: PMC8763055 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349160.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
How distal cis-regulatory elements (e.g., enhancers) communicate with promoters remains an unresolved question of fundamental importance. Although transcription factors and cofactors are known to mediate this communication, the mechanism by which diffusible molecules relay regulatory information from one position to another along the chromosome is a biophysical puzzle-one that needs to be revisited in light of recent data that cannot easily fit into previous solutions. Here we propose a new model that diverges from the textbook enhancer-promoter looping paradigm and offer a synthesis of the literature to make a case for its plausibility, focusing on the coactivator p300.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Karr
- University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - John J Ferrie
- University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Robert Tjian
- University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Xavier Darzacq
- University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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22
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Ridnik M, Schoenfelder S, Gonen N. Cis-Regulatory Control of Mammalian Sex Determination. Sex Dev 2021; 15:317-334. [PMID: 34710870 PMCID: PMC8743899 DOI: 10.1159/000519244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is the process by which an initial bipotential gonad adopts either a testicular or ovarian cell fate. The inability to properly complete this process leads to a group of developmental disorders classified as disorders of sex development (DSD). To date, dozens of genes were shown to play roles in mammalian sex determination, and mutations in these genes can cause DSD in humans or gonadal sex reversal/dysfunction in mice. However, exome sequencing currently provides genetic diagnosis for only less than half of DSD patients. This points towards a major role for the non-coding genome during sex determination. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of non-coding, cis-acting gene regulatory elements and discuss how they may control transcriptional programmes that underpin sex determination in the context of the 3-dimensional folding of chromatin. As a paradigm, we focus on the Sox9 gene, a prominent pro-male factor and one of the most extensively studied genes in gonadal cell fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meshi Ridnik
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Stefan Schoenfelder
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nitzan Gonen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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23
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Complete lung agenesis caused by complex genomic rearrangements with neo-TAD formation at the SHH locus. Hum Genet 2021; 140:1459-1469. [PMID: 34436670 PMCID: PMC8460539 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02344-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
During human organogenesis, lung development is a timely and tightly regulated developmental process under the control of a large number of signaling molecules. Understanding how genetic variants can disturb normal lung development causing different lung malformations is a major goal for dissecting molecular mechanisms during embryogenesis. Here, through exome sequencing (ES), array CGH, genome sequencing (GS) and Hi-C, we aimed at elucidating the molecular basis of bilateral isolated lung agenesis in three fetuses born to a non-consanguineous family. We detected a complex genomic rearrangement containing duplicated, triplicated and deleted fragments involving the SHH locus in fetuses presenting complete agenesis of both lungs and near-complete agenesis of the trachea, diagnosed by ultrasound screening and confirmed at autopsy following termination. The rearrangement did not include SHH itself, but several regulatory elements for lung development, such as MACS1, a major SHH lung enhancer, and the neighboring genes MNX1 and NOM1. The rearrangement incorporated parts of two topologically associating domains (TADs) including their boundaries. Hi-C of cells from one of the affected fetuses showed the formation of two novel TADs each containing SHH enhancers and the MNX1 and NOM1 genes. Hi-C together with GS indicate that the new 3D conformation is likely causative for this condition by an inappropriate activation of MNX1 included in the neo-TADs by MACS1 enhancer, further highlighting the importance of the 3D chromatin conformation in human disease.
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24
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Crane-Smith Z, Schoenebeck J, Graham KA, Devenney PS, Rose L, Ditzell M, Anderson E, Thomson JI, Klenin N, Kurrasch DM, Lettice LA, Hill RE. A Highly Conserved Shh Enhancer Coordinates Hypothalamic and Craniofacial Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:595744. [PMID: 33869166 PMCID: PMC8047142 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.595744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancers that are conserved deep in evolutionary time regulate characteristics held in common across taxonomic classes. Here, deletion of the highly conserved Shh enhancer SBE2 (Shh brain enhancer 2) in mouse markedly reduced Shh expression within the embryonic brain specifically in the rostral diencephalon; however, no abnormal anatomical phenotype was observed. Secondary enhancer activity was subsequently identified which likely mediates low levels of expression. In contrast, when crossing the SBE2 deletion with the Shh null allele, brain and craniofacial development were disrupted; thus, linking SBE2 regulated Shh expression to multiple defects and further enabling the study of the effects of differing levels of Shh on embryogenesis. Development of the hypothalamus, derived from the rostral diencephalon, was disrupted along both the anterior-posterior (AP) and the dorsal-ventral (DV) axes. Expression of DV patterning genes and subsequent neuronal population induction were particularly sensitive to Shh expression levels, demonstrating a novel morphogenic context for Shh. The role of SBE2, which is highlighted by DV gene expression, is to step-up expression of Shh above the minimal activity of the second enhancer, ensuring the necessary levels of Shh in a regional-specific manner. We also show that low Shh levels in the diencephalon disrupted neighbouring craniofacial development, including mediolateral patterning of the bones along the cranial floor and viscerocranium. Thus, SBE2 contributes to hypothalamic morphogenesis and ensures there is coordination with the formation of the adjacent midline cranial bones that subsequently protect the neural tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Crane-Smith
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey Schoenebeck
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Katy A Graham
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S Devenney
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lorraine Rose
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Ditzell
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Eve Anderson
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph I Thomson
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Klenin
- Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deborah M Kurrasch
- Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Laura A Lettice
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert E Hill
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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25
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Bademci G, Abad C, Cengiz FB, Seyhan S, Incesulu A, Guo S, Fitoz S, Atli EI, Gosstola NC, Demir S, Colbert BM, Seyhan GC, Sineni CJ, Duman D, Gurkan H, Morton CC, Dykxhoorn DM, Walz K, Tekin M. Long-range cis-regulatory elements controlling GDF6 expression are essential for ear development. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:4213-4217. [PMID: 32369452 DOI: 10.1172/jci136951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms governing the development of the mammalian cochlea, the hearing organ, remain largely unknown. Through genome sequencing in 3 subjects from 2 families with nonsyndromic cochlear aplasia, we identified homozygous 221-kb and 338-kb deletions in a noncoding region on chromosome 8 with an approximately 200-kb overlapping section. Genomic location of the overlapping deleted region started from approximately 350 kb downstream of GDF6, which codes for growth and differentiation factor 6. Otic lineage cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from an affected individual showed reduced expression of GDF6 compared with control cells. Knockout of Gdf6 in a mouse model resulted in cochlear aplasia, closely resembling the human phenotype. We conclude that GDF6 plays a necessary role in early cochlear development controlled by cis-regulatory elements located within an approximately 500-kb region of the genome in humans and that its disruption leads to deafness due to cochlear aplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guney Bademci
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Clemer Abad
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Filiz B Cengiz
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Serhat Seyhan
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Armagan Incesulu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University School of Medicine, Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Shengru Guo
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Suat Fitoz
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emine Ikbal Atli
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
| | - Nicholas C Gosstola
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Selma Demir
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
| | - Brett M Colbert
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Gozde Cosar Seyhan
- Department of Dermatology, Bakirkoy Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Claire J Sineni
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Duygu Duman
- Department of Audiology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hakan Gurkan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
| | - Cynthia C Morton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Derek M Dykxhoorn
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, and
| | - Katherina Walz
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, and
| | - Mustafa Tekin
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, and.,Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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26
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Haslam IS, Zhou G, Xie G, Teng X, Ao X, Yan Z, Smart E, Rutkowski D, Wierzbicka J, Zhou Y, Huang Z, Zhang Y, Farjo N, Farjo B, Paus R, Yue Z. Inhibition of Shh Signaling through MAPK Activation Controls Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 141:334-344. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.05.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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27
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A 300-kb microduplication of 7q36.3 in a patient with triphalangeal thumb-polysyndactyly syndrome combined with congenital heart disease and optic disc coloboma: a case report. BMC Med Genomics 2020; 13:175. [PMID: 33218365 PMCID: PMC7678048 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-020-00821-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Triphalangeal thumb-polysyndactyly syndrome (TPT-PS) is a rare well-defined autosomal dominant disorder characterized by long thumbs with three phalanges combined with pre- and postaxial polydactyly/syndactyly of limbs.
By now, the syndrome has been reported in several large families from different ethnic backgrounds, with a high degree of inter- and intrafamilial variability. The genome locus responsible for TPT-PS has been mapped to the 7q36.3 region harboring a long-range sonic hedgehog (SHH) regulatory sequence (ZRS). Both single-nucleotide variants and complete duplications of ZRS were shown to cause TPT-PS and similar limb phenotypes. TPT-PS usually forms as isolated limb pathology not associated with additional malformations, in particular, with cardiovascular abnormalities. Case presentation Here we report on a rare Russian neonatal case of TPT-PS combined with severe congenital heart disease, namely double outlet right ventricle, and microphthalmia with optic disc coloboma. Pedigree analysis revealed TPT-PS of various expressivity in 10 family members throughout five generations, while the cardiac defect and the eye pathology were detected only in the proband. To extend the knowledge on genotype–phenotype spectrum of TPT-PS, the careful clinical and genomic analysis of the family was performed. High-resolution array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) revealed a ~ 300 kb microduplication of 7q36.3 locus (arr[GRCh37] 7q36.3(156385810_156684811) × 3) that co-segregated with TPT-PS in the proband and her mother. The duplication encompassed three genes including LMBR1, the intron 5 of which is known to harbor ZRS. Based on whole-exome sequencing data, no additional pathogenic mutations or variants of uncertain clinical significance were found in morbid cardiac genes or genes associated with a microphthalmia/anophthalmia/coloboma spectrum of ocular malformations. Conclusions The results support the previous data, indicating that complete ZRS duplication underlies TPT-PS, and suggest a broader phenotypic impact of the 7q36.3 microduplication. Potential involvement of the 7q36.3 microduplication in the patient’s cardiac and eye malformations is discussed. However, the contribution of some additional genetic/epigenetic factors to the complex patient`s phenotype cannot be excluded entirely. Further comprehensive functional studies are needed to prove the possible involvement of the 7q36.3 locus in congenital heart disease and eye pathology.
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28
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Tobias IC, Abatti LE, Moorthy SD, Mullany S, Taylor T, Khader N, Filice MA, Mitchell JA. Transcriptional enhancers: from prediction to functional assessment on a genome-wide scale. Genome 2020; 64:426-448. [PMID: 32961076 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2020-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Enhancers are cis-regulatory sequences located distally to target genes. These sequences consolidate developmental and environmental cues to coordinate gene expression in a tissue-specific manner. Enhancer function and tissue specificity depend on the expressed set of transcription factors, which recognize binding sites and recruit cofactors that regulate local chromatin organization and gene transcription. Unlike other genomic elements, enhancers are challenging to identify because they function independently of orientation, are often distant from their promoters, have poorly defined boundaries, and display no reading frame. In addition, there are no defined genetic or epigenetic features that are unambiguously associated with enhancer activity. Over recent years there have been developments in both empirical assays and computational methods for enhancer prediction. We review genome-wide tools, CRISPR advancements, and high-throughput screening approaches that have improved our ability to both observe and manipulate enhancers in vitro at the level of primary genetic sequences, chromatin states, and spatial interactions. We also highlight contemporary animal models and their importance to enhancer validation. Together, these experimental systems and techniques complement one another and broaden our understanding of enhancer function in development, evolution, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Tobias
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Luis E Abatti
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Sakthi D Moorthy
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Shanelle Mullany
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Tiegh Taylor
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Nawrah Khader
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Mario A Filice
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
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29
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Amano T. Gene regulatory landscape of the sonic hedgehog locus in embryonic development. Dev Growth Differ 2020; 62:334-342. [PMID: 32343848 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The organs of vertebrate species display a wide variety of morphology. A remaining challenge in evolutionary developmental biology is to elucidate how vertebrate lineages acquire distinct morphological features. Developmental programs are driven by spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression controlled by hundreds of thousands of cis-regulatory elements. Changes in the regulatory elements caused by the introduction of genetic variants can confer regulatory innovation that may underlie morphological novelties. Recent advances in sequencing technology have revealed a number of potential regulatory variants that can alter gene expression patterns. However, a limited number of studies demonstrate causal dependence between genetic and morphological changes. Regulation of Shh expression is a good model to understand how multiple regulatory elements organize tissue-specific gene expression patterns. This model also provides insights into how evolution of molecular traits, such as gene regulatory networks, lead to phenotypic novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Amano
- Next Generation Human Disease Model Team, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Japan
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30
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Robson MI, Ringel AR, Mundlos S. Regulatory Landscaping: How Enhancer-Promoter Communication Is Sculpted in 3D. Mol Cell 2020; 74:1110-1122. [PMID: 31226276 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, precise gene transcription in space and time requires that distal enhancers and promoters communicate by physical proximity within gene regulatory landscapes. To achieve this, regulatory landscapes fold in nuclear space, creating complex 3D structures that influence enhancer-promoter communication and gene expression and that, when disrupted, can cause disease. Here, we provide an overview of how enhancers and promoters construct regulatory landscapes and how multiple scales of 3D chromatin structure sculpt their communication. We focus on emerging views of what enhancer-promoter contacts and chromatin domains physically represent and how two antagonistic fundamental forces-loop extrusion and homotypic attraction-likely form them. We also examine how these same forces spatially separate regulatory landscapes by functional state, thereby creating higher-order compartments that reconfigure during development to enable proper enhancer-promoter communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael I Robson
- RG Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessa R Ringel
- RG Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- RG Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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31
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Okuhara S, Birjandi AA, Adel Al-Lami H, Sagai T, Amano T, Shiroishi T, Xavier GM, Liu KJ, Cobourne MT, Iseki S. Temporospatial sonic hedgehog signalling is essential for neural crest-dependent patterning of the intrinsic tongue musculature. Development 2019; 146:146/21/dev180075. [PMID: 31719045 DOI: 10.1242/dev.180075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The tongue is a highly specialised muscular organ with a complex anatomy required for normal function. We have utilised multiple genetic approaches to investigate local temporospatial requirements for sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling during tongue development. Mice lacking a Shh cis-enhancer, MFCS4 (ShhMFCS4/-), with reduced SHH in dorsal tongue epithelium have perturbed lingual septum tendon formation and disrupted intrinsic muscle patterning, with these defects reproduced following global Shh deletion from E10.5 in pCag-CreERTM; Shhflox/flox embryos. SHH responsiveness was diminished in local cranial neural crest cell (CNCC) populations in both mutants, with SHH targeting these cells through the primary cilium. CNCC-specific deletion of orofaciodigital syndrome 1 (Ofd1), which encodes a ciliary protein, in Wnt1-Cre; Ofdfl/Y mice led to a complete loss of normal myotube arrangement and hypoglossia. In contrast, mesoderm-specific deletion of Ofd1 in Mesp1-Cre; Ofdfl/Y embryos resulted in normal intrinsic muscle arrangement. Collectively, these findings suggest key temporospatial requirements for local SHH signalling in tongue development (specifically, lingual tendon differentiation and intrinsic muscle patterning through signalling to CNCCs) and provide further mechanistic insight into the tongue anomalies seen in patients with disrupted hedgehog signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Okuhara
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Dental and Medical Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Anahid A Birjandi
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Hadeel Adel Al-Lami
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Tomoko Sagai
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takanori Amano
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Shiroishi
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Guilherme M Xavier
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Karen J Liu
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Martyn T Cobourne
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Sachiko Iseki
- Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Dental and Medical Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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Williamson I, Kane L, Devenney PS, Flyamer IM, Anderson E, Kilanowski F, Hill RE, Bickmore WA, Lettice LA. Developmentally regulated Shh expression is robust to TAD perturbations. Development 2019; 146:dev179523. [PMID: 31511252 PMCID: PMC7212092 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Topologically associating domains (TADs) have been proposed to both guide and constrain enhancer activity. Shh is located within a TAD known to contain all its enhancers. To investigate the importance of chromatin conformation and TAD integrity on developmental gene regulation, we have manipulated the Shh TAD - creating internal deletions, deleting CTCF sites, and deleting and inverting sequences at TAD boundaries. Chromosome conformation capture and fluorescence in situ hybridisation assays were used to investigate the changes in chromatin conformation that result from these manipulations. Our data suggest that these substantial alterations in TAD structure have no readily detectable effect on Shh expression patterns or levels of Shh expression during development - except where enhancers are deleted - and result in no detectable phenotypes. Only in the case of a larger deletion at one TAD boundary could ectopic influence of the Shh limb enhancer be detected on a gene (Mnx1) in the neighbouring TAD. Our data suggests that, contrary to expectations, the developmental regulation of Shh expression is remarkably robust to TAD perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Williamson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Lauren Kane
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Paul S Devenney
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Ilya M Flyamer
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Eve Anderson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Fiona Kilanowski
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Robert E Hill
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Wendy A Bickmore
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Laura A Lettice
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
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Mir M, Bickmore W, Furlong EEM, Narlikar G. Chromatin topology, condensates and gene regulation: shifting paradigms or just a phase? Development 2019; 146:dev182766. [PMID: 31554625 PMCID: PMC6803379 DOI: 10.1242/dev.182766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In the past decade, two major advances in our understanding of nuclear organization have taken the field of gene regulation by storm. First, technologies that can analyze the three-dimensional conformation of chromatin have revealed how the genome is organized and have provided novel insights into how regulatory regions in the genome interact. Second, the recognition that many proteins can form membraneless compartments through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has challenged long-standing notions of how proteins within the nucleus are organized and has offered a tantalizing general mechanism by which many aspects of nuclear function may be regulated. However, the functional roles of chromatin topology and LLPS in regulating gene expression remain poorly understood. These topics were discussed with great fervor during an open discussion held at a recent workshop titled 'Chromatin-based regulation of development' organized by The Company of Biologists. Here, we summarize the major points covered during this debate and discuss how they tie into current thinking in the field of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Mir
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Wendy Bickmore
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Eileen E M Furlong
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Geeta Narlikar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Potuijt JWP, Galjaard RJH, van der Spek PJ, van Nieuwenhoven CA, Ahituv N, Oberg KC, Hovius SER. A multidisciplinary review of triphalangeal thumb. J Hand Surg Eur Vol 2019; 44:59-68. [PMID: 30318985 PMCID: PMC6297887 DOI: 10.1177/1753193418803521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite being a rare congenital limb anomaly, triphalangeal thumb is a subject of research in various scientific fields, providing new insights in clinical research and evolutionary biology. The findings of triphalangeal thumb can be predictive for other congenital anomalies as part of an underlying syndrome. Furthermore, triphalangeal thumb is still being used as a model in molecular genetics to study gene regulation by long-range regulatory elements. We present a review that summarizes a number of scientifically relevant topics that involve the triphalangeal thumb phenotype. Future initiatives involving multidisciplinary teams collaborating in the field of triphalangeal thumb research can lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of this condition as well as other congenital upper limb anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob W. P. Potuijt
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,Jacob W. P. Potuijt, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Ee-1589 Postbus 2040, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Robert-Jan H. Galjaard
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J. van der Spek
- Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christianne A. van Nieuwenhoven
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, SF, USA,Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, SF, USA
| | - Kerby C. Oberg
- Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Steven E. R. Hovius
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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35
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Tan G, Polychronopoulos D, Lenhard B. CNEr: A toolkit for exploring extreme noncoding conservation. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006940. [PMID: 31449516 PMCID: PMC6730951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conserved Noncoding Elements (CNEs) are elements exhibiting extreme noncoding conservation in Metazoan genomes. They cluster around developmental genes and act as long-range enhancers, yet nothing that we know about their function explains the observed conservation levels. Clusters of CNEs coincide with topologically associating domains (TADs), indicating ancient origins and stability of TAD locations. This has suggested further hypotheses about the still elusive origin of CNEs, and has provided a comparative genomics-based method of estimating the position of TADs around developmentally regulated genes in genomes where chromatin conformation capture data is missing. To enable researchers in gene regulation and chromatin biology to start deciphering this phenomenon, we developed CNEr, a R/Bioconductor toolkit for large-scale identification of CNEs and for studying their genomic properties. We apply CNEr to two novel genome comparisons—fruit fly vs tsetse fly, and two sea urchin genomes—and report novel insights gained from their analysis. We also show how to reveal interesting characteristics of CNEs by coupling CNEr with existing Bioconductor packages. CNEr is available at Bioconductor (https://bioconductor.org/packages/CNEr/) and maintained at github (https://github.com/ge11232002/CNEr).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Tan
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitris Polychronopoulos
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- * E-mail:
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36
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Paliou C, Guckelberger P, Schöpflin R, Heinrich V, Esposito A, Chiariello AM, Bianco S, Annunziatella C, Helmuth J, Haas S, Jerković I, Brieske N, Wittler L, Timmermann B, Nicodemi M, Vingron M, Mundlos S, Andrey G. Preformed chromatin topology assists transcriptional robustness of Shh during limb development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12390-12399. [PMID: 31147463 PMCID: PMC6589666 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900672116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range gene regulation involves physical proximity between enhancers and promoters to generate precise patterns of gene expression in space and time. However, in some cases, proximity coincides with gene activation, whereas, in others, preformed topologies already exist before activation. In this study, we investigate the preformed configuration underlying the regulation of the Shh gene by its unique limb enhancer, the ZRS, in vivo during mouse development. Abrogating the constitutive transcription covering the ZRS region led to a shift within the Shh-ZRS contacts and a moderate reduction in Shh transcription. Deletion of the CTCF binding sites around the ZRS resulted in the loss of the Shh-ZRS preformed interaction and a 50% decrease in Shh expression but no phenotype, suggesting an additional, CTCF-independent mechanism of promoter-enhancer communication. This residual activity, however, was diminished by combining the loss of CTCF binding with a hypomorphic ZRS allele, resulting in severe Shh loss of function and digit agenesis. Our results indicate that the preformed chromatin structure of the Shh locus is sustained by multiple components and acts to reinforce enhancer-promoter communication for robust transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Paliou
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philine Guckelberger
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Schöpflin
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Verena Heinrich
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Esposito
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Delbrück Center-Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea M Chiariello
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Bianco
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Annunziatella
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Johannes Helmuth
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory: Epigenomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Haas
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivana Jerković
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Brieske
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Wittler
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Sequencing Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Nicodemi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Delbrück Center-Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Vingron
- Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Mundlos
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Medical and Human Genetics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Guillaume Andrey
- Research Group Development & Disease, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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37
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Bompadre O, Andrey G. Chromatin topology in development and disease. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 55:32-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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38
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Polychronopoulos D, King JWD, Nash AJ, Tan G, Lenhard B. Conserved non-coding elements: developmental gene regulation meets genome organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 45:12611-12624. [PMID: 29121339 PMCID: PMC5728398 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative genomics has revealed a class of non-protein-coding genomic sequences that display an extraordinary degree of conservation between two or more organisms, regularly exceeding that found within protein-coding exons. These elements, collectively referred to as conserved non-coding elements (CNEs), are non-randomly distributed across chromosomes and tend to cluster in the vicinity of genes with regulatory roles in multicellular development and differentiation. CNEs are organized into functional ensembles called genomic regulatory blocks–dense clusters of elements that collectively coordinate the expression of shared target genes, and whose span in many cases coincides with topologically associated domains. CNEs display sequence properties that set them apart from other sequences under constraint, and have recently been proposed as useful markers for the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of organisms. Disruption of several of these elements is known to contribute to diseases linked with development, and cancer. The emergence, evolutionary dynamics and functions of CNEs still remain poorly understood, and new approaches are required to enable comprehensive CNE identification and characterization. Here, we review current knowledge and identify challenges that need to be tackled to resolve the impasse in understanding extreme non-coding conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Polychronopoulos
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - James W D King
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Alexander J Nash
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Ge Tan
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, N-5008 Bergen, Norway
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39
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Leal F, Cohn MJ. Developmental, genetic, and genomic insights into the evolutionary loss of limbs in snakes. Genesis 2017; 56. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Leal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
| | - Martin J. Cohn
- Department of Biology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology; University of Florida; Gainesville FL 32610
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40
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Peluso S, Douglas A, Hill A, De Angelis C, Moore BL, Grimes G, Petrovich G, Essafi A, Hill RE. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) prime the limb specific Shh enhancer for chromatin changes that balance histone acetylation mediated by E26 transformation-specific (ETS) factors. eLife 2017; 6:28590. [PMID: 28949289 PMCID: PMC5659820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) expression in the limb bud organizing centre called the zone of polarizing activity is regulated by the ZRS enhancer. Here, we examine in mouse and in a mouse limb-derived cell line the dynamic events that activate and restrict the spatial activity of the ZRS. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling in the distal limb primes the ZRS at early embryonic stages maintaining a poised, but inactive state broadly across the distal limb mesenchyme. The E26 transformation-specific transcription factor, ETV4, which is induced by FGF signalling and acts as a repressor of ZRS activity, interacts with the histone deacetylase HDAC2 and ensures that the poised ZRS remains transcriptionally inactive. Conversely, GABPα, an activator of the ZRS, recruits p300, which is associated with histone acetylation (H3K27ac) indicative of an active enhancer. Hence, the primed but inactive state of the ZRS is induced by FGF signalling and in combination with balanced histone modification events establishes the restricted, active enhancer responsible for patterning the limb bud during development. As an animal embryo develops, specific genes need to be switched on and off at the right time and place to ensure that the embryo’s tissues and organs form properly. Proteins called transcription factors control the activity of individual genes by binding to regions of DNA known as enhancers. Changes in the way DNA is packaged inside cells can affect the ability of transcription factors to access the enhancers, and therefore also influence when particular genes are switched on or off. Sonic hedgehog (or Shh for short) is a gene that helps to control various aspects of development including the formation of the limbs and brain. The limb forms from a structure in the embryo referred to as the limb bud. An enhancer called ZRS regulates the precise position within the limb bud where the Shh gene is active in a region designated as the “zone of polarizing activity”. Yet, it was not known how the enhancer is controlled to ensure this pattern is achieved. Peluso et al. investigated the events that lead to ZRS becoming active in mice embryos. The experiments show that the ZRS enhancer exists in three different states in cells across the limb bud: poised, active and inactive. The enhancer is poised in a broad region of the limb bud in cells that are potentially able to switch on the Shh gene. Proteins called fibroblast growth factors drive the enhancer to enter this poised state by altering the way the DNA containing the enhancer is packaged in the cell. Specific transcription factors are able to bind to the poised enhancer and it is the balance between these different transcription factors that activates the enhancer in the zone of polarizing activity. Furthermore in the region of the limb bud where the fibroblast growth factors are not present the ZRS is inactive. These findings show that fibroblast growth factors, in combination with other changes to the ZRS enhancer, restrict the area in which the enhancer is active to a particular region of the limb bud. Differences in enhancer elements are known to underlie a range of inherited characteristics and may influence whether an individual develops many common diseases. In the future, investigating how cells control the activity of enhancers may provide clues to identifying new targets for drugs to treat some of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Peluso
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Douglas
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Hill
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carlo De Angelis
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin L Moore
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Graeme Grimes
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia Petrovich
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Abdelkader Essafi
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Robert E Hill
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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41
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Harmston N, Ing-Simmons E, Tan G, Perry M, Merkenschlager M, Lenhard B. Topologically associating domains are ancient features that coincide with Metazoan clusters of extreme noncoding conservation. Nat Commun 2017; 8:441. [PMID: 28874668 PMCID: PMC5585340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00524-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental genes in metazoan genomes are surrounded by dense clusters of conserved noncoding elements (CNEs). CNEs exhibit unexplained extreme levels of sequence conservation, with many acting as developmental long-range enhancers. Clusters of CNEs define the span of regulatory inputs for many important developmental regulators and have been described previously as genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs). Their function and distribution around important regulatory genes raises the question of how they relate to 3D conformation of these loci. Here, we show that clusters of CNEs strongly coincide with topological organisation, predicting the boundaries of hundreds of topologically associating domains (TADs) in human and Drosophila. The set of TADs that are associated with high levels of noncoding conservation exhibit distinct properties compared to TADs devoid of extreme noncoding conservation. The close correspondence between extreme noncoding conservation and TADs suggests that these TADs are ancient, revealing a regulatory architecture conserved over hundreds of millions of years. Metazoan genomes contain many clusters of conserved noncoding elements. Here, the authors provide evidence that these clusters coincide with distinct topologically associating domains in humans and Drosophila, revealing a conserved regulatory genomic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Harmston
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Elizabeth Ing-Simmons
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Lymphocyte Development, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Ge Tan
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Malcolm Perry
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Matthias Merkenschlager
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Lymphocyte Development, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, N-5008, Bergen, Norway.
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42
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Norton HK, Phillips-Cremins JE. Crossed wires: 3D genome misfolding in human disease. J Cell Biol 2017; 216:3441-3452. [PMID: 28855250 PMCID: PMC5674879 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201611001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Norton and Phillips-Cremins review the 3D architecture of the genome and discuss links between chromatin misfolding and human diseases. Mammalian genomes are folded into unique topological structures that undergo precise spatiotemporal restructuring during healthy development. Here, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of how the genome folds inside the 3D nucleus and how these folding patterns are miswired during the onset and progression of mammalian disease states. We discuss potential mechanisms underlying the link among genome misfolding, genome dysregulation, and aberrant cellular phenotypes. We also discuss cases in which the endogenous 3D genome configurations in healthy cells might be particularly susceptible to mutation or translocation. Together, these data support an emerging model in which genome folding and misfolding is critically linked to the onset and progression of a broad range of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi K Norton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jennifer E Phillips-Cremins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA .,Epigenetics Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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43
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Micale M, Embrey B, Hubbell K, Beaudry-Rogers K, Whitten A. Prenatal identification of two discontinuous maternally inherited chromosome 7q36.3 microduplications totaling 507 kb including the sonic hedgehog gene in a fetus with multiple congenital anomalies. Clin Case Rep 2017; 5:993-999. [PMID: 28588853 PMCID: PMC5457993 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Duplications of the SHH gene, an important developmental gene, are rare. Disruption of this gene produces a variable phenotype in humans from major anomalies to isolated facial defects. This is the first reported case of a maternally inherited 507 kb discontinuous chromosome 7q36.3 microduplication resulting in duplication of SHH and nearby enhancer sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Micale
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Beaumont Health Royal Oak Michigan.,Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Rochester Michigan
| | - Bedford Embrey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Beaumont Health Royal Oak Michigan
| | - Katie Hubbell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Beaumont Health Royal Oak Michigan
| | | | - Amy Whitten
- Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Rochester Michigan.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Beaumont Health Royal Oak Michigan
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44
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Wu C, Hu S, Cheng J, Wang G, Tao K. Smoothened antagonist GDC-0449 (Vismodegib) inhibits proliferation and triggers apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines. Exp Ther Med 2017; 13:2529-2536. [PMID: 28565875 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.4282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway has been proven to be involved in embryonic development and cancer growth. GDC-0449, an antagonist of the hedgehog signaling receptor Smoothened (Smo), was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a prescription for skin basal cell carcinoma. However, the efficacy of GDC-0449 in the treatment of colon cancer and other malignancies, such as basal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer, has remained to be proven. The present study assessed the effect of GDC-0449 on the colon cancer cell lines Caco-2 and Ht-29. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was applied to assess the cell proliferation rate and apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR and western blot analysis were used for analyzing expression levels of target genes. Cell proliferation was inhibited, while apoptosis was increased by GDC-0449, whereas the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), a downstream target of Shh signaling, was decreased. Consistent with the inhibition of Gli1 expression, the cancer stem cell markers CD44 and ALDH were decreased in the presence of GDC-0449. In conclusion, GDC-0449 was shown to inhibit the replication of colon cancer cells and trigger apoptosis through downregulating Bcl-2. This may also influence the stemness of cancer stem cells as indicated by the decreased stem cell surface markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanqing Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Shaobo Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Ji Cheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Guobin Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
| | - Kaixiong Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, P.R. China
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45
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Evolution of Shh endoderm enhancers during morphological transition from ventral lungs to dorsal gas bladder. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14300. [PMID: 28155855 PMCID: PMC5296767 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Shh signalling plays a crucial role for endoderm development. A Shh endoderm enhancer, MACS1, is well conserved across terrestrial animals with lungs. Here, we first show that eliminating mouse MACS1 causes severe defects in laryngeal development, indicating that MACS1-directed Shh signalling is indispensable for respiratory organogenesis. Extensive phylogenetic analyses revealed that MACS1 emerged prior to the divergence of cartilaginous and bony fishes, and even euteleost fishes have a MACS1 orthologue. Meanwhile, ray-finned fishes evolved a novel conserved non-coding sequence in the neighbouring region. Transgenic assays showed that MACS1 drives reporter expression ventrally in laryngeal epithelium. This activity has been lost in the euteleost lineage, and instead, the conserved non-coding sequence of euteleosts acquired an enhancer activity to elicit dorsal epithelial expression in the posterior pharynx and oesophagus. These results implicate that evolution of these two enhancers is relevant to the morphological transition from ventral lungs to dorsal gas bladder. Endoderm enhancer MACS1 of Sonic Hedgehog is conserved in animals with lungs. Here, the authors show that mouse without MACS1 has defective laryngeal development, and use phylogenetic analyses to show association of evolutionary lung-gas bladder transition with change of the enhancer.
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46
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Pan-cancer analysis of somatic copy-number alterations implicates IRS4 and IGF2 in enhancer hijacking. Nat Genet 2016; 49:65-74. [PMID: 27869826 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Extensive prior research focused on somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs) affecting cancer genes, yet the extent to which recurrent SCNAs exert their influence through rearrangement of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) remains unclear. Here we present a framework for inferring cancer-related gene overexpression resulting from CRE reorganization (e.g., enhancer hijacking) by integrating SCNAs, gene expression data and information on topologically associating domains (TADs). Analysis of 7,416 cancer genomes uncovered several pan-cancer candidate genes, including IRS4, SMARCA1 and TERT. We demonstrate that IRS4 overexpression in lung cancer is associated with recurrent deletions in cis, and we present evidence supporting a tumor-promoting role. We additionally pursued cancer-type-specific analyses and uncovered IGF2 as a target for enhancer hijacking in colorectal cancer. Recurrent tandem duplications intersecting with a TAD boundary mediate de novo formation of a 3D contact domain comprising IGF2 and a lineage-specific super-enhancer, resulting in high-level gene activation. Our framework enables systematic inference of CRE rearrangements mediating dysregulation in cancer.
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47
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Symmons O, Pan L, Remeseiro S, Aktas T, Klein F, Huber W, Spitz F. The Shh Topological Domain Facilitates the Action of Remote Enhancers by Reducing the Effects of Genomic Distances. Dev Cell 2016; 39:529-543. [PMID: 27867070 PMCID: PMC5142843 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression often requires interaction between promoters and distant enhancers, which occur within the context of highly organized topologically associating domains (TADs). Using a series of engineered chromosomal rearrangements at the Shh locus, we carried out an extensive fine-scale characterization of the factors that govern the long-range regulatory interactions controlling Shh expression. We show that Shh enhancers act pervasively, yet not uniformly, throughout the TAD. Importantly, changing intra-TAD distances had no impact on Shh expression. In contrast, inversions disrupting the TAD altered global folding of the region and prevented regulatory contacts in a distance-dependent manner. Our data indicate that the Shh TAD promotes distance-independent contacts between distant regions that would otherwise interact only sporadically, enabling functional communication between them. In large genomes where genomic distances per se can limit regulatory interactions, this function of TADs could be as essential for gene expression as the formation of insulated neighborhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Symmons
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leslie Pan
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Silvia Remeseiro
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tugce Aktas
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Klein
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Huber
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Spitz
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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48
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Ordulu Z, Kammin T, Brand H, Pillalamarri V, Redin CE, Collins RL, Blumenthal I, Hanscom C, Pereira S, Bradley I, Crandall BF, Gerrol P, Hayden MA, Hussain N, Kanengisser-Pines B, Kantarci S, Levy B, Macera MJ, Quintero-Rivera F, Spiegel E, Stevens B, Ulm JE, Warburton D, Wilkins-Haug LE, Yachelevich N, Gusella JF, Talkowski ME, Morton CC. Structural Chromosomal Rearrangements Require Nucleotide-Level Resolution: Lessons from Next-Generation Sequencing in Prenatal Diagnosis. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 99:1015-1033. [PMID: 27745839 PMCID: PMC5097935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In this exciting era of "next-gen cytogenetics," integrating genomic sequencing into the prenatal diagnostic setting is possible within an actionable time frame and can provide precise delineation of balanced chromosomal rearrangements at the nucleotide level. Given the increased risk of congenital abnormalities in newborns with de novo balanced chromosomal rearrangements, comprehensive interpretation of breakpoints could substantially improve prediction of phenotypic outcomes and support perinatal medical care. Herein, we present and evaluate sequencing results of balanced chromosomal rearrangements in ten prenatal subjects with respect to the location of regulatory chromatin domains (topologically associated domains [TADs]). The genomic material from all subjects was interpreted to be "normal" by microarray analyses, and their rearrangements would not have been detected by cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening. The findings of our systematic approach correlate with phenotypes of both pregnancies with untoward outcomes (5/10) and with healthy newborns (3/10). Two pregnancies, one with a chromosomal aberration predicted to be of unknown clinical significance and another one predicted to be likely benign, were terminated prior to phenotype-genotype correlation (2/10). We demonstrate that the clinical interpretation of structural rearrangements should not be limited to interruption, deletion, or duplication of specific genes and should also incorporate regulatory domains of the human genome with critical ramifications for the control of gene expression. As detailed in this study, our molecular approach to both detecting and interpreting the breakpoints of structural rearrangements yields unparalleled information in comparison to other commonly used first-tier diagnostic methods, such as non-invasive cfDNA screening and microarray analysis, to provide improved genetic counseling for phenotypic outcome in the prenatal setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehra Ordulu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tammy Kammin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Harrison Brand
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vamsee Pillalamarri
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Claire E Redin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ryan L Collins
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ian Blumenthal
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Carrie Hanscom
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Shahrin Pereira
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - India Bradley
- Department of Psychiatry, Prenatal Diagnosis Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Barbara F Crandall
- Department of Psychiatry, Prenatal Diagnosis Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pamela Gerrol
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mark A Hayden
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Naveed Hussain
- Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | | | - Sibel Kantarci
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA Clinical Genomics Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Brynn Levy
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael J Macera
- New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Fabiola Quintero-Rivera
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA Clinical Genomics Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Erica Spiegel
- Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Blair Stevens
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Janet E Ulm
- Regional Obstetrical Consultants, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
| | - Dorothy Warburton
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Louise E Wilkins-Haug
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Naomi Yachelevich
- Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics Services, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boson, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Psychiatry and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Cynthia C Morton
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Evolution and Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Center, Manchester 03101, UK.
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49
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Drew AP, Cutrupi AN, Brewer MH, Nicholson GA, Kennerson ML. A 1.35 Mb DNA fragment is inserted into the DHMN1 locus on chromosome 7q34–q36.2. Hum Genet 2016; 135:1269-1278. [DOI: 10.1007/s00439-016-1720-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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50
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Xuan S, Sussel L. GATA4 and GATA6 regulate pancreatic endoderm identity through inhibition of hedgehog signaling. Development 2016; 143:780-6. [PMID: 26932670 DOI: 10.1242/dev.127217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
GATA4 and GATA6 are zinc finger transcription factors that have important functions in several mesodermal and endodermal organs, including heart, liver and pancreas. In humans, heterozygous mutations of either factor are associated with pancreatic agenesis; however, homozygous deletion of both Gata4 and Gata6 is necessary to disrupt pancreas development in mice. In this study, we demonstrate that arrested pancreatic development in Gata4(fl/fl); Gata6(fl/fl); Pdx1:Cre (pDKO) embryos is accompanied by the transition of ventral and dorsal pancreatic fates into intestinal or stomach lineages, respectively. These results indicate that GATA4 and GATA6 play essential roles in maintaining pancreas identity by regulating foregut endodermal fates. Remarkably, pancreatic anlagen derived from pDKO embryos also display a dramatic upregulation of hedgehog pathway components, which are normally absent from the presumptive pancreatic endoderm. Consistent with the erroneous activation of hedgehog signaling, we demonstrate that GATA4 and GATA6 are able to repress transcription through the sonic hedgehog (Shh) endoderm-specific enhancer MACS1 and that GATA-binding sites within this enhancer are necessary for this repressive activity. These studies establish the importance of GATA4/6-mediated inhibition of hedgehog signaling as a major mechanism regulating pancreatic endoderm specification during patterning of the gut tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouhong Xuan
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lori Sussel
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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