Ribonuclease protection

Evidence for transcript networks composed of chimeric RNAs in human cells

The classic organization of a gene structure has followed the Jacob and Monod bacterial gene model proposed more than 50 years ago. Since then, empirical determinations of the complexity of the transcriptomes found in yeast to human has blurred the definition and physical boundaries of genes. Using multiple analysis approaches we have characterized individual gene boundaries mapping on human chromosomes 21 and 22. Analyses of the locations of the 5′ and 3′ transcriptional termini of 492 protein coding genes revealed that for 85% of these genes the boundaries extend beyond the current annotated termini, most often connecting with exons of transcripts from other well annotated genes. The biological and evolutionary importance of these chimeric transcripts is underscored by (1) the non-random interconnections of genes involved, (2) the greater phylogenetic depth of the genes involved in many chimeric interactions, (3) the coordination of the expression of connected genes and (4) the close in vivo and three dimensional proximity of the genomic regions being transcribed and contributing to parts of the chimeric RNAs. The non-random nature of the connection of the genes involved suggest that chimeric transcripts should not be studied in isolation, but together, as an RNA network.

Developmental profile of H19 differentially methylated domain (DMD) deletion alleles reveals multiple roles of the DMD in regulating allelic expression and DNA methylation at the imprinted H19/Igf2 locus

The differentially methylated domain (DMD) of the mouse H19 gene is a methylation-sensitive insulator that blocks access of the Igf2 gene to shared enhancers on the maternal allele and inactivates H19 expression on the methylated paternal allele. By analyzing H19 DMD deletion alleles H19DeltaDMD and H19Delta3.8kb-5'H19 in pre- and postimplantation embryos, we show that the DMD exhibits positive transcriptional activity and is required for H19 expression in blastocysts and full activation of H19 during subsequent development. We also show that the DMD is required to establish Igf2 imprinting by blocking access to shared enhancers when Igf2 monoallelic expression is initiated in postimplantation embryos and that the single remaining CTCF site of the H19DeltaDMD allele is unable to provide this function. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that sequence outside of the DMD can attract some paternal-allele-specific CpG methylation 5' of H19 in preimplantation embryos, although this methylation is not maintained during postimplantation in the absence of the DMD. Finally, we report a conditional allele floxing the 1.6-kb sequence deleted from the H19DeltaDMD allele and demonstrate that the DMD is required to maintain repression of the maternal Igf2 allele and the full activity of the paternal Igf2 allele in neonatal liver.