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Yu H, Zhao J, Shen Y, Qiao L, Liu Y, Xie G, Chang S, Ge T, Li N, Chen M, Li H, Zhang J, Wang X. The dynamic landscape of enhancer-derived RNA during mouse early embryo development. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114077. [PMID: 38592974 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114077] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancer-derived RNAs (eRNAs) play critical roles in diverse biological processes by facilitating their target gene expression. However, the abundance and function of eRNAs in early embryos are not clear. Here, we present a comprehensive eRNA atlas by systematically integrating publicly available datasets of mouse early embryos. We characterize the transcriptional and regulatory network of eRNAs and show that different embryo developmental stages have distinct eRNA expression and regulatory profiles. Paternal eRNAs are activated asymmetrically during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Moreover, we identify an eRNA, MZGAe1, which plays an important function in regulating mouse ZGA and early embryo development. MZGAe1 knockdown leads to a developmental block from 2-cell embryo to blastocyst. We create an online data portal, M2ED2, to query and visualize eRNA expression and regulation. Our study thus provides a systematic landscape of eRNA and reveals the important role of eRNAs in regulating mouse early embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yu
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Institute of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
| | - Jing Zhao
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yuxuan Shen
- Center of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lu Qiao
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yuheng Liu
- HPC Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Guanglei Xie
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Shuhui Chang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Tingying Ge
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Nan Li
- HPC Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Ming Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55904, USA
| | - Jin Zhang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Xi Wang
- Westlake Genomics and Bioinformatics Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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Wu B, Wang Y, Wei X, Zhang J, Wu J, Cao G, Zhang Y, Liu J, Li X, Bao S. NELFA and BCL2 induce the 2C-like state in mouse embryonic stem cells in a chemically defined medium. Cell Prolif 2024; 57:e13534. [PMID: 37592709 PMCID: PMC10849787 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13534] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A minority of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) display totipotent features resembling 2-cell stage embryos and are known as 2-cell-like (2C-like) cells. However, how ESCs transit into this 2C-like state remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the overexpression of negative elongation factor A (Nelfa), a maternally provided factor, enhances the conversion of ESCs into 2C-like cells in chemically defined conditions, while the deletion of endogenous Nelfa does not block this transition. We also demonstrate that Nelfa overexpression significantly enhances somatic cell reprogramming efficiency. Interestingly, we found that the co-overexpression of Nelfa and Bcl2 robustly activates the 2C-like state in ESCs and endows the cells with dual cell fate potential. We further demonstrate that Bcl2 overexpression upregulates endogenous Nelfa expression and can induce the 2C-like state in ESCs even in the absence of Nelfa. Our findings highlight the importance of BCL2 in the regulation of the 2C-like state and provide insights into the mechanism underlying the roles of Nelfa and Bcl2 in the establishment and regulation of the totipotent state in mouse ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojiang Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Yanqiu Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Xinhua Wei
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Jingcheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Jiahui Wu
- School of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Guifang Cao
- School of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Inner Mongolia Saikexing Institute of Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology in Domestic AnimalHohhotChina
| | - Yong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary MedicineNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Xihe Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Inner Mongolia Saikexing Institute of Breeding and Reproductive Biotechnology in Domestic AnimalHohhotChina
| | - Siqin Bao
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland LivestockInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Research Centre for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, College of Life SciencesInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
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Guo Y, Li TD, Modzelewski AJ, Siomi H. Retrotransposon renaissance in early embryos. Trends Genet 2024; 40:39-51. [PMID: 37949723 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite being the predominant genetic elements in mammalian genomes, retrotransposons were often dismissed as genomic parasites with ambiguous biological significance. However, recent studies reveal their functional involvement in early embryogenesis, encompassing crucial processes such as zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and cell fate decision. This review underscores the paradigm shift in our understanding of retrotransposon roles during early preimplantation development, as well as their rich functional reservoir that is exploited by the host to provide cis-regulatory elements, noncoding RNAs, and functional proteins. The rapid advancement in long-read sequencing, low input multiomics profiling, advanced in vitro systems, and precise gene editing techniques encourages further dissection of retrotransposon functions that were once obscured by the intricacies of their genomic footprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjia Guo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Ten D Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4539, USA
| | - Andrew J Modzelewski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4539, USA.
| | - Haruhiko Siomi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Human Biology Microbiome Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
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Zhao X, Li X, Sun H, Zhao X, Gao T, Shi P, Chen F, Liu L, Lu X. Dot1l cooperates with Npm1 to repress endogenous retrovirus MERVL in embryonic stem cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8970-8986. [PMID: 37522386 PMCID: PMC10516645 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dot1l is a histone methyltransferase without a SET domain and is responsible for H3K79 methylation, which marks active transcription. In contradiction, Dot1l also participates in silencing gene expression. The target regions and mechanism of Dot1l in repressing transcription remain enigmatic. Here, we show that Dot1l represses endogenous retroviruses in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Specifically, the absence of Dot1l led to the activation of MERVL, which is a marker of 2-cell-like cells. In addition, Dot1l deletion activated the 2-cell-like state and predisposed ESCs to differentiate into trophectoderm lineage. Transcriptome analysis revealed activation of 2-cell genes and meiotic genes by Dot1l deletion. Mechanistically, Dot1l interacted with and co-localized with Npm1 on MERVL, and depletion of Npm1 similarly augmented MERVL expression. The catalytic activity and AT-hook domain of Dot1l are important to suppress MERVL. Notably, Dot1l-Npm1 restricts MERVL by regulating protein level and deposition of histone H1. Furthermore, Dot1l is critical for Npm1 to efficiently interact with histone H1 and inhibit ubiquitination of H1 whereas Npm1 is essential for Dot1l to interact with MERVL. Altogether, we discover that Dot1l represses MERVL through chaperoning H1 by collaborating with Npm1. Importantly, our findings shed light on the non-canonical transcriptional repressive role of Dot1l in ESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xiaomin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Haiyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Xuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tingting Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Panpan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Fuquan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xinyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin, Tianjin 300350, China
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Puri D, Kelkar A, Gaurishankar B, Subramanyam D. Balance between autophagy and cell death is maintained by Polycomb-mediated regulation during stem cell differentiation. FEBS J 2023; 290:1625-1644. [PMID: 36380631 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved cytoprotective process, aberrations in which lead to numerous degenerative disorders. While the cytoplasmic components of autophagy have been extensively studied, the epigenetic regulation of autophagy genes, especially in stem cells, is less understood. Deciphering the epigenetic regulation of autophagy genes becomes increasingly relevant given the therapeutic benefits of small-molecule epigenetic inhibitors in novel treatment modalities. We observe that, during retinoic acid-mediated differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), autophagy is induced, and identify the Polycomb group histone methyl transferase EZH2 as a regulator of this process. In mESCs, EZH2 represses several autophagy genes, including the autophagy regulator DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator protein 1 (Dram1). EZH2 facilitates the formation of a bivalent chromatin domain at the Dram1 promoter, allowing gene expression and autophagy induction during differentiation while retaining the repressive H3K27me3 mark. EZH2 inhibition leads to loss of the bivalent domain, with consequent 'hyper-expression' of Dram1, accompanied by extensive cell death. This study shows that Polycomb group proteins help maintain a balance between autophagy and cell death during stem cell differentiation, in part, by regulating the expression of the Dram1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Puri
- National Centre for Cell Science, SP Pune University, India
| | - Aparna Kelkar
- National Centre for Cell Science, SP Pune University, India
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Tsitsikov EN, Hameed S, Tavakol SA, Stephens TM, Tsytsykova AV, Garman L, Bi WL, Dunn IF. Specific gene expression signatures of low grade meningiomas. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1126550. [PMID: 36937440 PMCID: PMC10016690 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1126550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in adults, representing approximately one-third of all primary adult CNS tumors. Although several recent publications have proposed alternative grading systems of meningiomas that incorporate genomic and/or epigenomic data to better predict meningioma recurrence and progression-free survival, our understanding of driving forces of meningioma development is still limited. Objective To define gene expression signatures of the most common subtypes of meningiomas to better understand cellular processes and signaling pathways specific for each tumor genotype. Methods We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to determine whole transcriptome profiles of twenty meningiomas with genomic alterations including NF2 inactivation, loss of chr1p, and missense mutations in TRAF7, AKT1 and KLF4. Results The analysis revealed that meningiomas with NF2 gene inactivation expressed higher levels of BCL2 and GLI1 compared with tumors harboring TRAF7 missense mutations. Moreover, NF2 meningiomas were subdivided into two distinct groups based on additional loss of chr1p. NF2 tumors with intact chr1p were characterized by the high expression of tumor suppressor PTCH2 compared to NF2 tumors with chr1p loss. Taken together with the high expression of BCL2 and GLI1, these results suggest that activation of Sonic Hedgehog pathway may contribute to NF2 meningioma development. In contrast, NF2 tumors with chr1p loss expressed high levels of transcription factor FOXD3 and its antisense RNA FOXD3-AS1. Examination of TRAF7 tumors demonstrated that TRAF7 regulates a number of biomechanically responsive genes (KRT6a, KRT16, IL1RL1, and AQP3 among others). Interestingly, AKT1 and KLF4 meningiomas expressed genes specific for PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, suggesting overlapping gene signatures between the two subtypes. In addition, KLF4 meningiomas had high expression of carcinoembryonic antigen family members CEACAM6 and CEACAM5. Conclusions Each group of meningiomas displayed a unique gene expression signature suggesting signaling pathways potentially implicated in tumorigenesis. These findings will improve our understanding of meningioma tumorigenesis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdyni N. Tsitsikov
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Sanaa Hameed
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Sherwin A. Tavakol
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Tressie M. Stephens
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Alla V. Tsytsykova
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Lori Garman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Wenya Linda Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ian F. Dunn
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- *Correspondence: Ian F. Dunn,
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Ugarković Đ, Sermek A, Ljubić S, Feliciello I. Satellite DNAs in Health and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071154. [PMID: 35885937 PMCID: PMC9324158 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Tandemly repeated satellite DNAs are major components of centromeres and pericentromeric heterochromatin which are crucial chromosomal elements responsible for accurate chromosome segregation. Satellite DNAs also contribute to genome evolution and the speciation process and are important for the maintenance of the entire genome inside the nucleus. In addition, there is increasing evidence for active and tightly regulated transcription of satellite DNAs and for the role of their transcripts in diverse processes. In this review, we focus on recent discoveries related to the regulation of satellite DNA expression and the role of their transcripts, either in heterochromatin establishment and centromere function or in gene expression regulation under various biological contexts. We discuss the role of satellite transcripts in the stress response and environmental adaptation as well as consequences of the dysregulation of satellite DNA expression in cancer and their potential use as cancer biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Đurđica Ugarković
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.S.); (S.L.)
- Correspondence: (Đ.U.); (I.F.); Tel.: +385-1-4561-083 (D.U.); +39-081-746-4317 (I.F.)
| | - Antonio Sermek
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.S.); (S.L.)
| | - Sven Ljubić
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.S.); (S.L.)
| | - Isidoro Feliciello
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.S.); (S.L.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: (Đ.U.); (I.F.); Tel.: +385-1-4561-083 (D.U.); +39-081-746-4317 (I.F.)
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