Atonal homolog 8/Math6 regulates differentiation and maintenance of skeletal muscle

LncRNA RP11-301G19.1 is required for the maintenance of vascular smooth muscle cell contractile phenotype via sponging miR-17-5P/ATOH8 axis

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) play essential roles in regulating gene expression in various biological processes. However, the function of lncRNAs in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) transformation remains to be explained. In this work, we discover that a new bone marrow protein (BMP) signaling target, lncRNA RP11-301G19.1, is significantly induced in BMP7-treated VSMCs through lncRNA microarray analysis. Addition of BMP signaling inhibitor LDN-193189 attenuates the expression of ACTA2 and SM-22α, as well as the mRNA level of RP11-301G19.1. Furthermore, lncRNA RP11-301G19.1 is critical to the VSMC differentiation and is directly activated by SMAD1/9. Mechanistically, knocking down of RP11-301G19.1 leads to the decrease of ATOH8, another BMP target, while the forced expression of RP11-301G19.1 reactivates ATOH8. In addition, miR-17-5p, a miRNA negatively regulated by BMP-7, contains predicted binding sites for lncRNA RP11-301G19.1 and ATOH8 3'UTR. Accordingly, overexpression of miR-17-5p decreases the levels of them. Together, our results revealed the role of lncRNA RP11-301G19.1 as a miRNA sponge to upregulate ATOH8 in VSMC phenotype transformation.

Identify Candidate Genes Associated with the Weight and Egg Quality Traits in Wenshui Green Shell-Laying Chickens by the Copy Number Variation-Based Genome-Wide Association Study

Copy number variation (CNV), as an essential source of genetic variation, can have an impact on gene expression, genetic diversity, disease susceptibility, and species evolution in animals. To better understand the weight and egg quality traits of chickens, this paper aimed to detect CNVs in Wenshui green shell-laying chickens and conduct a copy number variation regions (CNVRs)-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants and candidate genes associated with their weight and egg quality traits to support related breeding efforts. In our paper, we identified 11,035 CNVRs in Wenshui green shell-laying chickens, which collectively spanned a length of 13.1 Mb, representing approximately 1.4% of its autosomal genome. Out of these CNVRs, there were 10,446 loss types, 491 gain types, and 98 mixed types. Notably, two CNVRs showed significant correlations with egg quality, while four CNVRs exhibited significant associations with body weight. These significant CNVRs are located on chromosome 4. Further analysis identified potential candidate genes that influence weight and egg quality traits, including FAM184B, MED28, LAP3, ATOH8, ST3GAL5, LDB2, and SORCS2. In this paper, the CNV map of the Wenshui green shell-laying chicken genome was constructed for the first time through population genotyping. Additionally, CNVRs can be employed as molecular markers to genetically improve chickens' weight and egg quality traits.

ETS1, a target gene of the EWSR1::FLI1 fusion oncoprotein, regulates the expression of the focal adhesion protein TENSIN3

The mechanistic basis for the metastasis of Ewing sarcomas remains poorly understood, as these tumors harbor few mutations beyond the chromosomal translocation that initiates the disease. Instead, the epigenome of Ewing sarcoma (EWS) cells reflects the regulatory state of genes associated with the DNA binding activity of the fusion oncoproteins EWSR1::FLI1 or EWSR1::ERG. In this study, we examined the EWSR1::FLI1/ERG's repression of transcription factor genes, concentrating on those that exhibit a broader range of expression in tumors than in EWS cell lines. Focusing on one of these target genes, ETS1, we detected EWSR1::FLI1 binding and an H3K27me3 repressive mark at this locus. Depletion of EWSR1::FLI1 results in ETS1's binding of promoter regions, substantially altering the transcriptome of EWS cells, including the upregulation of the gene encoding TENSIN3 (TNS3), a focal adhesion protein. EWS cell lines expressing ETS1 (CRISPRa) exhibited increased TNS3 expression and enhanced movement compared to control cells. The cytoskeleton of control cells and ETS1-activated EWS cell lines also differed. Specifically, control cells exhibited a distributed vinculin signal and a network-like organization of F-actin. In contrast, ETS1-activated EWS cells showed an accumulation of vinculin and F-actin towards the plasma membrane. Interestingly, the phenotype of ETS1-activated EWS cell lines depleted of TNS3 resembled the phenotype of the control cells. Critically, these findings have clinical relevance as TNS3 expression in EWS tumors positively correlates with that of ETS1.

ATOH8 Expression Is Regulated by BMP2 and Plays a Key Role in Human Endometrial Stromal Cell Decidualization

During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, elongated fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells in the uterine endometrium begin to transdifferentiate into polygonal epithelioid-like (decidual) cells. This decidualization process continues more broadly during early pregnancy, and the resulting decidual tissue supports successful embryo implantation and placental development. This study was carried out to determine if atonal basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor 8 (ATOH8) plays a role in human endometrial stromal fibroblast (ESF) decidualization. ATOH8 messenger RNA and protein expression levels significantly increased in human ESF cells undergoing in vitro decidualization, with the protein primarily localized to the nucleus. When ATOH8 expression was silenced, the ability of the cells to undergo decidualization was significantly diminished. Overexpression of ATOH8 enhanced the expression of many decidualization markers. Silencing the expression of ATOH8 reduced the expression of FZD4, FOXO1, and several known FOXO1-downstream targets during human ESF cell decidualization. Therefore, ATOH8 may be a major upstream regulator of the WNT/FZD-FOXO1 pathway, previously shown to be critical for human endometrial decidualization. Finally, we explored possible regulators of ATOH8 expression during human ESF decidualization. BMP2 significantly enhanced ATOH8 expression when cells were stimulated to undergo decidualization, while an ALK2/3 inhibitor reduced ATOH8 expression. Finally, although the steroids progesterone plus estradiol did not affect ATOH8 expression, the addition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analogue alone represented the major effect of ATOH8 expression when cells were stimulated to undergo decidualization. Our results suggest that ATOH8 plays a crucial role in human ESF decidualization and that BMP2 plus cAMP are major regulators of ATOH8 expression.