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Stenson K, Fecteau TE, O'Callaghan L, Bryden P, Mellor J, Wright J, Earl L, Thomas O, Iqbal H, Barlow S, Parvanta S. Health-related quality of life across disease stages in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: results from a real-world survey. J Neurol 2024; 271:2390-2404. [PMID: 38200398 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by a rapid disease course, with disease severity being associated with declining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons living with ALS (pALS). The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of disease progression on HRQoL across King's, Milano-Torino Staging (MiToS), and physician-judgement clinical staging. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of the disease on the HRQoL of care partners (cALS). METHODS Data were sourced from the Adelphi ALS Disease Specific Programme (DSP)™, a cross-sectional survey of neurologists, pALS and cALS presenting in a real-world clinical setting between July 2020 and March 2021 in Europe and the United States. RESULTS Neurologists (n = 142) provided data for 880 pALS. There were significant negative correlations between all three clinical staging systems and EuroQol (European Quality of Life) Five Dimension Five Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L) utility scores and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings. Although not all differences were significant, 5-item Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assessment Questionnaire (ALSAQ-5) scores showed a stepwise increase in HRQoL impairment at each stage of the disease regardless of the staging system. At later stages, high levels of fatigue and substantial activity impairment were reported. As pALS disease states progressed, cALS also experienced a decline in HRQoL and increased burden. CONCLUSIONS Across outcomes, pALS and cALS generally reported worse outcomes at later stages of the disease, highlighting an unmet need in this population for strategies to maximise QoL despite disease progression. Recognition and treatment of symptoms such as pain and fatigue may lead to improved outcomes for pALS and cALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - L O'Callaghan
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Sage Therapeutics, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - J Mellor
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
| | - J Wright
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
| | - L Earl
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
| | - O Thomas
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
| | - H Iqbal
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
| | - S Barlow
- Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK
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Xi S, Nguyen T, Murray S, Lorenz P, Mellor J. Size fractionated NET-Seq reveals a conserved architecture of transcription units around yeast genes. Yeast 2024; 41:222-241. [PMID: 38433440 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Genomes from yeast to humans are subject to pervasive transcription. A single round of pervasive transcription is sufficient to alter local chromatin conformation, nucleosome dynamics and gene expression, but is hard to distinguish from background signals. Size fractionated native elongating transcript sequencing (sfNET-Seq) was developed to precisely map nascent transcripts independent of expression levels. RNAPII-associated nascent transcripts are fractionation into different size ranges before library construction. When anchored to the transcription start sites (TSS) of annotated genes, the combined pattern of the output metagenes gives the expected reference pattern. Bioinformatic pattern matching to the reference pattern identified 9542 transcription units in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, of which 47% are coding and 53% are noncoding. In total, 3113 (33%) are unannotated noncoding transcription units. Anchoring all transcription units to the TSS or polyadenylation site (PAS) of annotated genes reveals distinctive architectures of linked pairs of divergent transcripts approximately 200nt apart. The Reb1 transcription factor is enriched 30nt downstream of the PAS only when an upstream (TSS -60nt with respect to PAS) noncoding transcription unit co-occurs with a downstream (TSS +150nt) coding transcription unit and acts to limit levels of upstream antisense transcripts. The potential for extensive transcriptional interference is evident from low abundance unannotated transcription units with variable TSS (median -240nt) initiating within a 500nt window upstream of, and transcribing over, the promoters of protein-coding genes. This study confirms a highly interleaved yeast genome with different types of transcription units altering the chromatin landscape in distinctive ways, with the potential to exert extensive regulatory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shidong Xi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tania Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Struan Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Phil Lorenz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Libri D, Mellor J, Stutz F, Palancade B. Gene transcription in yeasts: From molecules to integrated processes. Yeast 2024; 41:133-134. [PMID: 38587014 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Libri
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Françoise Stutz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Palancade
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
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Wong J, Mellor J, Memon G, Baker H, Allu S, Amin F, Sukthankar A, Mather S, Davenport R. 1301 OUTCOMES FROM A PILOT PROJECT OFFERING FRAIL OLDER ADULTS LIVING WITH HIV A VIRTUAL MDT COMPREHENSIVE GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT. Age Ageing 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac322.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Advancements in HIV treatment has resulted in an ageing population in people living with HIV (PLWH). Increasing prevalence of frailty in older PLWH has been demonstrated, giving rise to multi-morbidities, polypharmacy and consequently, complex medical and social needs. Approximately 5650 people are living with HIV across Greater Manchester. With increasing patient complexity, a pathway was developed to help provide holistic care and improve quality of life for older adults living with HIV.
Methods
A pilot involving multi-disciplinary professionals from the hospital frailty, HIV and community teams was established. Patients were screened using the Clinical Frailty Scale and patients with a CFS ≥ 4 were referred for completion of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Patients would then be discussed at the Frailty MDT meeting, where action plans were devised.
Results
47 patients were assessed between October 2020 to December 2021, with 30 eligible for review in the frailty clinic. Commonly reported issues were mobility n=26 (86.6%), pain n=23 (76.6%), low mood n= 14 (46.6%), memory issues n=3 (43.3%) and falls n=12 (40%). Following MDT recommendations, 8 (26.6%) referrals were completed for social care, 1 (3%) referral for safeguarding and 9 (30%) referrals for active case management community teams for co-ordination of care in the community. Deprescribing recommendations were suggested for 16 (53.3%) patients and new medicine recommendations made for 24 (80%) patients.
Conclusion
A collaborative MDT approach to managing older PLWH can facilitate formulation of action plans to address patients physical, psychological and social needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Wong
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | - J Mellor
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | - G Memon
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | - H Baker
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | - S Allu
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | - F Amin
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
| | | | - S Mather
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
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Raineri S, Sherriff JA, Thompson KSJ, Jones H, Pfluger PT, Ilott NE, Mellor J. Pharmacologically induced weight loss is associated with distinct gut microbiome changes in obese rats. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:91. [PMID: 35392807 PMCID: PMC8988407 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02494-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Obesity, metabolic disease and some psychiatric conditions are associated with changes to relative abundance of bacterial species and specific genes in the faecal microbiome. Little is known about the impact of pharmacologically induced weight loss on distinct microbiome species and their respective gene programs in obese individuals. Methodology Using shotgun metagenomics, the composition of the microbiome was obtained for two cohorts of obese female Wistar rats (n = 10–12, total of 82) maintained on a high fat diet before and after a 42-day treatment with a panel of four investigatory or approved anti-obesity drugs (tacrolimus/FK506, bupropion, naltrexone and sibutramine), alone or in combination. Results Only sibutramine treatment induced consistent weight loss and improved glycaemic control in the obese rats. Weight loss was associated with reduced food intake and changes to the faecal microbiome in multiple microbial taxa, genes, and pathways. These include increased β-diversity, increased relative abundance of multiple Bacteroides species, increased Bacteroides/Firmicutes ratio and changes to abundance of genes and species associated with obesity-induced inflammation, particularly those encoding components of the flagellum and its assembly. Conclusions Sibutramine-induced weight loss in obese rats is associated with improved metabolic health, and changes to the faecal microbiome consistent with a reduction in obesity-induced bacterially-driven inflammation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02494-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Raineri
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.,Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK
| | - Julia A Sherriff
- Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK
| | - Kevin S J Thompson
- Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK
| | - Huw Jones
- Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK
| | - Paul T Pfluger
- Research Unit Neurobiology of Diabetes, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstrasse, 1D-85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Nicholas E Ilott
- Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX2 7FY, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK. .,Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK.
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Uzun Ü, Brown T, Fischl H, Angel A, Mellor J. Spt4 facilitates the movement of RNA polymerase II through the +2 nucleosomal barrier. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109755. [PMID: 34592154 PMCID: PMC8492961 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spt4 is a transcription elongation factor with homologs in organisms with nucleosomes. Structural and in vitro studies implicate Spt4 in transcription through nucleosomes, and yet the in vivo function of Spt4 is unclear. Here, we assess the precise position of Spt4 during transcription and the consequences of the loss of Spt4 on RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) dynamics and nucleosome positioning in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the absence of Spt4, the spacing between gene-body nucleosomes increases and RNAPII accumulates upstream of the nucleosomal dyad, most dramatically at nucleosome +2. Spt4 associates with elongating RNAPII early in transcription, and its association dynamically changes depending on nucleosome positions. Together, our data show that Spt4 regulates early elongation dynamics, participates in co-transcriptional nucleosome positioning, and promotes RNAPII movement through the gene-body nucleosomes, especially the +2 nucleosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ülkü Uzun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Thomas Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Harry Fischl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Andrew Angel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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7
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Jeronimo C, Angel A, Nguyen VQ, Kim JM, Poitras C, Lambert E, Collin P, Mellor J, Wu C, Robert F. FACT is recruited to the +1 nucleosome of transcribed genes and spreads in a Chd1-dependent manner. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3542-3559.e11. [PMID: 34380014 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The histone chaperone FACT occupies transcribed regions where it plays prominent roles in maintaining chromatin integrity and preserving epigenetic information. How it is targeted to transcribed regions, however, remains unclear. Proposed models include docking on the RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) C-terminal domain (CTD), recruitment by elongation factors, recognition of modified histone tails, and binding partially disassembled nucleosomes. Here, we systematically test these and other scenarios in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and find that FACT binds transcribed chromatin, not RNAPII. Through a combination of high-resolution genome-wide mapping, single-molecule tracking, and mathematical modeling, we propose that FACT recognizes the +1 nucleosome, as it is partially unwrapped by the engaging RNAPII, and spreads to downstream nucleosomes aided by the chromatin remodeler Chd1. Our work clarifies how FACT interacts with genes, suggests a processive mechanism for FACT function, and provides a framework to further dissect the molecular mechanisms of transcription-coupled histone chaperoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Jeronimo
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Andrew Angel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Vu Q Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jee Min Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Christian Poitras
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Elie Lambert
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Pierre Collin
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Carl Wu
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - François Robert
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 Avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
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8
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Guillermo ARR, Chocian K, Gavriilidis G, Vandamme J, Salcini AE, Mellor J, Woollard A. H3K27 modifiers regulate lifespan in C. elegans in a context-dependent manner. BMC Biol 2021; 19:59. [PMID: 33766022 PMCID: PMC7995591 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00984-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence of global heterochromatin decay and aberrant gene expression in models of physiological and premature ageing have long supported the “heterochromatin loss theory of ageing”, which proposes that ageing is aetiologically linked to, and accompanied by, a progressive, generalised loss of repressive epigenetic signatures. However, the remarkable plasticity of chromatin conformation suggests that the re-establishment of such marks could potentially revert the transcriptomic architecture of animal cells to a “younger” state, promoting longevity and healthspan. To expand our understanding of the ageing process and its connection to chromatin biology, we screened an RNAi library of chromatin-associated factors for increased longevity phenotypes. Results We identified the lysine demethylases jmjd-3.2 and utx-1, as well as the lysine methyltransferase mes-2 as regulators of both lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans. Strikingly, we found that both overexpression and loss of function of jmjd-3.2 and utx-1 are all associated with enhanced longevity. Furthermore, we showed that the catalytic activity of UTX-1, but not JMJD-3.2, is critical for lifespan extension in the context of overexpression. In attempting to reconcile the improved longevity associated with both loss and gain of function of utx-1, we investigated the alternative lifespan pathways and tissue specificity of longevity outcomes. We demonstrated that lifespan extension caused by loss of utx-1 function is daf-16 dependent, while overexpression effects are partially independent of daf-16. In addition, lifespan extension was observed when utx-1 was knocked down or overexpressed in neurons and intestine, whereas in the epidermis, only knockdown of utx-1 conferred improved longevity. Conclusions We show that the regulation of longevity by chromatin modifiers can be the result of the interaction between distinct factors, such as the level and tissue of expression. Overall, we suggest that the heterochromatin loss model of ageing may be too simplistic an explanation of organismal ageing when molecular and tissue-specific effects are taken into account. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-00984-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R R Guillermo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Present Address: Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Julien Vandamme
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Present Address: Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Elisabetta Salcini
- Present Address: Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alison Woollard
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Fischl H, McManus D, Oldenkamp R, Schermelleh L, Mellor J, Jagannath A, Furger A. Cold-induced chromatin compaction and nuclear retention of clock mRNAs resets the circadian rhythm. EMBO J 2020; 39:e105604. [PMID: 33034091 PMCID: PMC7667876 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooling patients to sub‐physiological temperatures is an integral part of modern medicine. We show that cold exposure induces temperature‐specific changes to the higher‐order chromatin and gene expression profiles of human cells. These changes are particularly dramatic at 18°C, a temperature synonymous with that experienced by patients undergoing controlled deep hypothermia during surgery. Cells exposed to 18°C exhibit largely nuclear‐restricted transcriptome changes. These include the nuclear accumulation of mRNAs encoding components of the negative limbs of the core circadian clock, most notably REV‐ERBα. This response is accompanied by compaction of higher‐order chromatin and hindrance of mRNPs from engaging nuclear pores. Rewarming reverses chromatin compaction and releases the transcripts into the cytoplasm, triggering a pulse of negative limb gene proteins that reset the circadian clock. We show that cold‐induced upregulation of REV‐ERBα is sufficient to trigger this reset. Our findings uncover principles of the cellular cold response that must be considered for current and future applications involving therapeutic deep hypothermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Fischl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David McManus
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roel Oldenkamp
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aarti Jagannath
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - André Furger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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10
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Bridgewater JA, Pugh SA, Maishman T, Eminton Z, Mellor J, Whitehead A, Stanton L, Radford M, Corkhill A, Griffiths GO, Falk S, Valle JW, O'Reilly D, Siriwardena AK, Hornbuckle J, Rees M, Iveson TJ, Hickish T, Garden OJ, Cunningham D, Maughan TS, Primrose JN. Systemic chemotherapy with or without cetuximab in patients with resectable colorectal liver metastasis (New EPOC): long-term results of a multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol 2020; 21:398-411. [PMID: 32014119 PMCID: PMC7052737 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(19)30798-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interim analysis of the multicentre New EPOC trial in patients with resectable colorectal liver metastasis showed a significant reduction in progression-free survival in patients allocated to cetuximab plus chemotherapy compared with those given chemotherapy alone. The focus of the present analysis was to assess the effect on overall survival. METHODS New EPOC was a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with KRAS wild-type (codons 12, 13, and 61) resectable or suboptimally resectable colorectal liver metastases and a WHO performance status of 0-2 were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive chemotherapy with or without cetuximab before and after liver resection. Randomisation was done centrally with minimisation factors of surgical centre, poor prognosis cancer, and previous adjuvant treatment with oxaliplatin. Chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 administered intravenously over 2 h, l-folinic acid (175 mg flat dose administered intravenously over 2 h) or d,l-folinic acid (350 mg flat dose administered intravenously over 2 h), and fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m2 administered intravenously over 5 min, followed by a 46 h infusion of fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 repeated every 2 weeks (regimen one), or oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 administered intravenously over 2 h and oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 repeated every 3 weeks (regimen two). Patients who had received adjuvant oxaliplatin could receive irinotecan 180 mg/m2 intravenously over 30 min with fluorouracil instead of oxaliplatin (regimen three). Cetuximab was given intravenously, 500 mg/m2 every 2 weeks with regimen one and three or a loading dose of 400 mg/m2 followed by a weekly infusion of 250 mg/m2 with regimen two. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival was published previously. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, preoperative response, pathological resection status, and safety. Trial recruitment was halted prematurely on the advice of the Trial Steering Committee on Nov 1, 2012. All analyses (except safety) were done on the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses included all randomly assigned patients. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number 22944367. FINDINGS Between Feb 26, 2007, and Oct 12, 2012, 257 eligible patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy with cetuximab (n=129) or without cetuximab (n=128). This analysis was carried out 5 years after the last patient was recruited, as defined in the protocol, at a median follow-up of 66·7 months (IQR 58·0-77·5). Median progression-free survival was 22·2 months (95% CI 18·3-26·8) in the chemotherapy alone group and 15·5 months (13·8-19·0) in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group (hazard ratio [HR] 1·17, 95% CI 0·87-1·56; p=0·304). Median overall survival was 81·0 months (59·6 to not reached) in the chemotherapy alone group and 55·4 months (43·5-71·5) in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group (HR 1·45, 1·02-2·05; p=0·036). There was no significant difference in the secondary outcomes of preoperative response or pathological resection status between groups. Five deaths might have been treatment-related (one in the chemotherapy alone group and four in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events reported were: neutrophil count decreased (26 [19%] of 134 in the chemotherapy alone group vs 21 [15%] of 137 in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group), diarrhoea (13 [10%] vs 14 [10%]), skin rash (one [1%] vs 22 [16%]), thromboembolic events (ten [7%] vs 11 [8%]), lethargy (ten [7%] vs nine [7%]), oral mucositis (three [2%] vs 14 [10%]), vomiting (seven [5%] vs seven [5%]), peripheral neuropathy (eight [6%] vs five [4%]), and pain (six [4%] vs six [4%]). INTERPRETATION Although the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy improves the overall survival in some studies in patients with advanced, inoperable metastatic disease, its use in the perioperative setting in patients with operable disease confers a significant disadvantage in terms of overall survival. Cetuximab should not be used in this setting. FUNDING Cancer Research UK.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tom Maishman
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Zina Eminton
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Amy Whitehead
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Louise Stanton
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael Radford
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Andrea Corkhill
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gareth O Griffiths
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Juan W Valle
- Division of Cancer Sciences/The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | | | | | - Myrddin Rees
- Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, UK
| | - Timothy J Iveson
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Tamas Hickish
- Dorset Cancer Centre/Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
| | | | | | - Timothy S Maughan
- MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John N Primrose
- Department of Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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11
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Zhang H, Alsaleh G, Feltham J, Sun Y, Napolitano G, Riffelmacher T, Charles P, Frau L, Hublitz P, Yu Z, Mohammed S, Ballabio A, Balabanov S, Mellor J, Simon AK. Polyamines Control eIF5A Hypusination, TFEB Translation, and Autophagy to Reverse B Cell Senescence. Mol Cell 2019; 76:110-125.e9. [PMID: 31474573 PMCID: PMC6863385 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Failure to make adaptive immune responses is a hallmark of aging. Reduced B cell function leads to poor vaccination efficacy and a high prevalence of infections in the elderly. Here we show that reduced autophagy is a central molecular mechanism underlying immune senescence. Autophagy levels are specifically reduced in mature lymphocytes, leading to compromised memory B cell responses in old individuals. Spermidine, an endogenous polyamine metabolite, induces autophagy in vivo and rejuvenates memory B cell responses. Mechanistically, spermidine post-translationally modifies the translation factor eIF5A, which is essential for the synthesis of the autophagy transcription factor TFEB. Spermidine is depleted in the elderly, leading to reduced TFEB expression and autophagy. Spermidine supplementation restored this pathway and improved the responses of old human B cells. Taken together, our results reveal an unexpected autophagy regulatory mechanism mediated by eIF5A at the translational level, which can be harnessed to reverse immune senescence in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlin Zhang
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Ghada Alsaleh
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Jack Feltham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Yizhe Sun
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Gennaro Napolitano
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy; Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical and Translational Science, Federico II University, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Thomas Riffelmacher
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Philip Charles
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK; Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Lisa Frau
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Philip Hublitz
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Zhanru Yu
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Shabaz Mohammed
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Andrea Ballabio
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy; Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical and Translational Science, Federico II University, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Stefan Balabanov
- Division of Haematology, University Hospital and University of Zürich, 8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anna Katharina Simon
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK.
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12
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Sánchez-Gaya V, Casaní-Galdón S, Ugidos M, Kuang Z, Mellor J, Conesa A, Tarazona S. Elucidating the Role of Chromatin State and Transcription Factors on the Regulation of the Yeast Metabolic Cycle: A Multi-Omic Integrative Approach. Front Genet 2018; 9:578. [PMID: 30555512 PMCID: PMC6284056 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Yeast Metabolic Cycle (YMC) is a model system in which levels of around 60% of the yeast transcripts cycle over time. The spatial and temporal resolution provided by the YMC has revealed that changes in the yeast metabolic landscape and chromatin status can be related to cycling gene expression. However, the interplay between histone modifications and transcription factor activity during the YMC is still poorly understood. Here we apply an innovative statistical approach to integrate chromatin state (ChIP-seq) and gene expression (RNA-seq) data to investigate the transcriptional control during the YMC. By using the multivariate regression models N-PLS (Partial Least Squares) and MORE (Multi-Omics REgulation) methodologies, we assessed the contribution of histone marks and transcription factors to the regulation of gene expression in the YMC. We found that H3K18ac and H3K9ac were the most important histone modifications, whereas Sfp1, Hfi1, Pip2, Mig2, and Yhp1 emerged as the most relevant transcription factors. A significant association in the co-regulation of gene expression was found between H3K18ac and the transcription factors Pip2 (involved in fatty acids metabolism), Xbp1 (cyclin implicated in the regulation of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism), and Hfi1 (involved in the formation of the SAGA complex). These results evidence the crucial role of histone lysine acetylation levels in the regulation of gene expression in the YMC through the coordinated action of transcription factors and lysine acetyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Sánchez-Gaya
- Genomics of Gene Expression Laboratory Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Ugidos
- Genomics of Gene Expression Laboratory Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zheng Kuang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Conesa
- BioBam Bioinformatics S.L., Valencia, Spain.,Microbiology and Cell Science Department, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sonia Tarazona
- Genomics of Gene Expression Laboratory Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain.,Applied Statistics, Operational Research and Quality Department Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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13
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Abstract
Mutations in genes encoding enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle often contribute to cancer development and progression by disrupting cell metabolism and altering the epigenetic landscape. This is exemplified by the isoforms of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1/2), which metabolize isocitrate to α-Ketoglutarate (α-KG). Gain of function mutations in IDH1 or IDH2 result in reduced levels of α-KG as a result of increased formation of D-2-Hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). α-KG is an essential co-factor for certain histone and DNA demethylases, while 2-HG is a competitive inhibitor. These IDH1/2 mutations are thought to result in hypermethylated histones and DNA which in turn alters gene expression and drives cancer progression. While this model seems to be generally accepted in the field, the exact molecular mechanisms still remain elusive. How much of this model has been rigorously demonstrated and what is just being assumed? Are the effects genome-wide or focused on specific loci? This Perspective aims at elucidating the key questions that remain to be addressed, the experimental techniques that could be used to gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms involved and the additional consequences of these mutations beyond DNA and protein methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Raineri
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Chronos Therapeutics, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Chronos Therapeutics, Oxford, United Kingdom
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14
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Stringer G, Couth S, Brown L, Montaldi D, Gledson A, Mellor J, Sutcliffe A, Sawyer P, Keane J, Bull C, Zeng X, Rayson P, Leroi I. Can you detect early dementia from an email? A proof of principle study of daily computer use to detect cognitive and functional decline. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018; 33:867-874. [PMID: 29424087 PMCID: PMC6033108 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether multiple computer use behaviours can distinguish between cognitively healthy older adults and those in the early stages of cognitive decline, and to investigate whether these behaviours are associated with cognitive and functional ability. METHODS Older adults with cognitive impairment (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 24) completed assessments of cognitive and functional abilities and a series of semi-directed computer tasks. Computer use behaviours were captured passively using bespoke software. RESULTS The profile of computer use behaviours was significantly different in cognitively impaired compared with cognitively healthy control participants including more frequent pauses, slower typing, and a higher proportion of mouse clicks. These behaviours were significantly associated with performance on cognitive and functional assessments, in particular, those related to memory. CONCLUSION Unobtrusively capturing computer use behaviours offers the potential for early detection of neurodegeneration in non-clinical settings, which could enable timely interventions to ultimately improve long-term outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Stringer
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - S. Couth
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - L.J.E. Brown
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - D. Montaldi
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - A. Gledson
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - J. Mellor
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - A. Sutcliffe
- Computing and CommunicationsLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - P. Sawyer
- Computer Science, School of Engineering and Applied ScienceAston UniversityBirminghamUK
| | - J. Keane
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - C. Bull
- Computing and CommunicationsLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - X. Zeng
- School of Computer ScienceThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - P. Rayson
- Computing and CommunicationsLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - I. Leroi
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
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15
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Santos-Rosa H, Schneider R, Bernstein BE, Karabetsou N, Morillon A, Weise C, Schreiber SL, Mellor J, Kouzarides T. Methylation of Histone H3 K4 Mediates Association of the Isw1p ATPase with Chromatin. Mol Cell 2018; 70:983. [PMID: 29883612 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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16
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Pugh SA, Bridgewater JA, Garden OJ, Cunningham D, Maughan T, Maishman T, Radford M, Whitehead A, Mellor J, Griffith G, Primrose JN. Surgical quality and the impact of liver resection on outcome in the New EPOC study. J Clin Oncol 2018. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2018.36.15_suppl.3559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Tim Maughan
- CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Maishman
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Radford
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Whitehead
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Griffith
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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17
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Brown T, Howe FS, Murray SC, Wouters M, Lorenz P, Seward E, Rata S, Angel A, Mellor J. Antisense transcription-dependent chromatin signature modulates sense transcript dynamics. Mol Syst Biol 2018; 14:e8007. [PMID: 29440389 PMCID: PMC5810148 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20178007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Antisense transcription is widespread in genomes. Despite large differences in gene size and architecture, we find that yeast and human genes share a unique, antisense transcription-associated chromatin signature. We asked whether this signature is related to a biological function for antisense transcription. Using quantitative RNA-FISH, we observed changes in sense transcript distributions in nuclei and cytoplasm as antisense transcript levels were altered. To determine the mechanistic differences underlying these distributions, we developed a mathematical framework describing transcription from initiation to transcript degradation. At GAL1, high levels of antisense transcription alter sense transcription dynamics, reducing rates of transcript production and processing, while increasing transcript stability. This relationship with transcript stability is also observed as a genome-wide association. Establishing the antisense transcription-associated chromatin signature through disruption of the Set3C histone deacetylase activity is sufficient to similarly change these rates even in the absence of antisense transcription. Thus, antisense transcription alters sense transcription dynamics in a chromatin-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Struan C Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Philipp Lorenz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily Seward
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Scott Rata
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Angel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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18
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Howe FS, Russell A, Lamstaes AR, El-Sagheer A, Nair A, Brown T, Mellor J. CRISPRi is not strand-specific at all loci and redefines the transcriptional landscape. eLife 2017; 6:e29878. [PMID: 29058669 PMCID: PMC5665645 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPRi, an adapted CRISPR-Cas9 system, is proposed to act as a strand-specific roadblock to repress transcription in eukaryotic cells using guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to target catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) and offers an alternative to genetic interventions for studying pervasive antisense transcription. Here, we successfully use click chemistry to construct DNA templates for sgRNA expression and show, rather than acting simply as a roadblock, sgRNA/dCas9 binding creates an environment that is permissive for transcription initiation/termination, thus generating novel sense and antisense transcripts. At HMS2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, sgRNA/dCas9 targeting to the non-template strand for antisense transcription results in antisense transcription termination, premature termination of a proportion of sense transcripts and initiation of a novel antisense transcript downstream of the sgRNA/dCas9-binding site. This redefinition of the transcriptional landscape by CRISPRi demonstrates that it is not strand-specific and highlights the controls and locus understanding required to properly interpret results from CRISPRi interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise S Howe
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew Russell
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna R Lamstaes
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Afaf El-Sagheer
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Chemistry Branch, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining EngineeringSuez UniversitySuezEgypt
| | - Anitha Nair
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Tom Brown
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research LaboratoryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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19
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Pugh S, Bridgewater J, Finch-Jones M, Rees M, O'Reilly D, Peterson M, Davidson B, Hutchins R, Heaton N, Jiao L, Mudan S, Allen A, Mellor J, Griffiths G, Cunningham D, Maughan T, Garden J, Primrose J. Surgical quality and the impact of liver resection on outcome in the new EPOC study. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx393.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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20
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Bridgewater J, Pugh S, Whitehead A, Stanton L, Eminton Z, Mellor J, Allen A, Finch-Jones M, Falk S, Iveson T, Rees M, Valle J, Hornbuckle J, Hickish T, Cunningham D, Maughan T, Garden J, Griffiths G, Primrose J. Perioperative chemotherapy with or without cetuximab in patients (pts) with resectable colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM): Mature analysis of overall survival (OS) in the New EPOC randomised controlled trial. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx393.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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21
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Pannakal ST, Jäger S, Duranton A, Tewari A, Saha S, Radhakrishnan A, Roy N, Kuntz JF, Fermas S, James D, Mellor J, Misra N, Breton L. Longevity effect of a polysaccharide from Chlorophytum borivilianum on Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179813. [PMID: 28727758 PMCID: PMC5519035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, provides insights and practical solutions towards a healthy life style. Rasayana is a branch of Ayurveda known for preserving and promoting health, enhancing the quality of life and delaying the aging process. In the traditional knowledge, the Rasayana herb, Chlorophytum borivilianum (C. borivilanum) is regarded as a general health promoting tonic that delays aging and increases lifespan, cognitive function and physical strength. Aging is a complex and multifactorial physiological phenomenon that manifests itself over a wide range of biological systems, tissues, and functions. Longevity is an obvious marker of physiological aging. Simple model systems such as the single-cell budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) are widely used to study the aging process and longevity. Here, we show that a polysaccharide fraction obtained from C. borivilianum increases the lifespan of S. cerevisiae and C. elegans, using an automated screening platform (ChronoscreenTM). Chemical analysis of this extract revealed a low molecular weight polysaccharide of 1000 Da, predominantly comprising Glu1→6Glu linkage. This polysaccharide showed significant dose-dependent extension of the median lifespan of S. cerevisiae by up to 41% and of the median lifespan of C. elegans by up to 10%. Taking cue from these results and the traditionally described benefits of Rasayanas on skin rejuvenation, we tested in vitro the polysaccharide for potential skin benefits. In a keratinocyte culture, we observed that this polysaccharide increased cell proliferation significantly, and induced synthesis of hyaluronic acid (HA), a well-known extracellular matrix component. Furthermore, when added to culture medium of human reconstructed epidermis, we observed an enhanced production of epidermal markers, e.g. CD44 and HA that are otherwise diminished in aged skin. Together, these results suggest that in addition to life-span extension of S. cerevisiae and C. elegans, a polysaccharide from the Rasayana herb, C. borivilianum may have beneficial effects on skin aging parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sibylle Jäger
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
| | | | - Amit Tewari
- L’Oreal Research & Innovation, Bangalore, India
| | | | | | - Nita Roy
- L’Oreal Research & Innovation, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Soraya Fermas
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
| | | | - Jane Mellor
- Biochemistry Department, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Sibelius Limited, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Namita Misra
- L’Oreal Research & Innovation, Bangalore, India
- * E-mail: (STP); (NM)
| | - Lionel Breton
- L'Oréal Research and Innovation, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
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22
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Reynolds JV, Preston SR, O’Neill B, Baeksgaard L, Griffin SM, Mariette C, Cuffe S, Cunningham M, Crosby T, Parker I, Hofland K, Hanna G, Svendsen LB, Donohoe CL, Muldoon C, O’Toole D, Johnson C, Ravi N, Jones G, Corkhill AK, Illsley M, Mellor J, Lee K, Dib M, Marchesin V, Cunnane M, Scott K, Lawner P, Warren S, O’Reilly S, O’Dowd G, Leonard G, Hennessy B, Dermott RM. ICORG 10-14: NEOadjuvant trial in Adenocarcinoma of the oEsophagus and oesophagoGastric junction International Study (Neo-AEGIS). BMC Cancer 2017; 17:401. [PMID: 28578652 PMCID: PMC5457631 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3386-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant therapy is increasingly the standard of care in the management of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and junction (AEG). In randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the MAGIC regimen of pre- and postoperative chemotherapy, and the CROSS regimen of preoperative chemotherapy combined with radiation, were superior to surgery only in RCTs that included AEG but were not powered on this cohort. No completed RCT has directly compared neoadjuvant or perioperative chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The Neo-AEGIS trial, uniquely powered on AEG, and including comprehensive modern staging, compares both these regimens. METHODS This open label, multicentre, phase III RCT randomises patients (cT2-3, N0-3, M0) in a 1:1 fashion to receive CROSS protocol (Carboplatin and Paclitaxel with concurrent radiotherapy, 41.4Gy/23Fr, over 5 weeks). The power calculation is a 10% difference in favour of CROSS, powered at 80%, two-sided alpha level of 0.05, requiring 540 patients to be evaluable, 594 to be recruited if a 10% dropout is included (297 in each group). The primary endpoint is overall survival, with a minimum 3-year follow up. Secondary endpoints include: disease free survival, recurrence rates, clinical and pathological response rates, toxicities of induction regimens, post-operative pathology and tumour regression grade, operative in-hospital complications, and health-related quality of life. The trial also affords opportunities for establishing a bio-resource of pre-treatment and resected tumour, and translational research. DISCUSSION This RCT directly compares two established treatment regimens, and addresses whether radiation therapy positively impacts on overall survival compared with a standard perioperative chemotherapy regimen Sponsor: Irish Clinical Research Group (ICORG). TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT01726452 . Protocol 10-14. Date of registration 06/11/2012.
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Affiliation(s)
- JV Reynolds
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - SR Preston
- Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK
| | | | | | | | - C Mariette
- University Hospital C. Huriez Place de Verdun, Lille, France
| | - S Cuffe
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - M Cunningham
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - T Crosby
- Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, Wales UK
| | - I Parker
- St Mary’s Hospital and Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - G Hanna
- St Mary’s Hospital and Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - CL Donohoe
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - C Muldoon
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - D O’Toole
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - C Johnson
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - N Ravi
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - G Jones
- Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, Wales UK
| | - AK Corkhill
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - M Illsley
- Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK
| | - J Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - K Lee
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - M Dib
- University Hospital C. Huriez Place de Verdun, Lille, France
| | - V Marchesin
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - M Cunnane
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - K Scott
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - P Lawner
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - S Warren
- St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - S O’Reilly
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - G O’Dowd
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - G Leonard
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - B Hennessy
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
| | - R Mc Dermott
- Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG), Dublin, Ireland
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23
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Akoulitchev A, Ramadass A, Green J, Uzun U, Mellor J, Hunter E, Grand F. Pharmacogenetic 3C interaction associated with the PDGFRA gene as a chromatin conformation marker for treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. J Clin Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.e23054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
e23054 Background: IDH1 mutations detected in glioma cells impair the insulator function between FIPL1L1 and PDGFRA at 4q12 ( Flavahan et al. 2016). We have used a high-resolution chromosome-conformation capture 3C analysis platform, EpiSwitch, and quantitative PCR, to map, evaluate, and quantify the TKI-sensitive conformational juxtaposition between FIP1L1 and PDGFRA. Loss of the insulator function in glioma prompted us to investigate the same interaction in the context of insulator loss with interstitial deletions at 4q12 in eosinophilic leukemias and AML. Methods: We tested a total of 72 primers in temperature gradient PCRs, with concentration matched negative controls, using the AML cell lines EOL-1 and HL-60. Products were sequenced in forward and reverse order. Dual label 5’FAM-BHQ1-3’hydrolysis probe assays, entirely specific for the PCR products, targeted the junction region of the 3C fragments. A reference 3C interaction was used as an internal copy number control for 3C library production. Results: EpiSwitch predicted and identified six 3C FIP1L1-PDGFRA interactions in different sequence orientations, within the 3D organization of the PDGFRA locus. The interaction D7 identified by the EpiSwitch qPCR assay was detected reproducibly in EOL-1 cells and glioblastoma tissue using both single step PCR and qPCR. An imatinib-sensitive AML cell line EOL-1 was used as a positive control for qPCR assays. Both AML and glioma cell lines tested positive using the assay as did glioma patient biopsies. The glioblastoma cell line DBTRG-05MG also tested positive for the D7 interaction at a maximum of 8.92 copies per 20 ng of the template. Conclusions: We confirmed and characterized, at high resolution, the conformational deregulation of FIP1L1 and PDGFRA in glioma. Additionally, our group detected the interaction in TKI-sensitive leukemia cell lines. The analysis of 3C microstructural alterations is consistent with latest insights into epigenetic regulation of PDGFRA. It provides a promising approach to the stratification of patients for tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment, which could not be provided diagnostically with conventional sequencing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ulku Uzun
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Mellor J. The molecular basis of metabolic cycles and their relationship to circadian rhythms. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2017; 23:1035-1044. [PMID: 27922609 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic cycles result from the partitioning of oxidative and reductive metabolism into rhythmic phases of gene expression and oscillating post-translational protein modifications. Relatively little is known about how these switches in gene expression are controlled, although recent studies have suggested that transcription itself may play a central role. This review explores the molecular basis of the metabolic and gene-expression oscillations in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as how they relate to other biological time-keeping mechanisms, such as circadian rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Mant D, Gray A, Pugh S, Campbell H, George S, Fuller A, Shinkins B, Corkhill A, Mellor J, Dixon E, Little L, Perera-Salazar R, Primrose J. A randomised controlled trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of intensive versus no scheduled follow-up in patients who have undergone resection for colorectal cancer with curative intent. Health Technol Assess 2017; 21:1-86. [PMID: 28641703 PMCID: PMC5494506 DOI: 10.3310/hta21320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intensive follow-up after surgery for colorectal cancer is common practice but lacks a firm evidence base. OBJECTIVE To assess whether or not augmenting symptomatic follow-up in primary care with two intensive methods of follow-up [monitoring of blood carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and scheduled imaging] is effective and cost-effective in detecting the recurrence of colorectal cancer treatable surgically with curative intent. DESIGN Randomised controlled open-label trial. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) minimum follow-up (n = 301), (2) CEA testing only (n = 300), (3) computerised tomography (CT) only (n = 299) or (4) CEA testing and CT (n = 302). Blood CEA was measured every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years; CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis were performed every 6 months for 2 years and then annually for 3 years. Those in the minimum and CEA testing-only arms had a single CT scan at 12-18 months. The groups were minimised on adjuvant chemotherapy, gender and age group (three strata). SETTING Thirty-nine NHS hospitals in England with access to high-volume services offering surgical treatment of metastatic recurrence. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1202 participants who had undergone curative treatment for Dukes' stage A to C colorectal cancer with no residual disease. Adjuvant treatment was completed if indicated. There was no evidence of metastatic disease on axial imaging and the post-operative blood CEA level was ≤ 10 µg/l. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome Surgical treatment of recurrence with curative intent. Secondary outcomes Time to detection of recurrence, survival after treatment of recurrence, overall survival and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. RESULTS Detection of recurrence During 5 years of scheduled follow-up, cancer recurrence was detected in 203 (16.9%) participants. The proportion of participants with recurrence surgically treated with curative intent was 6.3% (76/1202), with little difference according to Dukes' staging (stage A, 5.1%; stage B, 7.4%; stage C, 5.6%; p = 0.56). The proportion was two to three times higher in each of the three more intensive arms (7.5% overall) than in the minimum follow-up arm (2.7%) (difference 4.8%; p = 0.003). Surgical treatment of recurrence with curative intent was 2.7% (8/301) in the minimum follow-up group, 6.3% (19/300) in the CEA testing group, 9.4% (28/299) in the CT group and 7.0% (21/302) in the CEA testing and CT group. Surgical treatment of recurrence with curative intent was two to three times higher in each of the three more intensive follow-up groups than in the minimum follow-up group; adjusted odds ratios (ORs) compared with minimum follow-up were as follows: CEA testing group, OR 2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 5.65; CT group, OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.63 to 8.38; and CEA testing and CT group, OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.19 to 6.49. Survival A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis confirmed no significant difference between arms (log-rank p = 0.45). The baseline-adjusted Cox proportional hazards ratio comparing the minimum and intensive arms was 0.87 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.15). These CIs suggest a maximum survival benefit from intensive follow-up of 3.8%. Cost-effectiveness The incremental cost per patient treated surgically with curative intent compared with minimum follow-up was £40,131 with CEA testing, £43,392 with CT and £85,151 with CEA testing and CT. The lack of differential impact on survival resulted in little difference in QALYs saved between arms. The additional cost per QALY gained of moving from minimum follow-up to CEA testing was £25,951 and for CT was £246,107. When compared with minimum follow-up, combined CEA testing and CT was more costly and generated fewer QALYs, resulting in a negative incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (-£208,347) and a dominated policy. LIMITATIONS Although this is the largest trial undertaken at the time of writing, it has insufficient power to assess whether or not the improvement in detecting treatable recurrence achieved by intensive follow-up leads to a reduction in overall mortality. CONCLUSIONS Rigorous staging to detect residual disease is important before embarking on follow-up. The benefit of intensive follow-up in detecting surgically treatable recurrence is independent of stage. The survival benefit from intensive follow-up is unlikely to exceed 4% in absolute terms and harm cannot be absolutely excluded. A longer time horizon is required to ascertain whether or not intensive follow-up is an efficient use of scarce health-care resources. Translational analyses are under way, utilising tumour tissue collected from Follow-up After Colorectal Surgery trial participants, with the aim of identifying potentially prognostic biomarkers that may guide follow-up in the future. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41458548. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 21, No. 32. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mant
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alastair Gray
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Siân Pugh
- University Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Helen Campbell
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen George
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Alice Fuller
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Bethany Shinkins
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Andrea Corkhill
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Elizabeth Dixon
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Louisa Little
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Rafael Perera-Salazar
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John Primrose
- University Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Fischl H, Howe FS, Furger A, Mellor J. Paf1 Has Distinct Roles in Transcription Elongation and Differential Transcript Fate. Mol Cell 2017; 65:685-698.e8. [PMID: 28190769 PMCID: PMC5316414 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RNA polymerase II (Pol2) movement through chromatin and the co-transcriptional processing and fate of nascent transcripts is coordinated by transcription elongation factors (TEFs) such as polymerase-associated factor 1 (Paf1), but it is not known whether TEFs have gene-specific functions. Using strand-specific nucleotide resolution techniques, we show that levels of Paf1 on Pol2 vary between genes, are controlled dynamically by environmental factors via promoters, and reflect levels of processing and export factors on the encoded transcript. High levels of Paf1 on Pol2 promote transcript nuclear export, whereas low levels reflect nuclear retention. Strains lacking Paf1 show marked elongation defects, although low levels of Paf1 on Pol2 are sufficient for transcription elongation. Our findings support distinct Paf1 functions: a core general function in transcription elongation, satisfied by the lowest Paf1 levels, and a regulatory function in determining differential transcript fate by varying the level of Paf1 on Pol2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Fischl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Françoise S Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Andre Furger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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Pugh S, Mant D, Shinkins B, Mellor J, Perera R, Primrose J. Scheduled use of CEA and CT follow-up to detect recurrence of colorectal cancer: 6-12 year results from the FACS randomised controlled trial. Ann Oncol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw370.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Abstract
Non-coding transcription across the antisense strands of genes is an abundant, pervasive process in eukaryotes from yeast to humans, however its biological function remains elusive. Here, we provide commentary on a recent study of ours, which demonstrates a genome-wide role for antisense transcription: establishing a unique, dynamic chromatin architecture over genes. Antisense transcription increases the level of nucleosome occupancy and histone acetylation at the promoter and body of genes, without necessarily modulating the level of protein-coding sense transcription. It is also associated with high levels of histone turnover. By allowing genes to sample a wider range of chromatin configurations, antisense transcription could serve to make genes more sensitive to changing signals, priming them for responses to developmental programs or stressful cellular environments. Given the abundance of antisense transcription and the breadth of these chromatin changes, we propose that antisense transcription represents a fundamental, canonical feature of eukaryotic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Struan C Murray
- a Department of Biochemistry ; University of Oxford ; Oxford , UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- a Department of Biochemistry ; University of Oxford ; Oxford , UK
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Pugh SA, Shinkins B, Fuller A, Mellor J, Mant D, Primrose JN. Site and Stage of Colorectal Cancer Influence the Likelihood and Distribution of Disease Recurrence and Postrecurrence Survival: Data From the FACS Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Surg 2016; 263:1143-7. [PMID: 26135689 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe patterns of recurrence and postrecurrence survival in a large cohort of accurately staged patients with Dukes' A-C colorectal cancer. BACKGROUND Recurrence remains a frequent cause of mortality after the treatment of colorectal cancer with curative intent. Understanding the likelihood and site of recurrence informs adjuvant treatment and follow-up. METHODS Retrospective cohort analysis of data from the FACS (follow-up after colorectal cancer surgery) trial after a median 4.4 years of follow-up; postrecurrence survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Complete data were available for 94% of patients; 189 (17%) patients had experienced recurrence. Incidence of recurrence varied according to the site of the primary (right colon: 51/379, 14%; left colon: 68/421, 16%; rectum: 70/332, 21%; P = 0.023) and initial stage (Dukes' A: 26/249, 10%; Dukes' B: 81/537, 15%; Dukes' C: 82/346, 24%; P < 0.0001). Pulmonary recurrence was most frequently associated with rectal tumors, and multisite/other recurrence with right-sided colonic tumors. Recurrences from lower-stage tumors were more likely to be treatable with curative intent (Dukes' A: 13/26, 50%; Dukes' B: 32/81, 40%; Dukes' C: 20/82, 24%; P = 0.03). Those with rectal tumors benefited most from follow-up (proportion with treatable recurrence: rectum 30/332, 9%; left colon 23/421, 6%; right colon 12/379, 3%; P = 0.003). Both initial stage (log rank P = 0.005) and site of primary (log rank P = 0.01) influenced postrecurrence survival. CONCLUSIONS The likelihood and site of recurrence, and survival, are influenced by the site and stage of the primary tumor. Those with rectal cancers benefited most from follow-up.ISRCTN 41458548.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân A Pugh
- *University Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom†Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom‡Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Mellor J, Woloszczuk R, Howe FS. The Interleaved Genome. Trends Genet 2016; 32:57-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Thursz M, Forrest E, Roderick P, Day C, Austin A, O'Grady J, Ryder S, Allison M, Gleeson D, McCune A, Patch D, Wright M, Masson S, Richardson P, Vale L, Mellor J, Stanton L, Bowers M, Ratcliffe I, Downs N, Kirkman S, Homer T, Ternent L. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of STeroids Or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis (STOPAH): a 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial. Health Technol Assess 2015; 19:1-104. [PMID: 26691209 PMCID: PMC4781103 DOI: 10.3310/hta191020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a distinct presentation of alcoholic liver disease arising in patients who have been drinking to excess for prolonged periods, which is characterised by jaundice and liver failure. Severe disease is associated with high short-term mortality. Prednisolone and pentoxifylline (PTX) are recommended in guidelines for treatment of severe AH, but trials supporting their use have given heterogeneous results and controversy persists about their benefit. OBJECTIVES The aim of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of STeroids Or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis trial was to resolve the clinical dilemma on the use of prednisolone or PTX. DESIGN The trial was a randomised, double-blind, 2 × 2 factorial, multicentre design. SETTING Sixty-five gastroenterology and hepatology inpatient units across the UK. PARTICIPANTS Patients with a clinical diagnosis of AH who had a Maddrey's discriminant function value of ≥ 32 were randomised into four arms: A, placebo/placebo; B, placebo/prednisolone; C, PTX/placebo; and D, PTX/prednisolone. Of the 5234 patients screened for the trial, 1103 were randomised and after withdrawals, 1053 were available for primary end-point analysis. INTERVENTIONS Those allocated to prednisolone were given 40 mg daily for 28 days and those allocated to PTX were given 400 mg three times per day for 28 days. OUTCOMES The primary outcome measure was mortality at 28 days. Secondary outcome measures included mortality or liver transplant at 90 days and at 1 year. Rates of recidivism among survivors and the impact of recidivism on mortality were assessed. RESULTS At 28 days, in arm A, 45 of 269 (16.7%) patients died; in arm B, 38 of 266 (14.3%) died; in arm C, 50 of 258 (19.4%) died; and in arm D, 35 of 260 (13.5%) died. For PTX, the odds ratio for 28-day mortality was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77 to 1.40; p = 0.686)] and for prednisolone the odds ratio was 0.72 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.01; p = 0.056). In the logistic regression analysis, accounting for indices of disease severity and prognosis, the odds ratio for 28-day mortality in the prednisolone-treated group was 0.61 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.91; p = 0.015). At 90 days and 1 year there were no significant differences in mortality rates between the treatment groups. Serious infections occurred in 13% of patients treated with prednisolone compared with 7% of controls (p = 0.002). At the 90-day follow-up, 45% of patients reported being completely abstinent, 9% reported drinking within safety limits and 33% had an unknown level of alcohol consumption. At 1 year, 37% of patients reported being completely abstinent, 10% reported drinking within safety limits and 39% had an unknown level of alcohol consumption. Only 22% of patients had attended alcohol rehabilitation treatment at 90 days and 1 year. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that prednisolone reduces the risk of mortality at 28 days, but this benefit is not sustained beyond 28 days. PTX had no impact on survival. Future research should focus on interventions to promote abstinence and on treatments that suppress the hepatic inflammation without increasing susceptibility to infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered as EudraCT 2009-013897-42 and Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN88782125. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 19, No. 102. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. The NIHR Clinical Research Network provided research nurse support and the Imperial College Biomedical Research Centre also provided funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Thursz
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ewan Forrest
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul Roderick
- Primary Care & Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christopher Day
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Austin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Derby Royal Hospital, Derby, UK
| | - John O'Grady
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Stephen Ryder
- Department of Hepatology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Allison
- Department of Hepatology, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dermot Gleeson
- Department of Hepatology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK
| | - David Patch
- Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- Department of Hepatology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Steven Masson
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul Richardson
- Department of Hepatology, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Luke Vale
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Louise Stanton
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Megan Bowers
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ian Ratcliffe
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Nichola Downs
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Scott Kirkman
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Tara Homer
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Laura Ternent
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Murray SC, Haenni S, Howe FS, Fischl H, Chocian K, Nair A, Mellor J. Sense and antisense transcription are associated with distinct chromatin architectures across genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:7823-37. [PMID: 26130720 PMCID: PMC4652749 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes from yeast to mammals are frequently subject to non-coding transcription of their antisense strand; however the genome-wide role for antisense transcription remains elusive. As transcription influences chromatin structure, we took a genome-wide approach to assess which chromatin features are associated with nascent antisense transcription, and contrast these with features associated with nascent sense transcription. We describe a distinct chromatin architecture at the promoter and gene body specifically associated with antisense transcription, marked by reduced H2B ubiquitination, H3K36 and H3K79 trimethylation and increased levels of H3 acetylation, chromatin remodelling enzymes, histone chaperones and histone turnover. The difference in sense transcription between genes with high or low levels of antisense transcription is slight; thus the antisense transcription-associated chromatin state is not simply analogous to a repressed state. Using mutants in which the level of antisense transcription is reduced at GAL1, or altered genome-wide, we show that non-coding transcription is associated with high H3 acetylation and H3 levels across the gene, while reducing H3K36me3. Set1 is required for these antisense transcription-associated chromatin changes in the gene body. We propose that nascent antisense and sense transcription have fundamentally distinct relationships with chromatin, and that both should be considered canonical features of eukaryotic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Struan C Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Simon Haenni
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Françoise S Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Harry Fischl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Karolina Chocian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anitha Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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Thursz MR, Richardson P, Allison M, Austin A, Bowers M, Day CP, Downs N, Gleeson D, MacGilchrist A, Grant A, Hood S, Masson S, McCune A, Mellor J, O'Grady J, Patch D, Ratcliffe I, Roderick P, Stanton L, Vergis N, Wright M, Ryder S, Forrest EH. Prednisolone or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis. N Engl J Med 2015; 372:1619-28. [PMID: 25901427 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1412278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 461] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis is a clinical syndrome characterized by jaundice and liver impairment that occurs in patients with a history of heavy and prolonged alcohol use. The short-term mortality among patients with severe disease exceeds 30%. Prednisolone and pentoxifylline are both recommended for the treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis, but uncertainty about their benefit persists. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design to evaluate the effect of treatment with prednisolone or pentoxifylline. The primary end point was mortality at 28 days. Secondary end points included death or liver transplantation at 90 days and at 1 year. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis and severe disease were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a group that received a pentoxifylline-matched placebo and a prednisolone-matched placebo, a group that received prednisolone and a pentoxifylline-matched placebo, a group that received pentoxifylline and a prednisolone-matched placebo, or a group that received both prednisolone and pentoxifylline. RESULTS A total of 1103 patients underwent randomization, and data from 1053 were available for the primary end-point analysis. Mortality at 28 days was 17% (45 of 269 patients) in the placebo-placebo group, 14% (38 of 266 patients) in the prednisolone-placebo group, 19% (50 of 258 patients) in the pentoxifylline-placebo group, and 13% (35 of 260 patients) in the prednisolone-pentoxifylline group. The odds ratio for 28-day mortality with pentoxifylline was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.49; P=0.69), and that with prednisolone was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.52 to 1.01; P=0.06). At 90 days and at 1 year, there were no significant between-group differences. Serious infections occurred in 13% of the patients treated with prednisolone versus 7% of those who did not receive prednisolone (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS Pentoxifylline did not improve survival in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Prednisolone was associated with a reduction in 28-day mortality that did not reach significance and with no improvement in outcomes at 90 days or 1 year. (Funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program; STOPAH EudraCT number, 2009-013897-42 , and Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN88782125 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Thursz
- From Imperial College (M.R.T., N.V.), King's College Hospital (J.O.), and the Royal Free Hospital (D.P.), London, Royal Liverpool Hospital (P. Richardson) and Aintree Hospital (S.H.), Liverpool, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge (M.A.), Derby Royal Hospital, Derby (A.A.), Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton (M.B., N.D., J.M., I.R., P. Roderick, L.S.), and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (M.W.), Southampton, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University (C.P.D.), and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (S.M.), Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield (D.G.), Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh (A. MacGilchrist), Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester (A.G.), Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol (A. McCune), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham (S.R.), and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow (E.H.F.) - all in the United Kingdom
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Nguyen T, Fischl H, Howe FS, Woloszczuk R, Serra Barros A, Xu Z, Brown D, Murray SC, Haenni S, Halstead JM, O'Connor L, Shipkovenska G, Steinmetz LM, Mellor J. Transcription mediated insulation and interference direct gene cluster expression switches. eLife 2014; 3:e03635. [PMID: 25407679 PMCID: PMC4275577 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In yeast, many tandemly arranged genes show peak expression in different phases of the metabolic cycle (YMC) or in different carbon sources, indicative of regulation by a bi-modal switch, but it is not clear how these switches are controlled. Using native elongating transcript analysis (NET-seq), we show that transcription itself is a component of bi-modal switches, facilitating reciprocal expression in gene clusters. HMS2, encoding a growth-regulated transcription factor, switches between sense- or antisense-dominant states that also coordinate up- and down-regulation of transcription at neighbouring genes. Engineering HMS2 reveals alternative mono-, di- or tri-cistronic and antisense transcription units (TUs), using different promoter and terminator combinations, that underlie state-switching. Promoters or terminators are excluded from functional TUs by read-through transcriptional interference, while antisense TUs insulate downstream genes from interference. We propose that the balance of transcriptional insulation and interference at gene clusters facilitates gene expression switches during intracellular and extracellular environmental change. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03635.001 A DNA double helix is made up of two DNA strands, which in turn are made of molecules that are each known by a single letter—A, T, C, or G. The sequence of these ‘letters’ in each DNA strand contains biological information. Genes are sections of DNA that can be ‘expressed’ to produce proteins and RNA molecules. To express a gene, the DNA strands in the double helix must first be partially separated so that one of them can be used as a template to build an RNA molecule in a process called transcription. Either of the DNA strands in a helix can be used as an RNA template, but contain different genes and are read in opposite directions. One of the two strands is called the ‘sense’ strand, the other the ‘antisense’ strand. The RNA molecule does not transcribe a whole DNA strand; instead, it transcribes a section of DNA, known as a transcription unit, which contains at least one gene. The end of a transcription unit is marked by certain signals that stop transcription. However, some transcription units in a DNA strand overlap, so there must be some way that the transcription machinery can sometimes ignore these stop signals. The activity of some genes is linked to the activity of their immediate neighbours. Furthermore, some genes are expressed in different amounts in response to changes in environmental conditions. Researchers have previously suggested that there must be some form of switch that controls when these genes are expressed. Nguyen et al. now engineer start and stop signals at a neighbouring pair of genes, called HMS2 and BAT2, in yeast. When one gene is switched on, the other is switched off and which gene is active depends on the diet of the yeast cells. On the antisense DNA strand opposite to HMS2 is another gene, SUT650. Nguyen et al. show that when this gene is transcribed, the transcription of HMS2 on the other DNA strand is blocked. This has the knock-on effect of turning on BAT2. Conversely, transcribing HMS2 switches off SUT650 and BAT2 because the end of HMS2 overlaps with the beginning of both SUT650 and BAT2. Switching between different genes relies on loops that physically link the start and stop signals of the gene to be transcribed while ignoring the start and stop signals for neighbouring genes. Proteins called transcription factors can bind to DNA and affect whether a gene is transcribed. Nguyen et al. found that a transcription factor that binds near the start of the HMS2 gene helps to control which DNA strand is transcribed. When transcription factors do not bind to the start of HMS2, antisense transcription—and the expression of SUT650—occurs instead. Overall, Nguyen et al. show that the transcription process itself makes up part of a switch that can control the expression of several genes on both the sense and antisense strands of a DNA double helix. This may also explain how many other, more complex, gene networks are activated in response to changes in the environment. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03635.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Fischl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Françoise S Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ronja Woloszczuk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Serra Barros
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Zhenyu Xu
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Struan C Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Haenni
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James M Halstead
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Leigh O'Connor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lars M Steinmetz
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Howe FS, Boubriak I, Sale MJ, Nair A, Clynes D, Grijzenhout A, Murray SC, Woloszczuk R, Mellor J. Lysine acetylation controls local protein conformation by influencing proline isomerization. Mol Cell 2014; 55:733-44. [PMID: 25127513 PMCID: PMC4157579 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Gene transcription responds to stress and metabolic signals to optimize growth and survival. Histone H3 (H3) lysine 4 trimethylation (K4me3) facilitates state changes, but how levels are coordinated with the environment is unclear. Here, we show that isomerization of H3 at the alanine 15-proline 16 (A15-P16) peptide bond is influenced by lysine 14 (K14) and controls gene-specific K4me3 by balancing the actions of Jhd2, the K4me3 demethylase, and Spp1, a subunit of the Set1 K4 methyltransferase complex. Acetylation at K14 favors the A15-P16trans conformation and reduces K4me3. Environmental stress-induced genes are most sensitive to the changes at K14 influencing H3 tail conformation and K4me3. By contrast, ribosomal protein genes maintain K4me3, required for their repression during stress, independently of Spp1, K14, and P16. Thus, the plasticity in control of K4me3, via signaling to K14 and isomerization at P16, informs distinct gene regulatory mechanisms and processes involving K4me3. H3K14 acetylation influences cis-trans isomerization at the H3A15-P16 peptide bond H3A15-P16trans is associated with H3K14ac and reduced global H3K4me3 A15-P16cis-trans isomerization balances K4me3 (Set1/Spp1) and demethylation (Jhd2) K4me3 on RPGs is largely Spp1- and K14/P16-insensitive while ESR genes are dependent
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise S Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ivan Boubriak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Matthew J Sale
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anitha Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - David Clynes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anne Grijzenhout
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Struan C Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ronja Woloszczuk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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Abstract
Acetylation of lysine residues has several characterised functions in chromatin.
These include neutralization of the lysine’s positive charge to directly
influence histone tail-DNA/internucleosomal interactions or indirect effects via
bromodomain-containing effector proteins. Recently, we described a novel
function of lysine acetylation to influence proline isomerization and thus local
protein conformation. We found that acetylation of lysine 14 in the histone H3
N-terminal tail (H3K14ac), an intrinsically disordered domain, increased the
proportion of neighbouring proline 16 (H3P16) in the trans
conformation. This conformation of the tail was associated with reduced
tri-methylation on histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) due to both decreased
methylation by the Set1 methyltransferase (with the me3-specific subunit Spp1)
and increased demethylation by the demethylase Jhd2. Interestingly, H3K4me3 on
individual genes was differentially affected by substitution of H3K14 or H3P16,
with ribosomal protein genes losing the least H3K4me3 and environmental
stress-induced genes losing the most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise S Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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Pugh SA, Fuller A, Rose P, Perera-Salazar R, Mellor J, George S, Mant D, Primrose JN. What is the true incidence of metachronous colorectal liver metastases? evidence from the UK Follow-up After Colorectal Surgery (FACS) trial. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2013. [DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2013.95.6.e21b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2013 Alpine Liver and Pancreatic Surgery meeting was held in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. The meeting was organised by the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. The following abstracts were selected for presentation at the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- SA Pugh
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | | | | | | | - J Mellor
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - S George
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | | | - JN Primrose
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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Forrest E, Mellor J, Stanton L, Bowers M, Ryder P, Austin A, Day C, Gleeson D, O’Grady J, Masson S, McCune A, Patch D, Richardson P, Roderick P, Ryder S, Wright M, Thursz M. Steroids or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis (STOPAH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2013; 14:262. [PMID: 23958271 PMCID: PMC3766225 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis is the most florid presentation of alcohol-related liver disease. In its severe form, defined by a Maddrey's discriminant function (DF) ≥32, the 28-day mortality rate is approximately 35%. A number of potential treatments have been subjected to clinical trials, of which two, corticosteroids and pentoxifylline, may have therapeutic benefit. The role of corticosteroids is controversial as trial results have been inconsistent, whereas the role of pentoxifylline requires confirmation as only one previous placebo-controlled trial has been published. METHODS/DESIGN STOPAH is a multicentre, double-blind, factorial (2 × 2) trial in which patients are randomised to one of four groups:1. Group A: placebo / placebo2. Group B: placebo / prednisolone3. Group C: pentoxifylline / placebo4. Group D: pentoxifylline / prednisoloneThe trial aims to randomise 1,200 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, in order to provide sufficient power to determine whether either of the two interventions is effective. The primary endpoint of the study is mortality at 28 days, with secondary endpoints being mortality at 90 days and 1 year. DISCUSSION STOPAH aims to be a definitive study to resolve controversy around the existing treatments for alcoholic hepatitis. Eligibility criteria are based on clinical parameters rather than liver biopsy, which are aligned with standard clinical practice in most hospitals. The use of a factorial design will allow two treatments to be evaluated in parallel, with efficient use of patient numbers to achieve high statistical power. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT reference number: 2009-013897-42 ISRCTN reference number: ISRCTN88782125.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan Forrest
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Louise Stanton
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Megan Bowers
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Priscilla Ryder
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
- Newcastle University Medical School Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Andrew Austin
- Royal Derby Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3NE, UK
| | - Christopher Day
- Newcastle University Medical School Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | | | - John O’Grady
- Institute of Liver Studies, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
| | - Steven Masson
- Liver Unit, Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7DN, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Level 2, Old Building, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Marlborough Street, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK
| | - David Patch
- The Royal Free, Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, The Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Paul Richardson
- The Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool L7 8XP, UK
| | - Paul Roderick
- Public Health Sciences and Medical Statistics, University of Southampton, C floor South Academic Block, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Stephen Ryder
- Department of Gastroenterology, Queen’s Medical Centre campus, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Mark Thursz
- Hepatology Section, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, Paddington W2 1NY, UK
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Mant D, Perera R, Gray A, Rose P, Fuller A, Corkhill A, George S, Little L, Regan S, Mellor J, Pugh SA, Northover J, Weaver A, Barsoum G, Tan LT, Mortensen N, Scholefield J, Wasan H, Ferry D, Primrose JN. Effect of 3-5 years of scheduled CEA and CT follow-up to detect recurrence of colorectal cancer: FACS randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 2013. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.3500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
3500 Background: Intensive long-term follow-up after surgery for colorectal cancer is common practice but neither the actual benefit nor the optimal methodology is known. Methods: Pragmatic factorial randomised controlled trial in 39 UK hospitals, comparing minimum follow-up (which included a single CT scan at 12-18 months) with 3-6 monthly blood carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) testing and 6-12 monthly computerised tomography (CT) imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis following 1202 participants for 3-5 (mean 3.7) years. Results: The proportion of participants with recurrence treated surgically with curative intent was lower than predicted (6.0% overall) but was about 3x higher in the more intensive than minimum follow-up arms (p=0.019). The adjusted odds were 2.7 for CEA only (p=0.035) and 3.4 for CT only (p=0.007); the absolute differences in detection rate in the more intensive arms compared to minimum follow-up were 4.3-5.7% (5.8-8.0% per protocol). Combining CEA and CT provided no additional benefit (adjusted odds for CT+CEA arm = 2.9). The absolute difference in the proportion of participants with recurrence treated surgically with curative intent in the factorial comparison was 1.4% for CEA (p=0.28) and 2.8% for CT (p=0.04). There was no statistical difference in colorectal cancer deaths nor overall deaths in the minimum compared to the intensive follow-up arms. Conclusions: Both regular CEA measurement and CT scanning result in significantly higher rates of diagnosis of operable recurrent colorectal cancer compared to minimal follow up. There is no benefit in monitoring with both CEA and CT. To date no difference in the overall mortality has been demonstrated. CEA monitoring combined with a single CT scan at 12-18 months seems likely to be cost effective. Clinical trial information: 41458548.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mant
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Peter Rose
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Steve George
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Louisa Little
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Scott Regan
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Mellor
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Alexandra Pugh
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrew Weaver
- Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, High Wycombe, United Kingdom
| | - Gamal Barsoum
- Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Li Tee Tan
- Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Mortensen
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - David Ferry
- Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, United Kingdom
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Haenni S, Ji Z, Hoque M, Rust N, Sharpe H, Eberhard R, Browne C, Hengartner MO, Mellor J, Tian B, Furger A. Analysis of C. elegans intestinal gene expression and polyadenylation by fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting and 3'-end-seq. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:6304-18. [PMID: 22467213 PMCID: PMC3401467 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the many advantages of Caenorhabditis elegans, biochemical approaches to study tissue-specific gene expression in post-embryonic stages are challenging. Here, we report a novel experimental approach for efficient determination of tissue-specific transcriptomes involving the rapid release and purification of nuclei from major tissues of post-embryonic animals by fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS), followed by deep sequencing of linearly amplified 3'-end regions of transcripts (3'-end-seq). We employed these approaches to compile the transcriptome of the developed C. elegans intestine and used this to analyse tissue-specific cleavage and polyadenylation. In agreement with intestinal-specific gene expression, highly expressed genes have enriched GATA-elements in their promoter regions and their functional properties are associated with processes that are characteristic for the intestine. We systematically mapped pre-mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation sites, or polyA sites, including more than 3000 sites that have previously not been identified. The detailed analysis of the 3'-ends of the nuclear mRNA revealed widespread alternative polyA site use (APA) in intestinally expressed genes. Importantly, we found that intestinal polyA sites that undergo APA tend to have U-rich and/or A-rich upstream auxiliary elements that may contribute to the regulation of 3'-end formation in the intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Haenni
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mainul Hoque
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nigel Rust
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Helen Sharpe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Eberhard
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Cathy Browne
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael O. Hengartner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Bin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - André Furger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich and Institute of Neuropathology, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
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Connolly NB, Hamer S, Ward M, Mellor J, McQuillan O. P59 Improving management of pelvic inflammatory disease by using a simple tick-box sticker. Br J Vener Dis 2012. [DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2012-050601c.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Murray SC, Serra Barros A, Brown DA, Dudek P, Ayling J, Mellor J. A pre-initiation complex at the 3'-end of genes drives antisense transcription independent of divergent sense transcription. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 40:2432-44. [PMID: 22123739 PMCID: PMC3315312 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The precise nature of antisense transcripts in eukaryotes such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae remains elusive. Here we show that the 3' regions of genes possess a promoter architecture, including a pre-initiation complex (PIC), which mirrors that at the 5' region and which is much more pronounced at genes with a defined antisense transcript. Remarkably, for genes with an antisense transcript, average levels of PIC components at the 3' region are ∼60% of those at the 5' region. Moreover, at these genes, average levels of nascent antisense transcription are ∼45% of sense transcription. We find that this 3' promoter architecture persists for highly transcribed antisense transcripts where there are only low levels of transcription in the divergent sense direction, suggesting that the 3' regions of genes can drive antisense transcription independent of divergent sense transcription. To validate this, we insert short 3' regions into the middle of other genes and find that they are capable of both initiating antisense transcripts and terminating sense transcripts. Our results suggest that antisense transcription can be regulated independently of divergent sense transcription in a PIC-dependent manner and we propose that regulated production of antisense transcripts represents a fundamental and widespread component of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Struan C Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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44
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Gkikopoulos T, Schofield P, Singh V, Pinskaya M, Mellor J, Smolle M, Workman JL, Barton GJ, Owen-Hughes T. A role for Snf2-related nucleosome-spacing enzymes in genome-wide nucleosome organization. Science 2011; 333:1758-60. [PMID: 21940898 DOI: 10.1126/science.1206097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The positioning of nucleosomes within the coding regions of eukaryotic genes is aligned with respect to transcriptional start sites. This organization is likely to influence many genetic processes, requiring access to the underlying DNA. Here, we show that the combined action of Isw1 and Chd1 nucleosome-spacing enzymes is required to maintain this organization. In the absence of these enzymes, regular positioning of the majority of nucleosomes is lost. Exceptions include the region upstream of the promoter, the +1 nucleosome, and a subset of locations distributed throughout coding regions where other factors are likely to be involved. These observations indicate that adenosine triphosphate-dependent remodeling enzymes are responsible for directing the positioning of the majority of nucleosomes within the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Triantaffyllos Gkikopoulos
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
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45
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Primrose JN, Fuller A, Rose P, Perera-Salazar R, Mellor J, Corkhill A, George S, Mant D. Follow-up after colorectal cancer surgery: Preliminary observational findings from the UK FACS trial. J Clin Oncol 2011. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2011.29.15_suppl.3521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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46
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Abstract
Transcription is such a fundamental process and has been studied by so many for so long that skeptics might ask what more there is to learn. Those who attended the meeting summarized here on the dynamics of eukaryotic transcription during development were not disappointed. Studying the transcription of genes in stem cells during early development and in model organisms has illuminated mechanisms for transcriptional control that would have been hard to accept even 5 years ago, and consistently challenges the textbook view of transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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47
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Loney ER, Inglis PW, Sharp S, Pryde FE, Kent NA, Mellor J, Louis EJ. Repressive and non-repressive chromatin at native telomeres in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Epigenetics Chromatin 2009; 2:18. [PMID: 19954519 PMCID: PMC3225887 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-2-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2009] [Accepted: 12/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes that are located close to a telomere can become transcriptionally repressed by an epigenetic process known as telomere position effect. There is large variation in the level of the telomere position effect among telomeres, with many native ends exhibiting little repression. RESULTS Chromatin analysis, using microccocal nuclease and indirect end labelling, reveals distinct patterns for ends with different silencing states. Differences were observed in the promoter accessibility of a subtelomeric reporter gene and a characteristic array of phased nucleosomes was observed on the centromere proximal side of core X at a repressive end. The silent information regulator proteins 2 - 4, the yKu heterodimer and the subtelomeric core X element are all required for the maintenance of the chromatin structure of repressive ends. However, gene deletions of particular histone modification proteins can eliminate the silencing without the disruption of this chromatin structure. CONCLUSION Our data identifies chromatin features that correlate with the silencing state and indicate that an array of phased nucleosomes is not sufficient for full repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther R Loney
- 1Department of Oncology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada.
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48
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Abstract
In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Schulze et al. (2009) described distinct distributions and regulation of Dot1-dependent methylation states at lysine 79 on histone H3 and showed cell-cycle regulation of K79 dimethylation on genes expressed during the G1/S phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mellor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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49
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Mellor J, Dudek P, Clynes D. A glimpse into the epigenetic landscape of gene regulation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2008; 18:116-22. [PMID: 18295475 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2007.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications to histone proteins and methylation of DNA comprise the epigenome of a cell. The epigenome, which changes through development, controls access to our genes. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology has led to genome-wide distribution data for a limited number of histone modifications in mammalian stem cells and some differentiated lineages. These studies reveal predictive correlations between histone modifications, different classes of gene and chromosomal features. Moreover, this glimpse into our epigenome challenges current ideas about regulation of gene expression. Many genes in stem cells are poised for expression with initiated RNA polymerase II at the promoter. This state is maintained by an epigenetic mark through multiple lineages until the gene is expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Mellor
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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50
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Sherriff JA, Kent NA, Mellor J. The Isw2 chromatin-remodeling ATPase cooperates with the Fkh2 transcription factor to repress transcription of the B-type cyclin gene CLB2. Mol Cell Biol 2007; 27:2848-60. [PMID: 17283050 PMCID: PMC1899929 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01798-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Forkhead (Fkh) transcription factors influence cell death, proliferation, and differentiation and the cell cycle. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fkh2 both activates and represses transcription of CLB2, encoding a B-type cyclin. CLB2 is expressed during G(2)/M phase and repressed during G(1). Fkh2 recruits the coactivator Ndd1, an interaction which is promoted by Clb2/Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation of Ndd1, suggesting that CLB2 is autoregulated. Ndd1 is proposed to function by antagonizing Fkh2-mediated repression, but nothing is known about the mechanism. Here we ask how Fkh2 represses CLB2. We show that Fkh2 controls a repressive chromatin structure that initiates in the early coding region of CLB2 and spreads up the promoter during the M and G(1) phases. The Isw2 chromatin-remodeling ATPase cooperates with Fkh2 to remodel the chromatin and repress CLB2 expression throughout the cell cycle. In addition, the related factors Isw1 and Fkh1 configure the chromatin at the early coding region and negatively regulate CLB2 expression but only during G(2)/M phase. Thus, the cooperative actions of two forkhead transcription factors and two chromatin-remodeling ATPases combine to regulate CLB2. We propose that chromatin-mediated repression by Isw1 and Isw2 may serve to limit activation of CLB2 expression by the Clb2/Cdk1 kinase during G(2)/M and to fully repress expression during G(1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Sherriff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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