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Appiah B, Fullio CL, Ossola C, Bertani I, Restelli E, Cheffer A, Polenghi M, Haffner C, Garcia-Miralles M, Zeis P, Treppner M, Bovio P, Schlichtholz L, Mas-Sanchez A, Zografidou L, Winter J, Binder H, Grün D, Kalebic N, Taverna E, Vogel T. DOT1L activity affects neural stem cell division mode and reduces differentiation and ASNS expression. EMBO Rep 2023:e56233. [PMID: 37382163 PMCID: PMC10398646 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256233] [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] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical neurogenesis depends on the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of apical progenitors (APs). Here, we study the epigenetic control of AP's division mode by focusing on the enzymatic activity of the histone methyltransferase DOT1L. Combining lineage tracing with single-cell RNA sequencing of clonally related cells, we show at the cellular level that DOT1L inhibition increases neurogenesis driven by a shift of APs from asymmetric self-renewing to symmetric neurogenic consumptive divisions. At the molecular level, DOT1L activity prevents AP differentiation by promoting transcription of metabolic genes. Mechanistically, DOT1L inhibition reduces activity of an EZH2/PRC2 pathway, converging on increased expression of asparagine synthetase (ASNS), a microcephaly associated gene. Overexpression of ASNS in APs phenocopies DOT1L inhibition, and also increases neuronal differentiation of APs. Our data suggest that DOT1L activity/PRC2 crosstalk controls AP lineage progression by regulating asparagine metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bismark Appiah
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Camila L Fullio
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Arquimedes Cheffer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christiane Haffner
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marta Garcia-Miralles
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Patrice Zeis
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Treppner
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modeling, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Bovio
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Schlichtholz
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Aina Mas-Sanchez
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Zografidou
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jennifer Winter
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Resilience Centre, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Harald Binder
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modeling, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominic Grün
- Würzburg Institute of Systems Immunology, Max Planck Research Group at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz-Center for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Tanja Vogel
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModul Basics), Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Casanovas S, Schlichtholz L, Mühlbauer S, Dewi S, Schüle M, Strand D, Strand S, Zografidou L, Winter J. Rbfox1 Is Expressed in the Mouse Brain in the Form of Multiple Transcript Variants and Contains Functional E Boxes in Its Alternative Promoters. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:66. [PMID: 32431595 PMCID: PMC7214753 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein RBFOX1 is an important regulator of neuron development and neuronal excitability. Rbfox1 is a dosage-sensitive gene and in both mice and humans, decreased expression of Rbfox1 has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Alternative promoters drive expression of Rbfox1 transcript isoforms that encode an identical protein. The tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression of these isoforms, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanisms, are, however, unclear. Here, we set out to capture all of the Rbfox1 transcript isoforms and identify transcriptional mechanisms that regulate brain-specific Rbfox1 expression. Isoform sequencing identified multiple alternative Rbfox1 transcript variants in the mouse cerebral cortex, including transcripts with novel first exons, alternatively spliced exons and 3′-truncations. Quantitative RT-PCR determined the expression of the alternative first exons in the developing cerebral cortex and different subregions of the juvenile brain. Alternative first exons were found to be highly stage- and subregion specific in their expression patterns suggesting that they fulfill specific functions during cortex development and in different brain regions. Using reporter assays we found that the promoter regions of the two first exons E1B and E1C/E1C.1 contain several functional E-boxes. Together, we provide an extensive picture of Rbfox1 isoform expression. We further identified important regulatory mechanisms that drive neuron-specific Rbfox1 expression. Thus, our study forms the basis for further research into the mechanisms that ensure physiological Rbfox1 expression in the brain. It also helps to understand why, in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders deletion of individual RBFOX1 transcript isoforms could affect brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Casanovas
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Focus Program of Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Laura Schlichtholz
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Focus Program of Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sophia Mühlbauer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sri Dewi
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Schüle
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dennis Strand
- First Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Strand
- First Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lea Zografidou
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jennifer Winter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,Focus Program of Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,German Resilience Centre, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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