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Li J, Zhu J, Gray O, Sobreira DR, Wu D, Huang RT, Miao B, Sakabe NJ, Krause MD, Kaikkonen MU, Romanoski CE, Nobrega MA, Fang Y. Mechanosensitive super-enhancers regulate genes linked to atherosclerosis in endothelial cells. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202211125. [PMID: 38231044 PMCID: PMC10794123 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202211125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular homeostasis and pathophysiology are tightly regulated by mechanical forces generated by hemodynamics. Vascular disorders such as atherosclerotic diseases largely occur at curvatures and bifurcations where disturbed blood flow activates endothelial cells while unidirectional flow at the straight part of vessels promotes endothelial health. Integrated analysis of the endothelial transcriptome, the 3D epigenome, and human genetics systematically identified the SNP-enriched cistrome in vascular endothelium subjected to well-defined atherosclerosis-prone disturbed flow or atherosclerosis-protective unidirectional flow. Our results characterized the endothelial typical- and super-enhancers and underscored the critical regulatory role of flow-sensitive endothelial super-enhancers. CRISPR interference and activation validated the function of a previously unrecognized unidirectional flow-induced super-enhancer that upregulates antioxidant genes NQO1, CYB5B, and WWP2, and a disturbed flow-induced super-enhancer in endothelium which drives prothrombotic genes EDN1 and HIVEP in vascular endothelium. Our results employing multiomics identify the cis-regulatory architecture of the flow-sensitive endothelial epigenome related to atherosclerosis and highlight the regulatory role of super-enhancers in mechanotransduction mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jiayu Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Olivia Gray
- Department of Human Genetics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Débora R. Sobreira
- Department of Human Genetics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - David Wu
- Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ru-Ting Huang
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bernadette Miao
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Noboru J. Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew D. Krause
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Minna U. Kaikkonen
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Casey E. Romanoski
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yun Fang
- Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee on Molecular Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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2
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Farris KM, Senior AM, Sobreira DR, Mitchell RM, Weber ZT, Ingerslev LR, Barrès R, Simpson SJ, Crean AJ, Nobrega MA. Dietary macronutrient composition impacts gene regulation in adipose tissue. Commun Biol 2024; 7:194. [PMID: 38365885 PMCID: PMC10873408 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05876-5] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Diet is a key lifestyle component that influences metabolic health through several factors, including total energy intake and macronutrient composition. While the impact of caloric intake on gene expression and physiological phenomena in various tissues is well described, the influence of dietary macronutrient composition on these parameters is less well studied. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry framework to investigate the role of macronutrient composition on metabolic function and gene regulation in adipose tissue. Using ten isocaloric diets that vary systematically in their proportion of energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates, we find that gene expression and splicing are highly responsive to macronutrient composition, with distinct sets of genes regulated by different macronutrient interactions. Specifically, the expression of many genes associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome is responsive to dietary fat content. Splicing and expression changes occur in largely separate gene sets, highlighting distinct mechanisms by which dietary composition influences the transcriptome and emphasizing the importance of considering splicing changes to more fully capture the gene regulation response to environmental changes such as diet. Our study provides insight into the gene regulation plasticity of adipose tissue in response to macronutrient composition, beyond the already well-characterized response to caloric intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Farris
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Alistair M Senior
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Débora R Sobreira
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Robert M Mitchell
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Zachary T Weber
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Lars R Ingerslev
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Romain Barrès
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université Côte d'Azur & Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Valbonne, 06560, France.
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Angela J Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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3
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Yang R, Feng X, Arias-Cavieres A, Mitchell RM, Polo A, Hu K, Zhong R, Qi C, Zhang RS, Westneat N, Portillo CA, Nobrega MA, Hansel C, Garcia Iii AJ, Zhang X. Upregulation of SYNGAP1 expression in mice and human neurons by redirecting alternative splicing. Neuron 2023; 111:1637-1650.e5. [PMID: 36917980 PMCID: PMC10198817 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The Ras GTPase-activating protein SYNGAP1 plays a central role in synaptic plasticity, and de novo SYNGAP1 mutations are among the most frequent causes of autism and intellectual disability. How SYNGAP1 is regulated during development and how to treat SYNGAP1-associated haploinsufficiency remain challenging questions. Here, we characterize an alternative 3' splice site (A3SS) of SYNGAP1 that induces nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (A3SS-NMD) in mouse and human neural development. We demonstrate that PTBP1/2 directly bind to and promote SYNGAP1 A3SS inclusion. Genetic deletion of the Syngap1 A3SS in mice upregulates Syngap1 protein and alleviates the long-term potentiation and membrane excitability deficits caused by a Syngap1 knockout allele. We further report a splice-switching oligonucleotide (SSO) that converts SYNGAP1 unproductive isoform to the functional form in human iPSC-derived neurons. This study describes the regulation and function of SYNGAP1 A3SS-NMD, the genetic rescue of heterozygous Syngap1 knockout mice, and the development of an SSO to potentially alleviate SYNGAP1-associated haploinsufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runwei Yang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xinran Feng
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alejandra Arias-Cavieres
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Robin M Mitchell
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ashleigh Polo
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kaining Hu
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rong Zhong
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cai Qi
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rachel S Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nathaniel Westneat
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cristabel A Portillo
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Christian Hansel
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alfredo J Garcia Iii
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiaochang Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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4
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Liu X, Aneas I, Sakabe N, Anderson RL, Billstrand C, Paz C, Kaur H, Furner B, Choi S, Prichina AY, Enninga EAL, Dong H, Murtha A, Crawford GE, Kessler JA, Grobman W, Nobrega MA, Rana S, Ober C. Single cell profiling at the maternal-fetal interface reveals a deficiency of PD-L1 + non-immune cells in human spontaneous preterm labor. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7903. [PMID: 37193763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35051-5] [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] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that underlie the timing of labor in humans are largely unknown. In most pregnancies, labor is initiated at term (≥ 37 weeks gestation), but in a signifiicant number of women spontaneous labor occurs preterm and is associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity. The objective of this study was to characterize the cells at the maternal-fetal interface (MFI) in term and preterm pregnancies in both the laboring and non-laboring state in Black women, who have among the highest preterm birth rates in the U.S. Using mass cytometry to obtain high-dimensional single-cell resolution, we identified 31 cell populations at the MFI, including 25 immune cell types and six non-immune cell types. Among the immune cells, maternal PD1+ CD8 T cell subsets were less abundant in term laboring compared to term non-laboring women. Among the non-immune cells, PD-L1+ maternal (stromal) and fetal (extravillous trophoblast) cells were less abundant in preterm laboring compared to term laboring women. Consistent with these observations, the expression of CD274, the gene encoding PD-L1, was significantly depressed and less responsive to fetal signaling molecules in cultured mesenchymal stromal cells from the decidua of preterm compared to term women. Overall, these results suggest that the PD1/PD-L1 pathway at the MFI may perturb the delicate balance between immune tolerance and rejection and contribute to the onset of spontaneous preterm labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Noboru Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Cristina Paz
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Harjot Kaur
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brian Furner
- Center for Research Informatics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seong Choi
- Center for Research Informatics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Haidong Dong
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amy Murtha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Health Systems, Durham, NC, USA
- Rutgers RWJ Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Department of Pediatrics and Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John A Kessler
- Department of Neurology and Institute for Stem Cell Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - William Grobman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarosh Rana
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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5
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Crean AJ, Afrin S, Niranjan H, Pulpitel TJ, Ahmad G, Senior AM, Freire T, Mackay F, Nobrega MA, Barrès R, Simpson SJ, Pini T. Male reproductive traits are differentially affected by dietary macronutrient balance but unrelated to adiposity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2566. [PMID: 37142562 PMCID: PMC10160019 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38314-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary factors influence male reproductive function in both experimental and epidemiological studies. However, there are currently no specific dietary guidelines for male preconception health. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry framework to examine the effects of dietary macronutrient balance on reproductive traits in C57BL/6 J male mice. Dietary effects are observed in a range of morphological, testicular and spermatozoa traits, although the relative influence of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and their interactions differ depending on the trait being examined. Interestingly, dietary fat has a positive influence on sperm motility and antioxidant capacity, differing to typical high fat diet studies where calorie content is not controlled for. Moreover, body adiposity is not significantly correlated with any of the reproductive traits measured in this study. These results demonstrate the importance of macronutrient balance and calorie intake on reproductive function and support the need to develop specific, targeted, preconception dietary guidelines for males.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Crean
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - S Afrin
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - H Niranjan
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - T J Pulpitel
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - G Ahmad
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Department of Andrology, Royal Women's and Children's Pathology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - A M Senior
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - T Freire
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - F Mackay
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - M A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - R Barrès
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
- Institut de Pharmacologie Mole´ culaire et Cellulaire, Universite´ Coˆ te d'Azur & Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Valbonne, 06560, France
| | - S J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - T Pini
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia.
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6
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Glunk V, Laber S, Sinnott-Armstrong N, Sobreira DR, Strobel SM, Batista TM, Kubitz P, Moud BN, Ebert H, Huang Y, Brandl B, Garbo G, Honecker J, Stirling DR, Abdennur N, Calabuig-Navarro V, Skurk T, Ocvirk S, Stemmer K, Cimini BA, Carpenter AE, Dankel SN, Lindgren CM, Hauner H, Nobrega MA, Claussnitzer M. A non-coding variant linked to metabolic obesity with normal weight affects actin remodelling in subcutaneous adipocytes. Nat Metab 2023; 5:861-879. [PMID: 37253881 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00807-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent large-scale genomic association studies found evidence for a genetic link between increased risk of type 2 diabetes and decreased risk for adiposity-related traits, reminiscent of metabolically obese normal weight (MONW) association signatures. However, the target genes and cellular mechanisms driving such MONW associations remain to be identified. Here, we systematically identify the cellular programmes of one of the top-scoring MONW risk loci, the 2q24.3 risk locus, in subcutaneous adipocytes. We identify a causal genetic variant, rs6712203, an intronic single-nucleotide polymorphism in the COBLL1 gene, which changes the conserved transcription factor motif of POU domain, class 2, transcription factor 2, and leads to differential COBLL1 gene expression by altering the enhancer activity at the locus in subcutaneous adipocytes. We then establish the cellular programme under the genetic control of the 2q24.3 MONW risk locus and the effector gene COBLL1, which is characterized by impaired actin cytoskeleton remodelling in differentiating subcutaneous adipocytes and subsequent failure of these cells to accumulate lipids and develop into metabolically active and insulin-sensitive adipocytes. Finally, we show that perturbations of the effector gene Cobll1 in a mouse model result in organismal phenotypes matching the MONW association signature, including decreased subcutaneous body fat mass and body weight along with impaired glucose tolerance. Taken together, our results provide a mechanistic link between the genetic risk for insulin resistance and low adiposity, providing a potential therapeutic hypothesis and a framework for future identification of causal relationships between genome associations and cellular programmes in other disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Glunk
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Samantha Laber
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nasa Sinnott-Armstrong
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Herbold Computational Biology Program, Publich Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Debora R Sobreira
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sophie M Strobel
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thiago M Batista
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Phil Kubitz
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bahareh Nemati Moud
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Hannah Ebert
- Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Yi Huang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Beate Brandl
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Garrett Garbo
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julius Honecker
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - David R Stirling
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nezar Abdennur
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Virtu Calabuig-Navarro
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Thomas Skurk
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Soeren Ocvirk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Intestinal Microbiology Research Group, Department of Molecular Toxicology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Kerstin Stemmer
- Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Theoretical Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Beth A Cimini
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne E Carpenter
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Simon N Dankel
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Cecilia M Lindgren
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Big Data Institute at the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hans Hauner
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Melina Claussnitzer
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Medical and Population Genetics Program & Type 2 Diabetes Systems Genomics Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Diabetes Unit and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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7
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Washington C, Dapas M, Biddanda A, Magnaye KM, Aneas I, Helling BA, Szczesny B, Boorgula MP, Taub MA, Kenny E, Mathias RA, Barnes KC, Khurana Hershey GK, Kercsmar CM, Gereige JD, Makhija M, Gruchalla RS, Gill MA, Liu AH, Rastogi D, Busse W, Gergen PJ, Visness CM, Gold DR, Hartert T, Johnson CC, Lemanske RF, Martinez FD, Miller RL, Ownby D, Seroogy CM, Wright AL, Zoratti EM, Bacharier LB, Kattan M, O'Connor GT, Wood RA, Nobrega MA, Altman MC, Jackson DJ, Gern JE, McKennan CG, Ober C. African-specific alleles modify risk for asthma at the 17q12-q21 locus in African Americans. Genome Med 2022; 14:112. [PMID: 36175932 PMCID: PMC9520885 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01114-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, occurring at higher frequencies and with more severe disease in children with African ancestry. METHODS We tested for association with haplotypes at the most replicated and significant childhood-onset asthma locus at 17q12-q21 and asthma in European American and African American children. Following this, we used whole-genome sequencing data from 1060 African American and 100 European American individuals to identify novel variants on a high-risk African American-specific haplotype. We characterized these variants in silico using gene expression and ATAC-seq data from airway epithelial cells, functional annotations from ENCODE, and promoter capture (pc)Hi-C maps in airway epithelial cells. Candidate causal variants were then assessed for correlation with asthma-associated phenotypes in African American children and adults. RESULTS Our studies revealed nine novel African-specific common variants, enriched on a high-risk asthma haplotype, which regulated the expression of GSDMA in airway epithelial cells and were associated with features of severe asthma. Using ENCODE annotations, ATAC-seq, and pcHi-C, we narrowed the associations to two candidate causal variants that are associated with features of T2 low severe asthma. CONCLUSIONS Previously unknown genetic variation at the 17q12-21 childhood-onset asthma locus contributes to asthma severity in individuals with African ancestries. We suggest that many other population-specific variants that have not been discovered in GWAS contribute to the genetic risk for asthma and other common diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Washington
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Matthew Dapas
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Arjun Biddanda
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kevin M Magnaye
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Britney A Helling
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Brooke Szczesny
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Margaret A Taub
- Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eimear Kenny
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rasika A Mathias
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kathleen C Barnes
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Carolyn M Kercsmar
- Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jessica D Gereige
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep, and Critical Care Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Melanie Makhija
- Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Michelle A Gill
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Andrew H Liu
- Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Deepa Rastogi
- Children's National Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - William Busse
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Diane R Gold
- The Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tina Hartert
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christine C Johnson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Robert F Lemanske
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Fernando D Martinez
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Rachel L Miller
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dennis Ownby
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christine M Seroogy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anne L Wright
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Edward M Zoratti
- Department of Medicine, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Leonard B Bacharier
- Department of Pediatrics, Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Meyer Kattan
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - George T O'Connor
- Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Matthew C Altman
- Immunology Division, Benaroya Research Institute Systems, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel J Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - James E Gern
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, 928 E. 58th St. CLSC 507C, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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8
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Selgrade DF, Gacita A, Fullenkamp D, Puckelwartz M, Demonbreun A, Nobrega MA, George AL, McNally EM. Abstract P3072: Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) Respond To Inflammatory Stimuli Through Innate Immune Responses. Circ Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1161/res.131.suppl_1.p3072] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction:
Cells respond to inflammatory stimuli in settings of sterile and pathologic cardiac inflammation. Nuclear factor Kappa B (NFKB) is a transcriptional mediator of innate immune responses. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) promotes NFKB activation through toll-like receptors (TLR) to initiate cell autonomous processes that resist infection. High-mobility box group 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin associated protein released upon nuclear rupture that similarly promotes cytokine release in response to injury. Few studies have interrogated multiple inflammatory stimuli and their impacts on iPSC-CM function. We examined innate immune activation using distinct TLR agonists and assessed functional responses in both 2D iPSC-CM monoculture and 3D collagen-based engineered heart tissues.
Methods and Results:
We measured electric field potential duration (Nanion CardioExcyte 96) of iPSC-CM monolayers after exposure to LPS and HMGB1. We observed a four fold increase in downstroke velocity after exposure to HMGB1 (512.7±126.9 V/s; p=0.0002 n=12) and a 30% decrease in downstroke velocity after LPS treatment (-188.9±61.4 V/s; p=0.004 n=12). This response was associated with nuclear localization of phosphorylated NFKB. Collagen-based engineered heart tissues demonstrated contractile defects in response to 48h of exposure to TLR agonists. A 50% reduction in fractional shortening was observed following HMGB1 treatment (-0.0060±0.0009; p<0.0001 n=6) and an 80% reduction was associated with LPS exposure (-0.0088±0.0006; p<0.0001 n=6). To identify gene expression regulatory regions associated with this response, we examined transcriptional activity of three candidate enhancer regions implicated in cytokine production in iPSC-CMs. These regions demonstrated a 0.5- to 20-fold increase in enhancer activity in iPSC-CMs. One enhancer demonstrated a 22% increase in activity following 48h of LPS, consistent with a direct role for NFKB in innate immune activation in human iPSC-CMs; this enhancer regulates a gene with increased expression in dilated cardiomyopathy.
Conclusion:
These data indicate that cardiomyocytes respond directly to inflammatory stimuli and demonstrate the utility of 2D and 3D human tissue culture models for cardiac inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Selgrade
- Cntr for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern Univ Feinberg Sch of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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9
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Chung J, Das A, Sun X, Sobreira DR, Leung YY, Igartua C, Mozaffari S, Chou YF, Thiagalingam S, Mez J, Zhang X, Jun GR, Stein TD, Kunkle BW, Martin ER, Pericak-Vance MA, Mayeux R, Haines JL, Schellenberg GD, Nobrega MA, Lunetta KL, Pinto JM, Wang LS, Ober C, Farrer LA. Genome-wide association and multi-omics studies identify MGMT as a novel risk gene for Alzheimer's disease among women. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 19:10.1002/alz.12719. [PMID: 35770850 PMCID: PMC9800643 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Variants in the tau gene (MAPT) region are associated with breast cancer in women and Alzheimer's disease (AD) among persons lacking apolipoprotein E ε4 (ε4-). METHODS To identify novel genes associated with tau-related pathology, we conducted two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AD, one among 10,340 ε4- women in the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC) and another in 31 members (22 women) of a consanguineous Hutterite kindred. RESULTS We identified novel associations of AD with MGMT variants in the ADGC (rs12775171, odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, P = 4.9 × 10-8 ) and Hutterite (rs12256016 and rs2803456, OR = 2.0, P = 1.9 × 10-14 ) datasets. Multi-omics analyses showed that the most significant and largest number of associations among the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), DNA-methylated CpGs, MGMT expression, and AD-related neuropathological traits were observed among women. Furthermore, promoter capture Hi-C analyses revealed long-range interactions of the MGMT promoter with MGMT SNPs and CpG sites. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that epigenetically regulated MGMT expression is involved in AD pathogenesis, especially in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyoon Chung
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anjali Das
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Xinyu Sun
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Débora R Sobreira
- Department of Surgery/Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yuk Yee Leung
- Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Catherine Igartua
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sahar Mozaffari
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yi-Fan Chou
- Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sam Thiagalingam
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gyungah R Jun
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian W Kunkle
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Eden R Martin
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences and Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Gerard D Schellenberg
- Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kathryn L Lunetta
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jayant M Pinto
- Department of Surgery/Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Li-San Wang
- Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Škorić-Milosavljević D, Tadros R, Bosada FM, Tessadori F, van Weerd JH, Woudstra OI, Tjong FV, Lahrouchi N, Bajolle F, Cordell HJ, Agopian A, Blue GM, Barge-Schaapveld DQ, Gewillig M, Preuss C, Lodder EM, Barnett P, Ilgun A, Beekman L, van Duijvenboden K, Bokenkamp R, Müller-Nurasyid M, Vliegen HW, Konings TC, van Melle JP, van Dijk AP, van Kimmenade RR, Roos-Hesselink JW, Sieswerda GT, Meijboom F, Abdul-Khaliq H, Berger F, Dittrich S, Hitz MP, Moosmann J, Riede FT, Schubert S, Galan P, Lathrop M, Munter HM, Al-Chalabi A, Shaw CE, Shaw PJ, Morrison KE, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, Evans S, Nobrega MA, Aneas I, Radivojkov-Blagojević M, Meitinger T, Oechslin E, Mondal T, Bergin L, Smythe JF, Altamirano-Diaz L, Lougheed J, Bouma BJ, Chaix MA, Kline J, Bassett AS, Andelfinger G, van der Palen RL, Bouvagnet P, Clur SAB, Breckpot J, Kerstjens-Frederikse WS, Winlaw DS, Bauer UM, Mital S, Goldmuntz E, Keavney B, Bonnet D, Mulder BJ, Tanck MW, Bakkers J, Christoffels VM, Boogerd CJ, Postma AV, Bezzina CR. Common Genetic Variants Contribute to Risk of Transposition of the Great Arteries. Circ Res 2022; 130:166-180. [PMID: 34886679 PMCID: PMC8768504 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.120.317107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dextro-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) is a severe congenital heart defect which affects approximately 1 in 4,000 live births. While there are several reports of D-TGA patients with rare variants in individual genes, the majority of D-TGA cases remain genetically elusive. Familial recurrence patterns and the observation that most cases with D-TGA are sporadic suggest a polygenic inheritance for the disorder, yet this remains unexplored. OBJECTIVE We sought to study the role of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in risk for D-TGA. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a genome-wide association study in an international set of 1,237 patients with D-TGA and identified a genome-wide significant susceptibility locus on chromosome 3p14.3, which was subsequently replicated in an independent case-control set (rs56219800, meta-analysis P=8.6x10-10, OR=0.69 per C allele). SNP-based heritability analysis showed that 25% of variance in susceptibility to D-TGA may be explained by common variants. A genome-wide polygenic risk score derived from the discovery set was significantly associated to D-TGA in the replication set (P=4x10-5). The genome-wide significant locus (3p14.3) co-localizes with a putative regulatory element that interacts with the promoter of WNT5A, which encodes the Wnt Family Member 5A protein known for its role in cardiac development in mice. We show that this element drives reporter gene activity in the developing heart of mice and zebrafish and is bound by the developmental transcription factor TBX20. We further demonstrate that TBX20 attenuates Wnt5a expression levels in the developing mouse heart. CONCLUSIONS This work provides support for a polygenic architecture in D-TGA and identifies a susceptibility locus on chromosome 3p14.3 near WNT5A. Genomic and functional data support a causal role of WNT5A at the locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Škorić-Milosavljević
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., E.M.L., A.V.P.)
| | - Rafik Tadros
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada (R.T., M.-A.C.)
| | - Fernanda M. Bosada
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Federico Tessadori
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (F.T., J.B., C.J.B.)
| | - Jan Hendrik van Weerd
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Odilia I. Woudstra
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands (O.I.W., G.T.S., F.M.)
| | - Fleur V.Y. Tjong
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
| | - Najim Lahrouchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
| | - Fanny Bajolle
- German Heart Center Berlin, Department of Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Cardiology, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Germany (F.B., S.S.)
| | - Heather J. Cordell
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom (H.J.C.)
| | - A.J. Agopian
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Houston, TX (A.J.A.)
| | - Gillian M. Blue
- Heart Centre for Children, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia (G.M.B., D.S.W.)
| | | | | | - Christoph Preuss
- Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada (C.P., G.A.)
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME (C.P.)
| | - Elisabeth M. Lodder
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., E.M.L., A.V.P.)
| | - Phil Barnett
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Aho Ilgun
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Leander Beekman
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
| | - Karel van Duijvenboden
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Regina Bokenkamp
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics (R.B., R.L.F.v.d.P.), Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Martina Müller-Nurasyid
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany (M.M.-N.)
- IBE, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany (M.M.-N.)
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany (M.M.-N.)
| | - Hubert W. Vliegen
- Department of Cardiology (H.W.V.), Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Thelma C. Konings
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands (T.C.K.)
| | - Joost P. van Melle
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (J.P.v.M.)
| | - Arie P.J. van Dijk
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (A.P.J.v.D., R.R.J.v.K.)
| | - Roland R.J. van Kimmenade
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (A.P.J.v.D., R.R.J.v.K.)
- Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, The Netherlands (R.R.J.v.K.)
| | - Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink
- Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (J.W.R.-H.)
| | - Gertjan T. Sieswerda
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands (O.I.W., G.T.S., F.M.)
| | - Folkert Meijboom
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands (O.I.W., G.T.S., F.M.)
| | - Hashim Abdul-Khaliq
- Saarland University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Homburg, Germany (H.A.-K.)
| | - Felix Berger
- Unité Médico-Chirurgicale de Cardiologie Congénitale et Pédiatrique, Centre de référence Malformations Cardiaques Congénitales Complexes - M3C, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, APHP and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France (F.B., D.B.)
- Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department for Paediatric Cardiology, Germany (F.B.)
| | - Sven Dittrich
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU), Germany (S.D., J.M.)
| | - Marc-Phillip Hitz
- Department of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein/Campus Kiel, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Germany (M.-P.H.)
- Department of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany (M.-P.H.)
| | - Julia Moosmann
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU), Germany (S.D., J.M.)
| | - Frank-Thomas Riede
- Leipzig Heart Center, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig, Germany (F.-T.R.)
| | - Stephan Schubert
- German Heart Center Berlin, Department of Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Cardiology, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Germany (F.B., S.S.)
- Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Center of Congenital Heart Disease, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany (S.S.)
| | - Pilar Galan
- Sorbonne Paris Nord (Paris 13) University, Inserm U1153, Inrae U1125, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center – University of Paris (CRESS), Bobigny, France (P.G.)
| | - Mark Lathrop
- McGill Genome Centre and Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada (M.L., H.M.M.)
| | - Hans M. Munter
- McGill Genome Centre and Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada (M.L., H.M.M.)
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom (A.A.-C.)
| | - Christopher E. Shaw
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom (C.E.S.)
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, New Zealand (C.E.S.)
| | - Pamela J. Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield and NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre for Translational Neuroscience, United Kingdom (P.J.S.)
| | - Karen E. Morrison
- Faculty of Medicine Health & Life Sciences, Queens University Belfast, United Kingdom (K.E.M.)
| | - Jan H. Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands (J.H.V., L.H.v.d.B.)
| | - Leonard H. van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands (J.H.V., L.H.v.d.B.)
| | - Sylvia Evans
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego (S.E.)
| | | | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (M.A.N., I.A.)
| | | | - Thomas Meitinger
- Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Institut of Human Genetics, Neuherberg, Germany (M.R.-B., T.M.)
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (T.M.)
| | - Erwin Oechslin
- Peter Munk Cardiac Center, Toronto Congenital Cardiac Centre for Adults and University of Toronto, Canada (E.O.)
| | - Tapas Mondal
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Germany (T.M.)
| | - Lynn Bergin
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, ON, Canada (L.B.)
| | - John F. Smythe
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Kingston General Hospital, ON, Canada (J.F.S.)
| | | | - Jane Lougheed
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Canada (J.L.)
| | - Berto J. Bouma
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
| | - Marie-A. Chaix
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada (R.T., M.-A.C.)
| | - Jennie Kline
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY (J.K.)
| | - Anne S. Bassett
- Clinical Genetics Research Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (A.S.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Ontario, Canada (A.S.B.)
| | - Gregor Andelfinger
- Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada (C.P., G.A.)
| | - Roel L.F. van der Palen
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics (R.B., R.L.F.v.d.P.), Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Patrice Bouvagnet
- CPDPN, Hôpital MFME, CHU Martinique, Fort de France, Martinique, France (P.B.)
| | - Sally-Ann B. Clur
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AMC), The Netherlands (S.-A.B.C.)
- Centre for Congenital Heart Disease Amsterdam-Leiden (CAHAL) (S.-A.B.C.)
| | - Jeroen Breckpot
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (F.T., J.B., C.J.B.)
- Center for Human Genetics University Hospitals KU Leuven, Belgium (J.B.)
| | | | - David S. Winlaw
- Heart Centre for Children, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia (G.M.B., D.S.W.)
| | - Ulrike M.M. Bauer
- National Register for Congenital Heart Defects, DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Berlin, Germany (U.M.M.B.)
| | - Seema Mital
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (S.M.)
| | - Elizabeth Goldmuntz
- Division of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (E.G.)
| | - Bernard Keavney
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, United Kingdom (B.K.)
| | - Damien Bonnet
- Unité Médico-Chirurgicale de Cardiologie Congénitale et Pédiatrique, Centre de référence Malformations Cardiaques Congénitales Complexes - M3C, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, APHP and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France (F.B., D.B.)
| | - Barbara J. Mulder
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
| | - Michael W.T. Tanck
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam Public Health (APH), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (M.W.T.T.)
| | - Jeroen Bakkers
- Division of Heart and Lungs, Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (J.B.)
| | - Vincent M. Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Cornelis J. Boogerd
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (F.T., J.B., C.J.B.)
| | - Alex V. Postma
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., E.M.L., A.V.P.)
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, the Netherlands (F.M.B., J.H.v.W., P.B., A.I., K.v.D., V.M.C., A.V.P.)
| | - Connie R. Bezzina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, The Netherlands (D.S.-M., R.T., O.I.W., F.V.Y.T., N.L., E.M.L., L.B., B.J.B., B.J.M., C.R.B.)
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11
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Cheung VC, Peng CY, Marinić M, Sakabe NJ, Aneas I, Lynch VJ, Ober C, Nobrega MA, Kessler JA. Pluripotent stem cell-derived endometrial stromal fibroblasts in a cyclic, hormone-responsive, coculture model of human decidua. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109138. [PMID: 34010658 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [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: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Various human diseases and pregnancy-related disorders reflect endometrial dysfunction. However, rodent models do not share fundamental biological processes with the human endometrium, such as spontaneous decidualization, and no existing human cell cultures recapitulate the cyclic interactions between endometrial stromal and epithelial compartments necessary for decidualization and implantation. Here we report a protocol differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into endometrial stromal fibroblasts (PSC-ESFs) that are highly pure and able to decidualize. Coculture of PSC-ESFs with placenta-derived endometrial epithelial cells generated organoids used to examine stromal-epithelial interactions. Cocultures exhibited specific endometrial markers in the appropriate compartments, organization with cell polarity, and hormone responsiveness of both cell types. Furthermore, cocultures recapitulate a central feature of the human decidua by cyclically responding to hormone withdrawal followed by hormone retreatment. This advance enables mechanistic studies of the cyclic responses that characterize the human endometrium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chian-Yu Peng
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mirna Marinić
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Current address: Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Noboru J Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John A Kessler
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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12
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Inherited cardiomyopathy associates with a range of phenotypes, mediated by genetic and nongenetic factors. Noninherited cardiomyopathy also displays varying progression and outcomes. Expression of cardiomyopathy genes is under the regulatory control of promoters and enhancers, and human genetic variation in promoters and enhancers may contribute to this variability. METHODS We superimposed epigenomic profiling from hearts and cardiomyocytes, including promoter-capture chromatin conformation information, to identify enhancers for 2 cardiomyopathy genes, MYH7 and LMNA. Enhancer function was validated in human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. We also conducted a genome-wide search to ascertain genomic variation in enhancers positioned to alter cardiac expression and correlated one of these variants to cardiomyopathy progression using biobank data. RESULTS Multiple enhancers were identified and validated for LMNA and MYH7, including a key enhancer that regulates the switch from MYH6 expression to MYH7 expression. Deletion of this enhancer resulted in a dose-dependent increase in MYH6 and faster contractile rate in engineered heart tissues. We searched for genomic variation in enhancer sequences across the genome, with a focus on nucleotide changes that create or interrupt transcription factor binding sites. The sequence variant, rs875908, disrupts a T-Box Transcription Factor 5 binding motif and maps to an enhancer region 2 kilobases from the transcriptional start site of MYH7. Gene editing to remove the enhancer that harbors this variant markedly reduced MYH7 expression in human cardiomyocytes. Using biobank-derived data, rs875908 associated with longitudinal echocardiographic features of cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS Enhancers regulate cardiomyopathy gene expression, and genomic variation within these enhancer regions associates with cardiomyopathic progression over time. This integrated approach identified noncoding modifiers of cardiomyopathy and is applicable to other cardiac genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Gacita
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Dominic E. Fullenkamp
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Joyce Ohiri
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Tess Pottinger
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Megan J. Puckelwartz
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | | | - Elizabeth M. McNally
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
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13
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Helling BA, Sobreira DR, Hansen GT, Sakabe NJ, Luo K, Billstrand C, Laxman B, Nicolae RI, Nicolae DL, Bochkov YA, Gern JE, Nobrega MA, White SR, Ober C. Altered transcriptional and chromatin responses to rhinovirus in bronchial epithelial cells from adults with asthma. Commun Biol 2020; 3:678. [PMID: 33188283 PMCID: PMC7666152 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01411-4] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a life-long relationship between rhinovirus (RV) infection and the development and clinical manifestations of asthma. In this study we demonstrate that cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells from adults with asthma (n = 9) show different transcriptional and chromatin responses to RV infection compared to those without asthma (n = 9). Both the number and magnitude of transcriptional and chromatin responses to RV were muted in cells from asthma cases compared to controls. Pathway analysis of the transcriptionally responsive genes revealed enrichments of apoptotic pathways in controls but inflammatory pathways in asthma cases. Using promoter capture Hi-C we tethered regions of RV-responsive chromatin to RV-responsive genes and showed enrichment of these regions and genes at asthma GWAS loci. Taken together, our studies indicate a delayed or prolonged inflammatory state in cells from asthma cases and highlight genes that may contribute to genetic risk for asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britney A Helling
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Débora R Sobreira
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Grace T Hansen
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Noboru J Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kaixuan Luo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | | | - Bharathi Laxman
- Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Raluca I Nicolae
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Dan L Nicolae
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yury A Bochkov
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - James E Gern
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Steven R White
- Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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14
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Gacita AM, Dellefave-Castillo L, Page PGT, Barefield DY, Wasserstrom JA, Puckelwartz MJ, Nobrega MA, McNally EM. Altered Enhancer and Promoter Usage Leads to Differential Gene Expression in the Normal and Failed Human Heart. Circ Heart Fail 2020; 13:e006926. [PMID: 32993371 PMCID: PMC7577963 DOI: 10.1161/circheartfailure.120.006926] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The failing heart is characterized by changes in gene expression. However, the regulatory regions of the genome that drive these gene expression changes have not been well defined in human hearts. METHODS To define genome-wide enhancer and promoter use in heart failure, cap analysis of gene expression sequencing was applied to 3 healthy and 4 failed human hearts to identify promoter and enhancer regions used in left ventricles. Healthy hearts were derived from donors unused for transplantation and failed hearts were obtained as discarded tissue after transplantation. RESULTS Cap analysis of gene expression sequencing identified a combined potential for ≈23 000 promoters and ≈5000 enhancers active in human left ventricles. Of these, 17 000 promoters and 1800 enhancers had additional support for their regulatory function. Comparing promoter usage between healthy and failed hearts highlighted promoter shifts which altered aminoterminal protein sequences. Enhancer usage between healthy and failed hearts identified a majority of differentially used heart failure enhancers were intronic and primarily localized within the first intron, revealing this position as a common feature associated with tissue-specific gene expression changes in the heart. CONCLUSIONS This data set defines the dynamic genomic regulatory landscape underlying heart failure and serves as an important resource for understanding genetic contributions to cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, regulatory changes contributing to heart failure are attractive therapeutic targets for controlling ventricular remodeling and clinical progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Gacita
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Lisa Dellefave-Castillo
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Patrick G T Page
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - David Y Barefield
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - J Andrew Wasserstrom
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology) (J.A.W.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | - Megan J Puckelwartz
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
| | | | - Elizabeth M McNally
- Center for Genetic Medicine (A.M.G., L.D.-C., P.G.T.P., D.Y.B., M.J.P., E.M.M.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL
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15
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Sadovsky Y, Mesiano S, Burton GJ, Lampl M, Murray JC, Freathy RM, Mahadevan-Jansen A, Moffett A, Price ND, Wise PH, Wildman DE, Snyderman R, Paneth N, Capra JA, Nobrega MA, Barak Y, Muglia LJ. Advancing human health in the decade ahead: pregnancy as a key window for discovery: A Burroughs Wellcome Fund Pregnancy Think Tank. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 223:312-321. [PMID: 32565236 PMCID: PMC7303037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent revolutionary advances at the intersection of medicine, omics, data sciences, computing, epidemiology, and related technologies inspire us to ponder their impact on health. Their potential impact is particularly germane to the biology of pregnancy and perinatal medicine, where limited improvement in health outcomes for women and children has remained a global challenge. We assembled a group of experts to establish a Pregnancy Think Tank to discuss a broad spectrum of major gestational disorders and adverse pregnancy outcomes that affect maternal-infant lifelong health and should serve as targets for leveraging the many recent advances. This report reflects avenues for future effects that hold great potential in 3 major areas: developmental genomics, including the application of methodologies designed to bridge genotypes, physiology, and diseases, addressing vexing questions in early human development; gestational physiology, from immune tolerance to growth and the timing of parturition; and personalized and population medicine, focusing on amalgamating health record data and deep phenotypes to create broad knowledge that can be integrated into healthcare systems and drive discovery to address pregnancy-related disease and promote general health. We propose a series of questions reflecting development, systems biology, diseases, clinical approaches and tools, and population health, and a call for scientific action. Clearly, transdisciplinary science must advance and accelerate to address adverse pregnancy outcomes. Disciplines not traditionally involved in the reproductive sciences, such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, and pharmacology, should be engaged at the study design phase to optimize the information gathered and to identify and further evaluate potentially actionable therapeutic targets. Information sources should include noninvasive personalized sensors and monitors, alongside instructive "liquid biopsies" for noninvasive pregnancy assessment. Future research should also address the diversity of human cohorts in terms of geography, racial and ethnic distributions, and social and health disparities. Modern technologies, for both data-gathering and data-analyzing, make this possible at a scale that was previously unachievable. Finally, the psychosocial and economic environment in which pregnancy takes place must be considered to promote the health and wellness of communities worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoel Sadovsky
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Sam Mesiano
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Case Western Reserve University, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
| | - Graham J Burton
- Centre for Trophoblast Research; University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Lampl
- Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | | | - Anita Mahadevan-Jansen
- Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Ashley Moffett
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Trophoblast Research
| | | | - Paul H Wise
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Ralph Snyderman
- Duke Center for Personalized Health Care, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Nigel Paneth
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | | | | | - Yaacov Barak
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Office of the President, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Research Triangle Park, NC.
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16
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Burnicka-Turek O, Broman M, Steimle JD, Boukens B, Petrenko NB, Ikegami K, Yang XH, Nobrega MA, Rust MJ, Patel VV, Efimov I, Moskowitz IP. Abstract MP115: Transcriptional Patterning of the Ventricular Cardiac Conduction System. Circ Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1161/res.127.suppl_1.mp115] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The heart beats 2 billion times over the average human lifespan and is the manifestation of a pattern of cardiomyocyte depolarization organized by a specialized network of cardiomyocytes, the cardiac conduction system (CCS). Patterning of the CCS into atrial node versus ventricular conduction system (VCS) components with distinct physiology is essential for the normal heartbeat and has been recognized for more than a century. However molecular basis of this regional patterning is not well understood. Using mouse genetics, we found that the ratio between T-box transcriptional activator,
Tbx5
, and T-box transcriptional repressor,
Tbx3
, determines the molecular and functional output of VCS myocytes. Adult VCS-specific removal of
Tbx5
or overexpression of
Tbx3
re-patterned the fast VCS into slow, nodal-like cells based on molecular, cellular and functional criteria. Specifically, the ventricular fast conduction gene expression network was lost whereas the slow conduction nodal gene expression network was retained. Action potentials (APs) of
Tbx5
-deficient VCS myocytes adopted nodal-specific characteristics, including increased AP duration and cellular automaticity. Removal of
Tbx5 in-vivo
precipitated inappropriate depolarizations in the His-bundle that initiated lethal ventricular arrhythmias. A T-box rheostat mechanism for CCS patterning was confirmed by
Tbx5/Tbx3
genetic interaction studies. TBX5 bound and directly activated
cis
-regulatory elements at fast conduction loci genome-wide, defining the identity of the adult VCS. Furthermore, TBX5 bound and activated cis-regulatory elements at
Tbx5
itself, describing a multi-tiered T-box-dependent fast conduction gene regulatory network (GRN). The hierarchical GRN established a bi-stable network in mathematical modeling, with only high or low fast conduction gene expression states, suggesting a genomic mechanism for the establishment of VCS versus nodal states
in-vivo
. Thus, the CCS is patterned entirely as a slow, nodal ground state, with a T-box dependent, physiologically dominant, fast conduction network driven specifically in the VCS. Disruption of the fast VCS GRN allowed nodal physiology to emerge, providing a molecular mechanism for some lethal ventricular arrhythmias.
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17
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Burnicka-Turek O, Broman MT, Steimle JD, Boukens BJ, Petrenko NB, Ikegami K, Nadadur RD, Qiao Y, Arnolds DE, Yang XH, Patel VV, Nobrega MA, Efimov IR, Moskowitz IP. Transcriptional Patterning of the Ventricular Cardiac Conduction System. Circ Res 2020; 127:e94-e106. [PMID: 32290757 PMCID: PMC8328577 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.118.314460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The heartbeat is organized by the cardiac conduction system (CCS), a specialized network of cardiomyocytes. Patterning of the CCS into atrial node versus ventricular conduction system (VCS) components with distinct physiology is essential for the normal heartbeat. Distinct node versus VCS physiology has been recognized for more than a century, but the molecular basis of this regional patterning is not well understood. OBJECTIVE To study the genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying node versus VCS distinction and investigate rhythm consequences of failed VCS patterning. METHODS AND RESULTS Using mouse genetics, we found that the balance between T-box transcriptional activator, Tbx5, and T-box transcriptional repressor, Tbx3, determined the molecular and functional output of VCS myocytes. Adult VCS-specific removal of Tbx5 or overexpression of Tbx3 re-patterned the fast VCS into slow, nodal-like cells based on molecular and functional criteria. In these cases, gene expression profiling showed diminished expression of genes required for VCS-specific fast conduction but maintenance of expression of genes required for nodal slow conduction physiology. Action potentials of Tbx5-deficient VCS myocytes adopted nodal-specific characteristics, including increased action potential duration and cellular automaticity. Removal of Tbx5 in vivo precipitated inappropriate depolarizations in the atrioventricular (His)-bundle associated with lethal ventricular arrhythmias. TBX5 bound and directly activated cis-regulatory elements at fast conduction channel genes required for fast physiological characteristics of the VCS action potential, defining the identity of the adult VCS. CONCLUSIONS The CCS is patterned entirely as a slow, nodal ground state, with a T-box dependent, physiologically dominant, fast conduction network driven specifically in the VCS. Disruption of the fast VCS gene regulatory network allowed nodal physiology to emerge, providing a plausible molecular mechanism for some lethal ventricular arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozanna Burnicka-Turek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael T. Broman
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Steimle
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bastiaan J. Boukens
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Medical Biology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nataliya B. Petrenko
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Cardiovascular Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kohta Ikegami
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rangarajan D. Nadadur
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yun Qiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - David E. Arnolds
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xinan H. Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Vickas V. Patel
- Discovery Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Igor R. Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Ivan P. Moskowitz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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18
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van Ouwerkerk AF, Bosada FM, van Duijvenboden K, Hill MC, Montefiori LE, Scholman KT, Liu J, de Vries AAF, Boukens BJ, Ellinor PT, Goumans MJTH, Efimov IR, Nobrega MA, Barnett P, Martin JF, Christoffels VM. Identification of atrial fibrillation associated genes and functional non-coding variants. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4755. [PMID: 31628324 PMCID: PMC6802215 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12721-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [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: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease-associated genetic variants that lie in non-coding regions found by genome-wide association studies are thought to alter the functionality of transcription regulatory elements and target gene expression. To uncover causal genetic variants, variant regulatory elements and their target genes, here we cross-reference human transcriptomic, epigenomic and chromatin conformation datasets. Of 104 genetic variant regions associated with atrial fibrillation candidate target genes are prioritized. We optimize EMERGE enhancer prediction and use accessible chromatin profiles of human atrial cardiomyocytes to more accurately predict cardiac regulatory elements and identify hundreds of sub-threshold variants that co-localize with regulatory elements. Removal of mouse homologues of atrial fibrillation-associated regions in vivo uncovers a distal regulatory region involved in Gja1 (Cx43) expression. Our analyses provide a shortlist of genes likely affected by atrial fibrillation-associated variants and provide variant regulatory elements in each region that link genetic variation and target gene regulation, helping to focus future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette F van Ouwerkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fernanda M Bosada
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karel van Duijvenboden
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew C Hill
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Koen T Scholman
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Center for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Anti-ageing and Regenerative Medicine, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Nanhai Ave, 3688, Shenzhen, China
- Netherlands Heart Institute, Holland Heart House, Moreelsepark 1, 3511 EP, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Antoine A F de Vries
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Heart Institute, Holland Heart House, Moreelsepark 1, 3511 EP, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan J Boukens
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick T Ellinor
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cardiovasular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marie José T H Goumans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Igor R Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Phil Barnett
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - James F Martin
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Boogerd CJ, Zhu X, Aneas I, Sakabe N, Zhang L, Sobreira DR, Montefiori L, Bogomolovas J, Joslin AC, Zhou B, Chen J, Nobrega MA, Evans SM. Tbx20 Is Required in Mid-Gestation Cardiomyocytes and Plays a Central Role in Atrial Development. Circ Res 2019; 123:428-442. [PMID: 29903739 PMCID: PMC6092109 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.118.311339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rationale: Mutations in the transcription factor TBX20 (T-box 20) are associated with congenital heart disease. Germline ablation of Tbx20 results in abnormal heart development and embryonic lethality by embryonic day 9.5. Because Tbx20 is expressed in multiple cell lineages required for myocardial development, including pharyngeal endoderm, cardiogenic mesoderm, endocardium, and myocardium, the cell type–specific requirement for TBX20 in early myocardial development remains to be explored. Objective: Here, we investigated roles of TBX20 in midgestation cardiomyocytes for heart development. Methods and Results: Ablation of Tbx20 from developing cardiomyocytes using a doxycycline inducible cTnTCre transgene led to embryonic lethality. The circumference of developing ventricular and atrial chambers, and in particular that of prospective left atrium, was significantly reduced in Tbx20 conditional knockout mutants. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated reduced proliferation of Tbx20 mutant cardiomyocytes and their arrest at the G1-S phase transition. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis of mutant cardiomyocytes revealed differential expression of multiple genes critical for cell cycle regulation. Moreover, atrial and ventricular gene programs seemed to be aberrantly regulated. Putative direct TBX20 targets were identified using TBX20 ChIP-Seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation with high throughput sequencing) from embryonic heart and included key cell cycle genes and atrial and ventricular specific genes. Notably, TBX20 bound a conserved enhancer for a gene key to atrial development and identity, COUP-TFII/Nr2f2 (chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 2/nuclear receptor subfamily 2, group F, member 2). This enhancer interacted with the NR2F2 promoter in human cardiomyocytes and conferred atrial specific gene expression in a transgenic mouse in a TBX20-dependent manner. Conclusions: Myocardial TBX20 directly regulates a subset of genes required for fetal cardiomyocyte proliferation, including those required for the G1-S transition. TBX20 also directly downregulates progenitor-specific genes and, in addition to regulating genes that specify chamber versus nonchamber myocardium, directly activates genes required for establishment or maintenance of atrial and ventricular identity. TBX20 plays a previously unappreciated key role in atrial development through direct regulation of an evolutionarily conserved COUPT-FII enhancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelis J. Boogerd
- From the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (C.J.B., X.Z., L.Z., S.M.E.)
| | - Xiaoming Zhu
- From the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (C.J.B., X.Z., L.Z., S.M.E.)
| | - Ivy Aneas
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Noboru Sakabe
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Lunfeng Zhang
- From the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (C.J.B., X.Z., L.Z., S.M.E.)
| | - Debora R. Sobreira
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Lindsey Montefiori
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Julius Bogomolovas
- Department of Medicine (J.B., J.C., S.M.E.)
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany (J.B.)
| | - Amelia C. Joslin
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Bin Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Medicine and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, NY (B.Z.)
| | - Ju Chen
- Department of Medicine (J.B., J.C., S.M.E.)
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, IL (I.A., N.S., D.R.S., L.M., A.C.J., M.A.N.)
| | - Sylvia M. Evans
- From the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (C.J.B., X.Z., L.Z., S.M.E.)
- Department of Medicine (J.B., J.C., S.M.E.)
- Department of Pharmacology (S.M.E.)
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20
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Montefiori LE, Nobrega MA. Gene therapy for pathologic gene expression. Science 2019; 363:231-232. [PMID: 30655431 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw0635] [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: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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21
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Howard CL, Decker DC, Swanson IA, Blaine KM, Nobrega MA, Sperling AI. A novel role of human lung endothelial cells in allergic airway disease by producing and responding to IL-33. The Journal of Immunology 2018. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.200.supp.44.17] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Allergic asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is characterized by airway hypersensitivity and eosinophilia. A prevalent feature of allergic asthma is increased serum IL-33 levels, and asthma GWAS have demonstrated that SNPs in the IL-33 locus are significantly associated with disease. While IL-33 and its downstream type 2 responses have been extensively studied in murine models of asthma, much less is known about the regulation of human IL33. Analysis of the mouse and human IL33 loci reveals little genomic conservation between the two species in non-coding regions. We generated a novel BAC transgenic mouse strain containing the human IL-33 locus with a fluorescent reporter to interrogate the regulation and expression of human IL-33. Surprisingly, the mice expressed human IL-33 primarily in endothelial cells, whereas murine IL-33 was expressed primarily in epithelial cells. These results mirror the expression profiles of IL-33 in primary human lung cells from the LungGENS database, thus demonstrating that our novel mouse model faithfully replicates human IL-33 expression. To understand how human IL-33 in the lung is regulated and expressed during inflammation, we examined BAC transgenic mice challenged with either house dust mite extract (HDM) or poly(I:C). In contrast to murine IL-33, expression of human IL-33 was reduced during allergic inflammation. We tested whether IL-33 is able to autoregulate itself via a negative feedback loop. Indeed, IL-33 administration downregulated the expression of human IL-33 in lung endothelial cells. Together, these data emphasize a distinct and novel role in humans for lung endothelial cells in allergic airway disease by producing and responding to IL-33.
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22
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Nicodemus-Johnson J, Myers RA, Sakabe NJ, Sobreira DR, Hogarth DK, Naureckas ET, Sperling AI, Solway J, White SR, Nobrega MA, Nicolae DL, Gilad Y, Ober C. DNA methylation in lung cells is associated with asthma endotypes and genetic risk. JCI Insight 2016; 1:e90151. [PMID: 27942592 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.90151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenome provides a substrate through which environmental exposures can exert their effects on gene expression and disease risk, but the relative importance of epigenetic variation on human disease onset and progression is poorly characterized. Asthma is a heterogeneous disease of the airways, for which both onset and clinical course result from interactions between host genotype and environmental exposures, yet little is known about the molecular mechanisms for these interactions. We assessed genome-wide DNA methylation using the Infinium Human Methylation 450K Bead Chip and characterized the transcriptome by RNA sequencing in primary airway epithelial cells from 74 asthmatic and 41 nonasthmatic adults. Asthma status was based on doctor's diagnosis and current medication use. Genotyping was performed using various Illumina platforms. Our study revealed a regulatory locus on chromosome 17q12-21 associated with asthma risk and epigenetic signatures of specific asthma endotypes and molecular networks. Overall, these data support a central role for DNA methylation in lung cells, which promotes distinct molecular pathways of asthma pathogenesis and modulates the effects of genetic variation on disease risk and clinical heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dan L Nicolae
- Department of Human Genetics.,Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Department of Human Genetics.,Department of Medicine, and
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23
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Boogerd CJ, Aneas I, Sakabe N, Dirschinger RJ, Cheng QJ, Zhou B, Chen J, Nobrega MA, Evans SM. Probing chromatin landscape reveals roles of endocardial TBX20 in septation. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:3023-35. [PMID: 27348591 DOI: 10.1172/jci85350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the T-box transcription factor TBX20 are associated with multiple forms of congenital heart defects, including cardiac septal abnormalities, but our understanding of the contributions of endocardial TBX20 to heart development remains incomplete. Here, we investigated how TBX20 interacts with endocardial gene networks to drive the mesenchymal and myocardial movements that are essential for outflow tract and atrioventricular septation. Selective ablation of Tbx20 in murine endocardial lineages reduced the expression of extracellular matrix and cell migration genes that are critical for septation. Using the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), we identified accessible chromatin within endocardial lineages and intersected these data with TBX20 ChIP-seq and chromatin loop maps to determine that TBX20 binds a conserved long-range enhancer to regulate versican (Vcan) expression. We also observed reduced Vcan expression in Tbx20-deficient mice, supporting a direct role for TBX20 in Vcan regulation. Further, we show that the Vcan enhancer drove reporter gene expression in endocardial lineages in a TBX20-binding site-dependent manner. This work illuminates gene networks that interact with TBX20 to orchestrate cardiac septation and provides insight into the chromatin landscape of endocardial lineages during septation.
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24
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Guimarães-Camboa N, Stowe J, Aneas I, Sakabe N, Cattaneo P, Henderson L, Kilberg MS, Johnson RS, Chen J, McCulloch AD, Nobrega MA, Evans SM, Zambon AC. HIF1α Represses Cell Stress Pathways to Allow Proliferation of Hypoxic Fetal Cardiomyocytes. Dev Cell 2015; 33:507-21. [PMID: 26028220 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional mediators of cell stress pathways, including HIF1α, ATF4, and p53, are key to normal development and play critical roles in disease, including ischemia and cancer. Despite their importance, mechanisms by which pathways mediated by these transcription factors interact with one another are not fully understood. In addressing the controversial role of HIF1α in cardiomyocytes (CMs) during heart development, we discovered a mid-gestational requirement for HIF1α for proliferation of hypoxic CMs, involving metabolic switching and a complex interplay among HIF1α, ATF4, and p53. Loss of HIF1α resulted in activation of ATF4 and p53, the latter inhibiting CM proliferation. Bioinformatic and biochemical analyses revealed unexpected mechanisms by which HIF1α intersects with ATF4 and p53 pathways. Our results highlight previously undescribed roles of HIF1α and interactions among major cell stress pathways that could be targeted to enhance proliferation of CMs in ischemia and may have relevance to other diseases, including cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Guimarães-Camboa
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar and GABBA Graduate Program, University of Porto, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Jennifer Stowe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Noboru Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Paola Cattaneo
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lindsay Henderson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael S Kilberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shands Cancer Center and Center for Nutritional Sciences, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32160, USA
| | - Randall S Johnson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EG Cambridge, UK
| | - Ju Chen
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Andrew D McCulloch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sylvia M Evans
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Alexander C Zambon
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Keck Graduate Institute, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
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25
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Chapman KM, Medrano GA, Jaichander P, Chaudhary J, Waits AE, Nobrega MA, Hotaling JM, Ober C, Hamra FK. Targeted Germline Modifications in Rats Using CRISPR/Cas9 and Spermatogonial Stem Cells. Cell Rep 2015; 10:1828-35. [PMID: 25772367 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms with targeted genomic modifications are efficiently produced by gene editing in embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 RNA-guided DNA endonuclease. Here, to facilitate germline editing in rats, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to catalyze targeted genomic mutations in rat spermatogonial stem cell cultures. CRISPR/Cas9-modified spermatogonia regenerated spermatogenesis and displayed long-term sperm-forming potential following transplantation into rat testes. Targeted germline mutations in Epsti1 and Erbb3 were vertically transmitted from recipients to exclusively generate "pure," non-mosaic mutant progeny. Epsti1 mutant rats were produced with or without genetic selection of donor spermatogonia. Monoclonal enrichment of Erbb3 null germlines unmasked recessive spermatogenesis defects in culture that were buffered in recipients, yielding mutant progeny isogenic at targeted alleles. Thus, spermatogonial gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9 provided a platform for generating targeted germline mutations in rats and for studying spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Chapman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Gerardo A Medrano
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Priscilla Jaichander
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jaideep Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Alexandra E Waits
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - James M Hotaling
- Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84134, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - F Kent Hamra
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Cecil H. & Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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26
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Mutskov V, Khalyfa A, Wang Y, Carreras A, Nobrega MA, Gozal D. Early-life physical activity reverses metabolic and Foxo1 epigenetic misregulation induced by gestational sleep disturbance. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2015; 308:R419-30. [PMID: 25568076 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00426.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Sleep disorders are highly prevalent during late pregnancy and can impose adverse effects, such as preeclampsia and diabetes. However, the consequences of sleep fragmentation (SF) on offspring metabolism and epigenomic signatures are unclear. We report that physical activity during early life, but not later, reversed the increased body weight, altered glucose and lipid homeostasis, and increased visceral adipose tissue in offspring of mice subjected to gestational SF (SFo). The reversibility of this phenotype may reflect epigenetic mechanisms induced by SF during gestation. Accordingly, we found that the metabolic master switch Foxo1 was epigenetically misregulated in SFo livers in a temporally regulated fashion. Temporal Foxo1 analysis and its gluconeogenetic targets revealed that the epigenetic abnormalities of Foxo1 precede the metabolic syndrome phenotype. Importantly, regular physical activity early, but not later in life, reversed Foxo1 epigenetic misregulation and altered the metabolic phenotype in gestationally SF-exposed offspring. Thus, we have identified a restricted postnatal period during which lifestyle interventions may reverse the Foxo1 epigenetically mediated risk for metabolic dysfunction later in the life, as induced by gestational sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesco Mutskov
- Section of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Abdelnaby Khalyfa
- Section of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Yang Wang
- Section of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Alba Carreras
- Section of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David Gozal
- Section of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
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27
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Bailey KA, Savic D, Zielinski M, Park SY, Wang LJ, Witkowski P, Brady M, Hara M, Bell GI, Nobrega MA. Evidence of non-pancreatic beta cell-dependent roles of Tcf7l2 in the regulation of glucose metabolism in mice. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 24:1646-54. [PMID: 25398947 PMCID: PMC4381752 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding variation within TCF7L2 remains the strongest genetic determinant of type 2 diabetes risk in humans. A considerable effort has been placed in understanding the functional roles of TCF7L2 in pancreatic beta cells, despite evidence of TCF7L2 expression in various peripheral tissues important in glucose homeostasis. Here, we use a humanized mouse model overexpressing Tcf7l2, resulting in glucose intolerance, to infer the contribution of Tcf7l2 overexpression in beta cells and in other tissues to the metabolic phenotypes displayed by these mice. Restoring Tcf7l2 expression specifically in beta cells to endogenous levels, in face of its overexpression elsewhere, results in impaired insulin secretion, reduced beta cell number and islet area, corroborating data obtained in humans showing similar phenotypes as a result of manipulations leading to Tcf7l2 loss of function. Interestingly, the persistent overexpression of Tcf7l2 in non-pancreatic tissues results in a significant worsening in glucose tolerance in vivo, indicating that Tcf7l2 overexpression in beta cells does not account for the glucose intolerance in the Tcf7l2 overexpression mouse model. Collectively, these data posit that Tcf7l2 plays key roles in glucose metabolism through actions beyond pancreatic beta cells, and further points to functionally opposing cell-type specific effects for Tcf7l2 on the maintenance of balanced glucose metabolism, thereby urging a careful examination of its role in non-pancreatic tissues as well as its composite metabolic effects across distinct tissues. Uncovering these roles may lead to new therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew Brady
- Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Graeme I Bell
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Medicine
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28
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van den Boogaard M, Smemo S, Burnicka-Turek O, Arnolds DE, van de Werken HJG, Klous P, McKean D, Muehlschlegel JD, Moosmann J, Toka O, Yang XH, Koopmann TT, Adriaens ME, Bezzina CR, de Laat W, Seidman C, Seidman JG, Christoffels VM, Nobrega MA, Barnett P, Moskowitz IP. A common genetic variant within SCN10A modulates cardiac SCN5A expression. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:1844-52. [PMID: 24642470 DOI: 10.1172/jci73140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Variants in SCN10A, which encodes a voltage-gated sodium channel, are associated with alterations of cardiac conduction parameters and the cardiac rhythm disorder Brugada syndrome; however, it is unclear how SCN10A variants promote dysfunctional cardiac conduction. Here we showed by high-resolution 4C-seq analysis of the Scn10a-Scn5a locus in murine heart tissue that a cardiac enhancer located in Scn10a, encompassing SCN10A functional variant rs6801957, interacts with the promoter of Scn5a, a sodium channel-encoding gene that is critical for cardiac conduction. We observed that SCN5A transcript levels were several orders of magnitude higher than SCN10A transcript levels in both adult human and mouse heart tissue. Analysis of BAC transgenic mouse strains harboring an engineered deletion of the enhancer within Scn10a revealed that the enhancer was essential for Scn5a expression in cardiac tissue. Furthermore, the common SCN10A variant rs6801957 modulated Scn5a expression in the heart. In humans, the SCN10A variant rs6801957, which correlated with slowed conduction, was associated with reduced SCN5A expression. These observations establish a genomic mechanism for how a common genetic variation at SCN10A influences cardiac physiology and predisposes to arrhythmia.
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29
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Sakabe NJ, Nobrega MA. Beyond the ENCODE project: using genomics and epigenomics strategies to study enhancer evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130022. [PMID: 24218635 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex expression patterns observed for many genes are often regulated by distal transcription enhancers. Changes in the nucleotide sequences of enhancers may therefore lead to changes in gene expression, representing a central mechanism by which organisms evolve. With the development of the experimental technique of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), in which discrete regions of the genome bound by specific proteins can be identified, it is now possible to identify transcription factor binding events (putative cis-regulatory elements) in entire genomes. Comparing protein-DNA binding maps allows us, for the first time, to attempt to identify regulatory differences and infer global patterns of change in gene expression across species. Here, we review studies that used genome-wide ChIP to study the evolution of enhancers. The trend is one of high divergence of cis-regulatory elements between species, possibly compensated by extensive creation and loss of regulatory elements and rewiring of their target genes. We speculate on the meaning of the differences observed and discuss that although ChIP experiments identify the biochemical event of protein-DNA interaction, it cannot determine whether the event results in a biological function, and therefore more studies are required to establish the effect of divergence of binding events on species-specific gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Jo Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, , Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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30
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Abstract
It is estimated that the human genome contains hundreds of thousands of enhancers, so understanding these gene-regulatory elements is a crucial goal. Several fundamental questions need to be addressed about enhancers, such as how do we identify them all, how do they work, and how do they contribute to disease and evolution? Five prominent researchers in this field look at how much we know already and what needs to be done to answer these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Len A Pennacchio
- Genomics Division, One Cyclotron Road, MS 84-171, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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32
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Smemo S, Campos LC, Moskowitz IP, Krieger JE, Pereira AC, Nobrega MA. Regulatory variation in a TBX5 enhancer leads to isolated congenital heart disease. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:3255-63. [PMID: 22543974 PMCID: PMC3384386 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [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] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Revised: 03/31/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have identified the genetic underpinnings of a growing number of diseases through targeted exome sequencing. However, this strategy ignores the large component of the genome that does not code for proteins, but is nonetheless biologically functional. To address the possible involvement of regulatory variation in congenital heart diseases (CHDs), we searched for regulatory mutations impacting the activity of TBX5, a dosage-dependent transcription factor with well-defined roles in the heart and limb development that has been associated with the Holt-Oram syndrome (heart-hand syndrome), a condition that affects 1/100 000 newborns. Using a combination of genomics, bioinformatics and mouse genetic engineering, we scanned ∼700 kb of the TBX5 locus in search of cis-regulatory elements. We uncovered three enhancers that collectively recapitulate the endogenous expression pattern of TBX5 in the developing heart. We re-sequenced these enhancer elements in a cohort of non-syndromic patients with isolated atrial and/or ventricular septal defects, the predominant cardiac defects of the Holt-Oram syndrome, and identified a patient with a homozygous mutation in an enhancer ∼90 kb downstream of TBX5. Notably, we demonstrate that this single-base-pair mutation abrogates the ability of the enhancer to drive expression within the heart in vivo using both mouse and zebrafish transgenic models. Given the population-wide frequency of this variant, we estimate that 1/100 000 individuals would be homozygous for this variant, highlighting that a significant number of CHD associated with TBX5 dysfunction might arise from non-coding mutations in TBX5 heart enhancers, effectively decoupling the heart and hand phenotypes of the Holt-Oram syndrome.
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MESH Headings
- Abnormalities, Multiple/embryology
- Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics
- Abnormalities, Multiple/metabolism
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Base Sequence
- Enhancer Elements, Genetic
- Heart/embryology
- Heart Defects, Congenital/embryology
- Heart Defects, Congenital/genetics
- Heart Defects, Congenital/metabolism
- Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/embryology
- Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/genetics
- Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/metabolism
- Homozygote
- Humans
- Lower Extremity Deformities, Congenital/embryology
- Lower Extremity Deformities, Congenital/genetics
- Lower Extremity Deformities, Congenital/metabolism
- Mice
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Point Mutation
- T-Box Domain Proteins/genetics
- T-Box Domain Proteins/metabolism
- Upper Extremity Deformities, Congenital/embryology
- Upper Extremity Deformities, Congenital/genetics
- Upper Extremity Deformities, Congenital/metabolism
- Zebrafish
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luciene C. Campos
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivan P. Moskowitz
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, and
| | - José E. Krieger
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre C. Pereira
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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33
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Arnolds DE, Liu F, Fahrenbach JP, Kim GH, Schillinger KJ, Smemo S, McNally EM, Nobrega MA, Patel VV, Moskowitz IP. TBX5 drives Scn5a expression to regulate cardiac conduction system function. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:2509-18. [PMID: 22728936 PMCID: PMC3386825 DOI: 10.1172/jci62617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [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] [Received: 12/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac conduction system (CCS) disease, which results in disrupted conduction and impaired cardiac rhythm, is common with significant morbidity and mortality. Current treatment options are limited, and rational efforts to develop cell-based and regenerative therapies require knowledge of the molecular networks that establish and maintain CCS function. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci associated with adult human CCS function, including TBX5 and SCN5A. We hypothesized that TBX5, a critical developmental transcription factor, regulates transcriptional networks required for mature CCS function. We found that deletion of Tbx5 from the mature murine ventricular conduction system (VCS), including the AV bundle and bundle branches, resulted in severe VCS functional consequences, including loss of fast conduction, arrhythmias, and sudden death. Ventricular contractile function and the VCS fate map remained unchanged in VCS-specific Tbx5 knockouts. However, key mediators of fast conduction, including Nav1.5, which is encoded by Scn5a, and connexin 40 (Cx40), demonstrated Tbx5-dependent expression in the VCS. We identified a TBX5-responsive enhancer downstream of Scn5a sufficient to drive VCS expression in vivo, dependent on canonical T-box binding sites. Our results establish a direct molecular link between Tbx5 and Scn5a and elucidate a hierarchy between human GWAS loci that affects function of the mature VCS, establishing a paradigm for understanding the molecular pathology of CCS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Arnolds
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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34
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Distler MG, Plant LD, Sokoloff G, Hawk AJ, Aneas I, Wuenschell GE, Termini J, Meredith SC, Nobrega MA, Palmer AA. Glyoxalase 1 increases anxiety by reducing GABAA receptor agonist methylglyoxal. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:2306-15. [PMID: 22585572 DOI: 10.1172/jci61319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) expression has previously been associated with anxiety in mice; however, its role in anxiety is controversial, and the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that GLO1 increases anxiety by reducing levels of methylglyoxal (MG), a GABAA receptor agonist. Mice overexpressing Glo1 on a Tg bacterial artificial chromosome displayed increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced brain MG concentrations. Treatment with low doses of MG reduced anxiety-like behavior, while higher doses caused locomotor depression, ataxia, and hypothermia, which are characteristic effects of GABAA receptor activation. Consistent with these data, we found that physiological concentrations of MG selectively activated GABAA receptors in primary neurons. These data indicate that GLO1 increases anxiety by reducing levels of MG, thereby decreasing GABAA receptor activation. More broadly, our findings potentially link metabolic state, neuronal inhibitory tone, and behavior. Finally, we demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of GLO1 reduced anxiety, suggesting that GLO1 is a possible target for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret G Distler
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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35
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Savic D, Bell GI, Nobrega MA. An in vivo cis-regulatory screen at the type 2 diabetes associated TCF7L2 locus identifies multiple tissue-specific enhancers. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36501. [PMID: 22590553 PMCID: PMC3349716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have repeatedly shown an association between non-coding variants in the TCF7L2 locus and risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), implicating a role for cis-regulatory variation within this locus in disease etiology. Supporting this hypothesis, we previously localized complex regulatory activity to the TCF7L2 T2D-associated interval using an in vivo bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) enhancer-trapping reporter strategy. To follow-up on this broad initial survey of the TCF7L2 regulatory landscape, we performed a fine-mapping enhancer scan using in vivo mouse transgenic reporter assays. We functionally interrogated approximately 50% of the sequences within the T2D-associated interval, utilizing sequence conservation within this 92-kb interval to determine the regulatory potential of all evolutionary conserved sequences that exhibited conservation to the non-eutherian mammal opossum. Included in this study was a detailed functional interrogation of sequences spanning both protective and risk alleles of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7903146, which has exhibited allele-specific enhancer function in pancreatic beta cells. Using these assays, we identified nine segments regulating various aspects of the TCF7L2 expression profile and that constitute nearly 70% of the sequences tested. These results highlight the regulatory complexity of this interval and support the notion that a TCF7L2 cis-regulatory disruption leads to T2D predisposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Savic
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
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36
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Auton A, Fledel-Alon A, Pfeifer S, Venn O, Ségurel L, Street T, Leffler EM, Bowden R, Aneas I, Broxholme J, Humburg P, Iqbal Z, Lunter G, Maller J, Hernandez RD, Melton C, Venkat A, Nobrega MA, Bontrop R, Myers S, Donnelly P, Przeworski M, McVean G. A fine-scale chimpanzee genetic map from population sequencing. Science 2012; 336:193-8. [PMID: 22422862 PMCID: PMC3532813 DOI: 10.1126/science.1216872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [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: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To study the evolution of recombination rates in apes, we developed methodology to construct a fine-scale genetic map from high-throughput sequence data from 10 Western chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus. Compared to the human genetic map, broad-scale recombination rates tend to be conserved, but with exceptions, particularly in regions of chromosomal rearrangements and around the site of ancestral fusion in human chromosome 2. At fine scales, chimpanzee recombination is dominated by hotspots, which show no overlap with those of humans even though rates are similarly elevated around CpG islands and decreased within genes. The hotspot-specifying protein PRDM9 shows extensive variation among Western chimpanzees, and there is little evidence that any sequence motifs are enriched in hotspots. The contrasting locations of hotspots provide a natural experiment, which demonstrates the impact of recombination on base composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Auton
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adi Fledel-Alon
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Susanne Pfeifer
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Oliver Venn
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Laure Ségurel
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Teresa Street
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Ellen M. Leffler
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rory Bowden
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John Broxholme
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Peter Humburg
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Zamin Iqbal
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Gerton Lunter
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Julian Maller
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Ryan D. Hernandez
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0912, USA
| | - Cord Melton
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Aarti Venkat
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ronald Bontrop
- Department of Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Center, Lange Kleiweg 139 2288 GJ, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Simon Myers
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Peter Donnelly
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Molly Przeworski
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gil McVean
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Department of Statistics, 1 South Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
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37
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Sakabe NJ, Aneas I, Shen T, Shokri L, Park SY, Bulyk ML, Evans SM, Nobrega MA. Dual transcriptional activator and repressor roles of TBX20 regulate adult cardiac structure and function. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:2194-204. [PMID: 22328084 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds034] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing requirement in adult heart for transcription factors with key roles in cardiac development is not well understood. We recently demonstrated that TBX20, a transcriptional regulator required for cardiac development, has key roles in the maintenance of functional and structural phenotypes in adult mouse heart. Conditional ablation of Tbx20 in adult cardiomyocytes leads to a rapid onset and progression of heart failure, with prominent conduction and contractility phenotypes that lead to death. Here we describe a more comprehensive molecular characterization of the functions of TBX20 in adult mouse heart. Coupling genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and transcriptome analyses (RNA-Seq), we identified a subset of genes that change expression in Tbx20 adult cardiomyocyte-specific knockout hearts which are direct downstream targets of TBX20. This analysis revealed a dual role for TBX20 as both a transcriptional activator and a repressor, and that each of these functions regulates genes with very specialized and distinct molecular roles. We also show how TBX20 binds to its targets genome-wide in a context-dependent manner, using various cohorts of co-factors to either promote or repress distinct genetic programs within adult heart. Our integrative approach has uncovered several novel aspects of TBX20 and T-box protein function within adult heart. Sequencing data accession number (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo): GSE30943.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru J Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Distal transcription enhancers are cis-regulatory elements that promote gene expression, enabling spatiotemporal control of genetic programs such as those required in metazoan developmental processes. Because of their importance, their disruption can lead to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Jo Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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39
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Shen T, Aneas I, Sakabe N, Dirschinger RJ, Wang G, Smemo S, Westlund JM, Cheng H, Dalton N, Gu Y, Boogerd CJ, Cai CL, Peterson K, Chen J, Nobrega MA, Evans SM. Tbx20 regulates a genetic program essential to adult mouse cardiomyocyte function. J Clin Invest 2011; 121:4640-54. [PMID: 22080862 DOI: 10.1172/jci59472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human mutations in or variants of TBX20 are associated with congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. To investigate whether cardiac disease in patients with these conditions results from an embryonic or ongoing requirement for Tbx20 in myocardium, we ablated Tbx20 specifically in adult cardiomyocytes in mice. This ablation resulted in the onset of severe cardiomyopathy accompanied by arrhythmias, with death ensuing within 1 to 2 weeks of Tbx20 ablation. Accounting for this dramatic phenotype, we identified molecular signatures that posit Tbx20 as a central integrator of a genetic program that maintains cardiomyocyte function in the adult heart. Expression of a number of genes encoding critical transcription factors, ion channels, and cytoskeletal/myofibrillar proteins was downregulated consequent to loss of Tbx20. Genome-wide ChIP analysis of Tbx20-binding regions in the adult heart revealed that many of these genes were direct downstream targets of Tbx20 and uncovered a previously undescribed DNA-binding site for Tbx20. Bioinformatics and in vivo functional analyses revealed a cohort of transcription factors that, working with Tbx20, integrated multiple environmental signals to maintain ion channel gene expression in the adult heart. Our data provide insight into the mechanisms by which mutations in TBX20 cause adult heart disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Shen
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy, UCSD, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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40
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Savic D, Distler MG, Sokoloff G, Shanahan NA, Dulawa SC, Palmer AA, Nobrega MA. Modulation ofTcf7l2 expression alters behavior in mice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26897. [PMID: 22046400 PMCID: PMC3203170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The comorbidity of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with several psychiatric diseases is well established. While environmental factors may partially account for these co-occurrences, common genetic susceptibilities could also be implicated in the confluence of these diseases. In support of shared genetic burdens, TCF7L2, the strongest genetic determinant for T2D risk in the human population, has been recently implicated in schizophrenia (SCZ) risk, suggesting that this may be one of many loci that pleiotropically influence both diseases. To investigate whether Tcf7l2 is involved in behavioral phenotypes in addition to its roles in glucose metabolism, we conducted several behavioral tests in mice with null alleles of Tcf7l2 or overexpressing Tcf7l2. We identified a role for Tcf7l2 in anxiety-like behavior and a dose-dependent effect of Tcf7l2 alleles on fear learning. None of the mutant mice showed differences in prepulse inhibition (PPI), which is a well-established endophenotype for SCZ. These results show that Tcf7l2 alters behavior in mice. Importantly, these differences are observed prior to the onset of detectable glucose metabolism abnormalities. Whether these differences are related to human anxiety-disorders or schizophrenia remains to be determined. These animal models have the potential to elucidate the molecular basis of psychiatric comorbidities in diabetes and should therefore be studied further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Savic
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Margaret G. Distler
- Committee on Molecular Pathogenesis and Molecular Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Greta Sokoloff
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nancy A. Shanahan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Stephanie C. Dulawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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41
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Taher L, McGaughey DM, Maragh S, Aneas I, Bessling SL, Miller W, Nobrega MA, McCallion AS, Ovcharenko I. Genome-wide identification of conserved regulatory function in diverged sequences. Genome Res 2011; 21:1139-49. [PMID: 21628450 PMCID: PMC3129256 DOI: 10.1101/gr.119016.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity of gene regulatory encryption can permit DNA sequence divergence without loss of function. Functional information is preserved through conservation of the composition of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in a regulatory element. We have developed a method that can accurately identify pairs of functional noncoding orthologs at evolutionarily diverged loci by searching for conserved TFBS arrangements. With an estimated 5% false-positive rate (FPR) in approximately 3000 human and zebrafish syntenic loci, we detected approximately 300 pairs of diverged elements that are likely to share common ancestry and have similar regulatory activity. By analyzing a pool of experimentally validated human enhancers, we demonstrated that 7/8 (88%) of their predicted functional orthologs retained in vivo regulatory control. Moreover, in 5/7 (71%) of assayed enhancer pairs, we observed concordant expression patterns. We argue that TFBS composition is often necessary to retain and sufficient to predict regulatory function in the absence of overt sequence conservation, revealing an entire class of functionally conserved, evolutionarily diverged regulatory elements that we term "covert."
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Taher
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
| | - David M. McGaughey
- McKusick–Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Samantha Maragh
- McKusick–Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
- Biochemical Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Seneca L. Bessling
- McKusick–Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Webb Miller
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Andrew S. McCallion
- McKusick–Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Ivan Ovcharenko
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
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42
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Savic D, Ye H, Aneas I, Park SY, Bell GI, Nobrega MA. Alterations in TCF7L2 expression define its role as a key regulator of glucose metabolism. Genome Res 2011; 21:1417-25. [PMID: 21673050 DOI: 10.1101/gr.123745.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have consistently implicated noncoding variation within the TCF7L2 locus with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. While this locus represents the strongest genetic determinant for T2D risk in humans, it remains unclear how these noncoding variants affect disease etiology. To test the hypothesis that the T2D-associated interval harbors cis-regulatory elements controlling TCF7L2 expression, we conducted in vivo transgenic reporter assays to characterize the TCF7L2 regulatory landscape. We found that the 92-kb genomic interval associated with T2D harbors long-range enhancers regulating various aspects of the spatial-temporal expression patterns of TCF7L2, including expression in tissues involved in the control of glucose homeostasis. By selectively deleting this interval, we establish a critical role for these enhancers in robust TCF7L2 expression. To further determine whether variation in Tcf7l2 expression may lead to diabetes, we developed a Tcf7l2 copy-number allelic series in mice. We show that a null Tcf7l2 allele leads, in a dose-dependent manner, to lower glycemic profiles. Tcf7l2 null mice also display enhanced glucose tolerance coupled to significantly lowered insulin levels, suggesting that these mice are protected against T2D. Confirming these observations, transgenic mice harboring multiple Tcf7l2 copies and overexpressing this gene display reciprocal phenotypes, including glucose intolerance. These results directly demonstrate that Tcf7l2 plays a role in regulating glucose tolerance, suggesting that overexpression of this gene is associated with increased risk of T2D. These data highlight the role of enhancer elements as mediators of T2D risk in humans, strengthening the evidence that variation in cis-regulatory elements may be a paradigm for genetic predispositions to common disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Savic
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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43
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Arnolds DE, Chu A, McNally EM, Nobrega MA, Moskowitz IP. The emerging genetic landscape underlying cardiac conduction system function. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 91:578-85. [PMID: 21538814 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Revised: 01/26/2011] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Proper function of an organized Cardiac Conduction System (CCS) is vital to the survival of metazoans ranging from fly to man. The routine use of non-invasive electrocardiogram measures in the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular health has established a trove of reliable CCS functional data in both normal and diseased cardiac states. Recent combination of echocardiogram (ECG) data with genome-wide association studies has identified genomic regions implicated in ECG variability which impact CCS function. In this study, we review the substantial recent progress in this area, highlighting the identification of novel loci, confirming the importance of previously implicated loci in CCS function, and exploring potential links between genes with important roles in developmental processes and variation in function of the CCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Arnolds
- Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology,The University of Chicago, 900 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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44
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Abstract
Expression of eukaryotic genes with complex spatial-temporal regulation during development requires finer regulation than that of genes with simpler expression patterns. Given the high degree of conservation of the developmental gene set across distantly related phylogenetic taxa, it is argued that evolutionary variation has occurred by tweaking regulation of expression of developmental genes, rather than by changes in genes themselves. Complex regulation is often achieved through the coordinated action of transcription regulatory elements spread across the genome up to tens of kilobases from the promoters of their target genes. Disruption of regulatory elements has been implicated in several diseases and studies showing associations between disease traits and nonprotein coding variation hint for a role of regulatory elements as cause of diseases. Therefore, the identification and mapping of regulatory elements in genome scale is crucial to understand how gene expression is regulated, how organisms evolve, and to identify sequence variation causing diseases. Previously developed experimental techniques have been adapted to identify regulatory elements in genome scale and high-throughput, allowing a global view of their biological roles. We review methods as chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNase I hypersensitivity, and computational approaches and how they have been employed to generate maps of histone modifications, open chromatin, nucleosome positioning, and transcription factor binding regions in whole mammalian genomes. Given the importance of non-promoter elements in gene regulation and the recent explosion in the number of studies devoted to them, we focus on these elements and discuss the insights on gene regulation being obtained by these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru J Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Wasserman NF, Aneas I, Nobrega MA. An 8q24 gene desert variant associated with prostate cancer risk confers differential in vivo activity to a MYC enhancer. Genome Res 2010; 20:1191-7. [PMID: 20627891 DOI: 10.1101/gr.105361.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) routinely identify risk variants in noncoding DNA, as exemplified by reports of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer in five independent regions in a gene desert on 8q24. Two of these regions also have been associated with breast and colorectal cancer. These findings implicate functional variation within long-range cis-regulatory elements in disease etiology. We used an in vivo bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) enhancer-trapping strategy in mice to scan a half-megabase of the 8q24 gene desert encompassing the prostate cancer-associated regions for long-range cis-regulatory elements. These BAC assays identified both prostate and mammary gland enhancer activities within the region. We demonstrate that the 8q24 cancer-associated variant rs6983267 lies within an in vivo prostate enhancer whose expression mimics that of the nearby MYC proto-oncogene. Additionally, we show that the cancer risk allele increases prostate enhancer activity in vivo relative to the non-risk allele. This allele-specific enhancer activity is detectable during early prostate development and throughout prostate maturation, raising the possibility that this SNP could assert its influence on prostate cancer risk before tumorigenesis occurs. Our study represents an efficient strategy to build experimentally on GWAS findings with an in vivo method for rapidly scanning large regions of noncoding DNA for functional cis-regulatory sequences harboring variation implicated in complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora F Wasserman
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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46
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Nobrega MA. Journal club. Nature 2010; 466:11. [DOI: 10.1038/466011e] [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: 11/09/2022]
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Gotea V, Visel A, Westlund JM, Nobrega MA, Pennacchio LA, Ovcharenko I. Homotypic clusters of transcription factor binding sites are a key component of human promoters and enhancers. Genome Res 2010; 20:565-77. [PMID: 20363979 DOI: 10.1101/gr.104471.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Clustering of multiple transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) for the same transcription factor (TF) is a common feature of cis-regulatory modules in invertebrate animals, but the occurrence of such homotypic clusters of TFBSs (HCTs) in the human genome has remained largely unknown. To explore whether HCTs are also common in human and other vertebrates, we used known binding motifs for vertebrate TFs and a hidden Markov model-based approach to detect HCTs in the human, mouse, chicken, and fugu genomes, and examined their association with cis-regulatory modules. We found that evolutionarily conserved HCTs occupy nearly 2% of the human genome, with experimental evidence for individual TFs supporting their binding to predicted HCTs. More than half of the promoters of human genes contain HCTs, with a distribution around the transcription start site in agreement with the experimental data from the ENCODE project. In addition, almost half of the 487 experimentally validated developmental enhancers contain them as well--a number more than 25-fold larger than expected by chance. We also found evidence of negative selection acting on TFBSs within HCTs, as the conservation of TFBSs is stronger than the conservation of sequences separating them. The important role of HCTs as components of developmental enhancers is additionally supported by a strong correlation between HCTs and the binding of the enhancer-associated coactivator protein Ep300 (also known as p300). Experimental validation of HCT-containing elements in both zebrafish and mouse suggest that HCTs could be used to predict both the presence of enhancers and their tissue specificity, and are thus a feature that can be effectively used in deciphering the gene regulatory code. In conclusion, our results indicate that HCTs are a pervasive feature of human cis-regulatory modules and suggest that they play an important role in gene regulation in the human and other vertebrate genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valer Gotea
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
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Abstract
The various organogenic programs deployed during embryonic development rely on the precise expression of a multitude of genes in time and space. Identifying the cis-regulatory elements responsible for this tightly orchestrated regulation of gene expression is an essential step in understanding the genetic pathways involved in development. We describe a strategy to systematically identify tissue-specific cis-regulatory elements that share combinations of sequence motifs. Using heart development as an experimental framework, we employed a combination of Gibbs sampling and linear regression to build a classifier that identifies heart enhancers based on the presence and/or absence of various sequence features, including known and putative transcription factor (TF) binding specificities. In distinguishing heart enhancers from a large pool of random noncoding sequences, the performance of our classifier is vastly superior to four commonly used methods, with an accuracy reaching 92% in cross-validation. Furthermore, most of the binding specificities learned by our method resemble the specificities of TFs widely recognized as key players in heart development and differentiation, such as SRF, MEF2, ETS1, SMAD, and GATA. Using our classifier as a predictor, a genome-wide scan identified over 40,000 novel human heart enhancers. Although the classifier used no gene expression information, these novel enhancers are strongly associated with genes expressed in the heart. Finally, in vivo tests of our predictions in mouse and zebrafish achieved a validation rate of 62%, significantly higher than what is expected by chance. These results support the existence of underlying cis-regulatory codes dictating tissue-specific transcription in mammalian genomes and validate our enhancer classifier strategy as a method to uncover these regulatory codes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leelavati Narlikar
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA
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Nobrega MA, Solberg Woods LC, Fleming S, Jacob HJ. Distinct genetic regulation of progression of diabetes and renal disease in the Goto-Kakizaki rat. Physiol Genomics 2009; 39:38-46. [PMID: 19584172 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.90389.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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
Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats develop early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) symptoms, with signs of diabetic nephropathy becoming apparent with aging. To determine whether T2D and renal disease share similar genetic architecture, we ran a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis in the F2 progeny of a GK x Brown Norway (BN) rat cross. Further, to determine whether genetic components change over time, we ran the QTL analysis on phenotypes collected longitudinally, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mo, from the same animals. We confirmed three chromosomal regions that are linked to early diabetes phenotypes (chromosomes 1, 5, and 10) and a single region involved in the late progression of the disorder (chromosome 4). A single region was identified for the onset of the renal phenotype proteinuria (chromosome 5). This region overlaps the diabetic QTL, although it is not certain whether similar genes are involved in both phenotypes. A second QTL linked to the progression of the renal phenotype was found on chromosome 7. Linkage for triglyceride and cholesterol levels were also identified (chromosomes 7 and 8, respectively). These results demonstrate that, in general, different genetic components control diabetic and renal phenotypes in a diabetic nephropathy model. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that, over time, different genetic components are involved in progression of disease from those that were involved in disease onset. This observation would suggest that clinical studies collecting participants over a wide age distribution may be diluting genetic effects and reducing power to detect true effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53266, USA.
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50
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van Bon BWM, Mefford HC, Menten B, Koolen DA, Sharp AJ, Nillesen WM, Innis JW, de Ravel TJL, Mercer CL, Fichera M, Stewart H, Connell LE, Ounap K, Lachlan K, Castle B, Van der Aa N, van Ravenswaaij C, Nobrega MA, Serra-Juhé C, Simonic I, de Leeuw N, Pfundt R, Bongers EM, Baker C, Finnemore P, Huang S, Maloney VK, Crolla JA, van Kalmthout M, Elia M, Vandeweyer G, Fryns JP, Janssens S, Foulds N, Reitano S, Smith K, Parkel S, Loeys B, Woods CG, Oostra A, Speleman F, Pereira AC, Kurg A, Willatt L, Knight SJL, Vermeesch JR, Romano C, Barber JC, Mortier G, Pérez-Jurado LA, Kooy F, Brunner HG, Eichler EE, Kleefstra T, de Vries BBA. Further delineation of the 15q13 microdeletion and duplication syndromes: a clinical spectrum varying from non-pathogenic to a severe outcome. J Med Genet 2009; 46:511-23. [PMID: 19372089 DOI: 10.1136/jmg.2008.063412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recurrent 15q13.3 microdeletions were recently identified with identical proximal (BP4) and distal (BP5) breakpoints and associated with mild to moderate mental retardation and epilepsy. METHODS To assess further the clinical implications of this novel 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome, 18 new probands with a deletion were molecularly and clinically characterised. In addition, we evaluated the characteristics of a family with a more proximal deletion between BP3 and BP4. Finally, four patients with a duplication in the BP3-BP4-BP5 region were included in this study to ascertain the clinical significance of duplications in this region. RESULTS The 15q13.3 microdeletion in our series was associated with a highly variable intra- and inter-familial phenotype. At least 11 of the 18 deletions identified were inherited. Moreover, 7 of 10 siblings from four different families also had this deletion: one had a mild developmental delay, four had only learning problems during childhood, but functioned well in daily life as adults, whereas the other two had no learning problems at all. In contrast to previous findings, seizures were not a common feature in our series (only 2 of 17 living probands). Three patients with deletions had cardiac defects and deletion of the KLF13 gene, located in the critical region, may contribute to these abnormalities. The limited data from the single family with the more proximal BP3-BP4 deletion suggest this deletion may have little clinical significance. Patients with duplications of the BP3-BP4-BP5 region did not share a recognisable phenotype, but psychiatric disease was noted in 2 of 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings broaden the phenotypic spectrum associated with 15q13.3 deletions and suggest that, in some individuals, deletion of 15q13.3 is not sufficient to cause disease. The existence of microdeletion syndromes, associated with an unpredictable and variable phenotypic outcome, will pose the clinician with diagnostic difficulties and challenge the commonly used paradigm in the diagnostic setting that aberrations inherited from a phenotypically normal parent are usually without clinical consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- B W M van Bon
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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