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Choudalakis M, Bashtrykov P, Jeltsch A. RepEnTools: an automated repeat enrichment analysis package for ChIP-seq data reveals hUHRF1 Tandem-Tudor domain enrichment in young repeats. Mob DNA 2024; 15:6. [PMID: 38570859 PMCID: PMC10988844 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-024-00315-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repeat elements (REs) play important roles for cell function in health and disease. However, RE enrichment analysis in short-read high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data, such as ChIP-seq, is a challenging task. RESULTS Here, we present RepEnTools, a software package for genome-wide RE enrichment analysis of ChIP-seq and similar chromatin pulldown experiments. Our analysis package bundles together various software with carefully chosen and validated settings to provide a complete solution for RE analysis, starting from raw input files to tabular and graphical outputs. RepEnTools implementations are easily accessible even with minimal IT skills (Galaxy/UNIX). To demonstrate the performance of RepEnTools, we analysed chromatin pulldown data by the human UHRF1 TTD protein domain and discovered enrichment of TTD binding on young primate and hominid specific polymorphic repeats (SVA, L1PA1/L1HS) overlapping known enhancers and decorated with H3K4me1-K9me2/3 modifications. We corroborated these new bioinformatic findings with experimental data by qPCR assays using newly developed primate and hominid specific qPCR assays which complement similar research tools. Finally, we analysed mouse UHRF1 ChIP-seq data with RepEnTools and showed that the endogenous mUHRF1 protein colocalizes with H3K4me1-H3K9me3 on promoters of REs which were silenced by UHRF1. These new data suggest a functional role for UHRF1 in silencing of REs that is mediated by TTD binding to the H3K4me1-K9me3 double mark and conserved in two mammalian species. CONCLUSIONS RepEnTools improves the previously available programmes for RE enrichment analysis in chromatin pulldown studies by leveraging new tools, enhancing accessibility and adding some key functions. RepEnTools can analyse RE enrichment rapidly, efficiently, and accurately, providing the community with an up-to-date, reliable and accessible tool for this important type of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Choudalakis
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Pavel Bashtrykov
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Albert Jeltsch
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
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2
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Bajpai SK, Nisha, Pandita S, Bahadur A, Verma PC. Recent advancements in the role of histone acetylation dynamics to improve stress responses in plants. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:413. [PMID: 38472555 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09300-3] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, transcriptional regulation is determined by the DNA sequence and is facilitated through sophisticated and complex chromatin alterations and histone remodelling. Recent research has shown that the histone acetylation dynamic, an intermittent and reversible substitution, constitutes a prerequisite for chromatin modification. These changes in chromatin structure modulate genome-wide and specific changes in response to external and internal cues like cell differentiation, development, growth, light temperature, and biotic stresses. Histone acetylation dynamics also control the cell cycle. HATs and HDACs play a critical role in gene expression modulation during plant growth and response to environmental circumstances. It has been well established that HATs and HDACs interact with various distinct transcription factors and chromatin-remodelling proteins (CRPs) involved in the transcriptional regulation of several developmental processes. This review explores recent research on histone acyltransferases and histone deacetylases, mainly focusing on their involvement in plant biotic stress responses. Moreover, we also emphasized the research gaps that must be filled to fully understand the complete function of histone acetylation dynamics during biotic stress responses in plants. A thorough understanding of histone acetylation will make it possible to enhance tolerance against various kinds of stress and decrease yield losses in many crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar Bajpai
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Nisha
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Shivali Pandita
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226007, India
| | - Anand Bahadur
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India
- Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226007, India
| | - Praveen C Verma
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, UP, 226001, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India.
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3
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Suganuma T, Workman JL. Chromatin balances cell redox and energy homeostasis. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:46. [PMID: 38017471 PMCID: PMC10683155 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-023-00520-8] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin plays a central role in the conversion of energy in cells: alteration of chromatin structure to make DNA accessible consumes energy, and compaction of chromatin preserves energy. Alteration of chromatin structure uses energy sources derived from carbon metabolism such as ATP and acetyl-CoA; conversely, chromatin compaction and epigenetic modification feedback to metabolism and energy homeostasis by controlling gene expression and storing metabolites. Coordination of these dual chromatin events must be flexibly modulated in response to environmental changes such as during development and exposure to stress. Aging also alters chromatin structure and the coordination of metabolism, chromatin dynamics, and other cell processes. Noncoding RNAs and other RNA species that associate directly with chromatin or with chromatin modifiers contribute to spatiotemporal control of transcription and energy conversion. The time required for generating the large amounts of RNAs and chromatin modifiers observed in super-enhancers may be critical for regulation of transcription and may be impacted by aging. Here, taking into account these factors, we review alterations of chromatin that are fundamental to cell responses to metabolic changes due to stress and aging to maintain redox and energy homeostasis. We discuss the relationship between spatiotemporal control of energy and chromatin function, as this emerging concept must be considered to understand how cell homeostasis is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamaki Suganuma
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
| | - Jerry L Workman
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
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4
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Gao Z, Zhou Y, He Y. Molecular epigenetic mechanisms for the memory of temperature stresses in plants. J Genet Genomics 2022; 49:991-1001. [PMID: 35870761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The sessile plants encounter various stresses; some are prolonged, whereas some others are recurrent. Temperature is crucial for plant growth and development, and plants often encounter adverse high temperature fluctuations (heat stresses) as well as prolonged cold exposure such as seasonal temperature drops in winter when grown in temperate regions. Many plants can remember past temperature stresses to get adapted to adverse local temperature changes to ensure survival and/or reproductive success. Here, we summarize chromatin-based mechanisms underlying acquired thermotolerance or thermomemory in plants and review recent progresses on molecular epigenetic understanding of 'remembering of prolonged cold in winter' or vernalization, a process critical for various over-wintering plants to acquire competence to flower in the coming spring. In addition, perspectives on future study in temperature stress memories of economically-important crops are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuehui He
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China.
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5
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Gahan JM, Leclère L, Hernandez-Valladares M, Rentzsch F. A developmental role for the chromatin-regulating CoREST complex in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. BMC Biol 2022; 20:184. [PMID: 35999597 PMCID: PMC9400249 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01385-1] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chromatin-modifying proteins are key players in the regulation of development and cell differentiation in animals. Most chromatin modifiers, however, predate the evolution of animal multicellularity, and how they gained new functions and became integrated into the regulatory networks underlying development is unclear. One way this may occur is the evolution of new scaffolding proteins that integrate multiple chromatin regulators into larger complexes that facilitate coordinated deposition or removal of different chromatin modifications. We test this hypothesis by analyzing the evolution of the CoREST-Lsd1-HDAC complex. Results Using phylogenetic analyses, we show that a bona fide CoREST homolog is found only in choanoflagellates and animals. We then use the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis as a model for early branching metazoans and identify a conserved CoREST complex by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry of an endogenously tagged Lsd1 allele. In addition to CoREST, Lsd1 and HDAC1/2 this complex contains homologs of HMG20A/B and PHF21A, two subunits that have previously only been identified in mammalian CoREST complexes. NvCoREST expression overlaps fully with that of NvLsd1 throughout development, with higher levels in differentiated neural cells. NvCoREST mutants, generated using CRISPR-Cas9, fail to develop beyond the primary polyp stage, thereby revealing essential roles during development and for the differentiation of cnidocytes that phenocopy NvLsd1 mutants. We also show that this requirement is cell autonomous using a cell-type-specific rescue approach. Conclusions The identification of a Nematostella CoREST-Lsd1-HDAC1/2 complex, its similarity in composition with the vertebrate complex, and the near-identical expression patterns and mutant phenotypes of NvCoREST and NvLsd1 suggest that the complex was present before the last common cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor and thus represents an ancient component of the animal developmental toolkit.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01385-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Gahan
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Lucas Leclère
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-Sur-Mer (LBDV), 06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Maria Hernandez-Valladares
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Granada, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.,Proteomics Facility of the University of Bergen (PROBE), University of Bergen, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Fabian Rentzsch
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, 5006, Bergen, Norway. .,Department for Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 53, 5006, Bergen, Norway.
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6
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Karimi Kelaye S, Najafi F, Kazemi B, Foruzandeh Z, Seif F, Solali S, Alivand MR. The contributing factors of resistance or sensitivity to epigenetic drugs in the treatment of AML. Clin Transl Oncol 2022; 24:1250-1261. [PMID: 35076883 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02776-0] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance is the drug-effectiveness reduction in treatment and is a serious problem in oncology and infections. In oncology, drug resistance is a complicated process resulting from enhancing the function of a pump that transports drugs out of tumor cells, or acquiring mutations in drug target. Surprisingly, most drugs are very effective in the early stages, but the response to the drug wears off over time and resistance eventually develops. Drug resistance is caused by genetic and epigenetic changes that affect cancer cells and the tumor environment. The study of inherited changes in the phenotype without changes in the DNA sequence is called epigenetics. Because of reversible changes in epigenetics, they are an attractive target for therapy. Some of these epigenetic drugs are effective in treating cancers like acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is characterized by the accumulation and proliferation of immature hematopoietic cells in the blood and bone marrow. In this article, we outlined the various contributing factors involved in resistance or sensitivity to epigenetic drugs in the treatment of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohre Karimi Kelaye
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Najafi
- Division of Hematology and Blood Banking, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Bahareh Kazemi
- Division of Hematology and Blood Banking, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Foruzandeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farhad Seif
- Department of Immunology and Allergy, Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Solali
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad-Reza Alivand
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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7
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Khan P, Chaudhuri RN. Acetylation of H3K56 orchestrates UV-responsive chromatin events that generate DNA accessibility during Nucleotide Excision Repair. DNA Repair (Amst) 2022; 113:103317. [PMID: 35290816 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103317] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Histone modifications have long been related to DNA damage response. Nucleotide excision repair pathway that removes helix-distorting lesions necessitates DNA accessibility through chromatin modifications. Previous studies have linked H3 tail residue acetylation to UV-induced NER. Here we present evidences that acetylation of H3K56 is crucial for early phases of NER. Using H3K56 mutants K56Q and K56R, which mimic acetylated and unacetylated lysines respectively, we show that recruitment of the repair factor Rad16, a Swi/Snf family member is dependent on H3K56 acetylation. With constitutive H3K56 acetylation, Rad16 recruitment became UV-independent. Furthermore, H3K56 acetylation promoted UV-induced hyperacetylation of H3K9 and H3K14. Importantly, constitutive H3K56 acetylation prominently increased chromatin accessibility. During NER, lack of H3K56 acetylation that effectively aborted H3 tail residue acetylation and Rad16 recruitment, thus failed to impart essential chromatin modulations. The NER-responsive oscillation of chromatin structure observed in wild type, was distinctly eliminated in absence of H3K56 acetylation. In vitro assay with wild type and H3K56 mutant cell extracts further indicated that absence of H3K56 acetylation negatively affected DNA relaxation during NER. Overall, H3K56 acetylation regulates Rad16 redistribution and UV-induced H3 tail residue hyperacetylation, and the resultant modification code promotes chromatin accessibility and recruitment of subsequent repair factors during NER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, 30, Mother Teresa Sarani, Kolkata 700016, India
| | - Ronita Nag Chaudhuri
- Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, 30, Mother Teresa Sarani, Kolkata 700016, India.
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8
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Seroussi U, Li C, Sundby AE, Lee TL, Claycomb JM, Saltzman AL. Mechanisms of epigenetic regulation by C. elegans nuclear RNA interference pathways. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:142-154. [PMID: 34876343 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly conserved gene regulatory phenomenon whereby Argonaute/small RNA (AGO/sRNA) complexes target transcripts by antisense complementarity to modulate gene expression. While initially appreciated as a cytoplasmic process, RNAi can also occur in the nucleus where AGO/sRNA complexes are recruited to nascent transcripts. Nuclear AGO/sRNA complexes recruit co-factors that regulate transcription by inhibiting RNA Polymerase II, modifying histones, compacting chromatin and, in some organisms, methylating DNA. C. elegans has a longstanding history in unveiling the mechanisms of RNAi and has become an outstanding model to delineate the mechanisms underlying nuclear RNAi. In this review we highlight recent discoveries in the field of nuclear RNAi in C. elegans and the roles of nuclear RNAi in the regulation of gene expression, chromatin organization, genome stability, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Seroussi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chengyin Li
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adam E Sundby
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tammy L Lee
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julie M Claycomb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Arneet L Saltzman
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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9
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Singh M, Thakur M, Mishra M, Yadav M, Vibhuti R, Menon AM, Nagda G, Dwivedi VP, Dakal TC, Yadav V. Gene regulation of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1): A molecule with multiple functions. Immunol Lett 2021; 240:123-136. [PMID: 34715236 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is one of the most extensively studied inducible cell adhesion molecules which is responsible for several immune functions like T cell activation, extravasation, inflammation, etc. The molecule is constitutively expressed over the cell surface and is regulated up / down in response to inflammatory mediators like cellular stress, proinflammatory cytokines, viral infection. These stimuli modulate the expression of ICAM-1 primarily through regulating the ICAM-1 gene transcription. On account of the presence of various binding sites for NF-κB, AP-1, SP-1, and many other transcription factors, the architecture of the ICAM-1 promoter become complex. Transcription factors in union with other transcription factors, coactivators, and suppressors promote their assembly in a stereospecific manner on ICAM-1 promoter which mediates ICAM-1 regulation in response to different stimuli. Along with transcriptional regulation, epigenetic modifications also play a pivotal role in controlling ICAM-1 expression on different cell types. In this review, we summarize the regulation of ICAM-1 expression both at the transcriptional as well as post-transcriptional level with an emphasis on transcription factors and signaling pathways involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067 India
| | - Mony Thakur
- Department of Microbiology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana-123031 India
| | - Manish Mishra
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh-160036 India
| | - Manisha Yadav
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh-160036 India
| | - Rajkamal Vibhuti
- Department of Microbiology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana-123031 India
| | - Athira M Menon
- Genome and computational Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001 India
| | - Girima Nagda
- Department of Zoology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan-313001 India
| | - Ved Prakash Dwivedi
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB Campus, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067 India
| | - Tikam Chand Dakal
- Genome and computational Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001 India
| | - Vinod Yadav
- Department of Microbiology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana-123031 India
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10
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Price RL, Bhan A, Mandal SS. HOTAIR beyond repression: In protein degradation, inflammation, DNA damage response, and cell signaling. DNA Repair (Amst) 2021; 105:103141. [PMID: 34183273 PMCID: PMC10426209 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2021.103141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pervasively transcribed from the mammalian genome as transcripts that are usually >200 nucleotides long. LncRNAs generally do not encode proteins but are involved in a variety of physiological processes, principally as epigenetic regulators. HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is a well-characterized lncRNA that has been implicated in several cancers and in various other diseases. HOTAIR is a repressor lncRNA and regulates various repressive chromatin modifications. However, recent studies have revealed additional functions of HOTAIR in regulation of protein degradation, microRNA (miRNA) sponging, NF-κB activation, inflammation, immune signaling, and DNA damage response. Herein, we have summarized the diverse functions and modes of action of HOTAIR in protein degradation, inflammation, DNA repair, and diseases, beyond its established functions in gene silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Price
- Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, United States
| | - Arunoday Bhan
- Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, United States
| | - Subhrangsu S Mandal
- Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, United States.
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Abstract
Studying environmental sex determination (ESD) in cichlids provides a phylogenetic and comparative approach to understand the evolution of the underlying mechanisms, their impact on the evolution of the overlying systems, and the neuroethology of life history strategies. Natural selection normally favors parents who invest equally in the development of male and female offspring, but evolution may favor deviations from this 50:50 ratio when environmental conditions produce an advantage for doing so. Many species of cichlids demonstrate ESD in response to water chemistry (temperature, pH, and oxygen concentration). The relative strengths of and the exact interactions between these factors vary between congeners, demonstrating genetic variation in sensitivity. The presence of sizable proportions of the less common sex towards the environmental extremes in most species strongly suggests the presence of some genetic sex-determining loci acting in parallel with the ESD factors. Sex determination and differentiation in these species does not seem to result in the organization of a final and irreversible sexual fate, so much as a life-long ongoing battle between competing male- and female-determining genetic and hormonal networks governed by epigenetic factors. We discuss what is and is not known about the epigenetic mechanism behind the differentiation of both gonads and sex differences in the brain. Beyond the well-studied tilapia species, the 2 best-studied dwarf cichlid systems showing ESD are the South American genus Apistogramma and the West African genus Pelvicachromis. Both species demonstrate male morphs with alternative reproductive tactics. We discuss the further neuroethology opportunities such systems provide to the study of epigenetics of alternative life history strategies and other behavioral variation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter L Hurd
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CA
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CA
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12
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Bachleitner S, Sulyok M, Sørensen JL, Strauss J, Studt L. The H4K20 methyltransferase Kmt5 is involved in secondary metabolism and stress response in phytopathogenic Fusarium species. Fungal Genet Biol 2021; 155:103602. [PMID: 34214671 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2021.103602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium fujikuroi and Fusarium graminearum are agronomically important plant pathogens, both infecting important staple food plants and thus leading to huge economic losses worldwide. F.fujikuroi belongs to the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) and causes bakanae disease on rice, whereas F.graminearum, a member of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC), is the causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) disease on wheat, barley and maize. In recent years, the importance of chromatin regulation became evident in the plant-pathogen interaction. Several processes, including posttranslational modifications of histones, have been described as regulators of virulence and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In this study, we have functionally characterised methylation of lysine 20 histone 4 (H4K20me) in both Fusarium species. We identified the respective genes solely responsible for H4K20 mono-, di- and trimethylation in F.fujikuroi (FfKMT5) and F.graminearum (FgKMT5). We show that loss of Kmt5 affects colony growth in F.graminearum while this is not the case for F.fujikuroi. Similarly, FgKmt5 is required for full virulence in F.graminearum as Δfgkmt5 is hypovirulent on wheat, whereas the F.fujikuroi Δffkmt5 strain did not deviate from the wild type during rice infection. Lack of Kmt5 had distinct effects on the secondary metabolism in both plant pathogens with the most pronounced effects on fusarin biosynthesis in F.fujikuroi and zearalenone biosynthesis in F.graminearum. Next to this, loss of Kmt5 resulted in an increased tolerance towards oxidative and osmotic stress in both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Bachleitner
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Michael Sulyok
- Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 20, Tulln 3430, Austria
| | - Jens Laurids Sørensen
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Lena Studt
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
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13
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Yu X, Singh PK, Tabrejee S, Sinha S, Buck MJ. ΔNp63 is a pioneer factor that binds inaccessible chromatin and elicits chromatin remodeling. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:20. [PMID: 33865440 PMCID: PMC8053304 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00394-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND ΔNp63 is a master transcriptional regulator playing critical roles in epidermal development and other cellular processes. Recent studies suggest that ΔNp63 functions as a pioneer factor that can target its binding sites within inaccessible chromatin and induce chromatin remodeling. METHODS In order to examine if ΔNp63 can bind to inaccessible chromatin and to determine if specific histone modifications are required for binding, we induced ΔNp63 expression in two p63-naïve cell lines. ΔNp63 binding was then examined by ChIP-seq and the chromatin at ΔNp63 targets sites was examined before and after binding. Further analysis with competitive nucleosome binding assays was used to determine how ΔNp63 directly interacts with nucleosomes. RESULTS Our results show that before ΔNp63 binding, targeted sites lack histone modifications, indicating ΔNp63's capability to bind at unmodified chromatin. Moreover, the majority of the sites that are bound by ectopic ΔNp63 expression exist in an inaccessible state. Once bound, ΔNp63 induces acetylation of the histone and the repositioning of nucleosomes at its binding sites. Further analysis with competitive nucleosome binding assays reveal that ΔNp63 can bind directly to nucleosome edges with significant binding inhibition occurring within 50 bp of the nucleosome dyad. CONCLUSION Overall, our results demonstrate that ΔNp63 is a pioneer factor that binds nucleosome edges at inaccessible and unmodified chromatin sites and induces histone acetylation and nucleosome repositioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.,Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medical Center, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Prashant K Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Shamira Tabrejee
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Satrajit Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
| | - Michael J Buck
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, USA.
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14
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Abstract
Cancer was thought to be caused solely by genetic mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. In the last 35 years, however, epigenetic changes have been increasingly recognized as another primary driver of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Epigenetic deregulation in cancer often includes mutations and/or aberrant expression of chromatin-modifying enzymes, their associated proteins, and even non-coding RNAs, which can alter chromatin structure and dynamics. This leads to changes in gene expression that ultimately contribute to the emergence and evolution of cancer cells. Studies of the deregulation of chromatin modifiers in cancer cells have reshaped the way we approach cancer and guided the development of novel anticancer therapeutics that target epigenetic factors. There remain, however, a number of unanswered questions in this field that are the focus of present research. Areas of particular interest include the actions of emerging classes of epigenetic regulators of carcinogenesis and the tumor microenvironment, as well as epigenetic tumor heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss past findings on epigenetic mechanisms of cancer, current trends in the field of cancer epigenetics, and the directions of future research that may lead to the identification of new prognostic markers for cancer and the development of more effective anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Eun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Young Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Cancer Metastasis Control Center, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Zheng T, Nakamoto A, Kumano G. H3K27me3 suppresses sister-lineage somatic gene expression in late embryonic germline cells of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi. Dev Biol 2020; 460:200-214. [PMID: 31904374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.12.017] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Protection of the germline from somatic differentiation programs is crucial for germ cell development. In many animals, whose germline development relies on the maternally inherited germ plasm, such protection in particular at early stages of embryogenesis is achieved by maternally localized global transcriptional repressors, such as PIE-1 of Caenorhabditis elegans, Pgc of Drosophila melanogaster and Pem of ascidians. However, zygotic gene expression starts in later germline cells eventually and mechanisms by which somatic gene expression is selectively kept under repression in the transcriptionally active cells are poorly understood. By using the ascidian species Halocynthia roretzi, we found that H3K27me3, a repressive transcription-related chromatin mark, became enriched in germline cells starting at the 64-cell stage when Pem protein level and its contribution to transcriptional repression decrease. Interestingly, inhibition of H3K27me3 together with Pem knockdown resulted in ectopic expression in germline cells of muscle developmental genes Muscle actin (MA4) and Snail, and of Clone 22 (which is expressed in all somatic but not germline cells), but not of other tissue-specific genes such as the notochord gene Brachyury, the nerve cord marker ETR-1 and a heart precursor gene Mesp, at the 110-cell stage. Importantly, these ectopically expressed genes are normally expressed in the germline sister cells (B7.5), the last somatic lineage separated from the germline. Also, the ectopic expression of MA4 was dependent on a maternally localized muscle determinant Macho-1. Taken together, we propose that H3K27me3 may be responsible for selective transcriptional repression for somatic genes in later germline cells in Halocynthia embryos and that the preferential repression of germline sister-lineage genes may be related to the mechanism of germline segregation in ascidian embryos, where the germline is segregated progressively by successive asymmetric cell divisions during cell cleavage stages. Together with findings from C. elegans and D. melanogaster, our data for this urochordate animal support the proposal for a mechanism, conserved widely throughout the animal kingdom, where germline transcriptional repression is mediated initially by maternally localized factors and subsequently by a chromatin-based mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zheng
- Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan.
| | - Ayaki Nakamoto
- Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Gaku Kumano
- Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan
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16
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Pitsillou E, Liang J, Hung A, Karagiannis TC. Chromatin modification by olive phenolics: In silico molecular docking studies utilising the phenolic groups categorised in the OliveNet™ database against lysine specific demethylase enzymes. J Mol Graph Model 2020; 97:107575. [PMID: 32126499 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2020.107575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Extra virgin olive oil is the principal source of dietary fat in the Mediterranean diet and is considered to have beneficial health effects. There is evidence to suggest that the phenolic compounds within Olea europaea have the ability to inhibit lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1). This is an epigenetic enzyme that removes methyl groups from histone proteins and regulates gene transcription. Conversely, SET domain-containing protein 7 (SETD7) has opposing enzymatic activity and is a histone methyltransferase. Due to the involvement of these proteins in a number of pathological processes, including cancer and diabetes, further research needs to be conducted into the way in which they can be targeted. A large number of phenolic compounds (>200) have been identified in Olea europaea. To help expedite the discovery of promising lead compounds, in this study, in silico molecular docking methods were used to investigate the molecular binding properties of the phenolic compounds obtained from the OliveNet™ database to LSD1 and its variants, LSD2, and SETD7. Numerous Olea europaea phenolic compounds were predicted to bind to the epigenetic enzymes and several had stronger binding affinities than the LSD1 and SETD7 positive control inhibitors. The protein-ligand interactions of the phenolic compounds were also compared to known inhibitors and the molecular docking results suggest that the flavonoids, secoiridoids and glucosides may bind particularly strongly to the epigenetic regulators. Overall, several ligands were identified as lead compounds from this research and their potential inhibitory activity could be validated further in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Pitsillou
- Epigenomic Medicine, Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Pathology), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Julia Liang
- Epigenomic Medicine, Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia; School of Science, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Andrew Hung
- School of Science, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Tom C Karagiannis
- Epigenomic Medicine, Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia; Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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17
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Abstract
Background Organisms can be primed by metabolic exposures to continue expressing response genes even once the metabolite is no longer available, and can affect the speed and magnitude of responsive gene expression during subsequent exposures. This “metabolic transcriptional memory” can have a profound impact on the survivability of organisms in fluctuating environments. Scope of review Here I present several examples of metabolic transcriptional memory in the microbial world and discuss what is known so far regarding the underlying mechanisms, which mainly focus on chromatin modifications, protein inheritance, and broad changes in metabolic network. From these lessons learned in microbes, some insights into the yet understudied human metabolic memory can be gained. I thus discuss the implications of metabolic memory in disease progression in humans – i.e., the memory of high blood sugar exposure and the resulting effects on diabetic complications. Major conclusions Carbon source shifts from glucose to other less preferred sugars such as lactose, galactose, and maltose for energy metabolism as well as starvation of a signal transduction precursor sugar inositol are well-studied examples of metabolic transcriptional memory in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although the specific factors guiding metabolic transcriptional memory are not necessarily conserved from microbes to humans, the same basic mechanisms are in play, as is observed in hyperglycemic memory. Exploration of new metabolic transcriptional memory systems as well as further detailed mechanistic analyses of known memory contexts in microbes is therefore central to understanding metabolic memory in humans, and may be of relevance for the successful treatment of the ever-growing epidemic of diabetes. Metabolic exposures can prime genes to have memory. Memory of carbon source shifts occurs in all kingdoms of life. Memory is maintained through multiple mechanisms including chromatin modifications, proteins, and metabolic network. Metabolic transcriptional memory in unicellular organisms is a part of “bet-hedging” strategies to ensure survival. Hyperglycemic memory in humans contributes to diabetes and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Bheda
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
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18
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Zheng Z, Ambigapathy G, Keifer J. Characterization and Transcriptional Activation of the Immediate Early Gene ARC During a Neural Correlate of Classical Conditioning. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 69:380-90. [PMID: 31273643 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01367-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity and learning genes require regulatory mechanisms that have the flexibility to respond to a variety of sensory stimuli to generate adaptive behavioral responses. The immediate early gene (IEG) activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) is rapidly induced not only by neuronal stimulation but also during a variety of learning tasks. How ARC is regulated in response to complex stimuli during associative learning remains to be fully detailed. Here, we characterized the structure of the ARC gene in the pond turtle and mechanisms of its transcriptional activation during a neural correlate of eyeblink classical conditioning. The tARC gene is regulated in part by the presence of paused polymerase (RNAPII) that is poised at the promoter for rapid gene induction. Conditioning induces permissive chromatin modifications in the tARC promoter that allows binding by the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) within 5 min of training. During learning acquisition, the pausing factor negative elongation factor (NELF) dissociates from the promoter thereby releasing RNAPII for active transcription. Data additionally suggest that the DNA insulator protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is required for transcription by mediating a learning-induced interaction of the ARC promoter with an enhancer element. Our study suggests that the learning-inducible IEG tARC utilizes both paused RNAPII and rapid chromatin modifications that allow for dynamic gene responsiveness required when an organism is presented with a variety of environmental stimuli.
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19
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Wu Z, Tang J, Zhuo J, Tian Y, Zhao F, Li Z, Yan Y, Yang R. Chromatin Signature and Transcription Factor Binding Provide a Predictive Basis for Understanding Plant Gene Expression. Plant Cell Physiol 2019; 60:1471-1486. [PMID: 31038680 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcz051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin accessibility and post-transcriptional histone modifications play important roles in gene expression regulation. However, little is known about the joint effect of multiple chromatin modifications on the gene expression level in plants, despite that the regulatory roles of individual histone marks such as H3K4me3 in gene expression have been well-documented. By using machine-learning methods, we systematically performed gene expression level prediction based on multiple chromatin modifications data in Arabidopsis and rice. We found that as few as four histone modifications were sufficient to yield good prediction performance, and H3K4me3 and H3K36me3 being the top two predictors with known functions related to transcriptional initiation and elongation, respectively. We demonstrated that the predictive powers differed between protein-coding and non-coding genes as well as between CpG-enriched and CpG-depleted genes. We also showed that the predictive model trained in one tissue or species could be applied to another tissue or species, suggesting shared underlying mechanisms. More interestingly, the gene expression levels of conserved orthologs are easier to predict than the species-specific genes. In addition, chromatin state of distal enhancers was moderately correlated to gene expression but was dispensable if given the chromatin features of the proximal regions of genes. We further extended the analysis to transcription factor (TF) binding data. Strikingly, the combinatorial effects of only a few TFs were roughly fit to gene expression levels in Arabidopsis. Overall, by using quantitative modeling, we provide a comprehensive and unbiased perspective on the epigenetic and TF-mediated regulation of gene expression in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zefeng Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Tang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Junjie Zhuo
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuhan Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Feiyang Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhaohong Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yubin Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruolin Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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20
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Tang Z, Xu M, Cai J, Ma X, Qin J, Meng Y. Transcriptome-wide identification and functional investigation of the RDR2- and DCL3-dependent small RNAs encoded by long non-coding RNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signal Behav 2019; 14:1616518. [PMID: 31081714 PMCID: PMC6619916 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2019.1616518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The involvement of the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in small RNA (sRNA)-related pathways remains elusive. Taking advantage of the public sRNA sequencing data, we searched for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 (RDR2)- and Dicer-like 3 (DCL3)-dependent sRNAs generated from the lncRNAs of Arabidopsis thaliana. First, 55,162 sRNAs were identified to be RDR2- and DCL3-dependent. These sRNAs were then mapped onto the lncRNAs. As a result, a total of 26,643 sRNAs found their loci on 3,834 lncRNAs, and 29,388 sRNAs found their loci on 4,174 reverse complementary (RC) sequences of the lncRNAs. To support the formation of the double-stranded precursors for sRNA generation, double-stranded RNA sequencing (dsRNA-seq) reads were mapped onto the sense and antisense strands of the lncRNAs with RDR2- and DCL3-dependent sRNA loci. As a result, 1,075 regions longer than 100 nt were identified to be covered by dsRNA-seq reads on 390 sense strands of the lncRNAs, and 1,352 regions were identified on 544 RC strands. Besides, 2,238 out of 3,211 dsRNA-seq read-covered sRNA loci were supported by degradome sequencing data on the sense strands of the lncRNAs. Interestingly, dozens of dsRNA-seq read-covered regions with AGO4-associated sRNA loci showed site-specific chromatin modification patterns. Thus, some of the lncRNAs were integrated into the RDR2- and DCL3-dependent sRNA biogenesis pathway. Moreover, our results indicated that the site-specific chromatin modifications mediated by the AGO4-associated sRNAs might play a regulatory role on the transcription activity of the lncRNA genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghai Tang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Min Xu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Jiahui Cai
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiaoxia Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, Holistic Integrative Pharmacy Institutes, College of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingping Qin
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Yijun Meng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, PR China
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21
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Abstract
The fourth Japanese meeting entitled “Biological Function and Evolution through Interactions between Hosts and Transposable Elements (TEs)” was held on August 20–21, 2018 at the National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan. The meeting was supported by NIG, and its objective was to bring together researchers who study the diverse roles of TEs in genome evolution, as well as host defense systems against TE mobility, such as chromatin modifications, small RNAs, and others. Here, we present the highlights of the talks given by 14 invited speakers. Organizers: Kenji Ichiyanagi (chief), Kuniaki Saito, and Tetsuji Kakutani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Ichiyanagi
- 1Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601 Japan
| | - Kuniaki Saito
- 2Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540 Japan
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22
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Zhang L, Liang Y, Li S, Zeng F, Meng Y, Chen Z, Liu S, Tao Y, Yu F. The interplay of circulating tumor DNA and chromatin modification, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:36. [PMID: 30849971 PMCID: PMC6408771 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-0989-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is DNA that is detected in plasma or serum fluid with a cell-free status. For cancer patients, cfDNA not only originates from apoptotic cells but also from necrotic tumor cells and disseminated tumor cells that have escaped into the blood during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, cfDNA derived from tumors, also known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), carries tumor-associated genetic and epigenetic changes in cancer patients, which makes ctDNA a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of tumors, monitory and therapeutic evaluations, and prognostic assessments, among others, for various kinds of cancer. Moreover, analyses of cfDNA chromatin modifications can reflect the heterogeneity of tumors and have potential for predicting tumor drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yiyi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Shifu Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Fanyuan Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yongan Meng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ziwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis (Central South University), Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China. .,Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
| | - Fenglei Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
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23
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Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is dependent on the correct interpretation of environmental cues. We recently showed that the deubiquitinase OTU5 is required for orchestrating internal and external signals, tuning the morphogenesis of epidermal cells to the prevailing conditions. Homozygous otu5 mutants developed long and dense root hairs, resembling phosphate-deficient plants. The phenotype of otu5 plants was similar to that of arp6 plants, which carries a mutation that compromises the deposition of H2A.Z. Homozygous otu5 arp6 double mutants exhibited a synergistic phenotype, suggesting that the two mutations are functionally related. In a multi-omics approach comprising genome-wide DNA methylation, detection of various post-translational histone modifications as well as transcriptomic and proteomic surveys, we found that OTU5 is critical for maintaining the abundance of stimulus-responsive proteins, probably by modulating chromatin structure. It is concluded that changes in protein abundance and phenotypic readout in response to environmental signals are regulated by a complex interplay between various levels of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Der-Fen Suen
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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24
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Zhang X, Xu GB, Zhou D, Pan YX. High-fat diet modifies expression of hepatic cellular senescence gene p16(INK4a) through chromatin modifications in adult male rats. Genes Nutr 2018; 13:6. [PMID: 29564021 PMCID: PMC5853101 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-018-0595-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Liver is the crucial organ as a hub for metabolic reactions. p16(INK4a) is a well-established cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor that plays important role in the molecular pathways of senescence, which lead to irreversible cell cycle arrest with secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study tested the hypothesis that cellular senescence regulated by p16(INK4a) is associated with high-fat diet in adult male rats. Methods Sprague Dawley rats were fed a high-fat (HF) diet or a control (C) diet for 9 weeks after weaning. At 12 weeks of age, liver samples of male rats were collected to investigate the key genes and liver physiological status. Results Both mRNA and protein expression level of cellular senescence marker, p16(INK4a), was increased significantly in HF group when compared to C group. A decrease of tri-methylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27Me3) in the coding region of p16(INK4a) was observed. On the other hand, mRNA and protein expression of another inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase, p21(Cip1), was decreased significantly in HF group; however, no significant chromatin modification was found in this gene. Histological analysis demonstrated hepatic steatosis in HF group as well as severe fat accumulation. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that HF diet regulated cellular senescence marker p16(INK4a) through chromatin modifications, which may promote hepatic fat accumulation and steatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyuan Zhang
- 1Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Guanying Bianca Xu
- 2Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 461 Bevier Hall, MC-182, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Dan Zhou
- 4Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital/Faculty of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Yuan-Xiang Pan
- 2Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 461 Bevier Hall, MC-182, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA.,3Division of Nutritional Sciences (DNS), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 461 Bevier Hall, MC-182, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA.,5Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 461 Bevier Hall, MC-182, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
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25
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Abstract
In recent years, there has been substantial progress in our knowledge of the molecular pathways by which stem cell factor SALL4 regulates the embryonic stem cell (ESC) properties, developmental events, and human cancers. This review summarizes recent advances in the biology of SALL4 with a focus on its regulatory functions in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis. In the normal hematopoietic system, expression of SALL4 is mainly enriched in the bone marrow hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), but is rapidly silenced following lineage differentiation. In hematopoietic malignancies, however, SALL4 expression is abnormally re-activated and linked with deteriorated disease status in patients. Further, SALL4 activation participates in the pathogenesis of tumor initiation and disease progression. Thus, a better understanding of SALL4's biologic functions and mechanisms will facilitate development of advanced targeted anti-leukemia approaches in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianchang Yang
- Department of Surgery and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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26
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Desvoyes B, Sequeira-Mendes J, Vergara Z, Madeira S, Gutierrez C. Sequential ChIP Protocol for Profiling Bivalent Epigenetic Modifications (ReChIP). Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1675:83-97. [PMID: 29052187 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7318-7_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Identification of chromatin modifications, e.g., histone acetylation and methylation, among others, is widely carried out by using a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) strategy. The information obtained with these procedures is useful to gain an overall picture of modifications present in all cells of the population under study. It also serves as a basis to figure out the mechanisms of chromatin organization and gene regulation at the population level. However, the ultimate goal is to understand gene regulation at the level of single chromatin fibers. This requires the identification of chromatin modifications that occur at a given genomic location and within the same chromatin fiber. This is achieved by following a sequential ChIP strategy using two antibodies to distinguish different chromatin modifications. Here, we describe a sequential ChIP protocol (Re-ChIP), paying special attention to the controls needed and the required steps to obtain meaningful and reproducible results. The protocol is developed for young Arabidopsis seedlings but could be adapted to other plant materials.
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Desvoyes B, Vergara Z, Sequeira-Mendes J, Madeira S, Gutierrez C. A Rapid and Efficient ChIP Protocol to Profile Chromatin Binding Proteins and Epigenetic Modifications in Arabidopsis. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1675:71-82. [PMID: 29052186 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7318-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a widely used and very powerful procedure to identify the proteins that are associated with the DNA to regulate developmental processes. These proteins can be transcription factors, or specific histone variants and modified histones, which are all crucial for gene regulation. In order to obtain reliable results, ChIP must be carried out under highly reproducible conditions. Here, we describe a simple and fast ChIP protocol adapted for Arabidopsis seedlings, which can serve as a basis for other species, organs or more sophisticated procedures, such as the sequential ChIP. We also provide user-oriented troubleshooting to increase the chances of successful applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bénédicte Desvoyes
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Zaida Vergara
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joana Sequeira-Mendes
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofia Madeira
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Crisanto Gutierrez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
Chromatin organization in eukaryotes is highly dynamic, playing fundamental roles in regulating diverse nuclear processes including DNA replication, transcription, and repair. Thus, the analysis of chromatin organization is of great importance for the elucidation of chromatin-mediated biological processes. Immunostaining coupled with imaging is one of the most powerful tools for chromatin analysis at the cellular level. However, in plants, it is sometimes technically challenging to apply this method due to the inaccessibility of certain cell types and/or poor penetration of the reagents into plant tissues and cells. To circumvent these limitations, we developed a highly efficient protocol enabling the analysis of chromatin modifications and nuclear organization at the single-cell level with high resolution in whole-mount plant tissues. The main procedure consists of five steps: (1) tissue fixation; (2) dissection and embedding; (3) tissue processing; (4) antibody incubation; and (5) imaging. This protocol has been simplified for the processing of multiple samples without the need for laborious tissue sectioning. Additionally, it preserves cellular morphology and chromatin organization, allowing comparative analyses of chromatin organization between different cell types or developmental stages. This protocol was successfully used for various tissues of different plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa (rice), and Zea mays (maize). Importantly, this method is very useful to analyze poorly accessible tissues, such as female meiocytes, gametophytes, and embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing She
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Célia Baroux
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
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Cheng JZ, Zhou YP, Lv TX, Xie CP, Tian CE. Research progress on the autonomous flowering time pathway in Arabidopsis. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2017; 23:477-485. [PMID: 28878488 PMCID: PMC5567719 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-017-0458-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The transition from vegetative to reproductive growth phase is a pivotal and complicated process in the life cycle of flowering plants which requires a comprehensive response to multiple environmental aspects and endogenous signals. In Arabidopsis, six regulatory flowering time pathways have been defined by their response to distinct cues, namely photoperiod, vernalization, gibberellin, temperature, autonomous and age pathways, respectively. Among these pathways, the autonomous flowering pathway accelerates flowering independently of day length by inhibiting the central flowering repressor FLC. FCA, FLD, FLK, FPA, FVE, FY and LD have been widely known to play crucial roles in this pathway. Recently, AGL28, CK2, DBP1, DRM1, DRM2, ESD4, HDA5, HDA6, PCFS4, PEP, PP2A-B'γ, PRMT5, PRMT10, PRP39-1, REF6, and SYP22 have also been shown to be involved in the autonomous flowering time pathway. This review mainly focuses on FLC RNA processing, chromatin modification of FLC, post-translational modification of FLC and other molecular mechanisms in the autonomous flowering pathway of Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Zhi Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Yu-Ping Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Tian-Xiao Lv
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Chu-Ping Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Chang-En Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
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Abstract
Epigenome editing aims for an introduction or removal of chromatin marks at a defined genomic region using artificial EpiEffectors resulting in a modulation of the activity of the targeted functional DNA elements. Rationally designed EpiEffectors consist of a targeting DNA-binding module (such as a zinc finger protein, TAL effector, or CRISPR/Cas complex) and usually, but not exclusively, a catalytic domain of a chromatin-modifying enzyme. Epigenome editing opens a completely new strategy for basic research of the central nervous system and causal treatment of psychiatric and neurological diseases, because rewriting of epigenetic information can lead to the direct and durable control of the expression of disease-associated genes. Here, we review current advances in the design of locus- and allele-specific DNA-binding modules, approaches for spatial, and temporal control of EpiEffectors and discuss some examples of existing and propose new potential therapeutic strategies based on epigenome editing for treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. These include the targeted silencing of disease-associated genes or activation of neuroprotective genes which may be applied in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases or the control of addiction and depression. Moreover, we discuss allele-specific epigenome editing as novel therapeutic approach for imprinting disorders, Huntington's disease and Rett syndrome.
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Kapolas G, Beris D, Katsareli E, Livanos P, Zografidis A, Roussis A, Milioni D, Haralampidis K. APRF1 promotes flowering under long days in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Sci 2016; 253:141-153. [PMID: 27968983 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana flowering time mutants revealed the function of numerous genes that regulate the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. Analyses of their loci have shown that many of them act as chromatin modifiers. In this study, a combination of molecular and genetic approaches have been implemented, to characterize the function of APRF1 (ANTHESIS POMOTING FACTOR 1) gene in A. thaliana and to investigate its role in plant development. APRF1 encodes for a low molecular weight nuclear WDR protein which displays functional homology to the Swd2 protein, an essential subunit of the yeast histone methylation COMPASS complex. Compared to WT plants, total loss-of-function aprf1 mutants exhibited shoot apical meristem (SAM) alterations and increased growth rates. However, the vegetative phase of aprf1 plants was prolonged and bolting was delayed, indicating an impairment in flowering under long days (LD). On the contrary, overexpression of APRF1 accelerates flowering. Consistent with the late flowering phenotype, the molecular data confirmed that FLC and SOC1 expression were significantly altered in the aprf1 mutants. Our data suggest that APRF1 acts upstream of FLC and promotes flowering under LD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Kapolas
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Despoina Beris
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Efthimia Katsareli
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Pantelis Livanos
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Aris Zografidis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Andreas Roussis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
| | - Dimitra Milioni
- Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
| | - Kosmas Haralampidis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Biology, Department of Botany, 15784 Athens, Greece.
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Guo S, Jiang F, Yang P, Liu Q, Wang X, Kang L. Characteristics and expression patterns of histone-modifying enzyme systems in the migratory locust. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 76:18-28. [PMID: 27343382 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The density-dependent phase polyphenism in locusts offers an excellent model to investigate the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we identified histone-modifying enzymes mediating histone post-translational modifications, which serve as a major regulatory mechanism of epigenetic processes, on the basis of the whole genome sequence of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria. We confirmed the existence of various functional histone modifications in the locusts. Compared with other sequenced insect genomes, the locust genome contains a richer repertoire of histone-modifying enzymes. Several locust histone-modifying enzymes display vertebrate-like characteristics, such as the presence of a Sirt3-like gene and multiple alternative splicing of GCN5 gene. Most histone-modifying enzymes are highly expressed in the eggs or in the testis tissues of male adults. Several histone deacetylases and H3K4-specific methyltransferases exhibit differential expression patterns in brain tissues between solitarious and gregarious locusts. These results reveal the main characteristics of histone-modifying enzymes and provide important cues for understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying phase polyphenism in locusts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pengcheng Yang
- Beijing Institute of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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Wendte JM, Pikaard CS. The RNAs of RNA-directed DNA methylation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech 2016; 1860:140-148. [PMID: 27521981 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA-directed chromatin modification that includes cytosine methylation silences transposable elements in both plants and mammals, contributing to genome defense and stability. In Arabidopsis thaliana, most RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is guided by small RNAs derived from double-stranded precursors synthesized at cytosine-methylated loci by nuclear multisubunit RNA Polymerase IV (Pol IV), in close partnership with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, RDR2. These small RNAs help keep transposons transcriptionally inactive. However, if transposons escape silencing, and are transcribed by multisubunit RNA polymerase II (Pol II), their mRNAs can be recognized and degraded, generating small RNAs that can also guide initial DNA methylation, thereby enabling subsequent Pol IV-RDR2 recruitment. In both pathways, the small RNAs find their target sites by interacting with longer noncoding RNAs synthesized by multisubunit RNA Polymerase V (Pol V). Despite a decade of progress, numerous questions remain concerning the initiation, synthesis, processing, size and features of the RNAs that drive RdDM. Here, we review recent insights, questions and controversies concerning RNAs produced by Pols IV and V, and their functions in RdDM. We also provide new data concerning Pol V transcript 5' and 3' ends. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Networks. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Networks, edited by Dr. Erich Grotewold and Dr. Nathan Springer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jered M Wendte
- Department of Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, 915 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Craig S Pikaard
- Department of Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, 915 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Garner CM, Kim SH, Spears BJ, Gassmann W. Express yourself: Transcriptional regulation of plant innate immunity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:150-162. [PMID: 27174437 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The plant immune system is a complex network of components that function together to sense the presence and activity of potential biotic threats, and integrate these signals into an appropriate output, namely the transcription of genes that activate an immune response that is commensurate with the perceived threat. Given the variety of biotic threats a plant must face the immune response must be plastic, but because an immune response is costly to the plant in terms of energy expenditure and development it must also be under tight control. To meet these needs transcriptional control is exercised at multiple levels. In this article we will review some of the latest developments in understanding how the plant immune response is regulated at the level of transcription. New roles are being discovered for the long-studied WRKY and TGA transcription factor families, while additional critical defense functions are being attributed to TCPs and other transcription factors. Dynamically controlling access to DNA through post-translational modification of histones is emerging as an essential component of priming, maintaining, attenuating, and repressing transcription in response to biotic stress. Unsurprisingly, the plant's transcriptional response is targeted by pathogen effectors, and in turn resistance proteins stand guard over and participate in transcriptional regulation. Together, these multiple layers lead to the observed complexity of the plant transcriptional immune response, with different transcription factors or chromatin components playing a prominent role depending on the plant-pathogen interaction being studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Garner
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; C.S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Sang Hee Kim
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; C.S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Benjamin J Spears
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; C.S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Walter Gassmann
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; C.S. Bond Life Sciences Center and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
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Peschansky VJ, Pastori C, Zeier Z, Wentzel K, Velmeshev D, Magistri M, Silva JP, Wahlestedt C. The long non-coding RNA FMR4 promotes proliferation of human neural precursor cells and epigenetic regulation of gene expression in trans. Mol Cell Neurosci 2016; 74:49-57. [PMID: 27001315 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Triplet repeat expansions in the Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene cause either intellectual disability and autism, or adult-onset neurodegeneration, with poorly understood variability in presentation. Previous studies have identified several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) at the FMR1 locus, including FMR4. Similarly to FMR1, FMR4 is silenced by large-repeat expansions that result in enrichment of DNA and histone methylation within the shared promoter and repeat sequence, suggesting a possible role for this noncoding RNA in the pathophysiology of Fragile X. We therefore assessed the functional role of FMR4 to gain further insight into the molecular processes in Fragile X-associated disorders. Previous work showed that FMR4 does not exhibit cis-regulation of FMR1. Here, we found that FMR4 is a chromatin-associated transcript and, using genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, showed that FMR4 alters the chromatin state and the expression of several hundred genes in trans. Among the genes regulated by FMR4, we found enrichment for those involved in neural development and cellular proliferation. S-phase marker assays further demonstrated that FMR4 may promote cellular proliferation, rather than differentiation, of human neural precursor cells (hNPCs). By establishing this novel function for FMR4 in hNPCs, we lend support to existing evidence of the epigenetic involvement of lncRNA in nervous system development, and increase our understanding of the complex pathogenesis underlying neurological disorders associated with FMR1 repeat expansions.
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Xiao M, Li J, Li W, Wang Y, Wu F, Xi Y, Zhang L, Ding C, Luo H, Li Y, Peng L, Zhao L, Peng S, Xiao Y, Dong S, Cao J, Yu W. MicroRNAs activate gene transcription epigenetically as an enhancer trigger. RNA Biol 2016; 14:1326-1334. [PMID: 26853707 PMCID: PMC5711461 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2015.1112487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function as negative gene expression regulators. Emerging evidence shows that, except for function in the cytoplasm, miRNAs are also present in the nucleus. However, the functional significance of nuclear miRNAs remains largely undetermined. By screening miRNA database, we have identified a subset of miRNA that functions as enhancer regulators. Here, we found a set of miRNAs show gene-activation function. We focused on miR-24-1 and found that this miRNA unconventionally activates gene transcription by targeting enhancers. Consistently, the activation was completely abolished when the enhancer sequence was deleted by TALEN. Furthermore, we found that miR-24-1 activates enhancer RNA (eRNA) expression, alters histone modification, and increases the enrichment of p300 and RNA Pol II at the enhancer locus. Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism of miRNA as an enhancer trigger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Xiao
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Jin Li
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Wei Li
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Yu Wang
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Feizhen Wu
- d Laboratory of Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Yanping Xi
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Lan Zhang
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Chao Ding
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,e The Experimental Training Center for Basic Medical Sciences, The Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , China
| | - Huaibing Luo
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Yan Li
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Lina Peng
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Liping Zhao
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Shaoliang Peng
- f School of Computer Science & State Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, National University of Defense Technology , Changsha , China
| | - Yao Xiao
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Shihua Dong
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Jie Cao
- e The Experimental Training Center for Basic Medical Sciences, The Second Military Medical University , Shanghai , China
| | - Wenqiang Yu
- a Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics , Institutes of Biomedical Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education , Department of Molecular Biology, Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University , Shanghai , China
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Abstract
Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are chronic conditions initiated by the loss of immunological tolerance to self-antigens and represent a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect specific target organs or multiple organs in different systems. While the pathogenesis of AID remains unclear, its aetiology is multifunctional and includes a combination of genetic, epigenetic, immunological and environmental factors. In AIDs, several epigenetic mechanisms are defective including DNA demethylation, abnormal chromatin positioning associated with autoantibody production and abnormalities in the expression of RNA interference (RNAi). It is known that environmental factors may interfere with DNA methylation and histone modifications, however, little is known about epigenetic changes derived of regulation of RNAi. An approach to the known environmental factors and the mechanisms that alter the epigenetic regulation in AIDs (with emphasis in systemic lupus erythematosus, the prototype of systemic AID) are showed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Cañas
- a Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia and
| | - Felipe Cañas
- b Department of Internal Medicine, Fundación Valle del Lili, Cali , CES University School of Medicine , Medellín, Cali , Colombia
| | - Fabio Bonilla-Abadía
- a Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia and
| | - Fabio E Ospina
- a Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia and
| | - Gabriel J Tobón
- a Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology , Fundación Valle del Lili , Cali , Colombia and
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38
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Hay EA, Cowie P, MacKenzie A. Determining Epigenetic Targets: A Beginner's Guide to Identifying Genome Functionality Through Database Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1589:29-45. [PMID: 26025621 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2015_263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There can now be little doubt that the cis-regulatory genome represents the largest information source within the human genome essential for health. In addition to containing up to five times more information than the coding genome, the cis-regulatory genome also acts as a major reservoir of disease-associated polymorphic variation. The cis-regulatory genome, which is comprised of enhancers, silencers, promoters, and insulators, also acts as a major functional target for epigenetic modification including DNA methylation and chromatin modifications. These epigenetic modifications impact the ability of cis-regulatory sequences to maintain tissue-specific and inducible expression of genes that preserve health. There has been limited ability to identify and characterize the functional components of this huge and largely misunderstood part of the human genome that, for decades, was ignored as "Junk" DNA. In an attempt to address this deficit, the current chapter will first describe methods of identifying and characterizing functional elements of the cis-regulatory genome at a genome-wide level using databases such as ENCODE, the UCSC browser, and NCBI. We will then explore the databases on the UCSC genome browser, which provides access to DNA methylation and chromatin modification datasets. Finally, we will describe how we can superimpose the huge volume of study data contained in the NCBI archives onto that contained within the UCSC browser in order to glean relevant in vivo study data for any locus within the genome. An ability to access and utilize these information sources will become essential to informing the future design of experiments and subsequent determination of the role of epigenetics in health and disease and will form a critical step in our development of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hay
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Philip Cowie
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Alasdair MacKenzie
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
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Wang Z, Cao H, Chen F, Liu Y. The roles of histone acetylation in seed performance and plant development. Plant Physiol Biochem 2014; 84:125-133. [PMID: 25270163 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2014.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Histone acetylation regulates gene transcription by chromatin modifications and plays a crucial role in the plant development and response to environment cues. The homeostasis of histone acetylation is controlled by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) in different plant tissues and development stages. The vigorous knowledge of the function and co-factors about HATs (e.g. GCN5) and HDACs (e.g. HDA19, HDA6) has been obtained from model plant Arabidopsis. However, understanding individual role of other HATs and HDACs require more work, especially in the major food crops such as rice, maize and wheat. Many co-regulators have been recently identified to function as a component of HAT or HDAC complex in some specific developmental processes. The described findings show a distinctive and interesting epigenetic regulation network composed of HATs, HDACs and co-regulators playing crucial roles in the seed performance, flowering time, plant morphogenesis, plant response to stresses etc. In this review, we summarized the recent progresses and suggested the perspective of histone acetylation research, which might provide us a new window to understand the epigenetic code of plant development and to improve the crop production and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
| | - Hong Cao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Fengying Chen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yongxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
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Abstract
Mycotoxins are natural contaminants of food and feed products, posing a substantial health risk to humans and animals throughout the world. A plethora of filamentous fungi has been identified as mycotoxin producers and most of these fungal species belong to the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. A number of studies have been conducted to better understand the molecular mechanisms of biosynthesis of key mycotoxins and the regulatory cascades controlling toxigenesis. In many cases, the mycotoxin biosynthetic genes are clustered and regulated by one or more pathway-specific transcription factor(s). In addition, as biosynthesis of many secondary metabolites is coordinated with fungal growth and development, there are a number of upstream regulators affecting biosynthesis of mycotoxins in fungi. This review presents a concise summary of the regulation of mycotoxin biosynthesis, focusing on the roles of the upstream regulatory elements governing biosynthesis of aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin in Aspergillus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jae-Hyuk Yu
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Abstract
Enhancer of Zeste homlog 2 (EZH2) is a catalytic subunit of epigenetic regulator Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which trimethylates Lys 27 of histone H3, leading to silencing of the target genes that are involved in a variety of biological processes including tumor progression and stem cell maintenance. However, in addition to its canonical PRC2-dependent transcriptional repression function, EZH2 also acts as a gene activator in a noncanonical PRC2-independent manner. Overexpression of EZH2 has been detected in diverse cancers, and is associated with tumor malignancy. Moreover, activating mutations and inactivating mutations of EZH2 are also associated with certain types of cancer. Given EZH2’s multi-faceted function and role in cancer, context-specific strategy for targeting EZH2/EZH2-mediated signaling could serve as future targeted therapy/personalized medicine for human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long-Yuan Li
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taichung, Taiwan ; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taichung, Taiwan ; Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 404, Taichung, Taiwan
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Abstract
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are present on the cell surface, within the extracellular matrix, and as soluble molecules in tissues and blood. HSPGs are known to regulate a wide range of cellular functions predominantly by serving as co-receptors for growth factors, chemokines, and other regulatory proteins that control inflammation, wound healing and tumorigenesis. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of heparan sulfate (HS) or HSPGs in the cell nucleus, but little attention has been focused on their role there. However, evidence is mounting that nuclear HS and HSPGs have important regulatory functions that impact the cell cycle, proliferation, transcription and transport of cargo to the nucleus. The discovery of proteoglycans in the nucleus extends the list of "non-traditional nuclear proteins" that includes, for example, cytoskeletal proteins such as actin and tubulin, and growth factors and their receptors. In this review we discuss the discovery and fascinating roles of HS and HSPGs in the nucleus and propose a number of key questions that remain to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Stewart
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ralph D Sanderson
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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