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Uthaya Kumar DB, Yurieva M, Grassmann J, Kozhaya L, McBride CD, Unutmaz D, Williams A. A genome-wide CRISPR activation screen identifies SCREEM a novel SNAI1 super-enhancer demarcated by eRNAs. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1110445. [PMID: 36923642 PMCID: PMC10009272 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1110445] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome is pervasively transcribed to produce a vast array of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts of >200 nucleotides and are best known for their ability to regulate gene expression. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are subclass of lncRNAs that are synthesized from enhancer regions and have also been shown to coordinate gene expression. The biological function and significance of most lncRNAs and eRNAs remain to be determined. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a ubiquitous cellular process that occurs during cellular migration, homeostasis, fibrosis, and cancer-cell metastasis. EMT-transcription factors, such as SNAI1 induce a complex transcriptional program that coordinates the morphological and molecular changes associated with EMT. Such complex transcriptional programs are often subject to coordination by networks of ncRNAs and thus can be leveraged to identify novel functional ncRNA loci. Here, using a genome-wide CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) screen targeting ∼10,000 lncRNA loci we identified ncRNA loci that could either promote or attenuate EMT. We discovered a novel locus that we named SCREEM (SNAI1 cis-regulatory eRNAs expressed in monocytes). The SCREEM locus contained a cluster of eRNAs that when activated using CRISPRa induced expression of the neighboring gene SNAI1, driving concomitant EMT. However, the SCREEM eRNA transcripts themselves appeared dispensable for the induction of SNAI1 expression. Interestingly, the SCREEM eRNAs and SNAI1 were co-expressed in activated monocytes, where the SCREEM locus demarcated a monocyte-specific super-enhancer. These findings suggest a potential role for SNAI1 in monocytes. Exploration of the SCREEM-SNAI axis could reveal novel aspects of monocyte biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Babu Uthaya Kumar
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Marina Yurieva
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Jessica Grassmann
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Lina Kozhaya
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Caleb Dante McBride
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Derya Unutmaz
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
| | - Adam Williams
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
- The Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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McBride CD, McBride C. Medical imaging improved beyond belief. Radiol Technol 1992; 63:193-4. [PMID: 1736319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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