Search

Summary: Fibrosis, characterized by sustained activation of myofibroblasts and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, is known to be associated with chronic inflammation. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), the central kinase of necroptosis signaling, is upregulated in fibrosis and contributes to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated inflammation. In bile-duct-ligation-induced liver fibrosis, we found that myofibroblasts are the major cell type expressing RIPK3. Genetic ablation of β1 integrin, the major profibrotic ECM receptor in fibroblasts, not only abolished ECM fibrillogenesis but also blunted RIPK3 expression via a mechanism mediated by the chromatin-remodeling factor chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4). While the function of CHD4 has been conventionally linked to the nucleosome-remodeling deacetylase (NuRD) and CHD4-ADNP-HP1(ChAHP) complexes, we found that CHD4 potently repressed a set of genes, including Ripk3, with high locus specificity but independent of either the NuRD or the ChAHP complex. Thus, our data uncover that β1 integrin intrinsically links fibrotic signaling to RIPK3-driven inflammation via a novel mode of action of CHD4.

HP1 is a structural component of heterochromatin. Mammalian HP1 isoforms HP1α, HP1β, and HP1γ play different roles in genome stability, but their precise role in heterochromatin structure is unclear. Analysis of Hp1α−/−, Hp1β−/−, and Hp1γ−/− MEFs show that HP1 proteins have both redundant and unique functions within pericentric heterochromatin (PCH) and also act globally throughout the genome. HP1α confines H4K20me3 and H3K27me3 to regions within PCH, while its absence results in a global hyper-compaction of chromatin associated with a specific pattern of mitotic defects. In contrast, HP1β is functionally associated with Suv4-20h2 and H4K20me3, and its loss induces global chromatin decompaction and an abnormal enrichment of CTCF in PCH and other genomic regions. Our work provides insight into the roles of HP1 proteins in heterochromatin structure and genome stability.

Summary: Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells restrict immune pathology in inflamed tissues; however, an inflammatory environment presents a threat to Treg cell identity and function. Here, we establish a transcriptional signature of central nervous system (CNS) Treg cells that accumulate during experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) and identify a pathway that maintains Treg cell function and identity during severe inflammation. This pathway is dependent on the transcriptional regulator Blimp1, which prevents downregulation of Foxp3 expression and “toxic” gain-of-function of Treg cells in the inflamed CNS. Blimp1 negatively regulates IL-6- and STAT3-dependent Dnmt3a expression and function restraining methylation of Treg cell-specific conserved non-coding sequence 2 (CNS2) in the Foxp3 locus. Consequently, CNS2 is heavily methylated when Blimp1 is ablated, leading to a loss of Foxp3 expression and severe disease. These findings identify a Blimp1-dependent pathway that preserves Treg cell stability in inflamed non-lymphoid tissues. : An inflammatory environment threatens the stability of Foxp3+ Treg cells. Garg et al. show that by expressing the transcriptional regulator Blimp1, Treg cells resist the IL-6-driven loss of Foxp3 in inflamed tissues. Blimp1 prevents the methylation and reduced expression of Foxp3 through inhibition of the methyltransferase Dnmt3a. Keywords: regulatory T cells, Blimp1, CNS2, epigenetic regulation, CNS, inflammation, DNA methyltransferases, Foxp3, Interleukin-6

Summary: Zebrafish have a high capacity to replace lost neurons after brain injury. New neurons involved in repair are generated by a specific set of glial cells, known as ependymoglial cells. We analyze changes in the transcriptome of ependymoglial cells and their progeny after injury to infer the molecular pathways governing restorative neurogenesis. We identify the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as a regulator of ependymoglia differentiation toward post-mitotic neurons. In vivo imaging shows that high AhR signaling promotes the direct conversion of a specific subset of ependymoglia into post-mitotic neurons, while low AhR signaling promotes ependymoglial proliferation. Interestingly, we observe the inactivation of AhR signaling shortly after injury followed by a return to the basal levels 7 days post injury. Interference with timely AhR regulation after injury leads to aberrant restorative neurogenesis. Taken together, we identify AhR signaling as a crucial regulator of restorative neurogenesis timing in the zebrafish brain. : Zebrafish have a high capacity to replace lost neurons after brain injury. Di Giaimo et al. identify the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as a crucial regulator of restorative neurogenesis timing in the zebrafish brain. Interference with timely AhR regulation after injury leads to aberrant restorative neurogenesis. Keywords: neurogenesis, regeneration, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, direct conversion, zebrafish, live imaging

During class switch recombination (CSR), B cells replace the Igh Cμ or δ exons with another downstream constant region exon (CH), altering the antibody isotype. CSR occurs through the introduction of AID-mediated double-strand breaks (DSBs) in switch regions and subsequent ligation of broken ends. Here, we developed an assay to investigate the dynamics of DSB formation in individual cells. We demonstrate that the upstream switch region Sμ is first targeted during recombination and that the mechanism underlying this control relies on 53BP1. Surprisingly, regulation of break order occurs through residual binding of 53BP1 to chromatin before the introduction of damage and independent of its established role in DNA repair. Using chromosome conformation capture, we show that 53BP1 mediates changes in chromatin architecture that affect break order. Finally, our results explain how changes in Igh architecture in the absence of 53BP1 could promote inversional rearrangements that compromise CSR.

An astounding property of the nervous system is its cellular diversity. This diversity, which was initially realized by morphological and electrophysiological differences, is ultimately produced by variations in gene-expression programs. In most cases, these variations are determined by external cues. However, a growing number of neuronal types have been identified in which inductive signals cannot explain the few but decisive transcriptional differences that cause cell diversification. Here, we show that heterochromatic silencing, which we find is governed by histone methyltransferases G9a (KMT1C) and GLP (KMT1D), is essential for stochastic and singular olfactory receptor (OR) expression. Deletion of G9a and GLP dramatically reduces the complexity of the OR transcriptome, resulting in transcriptional domination by a few ORs and loss of singularity in OR expression. Thus, our data suggest that, in addition to its previously known functions, heterochromatin creates an epigenetic platform that affords stochastic, mutually exclusive gene choices and promotes cellular diversity.

Although selective binding of 53BP1 to dimethylated histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20me2) at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is a necessary and pivotal determinant of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ)-directed repair, the enzymes that generate H4K20me2 at DSBs were unclear. Here, we determined that the PR-Set7 monomethyltransferase (H4K20me1) regulates de novo H4K20 methylation at DSBs. Rapid recruitment of PR-Set7 to DSBs was dependent on the NHEJ Ku70 protein and necessary for NHEJ-directed repair. PR-Set7 monomethyltransferase activity was required, but insufficient, for H4K20me2 and 53BP1 nucleation at DSBs. We determined that PR-Set7-mediated H4K20me1 facilitates Suv4-20 methyltransferase recruitment and catalysis to generate H4K20me2 necessary for 53BP1 binding. The orchestrated and concerted activities of PR-Set7 and Suv4-20 were required for proficient 53BP1 nucleation and DSB repair. This report identifies PR-Set7 as an essential component of NHEJ and implicates PR-Set7 as a central determinant of NHEJ-directed repair early in mammalian DSB repair pathway choice.