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Peer reviewed: True, In mouse and human, genes subjected to genomic imprinting have been shown to function in development, behaviour, and post-natal adaptations. Failure to correctly imprint genes in human is associated with developmental syndromes, adaptive and metabolic disorders during life as well as numerous forms of cancer. In recent years researchers have turned to RNA-seq technologies applied to reciprocal hybrid strains of mice to identify novel imprinted genes, causing a 3-fold increase in genes reported as having a parental origin specific expression bias. The functional relevance of parental origin-specific expression bias is not fully appreciated especially since many are reported with only minimal parental bias (e.g. 51:49). Here we present an in-depth meta-analysis of previously generated RNA-seq data and show that the methods used to generate and analyse libraries greatly influence the calling of allele-specific expression. Validation experiments show that most novel genes called with parental-origin specific allelic bias are artefactual, with the mouse strain contributing a larger effect on expression biases than parental origin. Of the weak novel genes that do validate, most are located at the periphery of known imprinted domains, suggesting they may be affected by local allele- and tissue-specific conformation. Together these findings highlight the need for robust tools, definitions, and validation of putative imprinted genes to provide meaningful information within imprinting databases and to understand the functional and mechanistic implications of the process

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetically regulated process leading to gene expression according to its parental origin. Imprinting is essential for prenatal growth and development, regulating nutritional resources to offspring, and contributing to a favoured theory about the evolution of imprinting being due to a conflict between maternal and paternal genomes for the control of prenatal resources – the so-called kinship hypothesis. Genomic imprinting has been mainly studied during embryonic and placental development, however, maternal nutrient provisioning is not restricted to the prenatal period. In this context, the mammary gland acts at the maternal-offspring interface providing milk to the newborn. Maternal care including lactation supports the offspring, delivering nutrients and bioactive molecules protecting against infections and contributing to healthy organ development and immune maturation. The normal developmental cycle of the mammary gland – pregnancy, lactation, involution - is vital for this process, raising the question of whether genomic imprinting might also play a role in postnatal nutrient transfer by controlling mammary gland development. Characterising the function and epigenetic regulation of imprinted genes in the mammary gland cycle may therefore provide novel insights into the evolution of imprinting since the offspring’s paternal genome is absent from the mammary gland, in addition to increasing our knowledge of postnatal nutrition and its relation to life-long health.

Imprinted genes are regulated accordin g to parental origin and can influence embryonic growth and metabolism and confer disease susceptibility. Here we designed sensitive allele - specific reporters to non - invasively monitor imprinted Cdkn1c expression in mice and showed that expression was modulated by environmental factors encountered in utero . Acute exposure to chromatin modifying drugs resulted in de - repression of paternally inherited (silent) Cdkn1c alleles in embryos that was temporary and resolved after birth. In contrast, deprivation of maternal dietary protein in utero provoked permanent de - repression of imprinted Cdkn1c expression that was sustained into adulthood and occurred through a folate - dependent mechanism of DNA methylation l oss . Given the function of imprinted genes in regulating behavior and metabolic processes in adults, these results establish imprinting deregulation as a credible mechanism linking early life adversity to later - life outcomes. Furthermore, Cdkn1c - luciferase mice offer non - invasive tools to identify factors that disrupt epigenetic processes and strategies to limit their long - term impact.

Background KRAB zinc finger proteins (KZFPs) represent one of the largest families of DNA-binding proteins in vertebrate genomes and appear to have evolved to silence transposable elements (TEs) including endogenous retroviruses through sequence-specific targeting of repressive chromatin states. ZFP57 is required to maintain the post-fertilization DNA methylation memory of parental origin at genomic imprints. Here we conduct RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses in normal and ZFP57 mutant mouse ES cells to understand the relative importance of ZFP57 at imprints, unique and repetitive regions of the genome. Results Over 80% of ZFP57 targets are TEs, however, ZFP57 is not essential for their repression. The remaining targets lie within unique imprinted and non-imprinted sequences. Though the loss of ZFP57 influences imprinted genes as expected, the majority of unique gene targets lose H3K9me3 with little effect on DNA methylation and very few exhibit alterations in expression. Comparison of ZFP57 mutants with DNA methyltransferase-deleted ES cells (TKO) identifies a remarkably similar pattern of H3K9me3 loss across the genome. These data define regions where H3K9me3 is secondary to DNA methylation and we propose that ZFP57 is the principal if not sole methylation-sensitive KZFP in mouse ES cells. Finally, we examine dynamics of DNA and H3K9 methylation during pre-implantation development and show that sites bound by ZFP57 in ES cells maintain DNA methylation and H3K9me3 at imprints and at non-imprinted regions on the maternally inherited chromosome throughout preimplantation development. Conclusion Our analyses suggest the evolution of a rare DNA methylation-sensitive KZFP that is not essential for repeat silencing, but whose primary function is to maintain DNA methylation and repressive histone marks at germline-derived imprinting control regions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-019-0295-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genomic imprinting is a process that causes genes to be expressed according to their parental-origin. Imprinting appears to have evolved gradually in two of the three mammalian subclasses with no imprinted genes yet identified in prototheria and only six found to be imprinted in marsupials to date. By interrogating the genomes of eutherian suborders, we determine that imprinting evolved at the majority of eutherian specific genes prior to the eutherian radiation. Theories considering the evolution of imprinting often relate to resource allocation and recently consider maternal-offspring interactions more generally, which in marsupials places a greater emphasis on lactation. In eutherians, the imprint memory is retained at least in part by ZFP57, a KRAB-Zinc Finger Protein that binds specifically to methylated imprinting control regions. Some imprints are less dependent on ZFP57 in vivo and it may be no coincidence that these are the imprints that are found in marsupials. Since marsupials lack ZFP57, this suggests another more ancestral protein evolved to regulate imprints in non-eutherian subclasses, and contributes to imprinting control in eutherians. Hence understanding the mechanisms acting at imprinting control regions across mammals has the potential to provide valuable insights into our understanding of the origins and evolution of genomic imprinting.

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process regulated by germline-derived DNA methylation, causing parental origin-specific monoallelic gene expression. Zinc finger protein 57 (ZFP57) is critical for maintenance of this epigenetic memory during post-fertilization reprogramming, yet incomplete penetrance of ZFP57 mutations in humans and mice suggests additional effectors. We reveal that ZNF445/ZFP445, which we trace to the origins of imprinting, binds imprinting control regions (ICRs) in mice and humans. In mice, ZFP445 and ZFP57 act together, maintaining all but one ICR in vivo, whereas earlier embryonic expression of ZNF445 and its intolerance to loss-of-function mutations indicate greater importance in the maintenance of human imprints.

The Dio3 gene, which encodes for the type 3 deiodinase (D3), controls thyroid hormone (TH) availability. The lack of D3 in mice results in tissue overexposure to TH and a broad neuroendocrine phenotype. Dio3 is an imprinted gene, preferentially expressed from the paternally inherited allele in the mouse fetus. However, heterozygous mice with paternal inheritance of the inactivating Dio3 mutation exhibit an attenuated phenotype when compared with that of Dio3 null mice. To investigate this milder phenotype, the allelic expression of Dio3 was evaluated in different mouse tissues. Preferential allelic expression of Dio3 from the paternal allele was observed in fetal tissues and neonatal brain regions, whereas the biallelic Dio3 expression occurred in the developing eye, testes, and cerebellum and in the postnatal brain neocortex, which expresses a larger Dio3 mRNA transcript. The newborn hypothalamus manifests the highest degree of Dio3 expression from the paternal allele, compared with other brain regions, and preferential allelic expression of Dio3 in the brain relaxed in late neonatal life. A methylation analysis of two regulatory regions of the Dio3 imprinted domain revealed modest but significant differences between tissues, but these did not consistently correlate with the observed patterns of Dio3 allelic expression. Deletion of the Dio3 gene and promoter did not result in significant changes in the tissue-specific patterns of Dio3 allelic expression. These results suggest the existence of unidentified epigenetic determinants of tissue-specific Dio3 imprinting. The resulting variation in the Dio3 allelic expression between tissues likely explains the phenotypic variation that results from paternal Dio3 haploinsufficiency.

The paternally expressed imprinted retrotransposon-like 1 (Rtl1) is a retrotransposon-derived gene that has evolved a function in eutherian placentation. Seven miRNAs, including miR-127, are processed from a maternally expressed antisense Rtl1 transcript (Rtl1as) and regulate Rtl1 levels through RNAi-mediated post-transcriptional degradation. To determine the relative functional role of Rtl1as miRNAs in Rtl1 dosage, we generated a mouse specifically deleted for miR-127. The miR-127 knockout mice exhibit placentomegaly with specific defects within the labyrinthine zone involved in maternal-fetal nutrient transfer. Although fetal weight is unaltered, specific Rtl1 transcripts and protein levels are increased in both the fetus and placenta. Phenotypic analysis of single (ΔmiR-127/Rtl1 or miR-127/ΔRtl1) and double (ΔmiR-127/ΔRtl1) heterozygous miR-127- and Rtl1-deficient mice indicate that Rtl1 is the main target gene of miR-127 in placental development. Our results demonstrate that miR-127 is an essential regulator of Rtl1, mediated by a trans-homologue interaction between reciprocally imprinted genes on the maternally and paternally inherited chromosomes.

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism resulting in parental allele-specific gene expression. Defects in normal imprinting are found in cancer, assisted reproductive technologies, and several human syndromes. In mouse models, germline-derived DNA methylation is shown to regulate imprinting. Though imprinting is largely conserved between mammals, species- and tissue-specific domains of imprinted expression exist. Using the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) to assess primate-specific imprinting, we present a comprehensive view of tissue-specific imprinted expression and DNA methylation at established imprinted gene clusters. For example, like mouse and unlike human, macaque IGF2R is consistently imprinted, and the PLAGL1, INPP5F transcript variant 2, and PEG3 imprinting control regions are not methylated in the macaque germline but acquire this post-fertilization. Methylome data from human early embryos appear to support this finding. These suggest fundamental differences in imprinting control mechanisms between primate species and rodents at some imprinted domains, with implications for our understanding of the epigenetic programming process in humans and its influence on disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with insulin resistance and obesity, as well as progressive liver dysfunction. Recent animal studies have underscored the importance of hepatic growth hormone (GH) signaling in the development of NAFLD. The imprinted Delta-like homolog 1 (Dlk1)/preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref1) gene encodes a complex protein producing both circulating and membrane-tethered isoforms whose expression dosage is functionally important because even modest elevation during embryogenesis causes lethality. DLK1 is up-regulated during embryogenesis, during suckling, and in the mother during pregnancy. We investigated the normal role for elevated DLK1 dosage by overexpressing Dlk1 from endogenous control elements. This increased DLK1 dosage caused improved glucose tolerance with no primary defect in adipose tissue expansion even under extreme metabolic stress. Rather, Dlk1 overexpression caused reduced fat stores, pituitary insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) resistance, and a defect in feedback regulation of GH. Increased circulatory GH culminated in a switch in whole body fuel metabolism and a reduction in hepatic steatosis. We propose that the function of DLK1 is to shift the metabolic mode of the organism toward peripheral lipid oxidation and away from lipid storage, thus mediating important physiological adaptations associated with early life and with implications for metabolic disease resistance.

Environmental factors during early life are critical for the later metabolic health of the individual and of future progeny. In our obesogenic environment, it is of great socioeconomic importance to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to the risk of metabolic ill health. Imprinted genes, a class of functionally mono-allelic genes critical for early growth and metabolic axis development, have been proposed to be uniquely susceptible to environmental change. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that perturbation of the epigenetic reprogramming of imprinting control regions (ICRs) may play a role in phenotypic heritability following early life insults. Alternatively, the presence of multiple layers of epigenetic regulation may in fact protect imprinted genes from such perturbation. Unbiased investigation of these alternative hypotheses requires assessment of imprinted gene expression in the context of the response of the whole transcriptome to environmental assault. We therefore analyse the role of imprinted genes in multiple tissues in two affected generations of an established murine model of the developmental origins of health and disease using microarrays and quantitative RT–PCR. We demonstrate that, despite the functional mono-allelicism of imprinted genes and their unique mechanisms of epigenetic dosage control, imprinted genes as a class are neither more susceptible nor protected from expression perturbation induced by maternal undernutrition in either the F1 or the F2 generation compared to other genes. Nor do we find any evidence that the epigenetic reprogramming of ICRs in the germline is susceptible to nutritional restriction. However, we propose that those imprinted genes that are affected may play important roles in the foetal response to undernutrition and potentially its long-term sequelae. We suggest that recently described instances of dosage regulation by relaxation of imprinting are rare and likely to be highly regulated., Author Summary Environmental perturbations during early life are known to affect one's risk of metabolic disease many years later. Furthermore, that risk can be inherited by future generations, although the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. Imprinted genes are unusual as only one of the two copies is expressed in a parent-of-origin–specific manner. As only one copy is active, imprinted gene dosage has been hypothesised to be uniquely vulnerable to environmental change. Therefore, it has been suggested that imprinted genes may play an important role in the developmental origins of health and disease. Alternatively, the opposite may be true—imprinted genes may be more tightly safeguarded from perturbation. To test these two hypotheses, we analysed the expression of imprinted genes in the context of all active genes in two affected generations of a mouse model of the developmental origins of health and disease. Our data show that imprinted genes as a class are neither more nor less susceptible to expression change, but a subset of imprinted genes may be involved in the adaptation of the conceptus. Furthermore, imprints in the developing germline are not affected and imprinted genes are largely stable in the second generation. This is important, as it is the first time that this hypothesis has been tested in an unbiased fashion.

The gene for the atypical NOTCH ligand delta-like homologue 1 (Dlk1) encodes membrane-bound and secreted isoforms that function in several developmental processes in vitro and in vivo. Dlk1, a member of a cluster of imprinted genes, is expressed from the paternally inherited chromosome. Here we show that mice that are deficient in Dlk1 have defects in postnatal neurogenesis in the subventricular zone: a developmental continuum that results in depletion of mature neurons in the olfactory bulb. We show that DLK1 is secreted by niche astrocytes, whereas its membrane-bound isoform is present in neural stem cells (NSCs) and is required for the inductive effect of secreted DLK1 on self-renewal. Notably, we find that there is a requirement for Dlk1 to be expressed from both maternally and paternally inherited chromosomes. Selective absence of Dlk1 imprinting in both NSCs and niche astrocytes is associated with postnatal acquisition of DNA methylation at the germ-line-derived imprinting control region. The results emphasize molecular relationships between NSCs and the niche astrocyte cells of the microenvironment, identifying a signalling system encoded by a single gene that functions coordinately in both cell types. The modulation of genomic imprinting in a stem-cell environment adds a new level of epigenetic regulation to the establishment and maintenance of the niche, raising wider questions about the adaptability, function and evolution of imprinting in specific developmental contexts.

Background The field of epigenetics is developing rapidly, however we are only beginning to comprehend the complexity of its influence on gene regulation. Using genomic imprinting as a model we examine epigenetic profiles associated with different forms of gene regulation. Imprinting refers to the expression of a gene from only one of the chromosome homologues in a parental-origin-specific manner. This is dependent on heritable germline epigenetic control at a cis-acting imprinting control region that influences local epigenetic states. Epigenetic modifications associated with imprinting regulation can be compared to those associated with the more canonical developmental regulation, important for processes such as differentiation and tissue specificity. Here we test the hypothesis that these two mechanisms are associated with different histone modification enrichment patterns. Results Using high-throughput data extraction with subsequent analysis, we have found that particular histone modifications are more likely to be associated with either imprinting repression or developmental repression of imprinted genes. H3K9me3 and H4K20me3 are together enriched at imprinted genes with differentially methylated promoters and do not show a correlation with developmental regulation. H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, however, are more often associated with developmental regulation. We find that imprinted genes are subject to developmental regulation through bivalency with H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 enrichment on the same allele. Furthermore, a specific tri-mark signature comprising H3K4me3, H3K9me3 and H4K20me3 has been identified at all imprinting control regions. Conclusion A large amount of data is produced from whole-genome expression and epigenetic profiling studies of cellular material. We have shown that such publicly available data can be mined and analysed in order to generate novel findings for categories of genes or regulatory elements. Comparing two types of gene regulation, imprinting and developmental, our results suggest that different histone modifications associate with these distinct processes. This form of analysis is therefore a useful tool to elucidate the complex epigenetic code associated with genome function and to determine the underlying features conferring epigenetic states.

Background The evolution of genomic imprinting, the parental-origin specific expression of genes, is the subject of much debate. There are several theories to account for how the mechanism evolved including the hypothesis that it was driven by the evolution of X-inactivation, or that it arose from an ancestrally imprinted chromosome. Results Here we demonstrate that mammalian orthologues of imprinted genes are dispersed amongst autosomes in both monotreme and marsupial karyotypes. Conclusion These data, along with the similar distribution seen in birds, suggest that imprinted genes were not located on an ancestrally imprinted chromosome or associated with a sex chromosome. Our results suggest imprinting evolution was a stepwise, adaptive process, with each gene/cluster independently becoming imprinted as the need arose.

BACKGROUND: Selective maintenance of genomic epigenetic imprints during pre-implantation development is required for parental origin-specific expression of imprinted genes. The Kruppel-like zinc finger protein ZFP57 acts as a factor necessary for maintaining the DNA methylation memory at multiple imprinting control regions in early mouse embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. Maternal-zygotic deletion of ZFP57 in mice presents a highly penetrant phenotype with no animals surviving to birth. Additionally, several cases of human transient neonatal diabetes are associated with somatic mutations in the ZFP57 coding sequence. RESULTS: Here, we comprehensively map sequence-specific ZFP57 binding sites in an allele-specific manner using hybrid ES cell lines from reciprocal crosses between C57BL/6J and Cast/EiJ mice, assigning allele specificity to approximately two-thirds of all binding sites. While half of these are biallelic and include endogenous retrovirus (ERV) targets, the rest show monoallelic binding based either on parental origin or on genetic background of the allele. Parental-origin allele-specific binding is methylation-dependent and maps only to imprinting control differentially methylated regions (DMRs) established in the germline. We identify a novel imprinted gene, Fkbp6, which has a critical function in mouse male germ cell development. Genetic background-specific sequence differences also influence ZFP57 binding, as genetic variation that disrupts the consensus binding motif and its methylation is often associated with monoallelic expression of neighboring genes. CONCLUSIONS: The work described here uncovers further roles for ZFP57-mediated regulation of genomic imprinting and identifies a novel mechanism for genetically determined monoallelic gene expression.