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Insulators are DNA sequences that control the interactions among genomic regulatory elements and act as chromatin boundaries. A thorough understanding of their location and function is necessary to address the complexities of metazoan gene regulation. We studied by ChIP–chip the genome-wide binding sites of 6 insulator-associated proteins—dCTCF, CP190, BEAF-32, Su(Hw), Mod(mdg4), and GAF—to obtain the first comprehensive map of insulator elements in Drosophila embryos. We identify over 14,000 putative insulators, including all classically defined insulators. We find two major classes of insulators defined by dCTCF/CP190/BEAF-32 and Su(Hw), respectively. Distributional analyses of insulators revealed that particular sub-classes of insulator elements are excluded between cis-regulatory elements and their target promoters; divide differentially expressed, alternative, and divergent promoters; act as chromatin boundaries; are associated with chromosomal breakpoints among species; and are embedded within active chromatin domains. Together, these results provide a map demarcating the boundaries of gene regulatory units and a framework for understanding insulator function during the development and evolution of Drosophila., Author Summary The spatiotemporal specificity of gene expression is controlled by interactions among regulatory proteins, cis-regulatory elements, chromatin modifications, and genes. These interactions can occur over large distances, and the mechanisms by which they are controlled are poorly understood. Insulators are DNA sequences that can both block the interaction between regulatory elements and genes, as well as block the spread of regions of modified chromatin. To date, relatively few insulators have been identified in developing Drosophila embryos. We here present the genome wide identification of over 14,000 binding sites for 6 insulator-associated proteins. We demonstrate the existence of two broad classes of insulators. Insulators of both classes are enriched at the boundaries of a particular chromatin modification. However, only insulators bound by BEAF-32, CP190, and dCTCF are enriched in regions of open chromatin or demarcate gene boundaries, with a particular enrichment between differentially expressed promoters. Furthermore, insulators of this class are enriched at points of chromosomal rearrangement among the 12 species of sequenced Drosophila, suggesting that insulator defined regulatory boundaries are evolutionarily conserved.

Genomic mapping of DNA replication origins (ORIs) in mammals provides a powerful means for understanding the regulatory complexity of our genome. Here we combine a genome-wide approach to identify preferential sites of DNA replication initiation at 0.4% of the mouse genome with detailed molecular analysis at distinct classes of ORIs according to their location relative to the genes. Our study reveals that 85% of the replication initiation sites in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are associated with transcriptional units. Nearly half of the identified ORIs map at promoter regions and, interestingly, ORI density strongly correlates with promoter density, reflecting the coordinated organisation of replication and transcription in the mouse genome. Detailed analysis of ORI activity showed that CpG island promoter-ORIs are the most efficient ORIs in ES cells and both ORI specification and firing efficiency are maintained across cell types. Remarkably, the distribution of replication initiation sites at promoter-ORIs exactly parallels that of transcription start sites (TSS), suggesting a co-evolution of the regulatory regions driving replication and transcription. Moreover, we found that promoter-ORIs are significantly enriched in CAGE tags derived from early embryos relative to all promoters. This association implies that transcription initiation early in development sets the probability of ORI activation, unveiling a new hallmark in ORI efficiency regulation in mammalian cells., Author Summary The duplication of the genetic information of a cell starts from specific sites on the chromosomes called DNA replication origins. Their number varies from a few hundred in yeast cells to several thousands in human cells, distributed along the genome at comparable distances in both systems. An important question in the field is to understand how origins of replication are specified and regulated in the mammalian genome, as neither their location nor their activity can be directly inferred from the DNA sequence. Previous studies at individual origins and, more recently, at large scale across 1% of the human genome, have revealed that most origins overlap with transcriptional regulatory elements, and specifically with gene promoters. To gain insight into the nature of the relationship between active transcription and origin specification we have combined a genomic mapping of origins at 0.4% of the mouse genome with detailed studies of activation efficiency. The data identify two types of origins with distinct regulatory properties: highly efficient origins map at CpG island-promoters and low efficient origins locate elsewhere in association with transcriptional units. We also find a remarkable parallel organisation of the replication initiation sites and transcription start sites at efficient promoter-origins that suggests a prominent role of transcription initiation in setting the efficiency of replication origin activation.

International audience; The ICF syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, the most common symptoms of which are immunodeficiency, facial anomalies and cytogenetic defects involving decondensation and instability of chromosome 1, 9 and 16 centromeric regions. ICF is also characterised by significant hypomethylation of the classical satellite DNA, the major constituent of the juxtacentromeric heterochromatin. Here we report the first attempt at analysing some of the defining genetic and epigenetic changes of this syndrome from a nuclear architecture perspective. In particular, we have compared in ICF ( Type 1 and Type 2) and controls the large-scale organisation of chromosome 1 and 16 juxtacentromeric heterochromatic regions, their intra-nuclear positioning, and co-localisation with five specific genes (BTG2, CNN3, ID3, RGS1, F13A1), on which we have concurrently conducted expression and methylation analysis. Our investigations, carried out by a combination of molecular and cytological techniques, demonstrate the existence of specific and quantifiable differences in the genomic and nuclear organisation of the juxtacentromeric heterochromatin in ICF. DNA hypomethylation, previously reported to correlate with the decondensation of centromeric regions in metaphase described in these patients, appears also to correlate with the heterochromatin spatial configuration in interphase. Finally, our findings on the relative positioning of hypomethylated satellite sequences and abnormally expressed genes suggest a connection between disruption of long-range geneheterochromatin associations and some of the changes in gene expression in ICF. Beyond its relevance to the ICF syndrome, by addressing fundamental principles of chromosome functional organisation within the cell nucleus, this work aims to contribute to the current debate on the epigenetic impact of nuclear architecture in development and disease.

A substantial fraction of extragenic Pol II transcription sites coincides with transcriptional enhancers, which may be relevant for functional annotation of mammalian genomes., Mammalian genomes are pervasively transcribed outside mapped protein-coding genes. One class of extragenic transcription products is represented by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), some of which result from Pol_II transcription of bona-fide RNA genes. Whether all lncRNAs described insofar are products of RNA genes, however, is still unclear. Here we have characterized transcription sites located outside protein-coding genes in a highly regulated response, macrophage activation by endotoxin. Using chromatin signatures, we could unambiguously classify extragenic Pol_II binding sites as belonging to either canonical RNA genes or transcribed enhancers. Unexpectedly, 70% of extragenic Pol_II peaks were associated with genomic regions with a canonical chromatin signature of enhancers. Enhancer-associated extragenic transcription was frequently adjacent to inducible inflammatory genes, was regulated in response to endotoxin stimulation, and generated very low abundance transcripts. Moreover, transcribed enhancers were under purifying selection and contained binding sites for inflammatory transcription factors, thus suggesting their functionality. These data demonstrate that a large fraction of extragenic Pol_II transcription sites can be ascribed to cis-regulatory genomic regions. Discrimination between lncRNAs generated by canonical RNA genes and products of transcribed enhancers will provide a framework for experimental approaches to lncRNAs and help complete the annotation of mammalian genomes., Author Summary Mammalian genomes contain vast intergenic regions that are extensively transcribed and generate various types of short and long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Although in some cases specific functions have been assigned to intergenic transcripts, the functional significance of this transcriptional output remains largely unknown, and the possibility exists that part of this transcription reflects noise generated by random collisions of the transcriptional machinery with the genome to generate meaningless transcription. In this study we used chromatin signatures to characterize extragenic transcription sites targeted by RNA Polymerase II (RNA Pol II) in a highly regulated response—endotoxin activation of macrophages. We found that a significant portion of extragenic transcription sites are associated with the chromatin signature characteristic of enhancers. Consistent with their chromatin signature, we found that these extragenic transcription sites are under purifying selection and contain binding sites for inflammatory transcription factors, as well as for PU.1, a hematopoietic transcription factor that marks enhancers in macrophages. Moreover, much of this extragenic transcription is regulated by stimulation. We also identified hundreds of transcribed regions with a signature of canonical RNA genes. Our data indicate that extragenic transcription sites can be efficiently classified using chromatin signatures, which will be relevant for functional annotation of mammalian genomes.

Background Perturbations of the intrauterine environment can affect fetal development during critical periods of plasticity, and can increase susceptibility to a number of age-related diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes mellitus; T2DM), manifesting as late as decades later. We hypothesized that this biological memory is mediated by permanent alterations of the epigenome in stem cell populations, and focused our studies specifically on DNA methylation in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from cord blood from neonates with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and control subjects. Methods and Findings Our epigenomic assays utilized a two-stage design involving genome-wide discovery followed by quantitative, single-locus validation. We found that changes in cytosine methylation occur in response to IUGR of moderate degree and involving a restricted number of loci. We also identify specific loci that are targeted for dysregulation of DNA methylation, in particular the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4A) gene, a well-known diabetes candidate gene not previously associated with growth restriction in utero, and other loci encoding HNF4A-interacting proteins. Conclusions Our results give insights into the potential contribution of epigenomic dysregulation in mediating the long-term consequences of IUGR, and demonstrate the value of this approach to studies of the fetal origin of adult disease.

There is increasing evidence that non-coding macroRNAs are major elements for silencing imprinted genes, but their mechanism of action is poorly understood. Within the imprinted Gnas cluster on mouse chromosome 2, Nespas is a paternally expressed macroRNA that arises from an imprinting control region and runs antisense to Nesp, a paternally repressed protein coding transcript. Here we report a knock-in mouse allele that behaves as a Nespas hypomorph. The hypomorph mediates down-regulation of Nesp in cis through chromatin modification at the Nesp promoter but in the absence of somatic DNA methylation. Notably there is reduced demethylation of H3K4me3, sufficient for down-regulation of Nesp, but insufficient for DNA methylation; in addition, there is depletion of the H3K36me3 mark permissive for DNA methylation. We propose an order of events for the regulation of a somatic imprint on the wild-type allele whereby Nespas modulates demethylation of H3K4me3 resulting in repression of Nesp followed by DNA methylation. This study demonstrates that a non-coding antisense transcript or its transcription is associated with silencing an overlapping protein-coding gene by a mechanism independent of DNA methylation. These results have broad implications for understanding the hierarchy of events in epigenetic silencing by macroRNAs., Author Summary Genomic imprinting is a process resulting in expression of genes according to parental origin. Some imprinted genes are expressed when paternally derived and others when maternally derived. Thus imprinted genes are monoallelically expressed and one copy has to be silenced. There is evidence that some long non-coding RNAs, acting in cis, have a role in silencing. We investigated the role of Nespas, a gene for a non-coding RNA that is only expressed from the paternally derived chromosome in the Gnas cluster and runs antisense to its sense counterpart, Nesp. Expression of Nespas is associated with silencing of Nesp and a repressive methylation mark on the Nesp DNA. We generated a Nespas mutant with reduced levels of activity and showed that it down-regulated its sense counterpart Nesp, in the absence of a DNA methylation mark, but in the presence of an altered chromatin mark. We conclude that Nespas can repress Nesp by a mechanism independent of DNA methylation, by modulating a chromatin mark.

The chromosomes of eukaryotes are organized into structurally and functionally discrete domains. This implies the presence of insulator elements that separate adjacent domains, allowing them to maintain different chromatin structures. We show that the Fun30 chromatin remodeler, Fft3, is essential for maintaining a proper chromatin structure at centromeres and subtelomeres. Fft3 is localized to insulator elements and inhibits euchromatin assembly in silent chromatin domains. In its absence, euchromatic histone modifications and histone variants invade centromeres and subtelomeres, causing a mis-regulation of gene expression and severe chromosome segregation defects. Our data strongly suggest that Fft3 controls the identity of chromatin domains by protecting these regions from euchromatin assembly., Author Summary Active and inactive chromatin domains are often juxtaposed along the chromosome arms, and this demands mechanisms that separate them apart. This is performed by insulators that block the spreading of chromatin domains beyond their natural borders. Here, we show that an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler, Fission yeast fun thirty (Fft3), is localized at known insulator elements and protects centromeric and subtelomeric chromatin domains. When Fft3 is absent, euchromatin invades the centromere and subtelomeres, causing a change in histone modification, incorrect incorporation of histone variants, mis-regulation of gene expression, and severe chromosome segregation defects. We conclude that Fft3 controls the identity of these chromatin domains by shielding them from euchromatin.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins bind and regulate hundreds of genes. Previous evidence has suggested that long-range chromatin interactions may contribute to the regulation of PcG target genes. Here, we adapted the Chromosome Conformation Capture on Chip (4C) assay to systematically map chromosomal interactions in Drosophila melanogaster larval brain tissue. Our results demonstrate that PcG target genes interact extensively with each other in nuclear space. These interactions are highly specific for PcG target genes, because non-target genes with either low or high expression show distinct interactions. Notably, interactions are mostly limited to genes on the same chromosome arm, and we demonstrate that a topological rather than a sequence-based mechanism is responsible for this constraint. Our results demonstrate that many interactions among PcG target genes exist and that these interactions are guided by overall chromosome architecture., Author Summary The folding of chromosomes inside the cell nucleus is a fascinating yet poorly understood topological problem. It is thought that certain genomic loci that are distant in the linear genome may come together in nuclear space by folding of the chromosome fiber. Previously, such a long-range interaction was found in Drosophila for two genomic loci that are known to be bound by the Polycomb Repressive Complex. Because hundreds of genes are known to be bound by Polycomb proteins, we asked whether such long-range contacts are more common. To address this, we optimized the Chromosome Conformation Capture on Chip (4C) technology for use in small tissue samples. Using this technique in dissected larval brains, we found that indeed Polycomb target genes interact frequently with each other, even when they are separated by megabases of sequence. However, these long-range interactions occur almost exclusively on the same chromosome arm. By using a rearranged chromosome in which segments are swapped between two arms, we demonstrate that not DNA sequence but chromosome architecture imposes this restriction. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Polycomb target genes extensively interact in nuclear space, but only when they are located on the same chromosome arm.

The modification of DNA by methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that affects the spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression. Methylation patterns have been described in many contexts within and across a range of species. However, the extent to which changes in methylation might underlie inter-species differences in gene regulation, in particular between humans and other primates, has not yet been studied. To this end, we studied DNA methylation patterns in livers, hearts, and kidneys from multiple humans and chimpanzees, using tissue samples for which genome-wide gene expression data were also available. Using the multi-species gene expression and methylation data for 7,723 genes, we were able to study the role of promoter DNA methylation in the evolution of gene regulation across tissues and species. We found that inter-tissue methylation patterns are often conserved between humans and chimpanzees. However, we also found a large number of gene expression differences between species that might be explained, at least in part, by corresponding differences in methylation levels. In particular, we estimate that, in the tissues we studied, inter-species differences in promoter methylation might underlie as much as 12%–18% of differences in gene expression levels between humans and chimpanzees., Author Summary It has long been hypothesized that changes in gene regulation have played an important role in primate evolution. However, despite the wealth of comparative gene expression data, there are still only few studies that focus on the mechanisms underlying inter-primate differences in gene regulation. In particular, we know relatively little about the degree to which changes in epigenetic profiles might explain differences in gene expression levels between primates. To this end, we studied DNA methylation and gene expression levels in livers, hearts, and kidneys from multiple humans and chimpanzees. Using these comparative data, we were able to study the evolution of gene regulation in the context of conservation of or changes in DNA methylation profiles across tissues and species. We found that inter-tissue methylation patterns are often conserved between humans and chimpanzees. In addition, we also found a large number of gene expression differences between species, which might be explained, at least in part, by corresponding differences in methylation levels. We estimate that, in the tissues we studied, inter-species differences in methylation levels might underlie as much as 12%–18% of differences in gene expression levels between humans and chimpanzees.

BACKGROUND: Pterygium is a common ocular surface disease characterized by abnormal epithelial and fibrovascular proliferation, invasion, and matrix remodeling. This lesion, which migrates from the periphery to the center of the cornea, impairs vision and causes considerable irritation. The mechanism of pterygium formation remains ambiguous, and current treatment is solely surgical excision, with a significant risk of recurrence after surgery. Here, we investigate the role of methylation in DNA sequences that regulate matrix remodeling and cell adhesion in pterygium formation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Pterygium and uninvolved conjunctiva samples were obtained from the same eye of patients undergoing surgery. The EpiTYPER Sequenom technology, based on differential base cleavage and bisulfite sequencing was used to evaluate the extent of methylation of 29 matrix and adhesion related genes. In pterygium, three CpG sites at -268, -32 and -29 bp upstream of transglutaminase 2 (TGM-2) transcription initiation were significantly hypermethylated (p

From the moment of conception, we begin to age. A decay of cellular structures, gene regulation, and DNA sequence ages cells and organisms. DNA methylation patterns change with increasing age and contribute to age related disease. Here we identify 88 sites in or near 80 genes for which the degree of cytosine methylation is significantly correlated with age in saliva of 34 male identical twin pairs between 21 and 55 years of age. Furthermore, we validated sites in the promoters of three genes and replicated our results in a general population sample of 31 males and 29 females between 18 and 70 years of age. The methylation of three sites-in the promoters of the EDARADD, TOM1L1, and NPTX2 genes-is linear with age over a range of five decades. Using just two cytosines from these loci, we built a regression model that explained 73% of the variance in age, and is able to predict the age of an individual with an average accuracy of 5.2 years. In forensic science, such a model could estimate the age of a person, based on a biological sample alone. Furthermore, a measurement of relevant sites in the genome could be a tool in routine medical screening to predict the risk of age-related diseases and to tailor interventions based on the epigenetic bio-age instead of the chronological age. © 2011 Bocklandt et al.

Seed development in angiosperms is dependent on the interplay among different transcriptional programs operating in the embryo, the endosperm, and the maternally-derived seed coat. In angiosperms, the embryo and the endosperm are products of double fertilization during which the two pollen sperm cells fuse with the egg cell and the central cell of the female gametophyte. In Arabidopsis, analyses of mutants in the cell-cycle regulator CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE A;1 (CKDA;1) have revealed the importance of a paternal genome for the effective development of the endosperm and ultimately the seed. Here we have exploited cdka;1 fertilization as a novel tool for the identification of seed regulators and factors involved in parent-of-origin–specific regulation during seed development. We have generated genome-wide transcription profiles of cdka;1 fertilized seeds and identified approximately 600 genes that are downregulated in the absence of a paternal genome. Among those, AGAMOUS-LIKE (AGL) genes encoding Type-I MADS-box transcription factors were significantly overrepresented. Here, AGL36 was chosen for an in-depth study and shown to be imprinted. We demonstrate that AGL36 parent-of-origin–dependent expression is controlled by the activity of METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (MET1) maintenance DNA methyltransferase and DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase. Interestingly, our data also show that the active maternal allele of AGL36 is regulated throughout endosperm development by components of the FIS Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), revealing a new type of dual epigenetic regulation in seeds., Author Summary Seeds of flowering plants consist of three different organisms that develop in parallel. In contrast to animals, a double fertilization event takes place in plants, producing two fertilization products, the embryo and the endosperm. Imprinting, the parent-of-origin–specific expression of genes, typically takes place in the mammalian placenta and in the plant endosperm. A prevailing hypothesis predicts that a parental tug-of-war on the allocation of available recourses to the developing progeny has led to the evolution of imprinting systems where genes expressed from the mother dampen growth whereas genes expressed from the father are growth enhancers. The number of imprinted genes identified in plants is low compared to mammals, and this precludes the elucidation of the epigenetic mechanisms responsible for this specialized expression system. Here, we have used genome-wide transcript profiling of endosperm without paternal contribution to identify seed regulators and, among these, imprinted genes. We identified a cluster of downregulated MADS-box transcription factors, including AGL36, that was subsequently shown to be imprinted by an epigenetic mechanism involving the DNA methylase MET1 and the glycosylase DME. In addition, the expression of the active AGL36 allele was dampened by the FIS Polycomb Repressive Complex, identifying a novel mode of regulation of imprinted genes.

Nucleosomes in heterochromatic regions bear histone modifications that distinguish them from euchromatic nucleosomes. Among those, histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) and hypoacetylation have been evolutionarily conserved and are found in both multicellular eukaryotes and single-cell model organisms such as fission yeast. In spite of numerous studies, the relative contributions of the various heterochromatic histone marks to the properties of heterochromatin remain largely undefined. Here, we report that silencing of the fission yeast mating-type cassettes, which are located in a well-characterized heterochromatic region, is hardly affected in cells lacking the H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4. We document the existence of a pathway parallel to H3K9me ensuring gene repression in the absence of Clr4 and identify a silencing factor central to this pathway, Clr5. We find that Clr5 controls gene expression at multiple chromosomal locations in addition to affecting the mating-type region. The histone deacetylase Clr6 acts in the same pathway as Clr5, at least for its effects in the mating-type region, and on a subset of other targets, notably a region recently found to be prone to neo-centromere formation. The genomic targets of Clr5 also include Ste11, a master regulator of sexual differentiation. Hence Clr5, like the multi-functional Atf1 transcription factor which also modulates chromatin structure in the mating-type region, controls sexual differentiation and genome integrity at several levels. Globally, our results point to histone deacetylases as prominent repressors of gene expression in fission yeast heterochromatin. These deacetylases can act in concert with, or independently of, the widely studied H3K9me mark to influence gene silencing at heterochromatic loci., Author Summary In eukaryotes some histone modifications are preponderantly associated with silent chromosomal domains, however the extent to which distinct modifications contribute to the silencing of gene expression is often not known. A well-studied chromosomal domain in which histone modifications have been extensively characterized is the fission yeast mating-type region. There, histone hypo-acetylation and histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) are associated with a domain refractory to gene expression. Contrary to a general assumption, we found that genes naturally present in the mating-type region of wild-type strains remain repressed in the absence of the H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4. Their repression depends on histone deacetylases and on a hitherto uncharacterized factor, Clr5. Our results reveal an unsuspected robustness in the silencing mechanism, where H3K9me and deacetylation cooperate to ensure that the genes naturally present in the mating-type region remain silent in conditions where their expression would otherwise kill the cells.

Although a combination of genomic and epigenetic alterations are implicated in the multistep transformation of normal squamous esophageal epithelium to Barrett esophagus, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma, the combinatorial effect of these changes is unknown. By integrating genome-wide DNA methylation, copy number, and transcriptomic datasets obtained from endoscopic biopsies of neoplastic progression within the same individual, we are uniquely able to define the molecular events associated progression of Barrett esophagus. We find that the previously reported global hypomethylation phenomenon in cancer has its origins at the earliest stages of epithelial carcinogenesis. Promoter hypomethylation synergizes with gene amplification and leads to significant upregulation of a chr4q21 chemokine cluster and other transcripts during Barrett neoplasia. In contrast, gene-specific hypermethylation is observed at a restricted number of loci and, in combination with hemi-allelic deletions, leads to downregulatation of selected transcripts during multistep progression. We also observe that epigenetic regulation during epithelial carcinogenesis is not restricted to traditionally defined “CpG islands,” but may also occur through a mechanism of differential methylation outside of these regions. Finally, validation of novel upregulated targets (CXCL1 and 3, GATA6, and DMBT1) in a larger independent panel of samples confirms the utility of integrative analysis in cancer biomarker discovery., Author Summary The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is increasing at an alarming pace in the United States. Distinct pathological stages of Barrett's metaplasia and low- and high-grade dysplasia can be seen preceding malignant transformation. These precursor lesions provide a unique in vivo model for deepening our understanding the early steps in human neoplasia. By integrating genome-wide DNA methylation, copy number, and transcriptomic datasets obtained from endoscopic biopsies of neoplastic progression within the same individual, we are uniquely able to define the molecular events associated progression of Barrett esophagus. We show that the predominant change during this process is loss of DNA methylation. We show that this global hypomethylation occurs very early during the process and is seen even in preinvasive lesions. This loss of DNA methylation drives carcinogenesis by cooperating with gene amplifications in upregulating proteins during this process. Finally we uncovered proteins that upregulated by loss of methylation or gene amplification (CXCL1 and 3, GATA6, and DMBT1) and show their relevance by validating their levels in larger independent panel of samples, thus confirming the utility of integrative analysis in cancer biomarker discovery.

Throughout most of the mammalian genome, genetically regulated developmental programming establishes diverse yet predictable epigenetic states across differentiated cells and tissues. At metastable epialleles (MEs), conversely, epigenotype is established stochastically in the early embryo then maintained in differentiated lineages, resulting in dramatic and systemic interindividual variation in epigenetic regulation. In the mouse, maternal nutrition affects this process, with permanent phenotypic consequences for the offspring. MEs have not previously been identified in humans. Here, using an innovative 2-tissue parallel epigenomic screen, we identified putative MEs in the human genome. In autopsy samples, we showed that DNA methylation at these loci is highly correlated across tissues representing all 3 embryonic germ layer lineages. Monozygotic twin pairs exhibited substantial discordance in DNA methylation at these loci, suggesting that their epigenetic state is established stochastically. We then tested for persistent epigenetic effects of periconceptional nutrition in rural Gambians, who experience dramatic seasonal fluctuations in nutritional status. DNA methylation at MEs was elevated in individuals conceived during the nutritionally challenged rainy season, providing the first evidence of a permanent, systemic effect of periconceptional environment on human epigenotype. At MEs, epigenetic regulation in internal organs and tissues varies among individuals and can be deduced from peripheral blood DNA. MEs should therefore facilitate an improved understanding of the role of interindividual epigenetic variation in human disease., Author Summary There is growing interest in the possibility that interindividual epigenetic variation plays an important role in a broad range of human diseases. The tissue-specificity of epigenetic regulation, however, will in many cases make it difficult to obtain the appropriate tissues in which to perform large-scale studies linking epigenetic dysregulation to disease. We have used an innovative two-tissue DNA methylation screen to identify genomic regions that exhibit interindividual epigenetic variation which occurs systemically—i.e. similarly in all tissues. Such regions—called metastable epialleles—have previously been identified in mice because they cause visible phenotypic variation amongst genetically identical individuals. Indeed, we found that even monozygotic twins show substantial epigenetic discordance at these loci. Further, we show that, as in mice, establishment of DNA methylation at these putative human metastable epialleles is labile to maternal environment around the time of conception. Metastable epialleles should facilitate an improved understanding both of the role of interindividual epigenetic variation in human disease and of the effects of early environment on the establishment of human epigenotype.

The application of deep sequencing to map 5′ capped transcripts has confirmed the existence of at least two distinct promoter classes in metazoans: “focused” promoters with transcription start sites (TSSs) that occur in a narrowly defined genomic span and “dispersed” promoters with TSSs that are spread over a larger window. Previous studies have explored the presence of genomic features, such as CpG islands and sequence motifs, in these promoter classes, but virtually no studies have directly investigated the relationship with chromatin features. Here, we show that promoter classes are significantly differentiated by nucleosome organization and chromatin structure. Dispersed promoters display higher associations with well-positioned nucleosomes downstream of the TSS and a more clearly defined nucleosome free region upstream, while focused promoters have a less organized nucleosome structure, yet higher presence of RNA polymerase II. These differences extend to histone variants (H2A.Z) and marks (H3K4 methylation), as well as insulator binding (such as CTCF), independent of the expression levels of affected genes. Notably, differences are conserved across mammals and flies, and they provide for a clearer separation of promoter architectures than the presence and absence of CpG islands or the occurrence of stalled RNA polymerase. Computational models support the stronger contribution of chromatin features to the definition of dispersed promoters compared to focused start sites. Our results show that promoter classes defined from 5′ capped transcripts not only reflect differences in the initiation process at the core promoter but also are indicative of divergent transcriptional programs established within gene-proximal nucleosome organization., Author Summary How are genes transcribed at the right levels and under the right conditions? Transcription regulation in eukaryotes has long been proposed to work by a division of labor: ubiquitous DNA sequence features in the core promoter region, close to the transcription start site (TSS) of genes, were thought to generically encode information to recruit RNA polymerase to initiate transcription, while specific sequence features, often distal from the genes, were thought to boost expression under the right conditions. Supporting the generic function of core promoters, genome-wide chromatin maps showed a stereotypical arrangement of well-spaced nucleosomes providing access to the TSS. High-throughput sequencing has generated genome-wide TSS maps at high resolution, which show that promoters exhibit different initiation patterns, ranging from focused start sites to dispersed regions. Linking these patterns to chromatin maps, we now find distinct core promoter classes, those in which the TSS location is defined broadly on the chromatin level and those in which the TSS is defined by precisely positioned sequence features. Notably, these architectures are conserved deeply across eukaryotes and are used for different functional classes of genes. Our work adds to the increasing understanding that core promoters contribute significantly to the complexity of eukaryotic gene expression.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) concept is a highly debated topic in cancer research. While experimental evidence in favor of the cancer stem cell theory is apparently abundant, the results are often criticized as being difficult to interpret. An important reason for this is that most experimental data that support this model rely on transplantation studies. In this study we use a novel cellular Potts model to elucidate the dynamics of established malignancies that are driven by a small subset of CSCs. Our results demonstrate that epigenetic mutations that occur during mitosis display highly altered dynamics in CSC-driven malignancies compared to a classical, non-hierarchical model of growth. In particular, the heterogeneity observed in CSC-driven tumors is considerably higher. We speculate that this feature could be used in combination with epigenetic (methylation) sequencing studies of human malignancies to prove or refute the CSC hypothesis in established tumors without the need for transplantation. Moreover our tumor growth simulations indicate that CSC-driven tumors display evolutionary features that can be considered beneficial during tumor progression. Besides an increased heterogeneity they also exhibit properties that allow the escape of clones from local fitness peaks. This leads to more aggressive phenotypes in the long run and makes the neoplasm more adaptable to stringent selective forces such as cancer treatment. Indeed when therapy is applied the clone landscape of the regrown tumor is more aggressive with respect to the primary tumor, whereas the classical model demonstrated similar patterns before and after therapy. Understanding these often counter-intuitive fundamental properties of (non-)hierarchically organized malignancies is a crucial step in validating the CSC concept as well as providing insight into the therapeutical consequences of this model., Author Summary Cancer is in essence a genetic disease that leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis states that tumors are not just a mass of uniform malignant cells but they are hierarchically organized, like normal tissues. At the top of such a hierarchy are cancer stem cells that fuel tumor growth in the long run, whereas the majority of other cells are able to divide only a few times. The experiments that support the CSC hypothesis are often criticized as being difficult to interpret. A novel approach to test the CSC paradigm is to integrate mathematical modeling with DNA variation data that carry the phylogenetic history of cells. We have developed a model that simulates the occurrence of such changes under both the CSC hypothesis and the classical, purely stochastic scenario. We found that although a CSC-driven tumor has a smaller number of tumorigenic cells, it triggers more malignant properties such as invasive growth, heterogeneity and evolutionary escape from peaks in the fitness landscape. These properties, that are unique to the CSC model, are enhanced even further when a treatment is applied to the tumor.

In mammals, imprinted gene expression results from the sex-specific methylation of imprinted control regions (ICRs) in the parental germlines. Imprinting is linked to therian reproduction, that is, the placenta and imprinting emerged at roughly the same time and potentially co-evolved. We assessed the transcriptome-wide and ontology effect of maternally versus paternally methylated ICRs at the developmental stage of setting of the chorioallantoic placenta in the mouse (8.5dpc), using two models of imprinting deficiency including completely imprint-free embryos. Paternal and maternal imprints have a similar quantitative impact on the embryonic transcriptome. However, transcriptional effects of maternal ICRs are qualitatively focused on the fetal-maternal interface, while paternal ICRs weakly affect non-convergent biological processes, with little consequence for viability at 8.5dpc. Moreover, genes regulated by maternal ICRs indirectly influence genes regulated by paternal ICRs, while the reverse is not observed. The functional dominance of maternal imprints over early embryonic development is potentially linked to selection pressures favoring methylation-dependent control of maternal over paternal ICRs. We previously hypothesized that the different methylation histories of ICRs in the maternal versus the paternal germlines may have put paternal ICRs under higher mutational pressure to lose CpGs by deamination. Using comparative genomics of 17 extant mammalian species, we show here that, while ICRs in general have been constrained to maintain more CpGs than non-imprinted sequences, the rate of CpG loss at paternal ICRs has indeed been higher than at maternal ICRs during evolution. In fact, maternal ICRs, which have the characteristics of CpG-rich promoters, have gained CpGs compared to non-imprinted CpG-rich promoters. Thus, the numerical and, during early embryonic development, functional dominance of maternal ICRs can be explained as the consequence of two orthogonal evolutionary forces: pressure to tightly regulate genes affecting the fetal-maternal interface and pressure to avoid the mutagenic environment of the paternal germline., Author Summary In mammals, a subset of genes is expressed from only one chromosomal copy, depending on its parental origin. This process, known as genomic imprinting, results from DNA methylation marks deposited in gametes at regulatory sequences called imprinting control regions (ICRs). Most of the DNA methylation controlling imprinting is established in the oocyte, while very few ICRs are methylated in the sperm. We provided insight into the impact and origins of the parental imbalance in genomic imprinting control. We defined the transcriptome-wide effect of imprinting, during the transition period when the embryo becomes dependent upon maternal resources. We found that maternal ICRs have a vital effect on developmental pathways related to the mother-to-fetus exchanges, while paternal ICRs have a dispersed and non-significant effect at that stage. We evidenced that paternal ICRs are lost at a much faster rate than maternal ICRs during mammalian evolution, probably as a mechanistic consequence of different kinetics of the parental germlines. Our results support the notion that two independent evolutionary forces have led to the numerical and functional dominance of maternal ICRs: a selective advantage of parent-specific regulation of genes important for the fetal-maternal interface and pressure to avoid the mutagenic environment of the paternal germline.

Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and their enzymes are promising targets for malaria therapeutic intervention; however, the epigenetic component of gene expression in P. falciparum is poorly understood. Dynamic or stable association of epigenetic marks with genomic features provides important clues about their function and helps to understand how histone variants/modifications are used for indexing the Plasmodium epigenome. We describe a novel, linear amplification method for next-generation sequencing (NGS) that allows unbiased analysis of the extremely AT-rich Plasmodium genome. We used this method for high resolution, genome-wide analysis of a histone H2A variant, H2A.Z and two histone H3 marks throughout parasite intraerythrocytic development. Unlike in other organisms, H2A.Z is a constant, ubiquitous feature of euchromatic intergenic regions throughout the intraerythrocytic cycle. The almost perfect colocalisation of H2A.Z with H3K9ac and H3K4me3 suggests that these marks are preferentially deposited on H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes. By performing RNA-seq on 8 time-points, we show that acetylation of H3K9 at promoter regions correlates very well with the transcriptional status whereas H3K4me3 appears to have stage-specific regulation, being low at early stages, peaking at trophozoite stage, but does not closely follow changes in gene expression. Our improved NGS library preparation procedure provides a foundation to exploit the malaria epigenome in detail. Furthermore, our findings place H2A.Z at the cradle of P. falciparum epigenetic regulation by stably defining intergenic regions and providing a platform for dynamic assembly of epigenetic and other transcription related complexes., Author Summary Plasmodium falciparum is a unicellular pathogen that is responsible for the most severe form of malaria. Similar to other eukaryotic organisms, its genome is organized into chromosomes by proteins called histones. Modification or replacement of these histones has marked effects on the packaging grade of DNA and instructs the recruitment of protein complexes, thereby regulating essential cellular processes such as gene expression and replication. Here we unveil the genome-wide localization of two histone H3 modifications (K9ac/K4me3) and a histone variant, H2A.Z, during development of the parasite in the human red blood cells. We find that all three epigenetic features are predominantly present in intergenic regions of the P. falciparum genome, suggesting an interconnecting role in regulation of gene expression. H2A.Z levels appear to be largely invariable throughout intraerythrocytic development while placement/removal of the histone marks is dynamic with H3K9ac and H3K4me3 being transcription-coupled and stage-specific, respectively. These observations support a model in which H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes serve to demarcate regulatory regions in the parasite's genome and promote transcription initiation by guiding chromatin modifying and transcription initiating complexes. The findings and methodological developments presented in this paper provide a cornerstone for future epigenome research in eukaryotic pathogens and vital information to understand and to interfere with parasite development and survival.

Transposons and other selfish DNA elements can be found in all phyla, and mobilization of these elements can compromise genome integrity. The piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) pathway silences transposons in the germline, but it is unclear if this pathway has additional functions during development. Here we show that mutations in the Drosophila piRNA pathway genes, armi, aub, ago3, and rhi, lead to extensive fragmentation of the zygotic genome during the cleavage stage of embryonic divisions. Additionally, aub and armi show defects in telomere resolution during meiosis and the cleavage divisions; and mutations in lig-IV, which disrupt non-homologous end joining, suppress these fusions. By contrast, lig-IV mutations enhance chromosome fragmentation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that aub and armi mutations disrupt telomere binding of HOAP, which is a component of the telomere protection complex, and reduce expression of a subpopulation of 19- to 22-nt telomere-specific piRNAs. Mutations in rhi and ago3, by contrast, do not block HOAP binding or production of these piRNAs. These findings uncover genetically separable functions for the Drosophila piRNA pathway. The aub, armi, rhi, and ago3 genes silence transposons and maintain chromosome integrity during cleavage-stage embryonic divisions. However, the aub and armi genes have an additional function in assembly of the telomere protection complex., Author Summary Transposons and other selfish genetic elements make up a significant fraction of all eukaryotic genomes, and the piRNA pathway appears to have a conserved function in transposon silencing and genome maintenance. However, other functions for this pathway have not been fully explored. Telomeres must be protected from recognition as DNA breaks by the repair machinery, which can covalently ligate unprotected chromosome ends and thus disrupt meiotic and mitotic chromosome segregation. We show that mutations in a subset of piRNA pathway genes disrupt meiotic and mitotic chromosome separation and that these segregation defects are suppressed by a mutation that blocks ligation of non-homologous DNA ends. These mutations also disrupt assembly of the telomere protection complex and reduce expression of a subpopulation of 19- to 22-nt telomere-specific RNA. We therefore propose that a subpopulation of short piRNAs direct assembly of the telomere protection complex.

Background Lamins A and C, encoded by the LMNA gene, are filamentous proteins that form the core scaffold of the nuclear lamina. Dominant LMNA gene mutations cause multiple human diseases including cardiac and skeletal myopathies. The nuclear lamina is thought to regulate gene expression by its direct interaction with chromatin. LMNA gene mutations may mediate disease by disrupting normal gene expression. Methods/Findings To investigate the hypothesis that mutant lamin A/C changes the lamina's ability to interact with chromatin, we studied gene misexpression resulting from the cardiomyopathic LMNA E161K mutation and correlated this with changes in chromosome positioning. We identified clusters of misexpressed genes and examined the nuclear positioning of two such genomic clusters, each harboring genes relevant to striated muscle disease including LMO7 and MBNL2. Both gene clusters were found to be more centrally positioned in LMNA-mutant nuclei. Additionally, these loci were less compacted. In LMNA mutant heart and fibroblasts, we found that chromosome 13 had a disproportionately high fraction of misexpressed genes. Using three-dimensional fluorescence in situ hybridization we found that the entire territory of chromosome 13 was displaced towards the center of the nucleus in LMNA mutant fibroblasts. Additional cardiomyopathic LMNA gene mutations were also shown to have abnormal positioning of chromosome 13, although in the opposite direction. Conclusions These data support a model in which LMNA mutations perturb the intranuclear positioning and compaction of chromosomal domains and provide a mechanism by which gene expression may be altered.

Parasitic protozoa such as the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii progress through their life cycle in response to stimuli in the environment or host organism. Very little is known about how proliferating tachyzoites reprogram their expressed genome in response to stresses that prompt development into latent bradyzoite cysts. We have previously linked histone acetylation with the expression of stage-specific genes, but the factors involved remain to be determined. We sought to determine if GCN5, which operates as a transcriptional co-activator by virtue of its histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, contributed to stress-induced changes in gene expression in Toxoplasma. In contrast to other lower eukaryotes, Toxoplasma has duplicated its GCN5 lysine acetyltransferase (KAT). Disruption of the gene encoding for TgGCN5-A in type I RH strain did not produce a severe phenotype under normal culture conditions, but here we show that the TgGCN5-A null mutant is deficient in responding to alkaline pH, a common stress used to induce bradyzoite differentiation in vitro. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the Toxoplasma transcriptional response to alkaline pH stress, finding that parasites deleted for TgGCN5-A fail to up-regulate 74% of the stress response genes that are induced 2-fold or more in wild-type. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we verify an enrichment of TgGCN5-A at the upstream regions of genes activated by alkaline pH exposure. The TgGCN5-A knockout is also incapable of up-regulating key marker genes expressed during development of the latent cyst form, and is impaired in its ability to recover from alkaline stress. Complementation of the TgGCN5-A knockout restores the expression of these stress-induced genes and reverses the stress recovery defect. These results establish TgGCN5-A as a major contributor to the alkaline stress response in RH strain Toxoplasma., Author Summary Protozoan parasites cause significant disease in humans and livestock, and many of our current therapies have serious side effects or are being rendered useless due to the development of drug resistance. These parasites typically have complex life cycles involving multiple hosts and some, like Toxoplasma gondii, have the ability to remain in the host for life as a latent tissue cyst. Toxoplasma is one of the most successful parasites on Earth because the ability to develop into a tissue cyst greatly facilitates transmission through carnivores. Cyst formation also is responsible for recrudescent infection in immunocompromised patients. The conversion of Toxoplasma from its replicating cell to the cyst is triggered by stress, but we have little understanding of how the parasite stress response functions. In this study, we identify the genes involved in Toxoplasma's response to alkaline stress, which is a known trigger of cyst development. We also establish that a lysine acetyltransferase enzyme called TgGCN5-A is required for type I RH strain Toxoplasma to respond normally to alkaline stress. Parasites lacking TgGCN5-A are no longer capable of activating genes induced during cyst formation triggered by alkaline pH.

Background Phenotypic alteration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) in response to injury or inflammation is an essential component of vascular disease. Evidence suggests that this process is dependent on epigenetic regulatory processes. P300, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT), activates crucial muscle-specific promoters in terminal (non-SMC) myocyte differentiation, and may be essential to SMC modulation as well. Results We performed a subanalysis examining transcriptional time-course microarray data obtained using the A404 model of SMC differentiation. Numerous chromatin remodeling genes (up to 62% of such genes on our array platform) showed significant regulation during differentiation. Members of several chromatin-remodeling families demonstrated involvement, including factors instrumental in histone modification, chromatin assembly-disassembly and DNA silencing, suggesting complex, multi-level systemic epigenetic regulation. Further, trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, accelerated expression of SMC differentiation markers in this model. Ontology analysis indicated a high degree of p300 involvement in SMC differentiation, with 60.7% of the known p300 interactome showing significant expression changes. Knockdown of p300 expression accelerated SMC differentiation in A404 cells and human SMCs, while inhibition of p300 HAT activity blunted SMC differentiation. The results suggest a central but complex role for p300 in SMC phenotypic modulation. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that chromatin remodeling is important for SMC phenotypic switching, and detail wide-ranging involvement of several epigenetic modification families. Additionally, the transcriptional coactivator p300 may be partially degraded during SMC differentiation, leaving an activated subpopulation with increased HAT activity and SMC differentiation-gene specificity.

Gemcitabine is a cytotoxic cytidine analog, which is widely used in anti-cancer therapy. One mechanism by which gemcitabine acts is by inhibiting nucleotide excision repair (NER). Recently NER was implicated in Gadd45 mediated DNA demethylation and epigenetic gene activation. Here we analyzed the effect of gemcitabine on DNA demethylation. We find that gemcitabine inhibits specifically Gadd45a mediated reporter gene activation and DNA demethylation, similar to the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin, which also inhibits NER. In contrast, base excision repair inhibitors had no effect on DNA demethylation. In Xenopus oocytes, gemcitabine inhibits DNA repair synthesis accompanying demethylation of oct4. In mammalian cells, gemcitabine induces DNA hypermethylation and silencing of MLH1. The results indicate that gemcitabine induces epigenetic gene silencing by inhibiting repair mediated DNA demethylation. Thus, gemcitabine can function epigenetically and provides a tool to manipulate DNA methylation.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is able to drive the transformation of B-cells, resulting in the generation of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) in vitro. EBV nuclear proteins EBNA3A and EBNA3C are necessary for efficient transformation, while EBNA3B is dispensable. We describe a transcriptome analysis of BL31 cells infected with a series of EBNA3-knockout EBVs, including one deleted for all three EBNA3 genes. Using Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST microarrays analysed with the MMBGX algorithm, we have identified over 1000 genes whose regulation by EBV requires one of the EBNA3s. Remarkably, a third of the genes identified require more than one EBNA3 for their regulation, predominantly EBNA3C co-operating with either EBNA3B, EBNA3A or both. The microarray was validated by real-time PCR, while ChIP analysis of a selection of co-operatively repressed promoters indicates a role for polycomb group complexes. Targets include genes involved in apoptosis, cell migration and B-cell differentiation, and show a highly significant but subtle alteration in genes involved in mitosis. In order to assess the relevance of the BL31 system to LCLs, we analysed the transcriptome of a set of EBNA3B knockout (3BKO) LCLs. Around a third of the genes whose expression level in LCLs was altered in the absence of EBNA3B were also altered in 3BKO-BL31 cell lines. Among these are TERT and TCL1A, implying that EBV-induced changes in the expression of these genes are not required for B-cell transformation. We also identify 26 genes that require both EBNA3A and EBNA3B for their regulation in LCLs. Together, this shows the complexity of the interaction between EBV and its host, whereby multiple EBNA3 proteins co-operate to modulate the behaviour of the host cell.

Methylation of DNA and of Lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9) is associated with gene silencing in many animals, plants, and fungi. In Neurospora crassa, methylation of H3K9 by DIM-5 directs cytosine methylation by recruiting a complex containing Heterochromatin Protein-1 (HP1) and the DIM-2 DNA methyltransferase. We report genetic, proteomic, and biochemical investigations into how DIM-5 is controlled. These studies revealed DCDC, a previously unknown protein complex including DIM-5, DIM-7, DIM-9, CUL4, and DDB1. Components of DCDC are required for H3K9me3, proper chromosome segregation, and DNA methylation. DCDC-defective strains, but not HP1-defective strains, are hypersensitive to MMS, revealing an HP1-independent function of H3K9 methylation. In addition to DDB1, DIM-7, and the WD40 domain protein DIM-9, other presumptive DCAFs (DDB1/CUL4 associated factors) co-purified with CUL4, suggesting that CUL4/DDB1 forms multiple complexes with distinct functions. This conclusion was supported by results of drug sensitivity tests. CUL4, DDB1, and DIM-9 are not required for localization of DIM-5 to incipient heterochromatin domains, indicating that recruitment of DIM-5 to chromatin is not sufficient to direct H3K9me3. DIM-7 is required for DIM-5 localization and mediates interaction of DIM-5 with DDB1/CUL4 through DIM-9. These data support a two-step mechanism for H3K9 methylation in Neurospora., Author Summary Eukaryotic genomes are composed of distinct structural and functional domains marked by various covalent modifications of histone proteins and, in some organisms, by methylation of cytosine bases in DNA. Gene-rich euchromatin exists in a relatively open conformation, facilitating DNA transactions such as transcription, whereas the gene-poor heterochromatin is more condensed and is a poor substrate for DNA–based transactions. Heterochromatin promotes genome stability by silencing transposons and may be essential for proper centromere function. DNA methylation is a common feature of heterochromatin in eukaryotes, including the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, which has served as a model system to elucidate the control of DNA methylation. All DNA methylation in Neurospora depends on histone H3 lysine-9 (H3K9) methylation, which is recognized by a complex of HP1 (Heterochromatin Protein 1) and the DNA methyltransferase, DIM-2. An important open question is what controls the H3K9 methyltransferase, DIM-5. We report the genetic and proteomic identification of a DIM-5 protein complex, DCDC, and demonstrate that it includes five proteins essential for H3K9 methylation, DNA methylation, proper chromosome segregation, and resistance to DNA damaging agents. In addition, we report molecular and genetic analyses revealing a hierarchy of protein interactions within DCDC.

BackgroundAbnormal germline DNA methylation in males has been proposed as a possible mechanism compromising spermatogenesis of some men currently diagnosed with idiopathic infertility. Previous studies have been focused on imprinted genes with DNA methylation in poor quality human sperms. However, recent but limited data have revealed that sperm methylation abnormalities may involve large numbers of genes or shown that genes that are not imprinted are also affected.Methodology/principal findingsUsing the methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing method, we examined methylation patterns of the promoter of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (NG_013351: 1538-1719) in sperm DNA obtained from 94 idiopathic infertile men and 54 normal fertile controls. Subjects with idiopathic infertility were further divided into groups of normozoospermia and oligozoospermia. Overall, 45% (41/94) of idiopathic infertile males had MTHFR hypermethylation (both hemimethylation and full methylation), compared with 15% of fertile controls (PConclusionsHypermethylation of the promoter of MTHFR gene in sperms is associated with idiopathic male infertility. The functional relevance of hypermathylation of MTHFR to male fertility warrants further investigation.

Using genome-wide methylation profiles in honey bee queen and worker brains to understand how contrasting organismal outputs are generated from the same genotype., In honey bees (Apis mellifera) the behaviorally and reproductively distinct queen and worker female castes derive from the same genome as a result of differential intake of royal jelly and are implemented in concert with DNA methylation. To determine if these very different diet-controlled phenotypes correlate with unique brain methylomes, we conducted a study to determine the methyl cytosine (mC) distribution in the brains of queens and workers at single-base-pair resolution using shotgun bisulfite sequencing technology. The whole-genome sequencing was validated by deep 454 sequencing of selected amplicons representing eight methylated genes. We found that nearly all mCs are located in CpG dinucleotides in the exons of 5,854 genes showing greater sequence conservation than non-methylated genes. Over 550 genes show significant methylation differences between queens and workers, revealing the intricate dynamics of methylation patterns. The distinctiveness of the differentially methylated genes is underscored by their intermediate CpG densities relative to drastically CpG-depleted methylated genes and to CpG-richer non-methylated genes. We find a strong correlation between methylation patterns and splicing sites including those that have the potential to generate alternative exons. We validate our genome-wide analyses by a detailed examination of two transcript variants encoded by one of the differentially methylated genes. The link between methylation and splicing is further supported by the differential methylation of genes belonging to the histone gene family. We propose that modulation of alternative splicing is one mechanism by which DNA methylation could be linked to gene regulation in the honey bee. Our study describes a level of molecular diversity previously unknown in honey bees that might be important for generating phenotypic flexibility not only during development but also in the adult post-mitotic brain., Author Summary The queen honey bee and her worker sisters do not seem to have much in common. Workers are active and intelligent, skillfully navigating the outside world in search of food for the colony. They never reproduce; that task is left entirely to the much larger and longer-lived queen, who is permanently ensconced within the colony and uses a powerful chemical influence to exert control. Remarkably, these two female castes are generated from identical genomes. The key to each female's developmental destiny is her diet as a larva: future queens are raised on royal jelly. This specialized diet is thought to affect a particular chemical modification, methylation, of the bee's DNA, causing the same genome to be deployed differently. To document differences in this epigenomic setting and hypothesize about its effects on behavior, we performed high-resolution bisulphite sequencing of whole genomes from the brains of queen and worker honey bees. In contrast to the heavily methylated human genome, we found that only a small and specific fraction of the honey bee genome is methylated. Most methylation occurred within conserved genes that provide critical cellular functions. Over 550 genes showed significant methylation differences between the queen and the worker, which may contribute to the profound divergence in behavior. How DNA methylation works on these genes remains unclear, but it may change their accessibility to the cellular machinery that controls their expression. We found a tantalizing clue to a mechanism in the clustering of methylation within parts of genes where splicing occurs, suggesting that methylation could control which of several versions of a gene is expressed. Our study provides the first documentation of extensive molecular differences that may allow honey bees to generate different phenotypes from the same genome.

As a first step towards discovery of genes expressed from only one allele in the CNS, we used a tiling array assay for DNA sequences that are both methylated and unmethylated (the MAUD assay). We analyzed regulatory regions of the entire mouse brain transcriptome, and found that approximately 10% of the genes assayed showed dual DNA methylation patterns. They include a large subset of genes that display marks of both active and silent, i.e., poised, chromatin during development, consistent with a link between differential DNA methylation and lineage-specific differentiation within the CNS. Sixty-five of the MAUD hits and 57 other genes whose function is of relevance to CNS development and/or disorders were tested for allele-specific expression in F(1) hybrid clonal neural stem cell (NSC) lines. Eight MAUD hits and one additional gene showed such expression. They include Lgi1, which causes a subtype of inherited epilepsy that displays autosomal dominance with incomplete penetrance; Gfra2, a receptor for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor GDNF that has been linked to kindling epilepsy; Unc5a, a netrin-1 receptor important in neurodevelopment; and Cspg4, a membrane chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan associated with malignant melanoma and astrocytoma in human. Three of the genes, Camk2a, Kcnc4, and Unc5a, show preferential expression of the same allele in all clonal NSC lines tested. The other six genes show a stochastic pattern of monoallelic expression in some NSC lines and bi-allelic expression in others. These results support the estimate that 1-2% of genes expressed in the CNS may be subject to allelic exclusion, and demonstrate that the group includes genes implicated in major disorders of the CNS as well as neurodevelopment.

Imagine—you’ve just been born, and your future looks bleak. After an all-too brief infancy when you’ll be cared for and fed, you’ll be forced into child labour, cleaning a dark and crowded home and caring for your many siblings. You’ll be subsequently put on guard duty to defend your home against vicious intruders. If you survive, you’ll spend the rest of your days searching for tiny bits of food from ephemeral sources, mostly not for yourself, but for the communal pantry. Weekends? Holidays? Forget it. Within a few weeks, you’ll have worked yourself to death. Moreover, you will never have known love. Your sister, on the other hand, will begin her career by first murdering her competitors, then sleeping around in grand style. During a string of orgies with thousands of participants, she will fornicate with up to 20 males, who are (literally!) ready to die for the privilege. Upon her return home from such debauchery, she will be treated royally; indeed, for the rest of her life she will be surrounded by loyal staff who will feed, clean her, and cater to her every need. If she should ever have to leave home (which happens rarely) she will be accompanied by thousands of subordinates who will do their best to find a suitable new home. Your sister will live 20 times longer than you and will one day be the proud mother of hundreds of thousands of offspring, while you’ll have died a spinster. Unfair? You bet! But then you’re just a worker honeybee. As for your sister, it’s good to be queen.

Background Most human cancers originate from epithelial tissues and cell polarity and adhesion defects can lead to metastasis. The Polycomb-Group of chromatin factors were first characterized in Drosophila as repressors of homeotic genes during development, while studies in mammals indicate a conserved role in body plan organization, as well as an implication in other processes such as stem cell maintenance, cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis. We have analyzed the function of the Drosophila Polycomb-Group gene polyhomeotic in epithelial cells of two different organs, the ovary and the wing imaginal disc. Results Clonal analysis of loss and gain of function of polyhomeotic resulted in segregation between mutant and wild-type cells in both the follicular and wing imaginal disc epithelia, without excessive cell proliferation. Both basal and apical expulsion of mutant cells was observed, the former characterized by specific reorganization of cell adhesion and polarity proteins, the latter by complete cytoplasmic diffusion of these proteins. Among several candidate target genes tested, only the homeotic gene Abdominal-B was a target of PH in both ovarian and wing disc cells. Although overexpression of Abdominal-B was sufficient to cause cell segregation in the wing disc, epistatic analysis indicated that the presence of Abdominal-B is not necessary for expulsion of polyhomeotic mutant epithelial cells suggesting that additional POLYHOMEOTIC targets are implicated in this phenomenon. Conclusion Our results indicate that polyhomeotic mutations have a direct effect on epithelial integrity that can be uncoupled from overproliferation. We show that cells in an epithelium expressing different levels of POLYHOMEOTIC sort out indicating differential adhesive properties between the cell populations. Interestingly, we found distinct modalities between apical and basal expulsion of ph mutant cells and further studies of this phenomenon should allow parallels to be made with the modified adhesive and polarity properties of different types of epithelial tumors.

Upon cell invasion, retroviruses generate a DNA copy of their RNA genome and integrate retroviral cDNA within host chromosomal DNA. Integration occurs throughout the host cell genome, but target site selection is not random. Each subgroup of retrovirus is distinguished from the others by attraction to particular features on chromosomes. Despite extensive efforts to identify host factors that interact with retrovirion components or chromosome features predictive of integration, little is known about how integration sites are selected. We attempted to identify markers predictive of retroviral integration by exploiting Precision-Recall methods for extracting information from highly skewed datasets to derive robust and discriminating measures of association. ChIPSeq datasets for more than 60 factors were compared with 14 retroviral integration datasets. When compared with MLV, PERV or XMRV integration sites, strong association was observed with STAT1, acetylation of H3 and H4 at several positions, and methylation of H2AZ, H3K4, and K9. By combining peaks from ChIPSeq datasets, a supermarker was identified that localized within 2 kB of 75% of MLV proviruses and detected differences in integration preferences among different cell types. The supermarker predicted the likelihood of integration within specific chromosomal regions in a cell-type specific manner, yielding probabilities for integration into proto-oncogene LMO2 identical to experimentally determined values. The supermarker thus identifies chromosomal features highly favored for retroviral integration, provides clues to the mechanism by which retrovirus integration sites are selected, and offers a tool for predicting cell-type specific proto-oncogene activation by retroviruses., Author Summary When HIV-1, murine leukemia virus (MLV), or other retroviruses infect a cell, the virus generates a DNA copy of the viral RNA genome and ligates the cDNA within host chromosomal DNA. This integration reaction occurs at sites throughout the host cell genome, but little is known about how integration sites are selected. We attempted to identify markers predictive of retroviral integration by comparing the genome-wide binding sites for more than 60 factors with 14 retroviral integration datasets. We borrowed Precision-Recall methods from the Information Retrieval field for extracting information from highly skewed datasets such as these. For MLV and other gammaretroviruses, strong association was observed with STAT1, acetylation of H3 and H4 at several positions, and methylation of H2AZ, H3K4, and K9. We generated a supermarker by combining high scoring markers. The supermarker localized within 2 kB of 75% of MLV proviruses and predicted the likelihood of integration within specific chromosomal regions in a cell-type specific manner. This study identified chromosomal features highly favored for retroviral integration. It also provides clues to the mechanism by which retrovirus integration sites are selected, and offers a tool for predicting cell-type specific proto-oncogene activation by retroviruses.

Recent multi-dimensional approaches to the study of complex disease have revealed powerful insights into how genetic and epigenetic factors may underlie their aetiopathogenesis. We examined genotype-epigenotype interactions in the context of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), focussing on known regions of genomic susceptibility. We assayed DNA methylation in 60 females, stratified according to disease susceptibility haplotype using previously identified association loci. CpG methylation was assessed using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation on a targeted array (MeDIP-chip) and absolute methylation values were estimated using a Bayesian algorithm (BATMAN). Absolute methylation levels were quantified across LD blocks, and we identified increased DNA methylation on the FTO obesity susceptibility haplotype, tagged by the rs8050136 risk allele A (p = 9.40×10-4, permutation p = 1.0×10-3). Further analysis across the 46 kb LD block using sliding windows localised the most significant difference to be within a 7.7 kb region (p = 1.13×10-7). Sequence level analysis, followed by pyrosequencing validation, revealed that the methylation difference was driven by the co-ordinated phase of CpG-creating SNPs across the risk haplotype. This 7.7 kb region of haplotype-specific methylation (HSM), encapsulates a Highly Conserved Non-Coding Element (HCNE) that has previously been validated as a long-range enhancer, supported by the histone H3K4me1 enhancer signature. This study demonstrates that integration of Genome-Wide Association (GWA) SNP and epigenomic DNA methylation data can identify potential novel genotype-epigenotype interactions within diseaseassociated loci, thus providing a novel route to aid unravelling common complex diseases. © 2010 Bell et al.

[Background]: Centromere identity is determined epigenetically by deposition of CenH3, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant that dictates kinetochore assembly. The molecular basis of the contribution of CenH3 to centromere/kinetochore functions is, however, incompletely understood, as its interactions with the rest of centromere/kinetochore components remain largely uncharacterised at the molecular/structural level. [Principal Findings]: Here, we report on the contribution of Drosophila CenH3CID to recruitment of BubR1, a conserved kinetochore protein that is a core component of the spindle attachment checkpoint (SAC). This interaction is mediated by the N-terminal domain of CenH3CID (NCenH3CID), as tethering NCenH3CID to an ectopic reporter construct results in BubR1 recruitment and BubR1-dependent silencing of the reporter gene. Here, we also show that this interaction depends on a short arginine (R)-rich motif and that, most remarkably, it appears to be evolutionarily conserved, as tethering constructs carrying the highly divergent NCenH3 of budding yeast and human also induce silencing of the reporter. Interestingly, though NCenH3 shows an exceedingly low degree of conservation, the presence of R-rich motives is a common feature of NCenH3 from distant species. Finally, our results also indicate that two other conserved sequence motives within NCenH3CID might also be involved in interactions with kinetochore components. [Conclusions]: These results unveil an unexpected contribution of the hypervariable N-domain of CenH3 to recruitment of kinetochore components, identifying simple R-rich motives within it as evolutionary conserved structural determinants involved in BubR1 recruitment., SMG acknowledges receipt of a FPU fellowship from MCINN. This work was financed by grants from “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (BFU2009-07111; CSD2006-00049) and “Comissió Interdepartamental de Recerca i Innovació Tecnològica” (2009SGR1023).

Constitutive heterochromatin comprising the centromeric and telomeric parts of chromosomes includes DNA marked by high levels of methylation associated with histones modified by repressive marks. These epigenetic modifications silence transcription and ensure stable inheritance of this inert state. Although environmental cues can alter epigenetic marks and lead to modulation of the transcription of genes located in euchromatic parts of the chromosomes, there is no evidence that external stimuli can globally destabilize silencing of constitutive heterochromatin. We have found that heterochromatin-associated silencing in Arabidopsis plants subjected to a particular temperature regime is released in a genome-wide manner. This occurs without alteration of repressive epigenetic modifications and does not involve common epigenetic mechanisms. Such induced release of silencing is mostly transient, and rapid restoration of the silent state occurs without the involvement of factors known to be required for silencing initiation. Thus, our results reveal new regulatory aspects of transcriptional repression in constitutive heterochromatin and open up possibilities to identify the molecular mechanisms involved., Author Summary In eukaryotic cells, DNA is packaged into chromatin that is present in two different forms named euchromatin and heterochromatin. Gene-rich euchromatin is relaxed and permissive to transcription compared with heterochromatin that essentially contains transcriptionally inert non-coding repeated DNA. The silent state associated with heterochromatin correlates with the presence of distinctive repressive epigenetic modifications. Mutations in genes required for maintenance of these epigenetic marks reactivate heterochromatin transcription, which is otherwise maintained silent in a highly stable manner. In this paper, we defined a specific temperature stress that leads to genome-wide transcriptional activation of sequences located within heterochromatin of Arabidopsis thaliana. Unexpectedly, release of silencing occurs in spite of conservation of the repressive epigenetic marks and independently of common epigenetic regulators. In addition, we provide evidence that stress-induced transcriptional activation is mostly transient, and silencing is rapidly restored upon return to optimal growth conditions. These results are important in that they disclose the dynamics of silencing associated with heterochromatin as well as the existence of a new level of transcriptional control that might play a role in plant acclimation to changing environmental conditions.

Biochemical purifications from mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes revealed that vertebrate Mi-2 proteins reside in multisubunit NuRD (Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase) complexes. Since all NuRD subunits are highly conserved in the genomes of C. elegans and Drosophila, it was suggested that NuRD complexes also exist in invertebrates. Recently, a novel dMec complex, composed of dMi-2 and dMEP-1 was identified in Drosophila. The genome of C. elegans encodes two highly homologous Mi-2 orthologues, LET-418 and CHD-3. Here we demonstrate that these proteins define at least three different protein complexes, two distinct NuRD complexes and one MEC complex. The two canonical NuRD complexes share the same core subunits HDA-1/HDAC, LIN-53/RbAp and LIN-40/MTA, but differ in their Mi-2 orthologues LET-418 or CHD-3. LET-418 but not CHD-3, interacts with the Krüppel-like protein MEP-1 in a distinct complex, the MEC complex. Based on microarrays analyses, we propose that MEC constitutes an important LET-418 containing regulatory complex during C. elegans embryonic and early larval development. It is required for the repression of germline potential in somatic cells and acts when blastomeres are still dividing and differentiating. The two NuRD complexes may not be important for the early development, but may act later during postembryonic development. Altogether, our data suggest a considerable complexity in the composition, the developmental function and the tissue-specificity of the different C. elegans Mi-2 complexes., PLoS ONE, 5 (10), ISSN:1932-6203

Background Imprinted genes are expressed from only one allele in a parent-of-origin dependent manner. Loss of imprinted (LOI) expression can result in a variety of human disorders and is frequently reported in cancer. Biallelic expression of imprinted genes in adult blood has been suggested as a useful biomarker and is currently being investigated in colorectal cancer. In general, the expression profiles of imprinted genes are well characterised during human and mouse fetal development, but not in human adults. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated quantitative expression of 36 imprinted genes in adult human peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from healthy individuals. Allelic expression was also investigated in B and T lymphocytes and myeloid cells. We found that 21 genes were essentially undetectable in adult blood. Only six genes were demonstrably monoallelic, and most importantly, we found that nine genes were either biallelic or showed variable expression in different individuals. Separated leukocyte populations showed the same expression patterns as whole blood. Differential methylation at each of the imprinting control loci analysed was maintained, including regions that contained biallelically expressed genes. This suggests in some cases methylation has become uncoupled from its role in regulating gene expression. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that only a limited set of imprinted genes, including IGF2 and SNRPN, may be useful for LOI cancer biomarker studies. In addition, blood is not a good tissue to use for the discovery of new imprinted genes. Finally, lymphocyte DNA methylation status in the adult may not always be a reliable indicator of monoallelic gene expression.

Histone deacetylase Rpd3 is part of two distinct complexes: the large (Rpd3L) and small (Rpd3S) complexes. While Rpd3L targets specific promoters for gene repression, Rpd3S is recruited to ORFs to deacetylate histones in the wake of RNA polymerase II, to prevent cryptic initiation within genes. Methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36 by the Set2 methyltransferase is thought to mediate the recruitment of Rpd3S. Here, we confirm by ChIP–Chip that Rpd3S binds active ORFs. Surprisingly, however, Rpd3S is not recruited to all active genes, and its recruitment is Set2-independent. However, Rpd3S complexes recruited in the absence of H3K36 methylation appear to be inactive. Finally, we present evidence implicating the yeast DSIF complex (Spt4/5) and RNA polymerase II phosphorylation by Kin28 and Ctk1 in the recruitment of Rpd3S to active genes. Taken together, our data support a model where Set2-dependent histone H3 methylation is required for the activation of Rpd3S following its recruitment to the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain., Author Summary Acetylation of histone N-terminal tails occurs on nucleosomes as a gene is being transcribed, therefore helping the RNA polymerase II traveling through nucleosomes. Histone acetylation, however, has to be reversed in the wake of the polymerase in order to prevent transcription from initiating at the wrong place. Rpd3S is a histone deacetylase complex recruited to transcribed genes to fulfill this function. The Rpd3S complex contains a chromodomain that is thought to be responsible for the association of Rpd3S with genes since it interacts with methylated histones, a feature found on transcribed genes. Here, we show that the recruitment of Rpd3S to transcribed genes does not require histone methylation. We found that Rpd3S is actually recruited by a mechanism implicating the phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain and that this mechanism is regulated by a transcriptional elongation complex called DSIF. We propose that the interaction between the Rpd3S chromodomain and methylated histones helps anchoring the deacetylase to its substrate only after it has been recruited to the elongating RNA polymerase.

Background: HIRA (or Hir) proteins are conserved histone chaperones that function in multi-subunit complexes to mediate replication-independent nucleosome assembly. We have previously demonstrated that the Schizosaccharomyces pombe HIRA proteins, Hip1 and Slm9, form a complex with a TPR repeat protein called Hip3. Here we have identified a new subunit of this complex.Methodology/Principal Findings: To identify proteins that interact with the HIRA complex, rapid affinity purifications of Slm9 were performed. Multiple components of the chaperonin containing TCP-1 complex (CCT) and the 19S subunit of the proteasome reproducibly co-purified with Slm9, suggesting that HIRA interacts with these complexes. Slm9 was also found to interact with a previously uncharacterised protein (SPBC947.08c), that we called Hip4. Hip4 contains a HRD domain which is a characteristic of the budding yeast and human HIRA/Hir-binding proteins, Hpc2 and UBN1. Co-precipitation experiments revealed that Hip4 is stably associated with all of the other components of the HIRA complex and deletion of hip4(+) resulted in the characteristic phenotypes of cells lacking HIRA function, such as temperature sensitivity, an elongated cell morphology and hypersensitivity to the spindle poison, thiabendazole. Moreover, loss of Hip4 function alleviated the heterochromatic silencing of reporter genes located in the mating type locus and centromeres and was associated with increased levels of non-coding transcripts derived from centromeric repeat sequences. Hip4 was also found to be required for the distinct form of silencing that controls the expression of Tf2 LTR retrotransposons.Conclusions/Significance: Overall, these results indicate that Hip4 is an integral component of the HIRA complex that is required for transcriptional silencing at multiple loci.

Certain pathogens deliver effectors into plant cells to modify host protein targets and thereby suppress immunity. These target modifications can be detected by intracellular immune receptors, or Resistance (R) proteins, that trigger strong immune responses including localized host cell death. The accelerated cell death 11 (acd11) “lesion mimic” mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits autoimmune phenotypes such as constitutive defense responses and cell death without pathogen perception. ACD11 encodes a putative sphingosine transfer protein, but its precise role during these processes is unknown. In a screen for lazarus (laz) mutants that suppress acd11 death we identified two genes, LAZ2 and LAZ5. LAZ2 encodes the histone lysine methyltransferase SDG8, previously shown to epigenetically regulate flowering time via modification of histone 3 (H3). LAZ5 encodes an RPS4-like R-protein, defined by several dominant negative alleles. Microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed that LAZ2/SDG8 is required for LAZ5 expression and H3 lysine 36 trimethylation at LAZ5 chromatin to maintain a transcriptionally active state. We hypothesize that LAZ5 triggers cell death in the absence of ACD11, and that cell death in other lesion mimic mutants may also be caused by inappropriate activation of R genes. Moreover, SDG8 is required for basal and R protein-mediated pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis, revealing the importance of chromatin remodeling as a key process in plant innate immunity., Author Summary Plants defend themselves against pathogens via immune receptors that trigger responses including the suicide of infected cells to limit pathogen growth. The accelerated cell death 11 (acd11) knockout mutant of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana kills itself in the absence of invading pathogens. By screening for secondary mutations that resurrect acd11, we discovered two LAZARUS (LAZ) genes required for death. The first, LAZ2, encodes an enzyme that methylates histones, the major protein component of chromatin. This particular histone modification is generally involved in epigenetic remodeling of chromatin to a more permissive state for transcription of associated DNA. We show that expression of the second gene, LAZ5, is dependent on LAZ2 activity, suggesting that LAZ5 is a direct target of LAZ2. LAZ5 is a member of an immune receptor class involved in detection of specific pathogens and subsequent cell death. We propose that acd11, and other suicidal mutants, result from autoimmunity triggered by immune receptors controlled by chromosomal modifications. Interestingly, we found that defects in LAZ2 result in enhanced susceptibility to bacterial pathogens, suggesting that it controls other genes involved in innate immunity.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins act as evolutionary conserved epigenetic mediators of cell identity because they repress transcriptional programs that are not required at particular developmental stages. Each tissue is likely to have a specific epigenetic profile, which acts as a blueprint for its developmental fate. A hallmark for Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) activity is trimethylated lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3). In plants, there are distinct PRC2 complexes for vegetative and reproductive development, and it was unknown so far whether these complexes have target gene specificity. The FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT SEED (FIS) PRC2 complex is specifically expressed in the endosperm and is required for its development; loss of FIS function causes endosperm hyperproliferation and seed abortion. The endosperm nourishes the embryo, similar to the physiological function of the placenta in mammals. We established the endosperm H3K27me3 profile and identified specific target genes of the FIS complex with functional roles in endosperm cellularization and chromatin architecture, implicating that distinct PRC2 complexes have a subset of specific target genes. Importantly, our study revealed that selected transposable elements and protein coding genes are specifically targeted by the FIS PcG complex in the endosperm, whereas these elements and genes are densely marked by DNA methylation in vegetative tissues, suggesting that DNA methylation prevents targeting by PcG proteins in vegetative tissues., PLoS Genetics, 6 (10), ISSN:1553-7390, ISSN:1553-7404

Background: We previously identified an association between a mismatch repair gene, MLH1, promoter SNP (rs1800734) and microsatellite unstable (MSI-H) colorectal cancers (CRCs) in two samples. The current study expanded on this finding as we explored the genetic basis of DNA methylation in this region of chromosome 3. We hypothesized that specific polymorphisms in the MLH1 gene region predispose it to DNA methylation, resulting in the loss of MLH1 gene expression, mismatch-repair function, and consequently to genome-wide microsatellite instability. Methodology/Principal Findings: We first tested our hypothesis in one sample from Ontario (901 cases, 1,097 controls) and replicated major findings in two additional samples from Newfoundland and Labrador (479 cases, 336 controls) and from Seattle (591 cases, 629 controls). Logistic regression was used to test for association between SNPs in the region of MLH1 and CRC, MSI-H CRC, MLH1 gene expression in CRC, and DNA methylation in CRC. The association between rs1800734 and MSI-H CRCs, previously reported in Ontario and Newfoundland, was replicated in the Seattle sample. Two additional SNPs, in strong linkage disequilibrium with rs1800734, showed strong associations with MLH1 promoter methylation, loss of MLH1 protein, and MSI-H CRC in all three samples. The logistic regression model of MSI-H CRC that included MLH1-promotermethylation status and MLH1 immunohisotchemistry status fit most parsimoniously in all three samples combined. When rs1800734 was added to this model, its effect was not statistically significant (P-value =0.72 vs. 2.3610 24 when the SNP was examined alone). Conclusions/Significance: The observed association of rs1800734 with MSI-H CRC occurs through its effect on the MLH1 promoter methylation, MLH1 IHC deficiency, or both.

Methylation of specific lysine residues in core histone proteins is essential for embryonic development and can impart active and inactive epigenetic marks on chromatin domains. The ubiquitous nuclear protein PTIP is encoded by the Paxip1 gene and is an essential component of a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complex conserved in metazoans. In order to determine if PTIP and its associated complexes are necessary for maintaining stable gene expression patterns in a terminally differentiated, non-dividing cell, we conditionally deleted PTIP in glomerular podocytes in mice. Renal development and function were not impaired in young mice. However, older animals progressively exhibited proteinuria and podocyte ultra structural defects similar to chronic glomerular disease. Loss of PTIP resulted in subtle changes in gene expression patterns prior to the onset of a renal disease phenotype. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed a loss of PTIP binding and lower H3K4 methylation at the Ntrk3 (neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor, type 3) locus, whose expression was significantly reduced and whose function may be essential for podocyte foot process patterning. These data demonstrate that alterations or mutations in an epigenetic regulatory pathway can alter the phenotypes of differentiated cells and lead to a chronic disease state., Author Summary While all cells contain essentially the same genome, adult differentiated cells have specific patterns of gene expression for unique physiological functions. Gene expression depends on specific proteins that activate some genes and repress others so that a stable pattern of expression is maintained. During embryonic development, epigenetic modifications of the genome may compartmentalize the genome into actively expressed or repressed domains through the methylation of specific histone residues on chromatin. We studied a specific pathway of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation by deleting the co-factor PTIP in a differentiated cell type. We then asked whether this epigenetic pathway is still important for maintaining the correct pattern of gene expression. Using the podocyte cells of the glomerulus as a model system, mice that carry deletions of the PTIP protein only in these podocytes show changes in gene expression patterns over time and exhibit a slowly progressing chronic disease phenotype. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed a loss of PTIP binding and lower H3K4 methylation at the Ntrk3 locus, whose expression was significantly reduced. These data demonstrate the need for maintaining the correct epigenetic pattern in an aging, differentiated cell type and point to modifications in epigenetics as potential disease causing factors.

Eukaryotic DNA cytosine methylation can be used to transcriptionally silence repetitive sequences, including transposons and retroviruses. This silencing is stable between cell generations as cytosine methylation is maintained epigenetically through DNA replication. The Arabidopsis thaliana Dnmt3 cytosine methyltransferase ortholog DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE2 (DRM2) is required for establishment of small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed DNA methylation. In mammals PIWI proteins and piRNA act in a convergently evolved RNA–directed DNA methylation system that is required to repress transposon expression in the germ line. De novo methylation may also be independent of RNA interference and small RNAs, as in Neurospora crassa. Here we identify a clade of catalytically mutated DRM2 paralogs in flowering plant genomes, which in A.thaliana we term DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLTRANSFERASE3 (DRM3). Despite being catalytically mutated, DRM3 is required for normal maintenance of non-CG DNA methylation, establishment of RNA–directed DNA methylation triggered by repeat sequences and accumulation of repeat-associated small RNAs. Although the mammalian catalytically inactive Dnmt3L paralogs act in an analogous manner, phylogenetic analysis indicates that the DRM and Dnmt3 protein families diverged independently in plants and animals. We also show by site-directed mutagenesis that both the DRM2 N-terminal UBA domains and C-terminal methyltransferase domain are required for normal RNA–directed DNA methylation, supporting an essential targeting function for the UBA domains. These results suggest that plant and mammalian RNA–directed DNA methylation systems consist of a combination of ancestral and convergent features., Author Summary Nuclear DNA quantity varies widely between species and is poorly correlated with gene number. Variation in genome size can be explained by differing amounts of repetitive DNA. Repetitive DNA may be mobile, meaning it can increase its copy number within genomes. To prevent this, plants and animals suppress expression of repeats, often by marking the repeated sequence with a methyl group on cytosine bases. DRM2 is an enzyme capable of establishing this methylation, which can be guided to target sequences by short complementary RNA guides. As repeated sequences are prone to generate short RNAs they are efficiently recognized and silenced. We show that DRM2 requires a related inactive DRM3 protein to normally silence repeated sequences. A similar situation exists in mammals, where active and inactive DNA methyltransferases act together to silence repeats. We also demonstrate that non-catalytic regions of the DRM2 enzyme are functionally important, which we speculate to be involved in targeting the enzyme to the genome. Although plant and mammal RNA–directed DNA methylation systems share key similarities, there are important mechanistic differences, meaning that they are likely to have arisen convergently.

Formation of centromeric heterochromatin in fission yeast requires the combined action of chromatin modifying enzymes and small RNAs derived from centromeric transcripts. Positive feedback mechanisms that link the RNAi pathway and the Clr4/Suv39h1 histone H3K9 methyltransferase complex (Clr-C) result in requirements for H3K9 methylation for full siRNA production and for siRNA production to achieve full histone methylation. Nonetheless, it has been proposed that the Argonaute protein, Ago1, is the key initial trigger for heterochromatin assembly via its association with Dicer-independent “priRNAs.” The RITS complex physically links Ago1 and the H3-K9me binding protein Chp1. Here we exploit an assay for heterochromatin assembly in which loss of silencing by deletion of RNAi or Clr-C components can be reversed by re-introduction of the deleted gene. We showed previously that a mutant version of the RITS complex (Tas3WG) that biochemically separates Ago1 from Chp1 and Tas3 proteins permits maintenance of heterochromatin, but prevents its formation when Clr4 is removed and re-introduced. Here we show that the block occurs with mutants in Clr-C, but not mutants in the RNAi pathway. Thus, Clr-C components, but not RNAi factors, play a more critical role in assembly when the integrity of RITS is disrupted. Consistent with previous reports, cells lacking Clr-C components completely lack H3K9me2 on centromeric DNA repeats, whereas RNAi pathway mutants accumulate low levels of H3K9me2. Further supporting the existence of RNAi–independent mechanisms for establishment of centromeric heterochromatin, overexpression of clr4+ in clr4Δago1Δ cells results in some de novo H3K9me2 accumulation at centromeres. These findings and our observation that ago1Δ and dcr1Δ mutants display indistinguishable low levels of H3K9me2 (in contrast to a previous report) challenge the model that priRNAs trigger heterochromatin formation. Instead, our results indicate that RNAi cooperates with RNAi–independent factors in the assembly of heterochromatin., Author Summary Centromeres are the chromosomal regions that promote chromosome movement during cell division. They consist of repetitive DNA sequences that are packaged into heterochromatin. Disruption of centromeric heterochromatin leads to chromosome loss that can result in miscarriages and genetic disorders. We have sought to define the precise steps leading to heterochromatin assembly using fission yeast as the model system. To accomplish this we employed our novel Tas3WG mutant strain that can propagate preassembled heterochromatin but cannot support its de novo establishment. Current models suggest that small RNAs initiate heterochromatin assembly by targeting the RNAi machinery and subsequently the Clr-C chromatin-modifying complex to the centromere. Here, we demonstrate that transient depletion of components of the RNAi pathway that generate or bind small RNAs does not perturb heterochromatin assembly in our Tas3WG strain. Instead, transient depletion of the Clr-C complex blocks heterochromatin assembly, suggesting a critical role for continuous Clr-C activity during heterochromatin assembly in Tas3WG cells. We have directly tested whether Clr-C can target centromeres when expressed in cells deficient for RNAi and Clr-C. We find that RNAi–independent recruitment of Clr-C can occur and likely contributes to the critical initiating mechanisms of heterochromatin assembly.

The DNTM3A and DNMT3B de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are responsible for setting genomic DNA methylation patterns, a key layer of epigenetic information. Here, using an in vivo episomal methylation assay and extensive bisulfite methylation sequencing, we show that human DNMT3A and DNMT3B possess significant and distinct flanking sequence preferences for target CpG sites. Selection for high or low efficiency sites is mediated by the base composition at the −2 and +2 positions flanking the CpG site for DNMT3A, and at the −1 and +1 positions for DNMT3B. This intrinsic preference reproducibly leads to the formation of specific de novo methylation patterns characterized by up to 34-fold variations in the efficiency of DNA methylation at individual sites. Furthermore, analysis of the distribution of signature methylation hotspot and coldspot motifs suggests that DNMT flanking sequence preference has contributed to shaping the composition of CpG islands in the human genome. Our results also show that the DNMT3L stimulatory factor modulates the formation of de novo methylation patterns in two ways. First, DNMT3L selectively focuses the DNA methylation machinery on properly chromatinized DNA templates. Second, DNMT3L attenuates the impact of the intrinsic DNMT flanking sequence preference by providing a much greater boost to the methylation of poorly methylated sites, thus promoting the formation of broader and more uniform methylation patterns. This study offers insights into the manner by which DNA methylation patterns are deposited and reveals a new level of interplay between members of the de novo DNMT family., Author Summary The methylation of cytosine bases in DNA represents an extra layer of heritable biological information necessary for regulating gene expression and ensuring genomic stability in mammals. In this paper, we examine the function of the proteins responsible for laying down the initial DNA methylation patterns in the human genome. These proteins, called de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), comprise two active enzymes, DNMT3A and DNMT3B, and one stimulatory factor, DNMT3L. Our study clearly establishes that DNMT3A and DNMT3B do not methylate DNA at random but rather that they show strong and distinct preferences for their target sites in vivo. These preferences lead to the deposition of unique and reproducible patterns of methylation and may have contributed to shaping segments of the human genome. In contrast, we show that DNMT3L stimulates DNA methylation mostly at sites that are poorly methylated on their own, thus leading to patterns that are more uniform. This modulation is proposed to result from DNMT3L anchoring the DNA methylation machinery onto chromatin, the physiological form under which DNA exists in our cells. This study furthers our understanding of how genomic DNA methylation patterns are established in vivo.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) often identify disease-associated mutations in intergenic and non-coding regions of the genome. Given the high percentage of the human genome that is transcribed, we postulate that for some observed associations the disease phenotype is caused by a structural rearrangement in a regulatory region of the RNA transcript. To identify such mutations, we have performed a genome-wide analysis of all known disease-associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) that map to the untranslated regions (UTRs) of a gene. Rather than using minimum free energy approaches (e.g. mFold), we use a partition function calculation that takes into consideration the ensemble of possible RNA conformations for a given sequence. We identified in the human genome disease-associated SNPs that significantly alter the global conformation of the UTR to which they map. For six disease-states (Hyperferritinemia Cataract Syndrome, β-Thalassemia, Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia, Retinoblastoma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Hypertension), we identified multiple SNPs in UTRs that alter the mRNA structural ensemble of the associated genes. Using a Boltzmann sampling procedure for sub-optimal RNA structures, we are able to characterize and visualize the nature of the conformational changes induced by the disease-associated mutations in the structural ensemble. We observe in several cases (specifically the 5′ UTRs of FTL and RB1) SNP–induced conformational changes analogous to those observed in bacterial regulatory Riboswitches when specific ligands bind. We propose that the UTR and SNP combinations we identify constitute a “RiboSNitch,” that is a regulatory RNA in which a specific SNP has a structural consequence that results in a disease phenotype. Our SNPfold algorithm can help identify RiboSNitches by leveraging GWAS data and an analysis of the mRNA structural ensemble., Author Summary Genome-wide association studies identify mutations in the human genome that correlate with a particular disease. It is common to find mutations associated with disease in the non-coding region of the genome. These non-coding mutations are more difficult to interpret at a molecular level, because they do not affect the protein sequence. In this study, we analyze disease-associated mutations in non-coding regions of our genome in the context of their structural effect on the message of genetic information in our cells, Ribonucleic Acid (RNA). We focus in particular on the regulatory parts of our genes known as untranslated regions. We find that certain disease-associated mutations in these regulatory untranslated regions have a significant effect on the structure of the RNA message. We call these elements “RiboSNitches,” because they act like switches turning on and off genes, but are caused by Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), which are single point mutations in our genome. The RiboSNitches we identify are potentially a new class of pharmaceutical targets, as it is possible to change the structure of RNA with small drug-like molecules.

In development, lineage-restricted transcription factors simultaneously promote differentiation while repressing alternative fates. Molecular dissection of this process has been challenging as transcription factor loci are regulated by many trans-acting factors functioning through dispersed cis elements. It is not understood whether these elements function collectively to confer transcriptional regulation, or individually to control specific aspects of activation or repression, such as initiation versus maintenance. Here, we have analyzed cis element regulation of the critical hematopoietic factor Gata2, which is expressed in early precursors and repressed as GATA-1 levels rise during terminal differentiation. We engineered mice lacking a single cis element −1.8 kb upstream of the Gata2 transcriptional start site. Although Gata2 is normally repressed in late-stage erythroblasts, the −1.8 kb mutation unexpectedly resulted in reactivated Gata2 transcription, blocked differentiation, and an aberrant lineage-specific gene expression pattern. Our findings demonstrate that the −1.8 kb site selectively maintains repression, confers a specific histone modification pattern and expels RNA Polymerase II from the locus. These studies reveal how an individual cis element establishes a normal developmental program via regulating specific steps in the mechanism by which a critical transcription factor is repressed., Author Summary Different cell types are formed and maintained by proteins called transcription factors that directly bind to specific DNA sequences to activate or repress gene expression. While numerous DNA sequences bound by transcription factors are established, many questions remain unanswered regarding how they function at specific sites located at distinct chromosomal regions. As a model to study this process, we examined the regulation of a gene controlling red blood cell development, Gata2, by the transcription factor GATA1. In the DNA sequence upstream of Gata2, there are several sites that GATA1 is known to bind to; however, it is unclear whether these binding sites work together or independently to control expression of Gata2. To study this, we engineered mice to specifically remove one of these GATA1-binding sites. We found that removal of this single site reactivated expression of Gata2 in a specific stage of red blood cell development where Gata2 is normally not expressed, caused a block in differentiation of these cells, and changed the histone modification pattern specifically in the region upstream of Gata2. This work supports a model in which individual transcription factor binding sites within regions of multiple binding sites can independently and distinctly regulate gene expression during development.

A fundamental, but unanswered question in host-pathogen interactions is the timing, localization and population distribution of virulence gene expression during infection. Here, microarray and in situ single cell expression methods were used to study Vibrio cholerae growth and virulence gene expression during infection of the rabbit ligated ileal loop model of cholera. Genes encoding the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CT) were powerfully expressed early in the infectious process in bacteria adjacent to epithelial surfaces. Increased growth was found to co-localize with virulence gene expression. Significant heterogeneity in the expression of tcpA, the repeating subunit of TCP, was observed late in the infectious process. The expression of tcpA, studied in single cells in a homogeneous medium, demonstrated unimodal induction of tcpA after addition of bicarbonate, a chemical inducer of virulence gene expression. Striking bifurcation of the population occurred during entry into stationary phase: one subpopulation continued to express tcpA, whereas the expression declined in the other subpopulation. ctxA, encoding the A subunit of CT, and toxT, encoding the proximal master regulator of virulence gene expression also exhibited the bifurcation phenotype. The bifurcation phenotype was found to be reversible, epigenetic and to persist after removal of bicarbonate, features consistent with bistable switches. The bistable switch requires the positive-feedback circuit controlling ToxT expression and formation of the CRP-cAMP complex during entry into stationary phase. Key features of this bistable switch also were demonstrated in vivo, where striking heterogeneity in tcpA expression was observed in luminal fluid in later stages of the infection. When this fluid was diluted into artificial seawater, bacterial aggregates continued to express tcpA for prolonged periods of time. The bistable control of virulence gene expression points to a mechanism that could generate a subpopulation of V. cholerae that continues to produce TCP and CT in the rice water stools of cholera patients., Author Summary Most pathogenic microorganisms infect in a stepwise manner: colonization of host surfaces is followed by invasion and injury of host tissues and, late in the infectious process, dissemination to other hosts occurs. During its residence in the host, the pathogen produces essential virulence determinants and often replicates rapidly, leading to a vast expansion of its biomass. Although this scenario is well established also for Vibrio cholerae, the cause of a potentially fatal diarrheal illness, it has not previously been possible to identify precisely when or where virulence determinants are produced in the intestine. We addressed this question by investigating the expression of virulence genes by individual V. cholerae during infection of the small intestine. Virulence genes were found to be powerfully expressed early in the infectious process by bacteria in close proximity to epithelial surfaces. Increased replication rates were also localized to epithelial surfaces. During later stages of the infection, the population of V. cholerae bifurcates into two fractions: one subpopulation continues to express virulence genes, whereas these genes are silenced in the other subpopulation. The genetic program controlling the continued production of virulence genes may mediate the persistence of a hyper-infectious subpopulation of bacteria in the stools of cholera patients.

Background Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that arises from germinal center (GC) B-cells. Despite the significant advances in immunotherapy, FL is still not curable. Beyond transcriptional profiling and genomics datasets, there currently is no epigenome-scale dataset or integrative biology approach that can adequately model this disease and therefore identify novel mechanisms and targets for successful prevention and treatment of FL. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed methylation-enriched genome-wide bisulfite sequencing of FL cells and normal CD19+ B-cells using 454 sequencing technology. The methylated DNA fragments were enriched with methyl-binding proteins, treated with bisulfite, and sequenced using the Roche-454 GS FLX sequencer. The total number of bases covered in the human genome was 18.2 and 49.3 million including 726,003 and 1.3 million CpGs in FL and CD19+ B-cells, respectively. 11,971 and 7,882 methylated regions of interest (MRIs) were identified respectively. The genome-wide distribution of these MRIs displayed significant differences between FL and normal B-cells. A reverse trend in the distribution of MRIs between the promoter and the gene body was observed in FL and CD19+ B-cells. The MRIs identified in FL cells also correlated well with transcriptomic data and ChIP-on-Chip analyses of genome-wide histone modifications such as tri-methyl-H3K27, and tri-methyl-H3K4, indicating a concerted epigenetic alteration in FL cells. Conclusions/Significance This study is the first to provide a large scale and comprehensive analysis of the DNA methylation sequence composition and distribution in the FL epigenome. These integrated approaches have led to the discovery of novel and frequent targets of aberrant epigenetic alterations. The genome-wide bisulfite sequencing approach developed here can be a useful tool for profiling DNA methylation in clinical samples.