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The precise molecular events initiating human lung disease are often poorly characterized. Investigating prenatal events that may underlie lung disease in later life is challenging in man, but insights from the well-characterized sheep model of lung development are valuable. Here, we determine the transcriptomic signature of lung development in wild-type sheep (WT) and use a sheep model of cystic fibrosis (CF) to characterize disease associated changes in gene expression through the pseudoglandular, canalicular, saccular, and alveolar stages of lung growth and differentiation. Using gene ontology process enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes at each developmental time point, we define changes in biological processes (BP) in proximal and distal lung from WT or CF animals. We also compare divergent BP in WT and CF animals at each time point. Next, we establish the developmental profile of key genes encoding components of ion transport and innate immunity that are pivotal in CF lung disease and validate transcriptomic data by RT-qPCR. Consistent with the known pro-inflammatory phenotype of the CF lung after birth, we observe upregulation of inflammatory response processes in the CF sheep distal lung during the saccular stage of prenatal development. These data suggest early commencement of therapeutic regimens may be beneficial.

Transcription of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene is regulated by both ubiquitous and cell-type selective cis-regulatory elements (CREs). These CREs include extragenic and intronic enhancers that bind lineage-specific transcription factors, and architectural protein-marked structural elements. Deletion of the airway-selective -35 kb enhancer in 16HBE14o

Background Cell-specific and developmental mechanisms contribute to expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, however, its developmental regulation is poorly understood. Here we use human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiated into pseudostratified airway epithelial cells to study these mechanisms. Results Changes in gene expression and open chromatin profiles were investigated by RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, and revealed that alterations in CFTR expression are associated with differences in stage-specific open chromatin. Additionally, 2 novel open chromatin regions, at +19.6kb and +22.6kb 3' to the CFTR translational stop signal, were observed in definitive endoderm (DE) cells, prior to an increase in CFTR expression in anterior foregut endoderm (AFE) cells. Chromatin studies in DE and AFE cells revealed enrichment of active enhancer marks and occupancy of OTX2 at these sites in DE cells. Loss of OTX2 in DE cells alters histone modifications across the CFTR locus and results in a 2.5-fold to 5-fold increase in CFTR expression. However, deletion of the +22.6kb site alone does not affect CFTR expression in DE or AFE cells. Conclusions These results suggest that a network of interacting cis-regulatory elements recruit OTX2 to the locus to impact CFTR expression during early endoderm differentiation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The availability of robust protocols to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into many human cell lineages has transformed research into the origins of human disease. The efficacy of differentiating iPSCs into specific cellular models is influenced by many factors including both intrinsic and extrinsic features. Among the most challenging models is the generation of human bronchial epithelium at air‐liquid interface (HBE‐ALI), which is the gold standard for many studies of respiratory diseases including cystic fibrosis. Here, we perform open chromatin mapping by ATAC‐seq and transcriptomics by RNA‐seq in parallel, to define the functional genomics of key stages of the iPSC to HBE‐ALI differentiation. Within open chromatin peaks, the overrepresented motifs include the architectural protein CTCF at all stages, while motifs for the FOXA pioneer and GATA factor families are seen more often at early stages, and those regulating key airway epithelial functions, such as EHF, are limited to later stages. The RNA‐seq data illustrate dynamic pathways during the iPSC to HBE‐ALI differentiation, and also the marked functional divergence of different iPSC lines at the ALI stages of differentiation. Moreover, a comparison of iPSC‐derived and lung donor‐derived HBE‐ALI cultures reveals substantial differences between these models.

There is a strong rationale to consider future cell therapeutic approaches for cystic fibrosis (CF) in which autologous proximal airway basal stem cells, corrected for CFTR mutations, are transplanted into the patient's lungs. We assessed the possibility of editing the CFTR locus in these cells using zinc-finger nucleases and have pursued two approaches. The first, mutation-specific correction, is a footprint-free method replacing the CFTR mutation with corrected sequences. We have applied this approach for correction of ΔF508, demonstrating restoration of mature CFTR protein and function in air-liquid interface cultures established from bulk edited basal cells. The second is targeting integration of a partial CFTR cDNA within an intron of the endogenous CFTR gene, providing correction for all CFTR mutations downstream of the integration and exploiting the native CFTR promoter and chromatin architecture for physiologically relevant expression. Without selection, we observed highly efficient, site-specific targeted integration in basal cells carrying various CFTR mutations and demonstrated restored CFTR function at therapeutically relevant levels. Significantly, Omni-ATAC-seq analysis revealed minimal impact on the positions of open chromatin within the native CFTR locus. These results demonstrate efficient functional correction of CFTR and provide a platform for further ex vivo and in vivo editing. © 2020 The American Society of Gene and Cell TherapySuzuki et al. report correction of the CFTR defect in cystic fibrosis airway basal stem cells. They utilized gene-editing strategies either specific for the ΔF508 CFTR mutation or applicable to most CFTR mutations. Both approaches yielded highly efficient correction without selection, restoring CFTR function to therapeutically relevant levels.

The CFTR gene lies within an invariant topologically associated domain (TAD) demarcated by CTCF and cohesin, but shows cell-type specific control mechanisms utilizing different cis-regulatory elements (CRE) within the TAD. Within the respiratory epithelium, more than one cell type expresses CFTR and the molecular mechanisms controlling its transcription are likely divergent between them. Here, we determine how two extragenic CREs that are prominent in epithelial cells in the lung, regulate expression of the gene. We showed earlier that these CREs, located at −44 and −35 kb upstream of the promoter, have strong cell-type-selective enhancer function. They are also responsive to inflammatory mediators and to oxidative stress, consistent with a key role in CF lung disease. Here, we use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to remove these CREs from the endogenous locus in human bronchial epithelial cells. Loss of either site extinguished CFTR expression and abolished long-range interactions between these sites and the gene promoter, suggesting non-redundant enhancers. The deletions also greatly reduced promoter interactions with the 5′ TAD boundary. We show substantial recruitment of RNAPII to the −35 kb element and identify CEBPβ as a key activator of airway expression of CFTR, likely through occupancy at this CRE and the gene promoter.

E74‐like factor 5 (ELF5) and ETS‐homologous factor (EHF) are epithelial selective ETS family transcription factors (TFs) encoded by genes at chr11p13, a region associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease severity. EHF controls many key processes in lung epithelial function so its regulatory mechanisms are important. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we removed three key cis‐regulatory elements (CREs) from the chr11p13 region and also activated multiple open chromatin sites with CRISPRa in airway epithelial cells. Deletion of the CREs caused subtle changes in chromatin architecture and site‐specific increases in EHF and ELF5. CRISPRa had most effect on ELF5 transcription. ELF5 levels are low in airway cells but higher in LNCaP (prostate) and T47D (breast) cancer cells. ATAC‐seq in these lines revealed novel peaks of open chromatin at the 5’ end of chr11p13 associated with an expressed ELF5 gene. Furthermore, 4C‐seq assays identified direct interactions between the active ELF5 promoter and sites within the EHF locus, suggesting coordinate regulation between these TFs. ChIP‐seq for ELF5 in T47D cells revealed ELF5 occupancy within EHF introns 1 and 6, and siRNA‐mediated depletion of ELF5 enhanced EHF expression. These results define a new role for ELF5 in lung epithelial biology.

It is estimated that up to 5% of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) pathogenic alleles are unidentified. Some of these errors may lie in noncoding regions of the locus and affect gene expression. To identify regulatory element variants in the CFTR locus, SureSelect targeted enrichment of 460 kb encompassing the gene was optimized to deep sequence genomic DNA from 80 CF patients with an unequivocal clinical diagnosis but only one or no CFTR-coding region pathogenic variants. Bioinformatics tools were used to identify sequence variants and predict their impact, which were then assayed in transient reporter gene luciferase assays. The effect of five variants in the CFTR promoter and four in an intestinal enhancer of the gene were assayed in relevant cell lines. The initial analysis of sequence data revealed previously known CF-causing variants, validating the robustness of the SureSelect design, and showed that 85 of 160 CF alleles were undefined. Of a total 1737 variants revealed across the extended 460-kb CFTR locus, 51 map to known CFTR cis-regulatory elements, and many of these are predicted to alter transcription factor occupancy. Four promoter variants and all those in the intestinal enhancer significantly repress reporter gene activity. These data suggest that CFTR regulatory elements may harbor novel CF disease-causing variants that warrant further investigation, both for genetic screening protocols and functional assays.

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause cystic fibrosis (CF), but are not good predictors of lung phenotype. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) previously identified additional genomic sites associated with CF lung disease severity. One of these, at chromosome 11p13, is an intergenic region between Ets homologous factor (EHF) and Apaf-1 interacting protein (APIP). Our goal was to determine the functional significance of this region, which being intergenic is probably regulatory. To identify cis-acting elements, we used DNase-seq and H3K4me1 and H3K27Ac ChIP-seq to map open and active chromatin respectively, in lung epithelial cells. Two elements showed strong enhancer activity for the promoters of EHF and the 5′ adjacent gene E47 like ETS transcription factor 5 (ELF5) in reporter gene assays. No enhancers of the APIP promoter were found. Circular chromosome conformation capture (4C-seq) identified direct physical interactions of elements within 11p13. This confirmed the enhancer-promoter associations, identified additional interacting elements and defined topologically associating domain (TAD) boundaries, enriched for CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). No strong interactions were observed with the APIP promoter, which lies outside the main TAD encompassing the GWAS signal. These results focus attention on the role of EHF in modifying CF lung disease severity.

Organoid cultures derived from primary human tissues facilitate the study of disease processes and the development of new therapeutics. Most men with cystic fibrosis (CF) are infertile due to defects in the epididymis and vas deferens; however, the causative mechanisms are still unclear. We used human epididymis epithelial cell (HEE) organoids and polarized HEE cell cultures to assay the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in the human epididymis. 3D HEE organoids and polarized 2D HEE cell cultures on membrane inserts were established from human caput epididymis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed to map cell-type-specific gene expression in the organoids. Using forskolin (FSK) to activate CFTR and inhibitor CFTRinh(172) to block its activity, we assessed how CFTR contributes to organoid swelling and epithelial barrier function. The scRNA-seq data showed key caput epididymis cell types present in HEE organoid cultures. FSK at 10 μM induced HEE organoid swelling by 20% at 16 hrs, while 5 and 10 μM CFTRinh(172) treatment significantly reduced HEE organoid size. In transepithelial resistance (TER) measurements, FSK reduced TER, while inhibition of CFTR increased TER; also, depletion of CFTR with specific siRNAs significantly increased TER. FSK treatment significantly increased the flux of 4-kDa but not 70kDa dextran, suggesting activation of CFTR mainly enhances transcellular diffusion. We have demonstrated that CFTR contributes to the maintenance of HEE cell TER and that cultured HEE organoids are a useful model to investigate human epididymis function. This research facilitates progress in elucidating how CFTR-dependent cellular processes impair fertility in CF.

Higher order chromatin structure establishes domains that organize the genome and coordinate gene expression. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling transcription of individual loci within a topological domain (TAD) are not fully understood. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene provides a paradigm for investigating these mechanisms. CFTR occupies a TAD bordered by CTCF/cohesin binding sites within which are cell-type-selective cis-regulatory elements for the locus. We showed previously that intronic and extragenic enhancers, when occupied by specific transcription factors, are recruited to the CFTR promoter by a looping mechanism to drive gene expression. Here we use a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 editing of cis-regulatory elements and siRNA-mediated depletion of architectural proteins to determine the relative contribution of structural elements and enhancers to the higher order structure and expression of the CFTR locus. We found the boundaries of the CFTR TAD are conserved among diverse cell types and are dependent on CTCF and cohesin complex. Removal of an upstream CTCF-binding insulator alters the interaction profile, but has little effect on CFTR expression. Within the TAD, intronic enhancers recruit cell-type selective transcription factors and deletion of a pivotal enhancer element dramatically decreases CFTR expression, but has minor effect on its 3D structure.

The forkhead box A transcription factors, FOXA1 and FOXA2, function as pioneer factors to open condensed chromatin and facilitate binding of other proteins. We showed previously that these factors are key components of a transcriptional network that drives enhancer function at the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) locus in intestinal epithelial cells. The CFTR promoter apparently lacks tissue-specific regulatory elements and expression of the gene is controlled by multiple cis-acting elements, which coordinate gene expression in different cell types. Here we show that concurrent depletion of FOXA1 and FOXA2 represses CFTR expression and alters the three-dimensional architecture of the active locus by diminishing interactions between the promoter and intronic cis-acting elements. Reduction of FOXA1/A2 also modifies the enrichment profile of the active enhancer marks H3K27ac and H3K4me2 across the CFTR locus and alters chromatin accessibility at individual cis-elements. Moreover, loss of FOXA1/A2 suppresses the recruitment of other members of the transcriptional network including HNF1 and CDX2, to multiple cis-elements. These data reveal a complex molecular mechanism underlying the role of FOXA1/A2 in achieving high levels of CFTR expression in intestinal epithelial cells.

Using affinity purification MS approaches, we have identified a novel role for casein kinase II (CKII) in the modification of the polymerase associated factor complex (PAF-C). Our data indicate that the facilitates chromatin transcription complex (FACT) interacts with CKII and may facilitate PAF complex phosphorylation. Posttranslational modification analysis of affinity-isolated PAF-C shows extensive CKII phosphorylation of all five subunits of PAF-C, although CKII subunits were not detected as interacting partners. Consistent with this, recombinant CKII or FACT-associated CKII isolated from cells can phosphorylate PAF-C in vitro, whereas no intrinsic kinase activity was detected in PAF-C samples. Significantly, PAF-C purifications combined with stable isotope labeling in cells (SILAC) quantitation for PAF-C phosphorylation from wild-type and CKII temperature-sensitive strains (cka1Δ cka2-8) showed that PAF-C phosphorylation at consensus CKII sites is significantly reduced in cka1Δ cka2-8 strains. Consistent with a role of CKII in FACT and PAF-C function, we show that decreased CKII function in vivo results in decreased levels of histone H2B lysine 123 monoubiquitylation, a modification dependent on FACT and PAF-C. Taken together, our results define a coordinated role of CKII and FACT in the regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription through chromatin via phosphorylation of PAF-C.

Mutations in hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 transcription factors (HNF1α/β) are associated with diabetes. These factors are well studied in the liver, pancreas and kidney, where they direct tissue-specific gene regulation. However, they also have an important role in the biology of many other tissues, including the intestine. We investigated the transcriptional network governed by HNF1 in an intestinal epithelial cell line (Caco2). We used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by direct sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify HNF1 binding sites genome-wide. Direct targets of HNF1 were validated using conventional ChIP assays and confirmed by siRNA-mediated depletion of HNF1, followed by RT-qPCR. Gene ontology process enrichment analysis of the HNF1 targets identified multiple processes with a role in intestinal epithelial cell function, including properties of the cell membrane, cellular response to hormones, and regulation of biosynthetic processes. Approximately 50% of HNF1 binding sites were also occupied by other members of the intestinal transcriptional network, including hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A (HNF4A), caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2), and forkhead box A2 (FOXA2). Depletion of HNF1 in Caco2 cells increases FOXA2 abundance and decreases levels of CDX2, illustrating the coordinated activities of the network. These data suggest that HNF1 plays an important role in regulating intestinal epithelial cell function, both directly and through interactions with other intestinal transcription factors.

SUMMARY Spt6 is a histone chaperone that associates with RNA polymerase II and deposits nucleosomes in the wake of transcription. Although Spt6 has an essential function in nucleosome deposition, it is not known whether this function is influenced by post-translational modification. Here, we report that casein kinase II (CKII) phosphorylation of Spt6 is required for nucleosome occupancy at the 5′ ends of genes to prevent aberrant antisense transcription and enforce transcriptional directionality. Mechanistically, we show that CKII phosphorylation of Spt6 promotes the interaction of Spt6 with Spn1, a binding partner required for chromatin reassembly and full recruitment of Spt6 to genes. Our study defines a function for CKII phosphorylation in transcription and highlights the importance of post-translational modification in histone chaperone function., In Brief Dronamraju et al. show that the N terminus of Spt6 is phosphorylated by casein kinase II, which is required for proper Spt6-Spn1 interaction. CKII phosphorylation of Spt6 is pivotal to maintain nucleosome occupancy at the 5′ ends of genes, suppression of antisense transcription from the 5′ ends, and resistance to genotoxic agents.

The regulated expression of large human genes can depend on long-range interactions to establish appropriate three-dimensional structures across the locus. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator ( CFTR ) gene, which encompasses 189 kb of genomic DNA, shows a complex pattern of expression with both spatial and temporal regulation. The flanking loci, ASZ1 and CTTNBP2 , show very different tissue-specific expression. The mechanisms governing control of CFTR expression remain poorly understood, although they are known to involve intronic regulatory elements. Here, we show a complex looped structure of the CFTR locus in cells that express the gene, which is absent from cells in which the gene is inactive. By using chromatin conformation capture (3C) with a bait probe at the CFTR promoter, we demonstrate close interaction of this region with sequences in the middle of the gene about 100 kb from the promoter and with regions 3′ to the locus that are about 200 kb away. We show that these interacting regions correspond to prominent DNase I hypersensitive sites within the locus. Moreover, these sequences act cooperatively in reporter gene constructs and recruit proteins that modify chromatin structure. The model for CFTR gene expression that is revealed by our data provides a paradigm for other large genes with multiple regulatory elements lying within both introns and intergenic regions. We anticipate that these observations will enable original approaches to designing regulated transgenes for tissue-specific gene therapy protocols.

The forkhead box A (FOXA) family of pioneer transcription factors is critical for the development of many endoderm-derived tissues. Their importance in regulating biological processes in the lung and liver is extensively characterized, though much less is known about their role in intestine. Here we investigate the contribution of FOXA2 to coordinating intestinal epithelial cell function using postconfluent Caco2 cells, differentiated into an enterocyte-like model. FOXA2 binding sites genome-wide were determined by ChIP-seq and direct targets of the factor were validated by ChIP-qPCR and siRNA-mediated depletion of FOXA1/2 followed by RT-qPCR. Peaks of FOXA2 occupancy were frequent at loci contributing to gene ontology pathways of regulation of cell migration, cell motion, and plasma membrane function. Depletion of both FOXA1 and FOXA2 led to a significant reduction in the expression of multiple transmembrane proteins including ion channels and transporters, which form a network that is essential for maintaining normal ion and solute transport. One of the targets was the adenosine A2Breceptor, and reduced receptor mRNA levels were associated with a functional decrease in intracellular cyclic AMP. We also observed that 30% of FOXA2 binding sites contained a GATA motif and that FOXA1/A2 depletion reduced GATA-4, but not GATA-6 protein levels. These data show that FOXA2 plays a pivotal role in regulating intestinal epithelial cell function. Moreover, that the FOXA and GATA families of transcription factors may work cooperatively to regulate gene expression genome-wide in the intestinal epithelium.

The YEATS domain, found in a number of chromatin-associated proteins, has recently been shown to have the capacity to bind histone lysine acetylation. Here, we show that the YEATS domain of Taf14, a member of key transcriptional and chromatin-modifying complexes in yeast, is a selective reader of histone H3 Lys9 acetylation (H3K9ac). Structural analysis reveals that acetylated Lys9 is sandwiched in an aromatic cage formed by F62 and W81. Disruption of this binding in cells impairs gene transcription and the DNA damage response. Our findings establish a highly conserved acetyllysine reader function for the YEATS domain protein family and highlight the significance of this interaction for Taf14.

Higher order chromatin structures across the genome are maintained in part by the architectural proteins CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) and the cohesin complex, which co-localize at many sites across the genome. Here, we examine the role of these proteins in mediating chromatin structure at the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CFTR encompasses nearly 200 kb flanked by CTCF-binding enhancer-blocking insulator elements and is regulated by cell-type-specific intronic enhancers, which loop to the promoter in the active locus. SiRNA-mediated depletion of CTCF or the cohesin component, RAD21, showed that these two factors have distinct roles in regulating the higher order organization of CFTR. CTCF mediates the interactions between CTCF/cohesin binding sites, some of which have enhancer-blocking insulator activity. Cohesin shares this tethering role, but in addition stabilizes interactions between the promoter and cis-acting intronic elements including enhancers, which are also dependent on the forkhead box A1/A2 (FOXA1/A2) transcription factors (TFs). Disruption of the three-dimensional structure of the CFTR gene by depletion of CTCF or RAD21 increases gene expression, which is accompanied by alterations in histone modifications and TF occupancy across the locus, and causes internalization of the gene from the nuclear periphery.

Nucleosome positioning on the chromatin strand plays a critical role in regulating accessibility of DNA to transcription factors and chromatin modifying enzymes. Hence, detailed information on nucleosome depletion or movement at cis-acting regulatory elements has the potential to identify predicted binding sites for trans-acting factors. Using a novel method based on enrichment of mononucleosomal DNA by bacterial artificial chromosome hybridization, we mapped nucleosome positions by deep sequencing across 250 kb, encompassing the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CFTR shows tight tissue-specific regulation of expression, which is largely determined by cis-regulatory elements that lie outside the gene promoter. Although multiple elements are known, the repertoire of transcription factors that interact with these sites to activate or repress CFTR expression remains incomplete. Here, we show that specific nucleosome depletion corresponds to well-characterized binding sites for known trans-acting factors, including hepatocyte nuclear factor 1, Forkhead box A1 and CCCTC-binding factor. Moreover, the cell-type selective nucleosome positioning is effective in predicting binding sites for novel interacting factors, such as BAF155. Finally, we identify transcription factor binding sites that are overrepresented in regions where nucleosomes are depleted in a cell-specific manner. This approach recognizes the glucocorticoid receptor as a novel trans-acting factor that regulates CFTR expression in vivo.

A critical cis-regulatory element for the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene is located in intron 11, 100 kb distal to the promoter, with which it interacts. This sequence contains an intestine-selective enhancer and associates with enhancer signature proteins, such as p300, in addition to tissue-specific TFs (transcription factors). In the present study we identify critical TFs that are recruited to this element and demonstrate their importance in regulating CFTR expression. In vitro DNase I footprinting and EMSAs (electrophoretic mobility-shift assays) identified four cell-type-selective regions that bound TFs in vitro. ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) identified FOXA1/A2 (forkhead box A1/A2), HNF1 (hepatocyte nuclear factor 1) and CDX2 (caudal-type homeobox 2) as in vivo trans-interacting factors. Mutation of their binding sites in the intron 11 core compromised its enhancer activity when measured by reporter gene assay. Moreover, siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated knockdown of CDX2 caused a significant reduction in endogenous CFTR transcription in intestinal cells, suggesting that this factor is critical for the maintenance of high levels of CFTR expression in these cells. The ChIP data also demonstrate that these TFs interact with multiple cis-regulatory elements across the CFTR locus, implicating a more global role in intestinal expression of the gene.