Project description:In mammals, genes located on the X chromosome are present in one copy in XY males and two in XX females. To balance the dosage of X-linked gene expression between the sexes one of the two X chromosomes in females is silenced by X inactivation initiated by up-regulation of the lncRNA (long non-coding RNA) Xist and recruitment of specific chromatin modifiers for silencing. The inactivated X chromosome becomes heterochromatic and visits a specific nuclear compartment adjacent to the nucleolus. We report a novel role for the X-linked lncRNA Firre in anchoring the inactive mouse X chromosome and preserving one of its main epigenetic features, trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Similar to Dxz4, Firre is expressed from a macrosatellite repeat locus associated with a cluster of CTCF and cohesin binding specifically on the inactive X. CTCF binding initially present in both male and female mouse embryonic stem cells was found to be lost from the active X during development. The Firre and Dxz4 loci on the inactive X were preferentially located adjacent to the nucleolus. Knockdown of Firre RNA disrupted perinucleolar targeting and H3K27me3 levels in mouse fibroblasts, demonstrating an important role for this lncRNA in maintenance of one of the main epigenetic features of the X chromosome. There was no X-linked gene reactivation after Firre knockdown; however, a compensatory increase in the expression of chromatin modifier genes implicated in X silencing was observed. In female ES cells Firre RNA knockdown did not disrupt Xist expression/coating nor silencing of G6pdx during differentiation, suggesting that Firre does not play a role in the onset of X inactivation. We conclude that the X-linked lncRNA Firre helps position the inactive X chromosome near the nucleolus and preserve one of its main epigenetic features. Examination of allelic protein-binding or histone modification profiles in Patski cells.
Project description:X chromosome inactivation (XCI) silences most genes on one X chromosome in female mammals, but some genes escape XCI. To identify escape gene in vivo and to explore molecular mechanisms that regulate this process we analyzed the allele-specific expression and chromatin structure of X-linked genes in mouse tissues and cells with skewed XCI and distinguishable alleles based on single nucleotide polymorphisms. Using a new method to estimate allelic expression, we demonstrate a continuum between complete silencing and significant expression from the inactive X (Xi). Few genes (2-3%) escape XCI to a significant level and only a minority differs between mouse tissues, suggesting stringent silencing and escape controls. Allelic profiles of DNase I hypersensitivity and RNA polymerase II occupancy of genes on the Xi correlate with escape from XCI. Allelic binding profiles of the DNA binding protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) in different cell types indicate that CTCF binding at the promoter correlates with escape. Importantly, CTCF binding at the boundary between escape and silenced domains may prevent the spreading of active escape chromatin into silenced domains. Examination of CTCF and RNA PolIIS5p occupancy in mouse hybrid cells and adult tissues.
Project description:We report the application of single-molecule-based sequencing technology for high-throughput profiling of RNA polymerase II phosphorylated at serine 5 (PolII-S5p; the transcription initiation form) in female mouse cultured hybrid cells and female hybrid brain derived from mouse systems with skewed X inactivation based on crosses between C57BL/6J (BL6) and M. spretus. In these systems, alleles can be differentiated by frequent SNPs between mouse species, and the active X (Xa) compared to the haploid set of autosomes from the same species. To examine PolII-S5p occupancy in vivo, ChIP-seq was done in brain from an adult female F1 mouse in which the BL6 X is always active and the spretus X inactive. Uniquely mapped reads containing informative SNPs were assigned to each haploid chromosome set (BL6 or spretus) and were counted to establish allele-specific PolII-S5p occupancy profiles. We found that PolII-S5p allele-specific occupancy with or without normalization by input genomic DNA sequencing data showed that expressed genes on the Xa (>1RPKM) had 30% higher PolII-S5p peak levels at their promoters compared to autosomal genes from the same species (BL6). This result was confirmed by performing an independent allele-specific ChIP-seq analysis on fibroblasts derived from embryonic kidney (Patski cell line) that have the opposite X inactivation pattern from the brain sample, i.e. an Xa from M. spretus and an Xi from BL6. These findings suggest that transcription initiation of X-linked genes is enhanced to contribute to X upregulation in cell lines and in vivo. Examination of allele-specific PolII-S5p occupancy in mouse hybrid cells and brain.
Project description:CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor) is a highly conserved 11-zinc finger DNA binding protein with tens of thousands of binding sites genome-wide. CTCF acts as a multifunctional regulator of transcription, having been previously associated with activator, repressor, and insulator activity. These diverse regulatory functions are crucial for preimplantation development and are implicated in the regulation of numerous lineage-specific genes. Despite playing a critical role in developmental gene regulation, the mechanisms that underlie developmental changes in CTCF recruitment and function are poorly understood. Our previous work suggested that differences in CTCFM-bM-^@M-^Ys binding site sequence may affect the regulation of CTCF recruitment, as well as CTCFM-bM-^@M-^Ys regulatory function. To investigate these two possibilities directly during a developmental process, changes in genome-wide CTCF binding and gene expression were characterized during in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. CTCF binding sites were initially separated into three classes (named LowOc, MedOc, and HighOc) based on similarity to the consensus motif. The LowOc class, with lower-similarity to the consensus motif, is more likely to show changes in binding during differentiation. These more dynamically bound sites are enriched for motifs that confer a lower in vitro affinity for CTCF, suggesting a mechanism where sites with low-binding affinity are more amenable to developmental control. Additionally, by comparing changes in CTCF binding with changes in gene expression during differentiation, we show that LowOc and HighOc sites are associated with distinct regulatory functions. In sum, these results suggest that the regulatory control of CTCFM-bM-^@M-^Ys binding and function is dependent in part upon specific motifs within its DNA binding site. Mouse E14 ES cells were differentiated in vitro for 4.5 days using retinoic acid. ChIP-seq for CTCF and an IgG control was performed from cells collected before and after differentiation. For undifferentiated cells, data were generated in two biological replicates.
Project description:We report that knockdown of the lncRNA RMST changes the gene expression profile of neural stem cells. RMST and SOX2 regulates a common subset of downstream targets. Examination of genome wide transcriptomic changes upon knockdown of the lncRNA RMST.
Project description:We use ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq technology to profile the H3K9me2 modification and transcription under different conditions of GLP activity. GLP and G9a are major H3K9 dimethylases, and are essential for mouse early embryonic development. Here we report that GLP and G9a possess intrinsic histone methylation propagating activities. The histone methyltransferase activities of GLP and G9a are stimulated by neighboring nucleosomes pre-methylated at H3K9. These stimulation events function in cis and are dependent on H3K9 methylation binding activities of ankyrin repeats domains in GLP and G9a. In mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) harboring a mutant GLP lacking H3K9 methylation propagating activity, pluripotent genes display a delayed kinetics in establishing H3K9 methylation and gene silencing during differentiation. Disruption of the H3K9 methylation propagating activity of GLP in mice causes growth retardation of the embryos, ossification defects of calvaria and early postnatal lethality. We propose that GLP¡¯s ability to rapidly propagate H3K9 methylation is required for efficient gene silencing during programmed cell fate transition. H3K9me2 and H3K9me1 are ChIPped and sequenced in WT mESC and GLP-mutant mESCs, and RNA-Seq was done for those cells as well.
Project description:Here we show binding and occupancy profiles for KDM6A, H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 to address the epigenetic regulation of a subset of Rhox genes, Rhox6 and 9, in female and male ES cells during differentiation. To further address a functional role for KDM6A in the epigenetic regulation of Rhox6 and 9, binding profiles for female ES cells treated with a control siRNA and siRNA specific for Kdm6a are shown. We report that two members of the Rhox cluster, Rhox6 and 9, are regulated by de-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 by KDM6A, a histone demethylase with female-biased expression. Our results are consistent with other homeobox genes in that Rhox6 and 9 are in bivalent domains prior to embryonic stem cell differentiation and thus poised for activation. In female mouse ES cells KDM6A is specifically recruited to Rhox6 and 9 for gene activation, a process inhibited by Kdm6a knockdown. In contrast, KDM6A occupancy at Rhox6 and 9 is low in male ES cells and knockdown has no effect on expression. Our study implicates Kdm6a, a gene that escapes X inactivation, in the regulation of genes important in reproduction, suggesting that KDM6A may play a role in the etiology of developmental and reproduction-related effects of X chromosome anomalies. ChIP-chip was used to analyze the binding profiles of KDM6A, H3K27me3, and H3K4me3 during differentiation in female and male ES cells. Additionally, ChiP-chip of KDM6A binding in control treated and siRNA treated ES cells is presented.
Project description:Many animal species employ a chromosome-based mechanism of sex determination, which has led to coordinate evolution of dosage compensation systems. Dosage compensation not only corrects the imbalance in the number of X-chromosomes between the sexes, but is also hypothesized to correct dosage imbalance within cells due to mono-allelic X expression and bi-allelic autosomal expression, by upregulating X-linked genes (termed M-bM-^@M-^XOhnoM-bM-^@M-^Ys hypothesisM-bM-^@M-^Y). To identify molecular mechanisms of X upregulation in mammals we established genome-wide profiles for the initiation and elongation forms of RNA polymerase II (PolII), PolII-S5p (phosphorylated at serine 5) and PolII-S2p (phosphorylated at serine 2), and for histone modifications in mouse cell lines and tissues. We found that in addition to being enriched in PolII-S5p but not in PolII-S2p, X-linked promoters were also enriched in two epigenetic marks, H4K16ac and H2AZ, dependent on expression levels. To address the function of the H4K16 acetyltransferase MOF occupancy profiles were established and knockdowns of MOF and MSL1 were done in mouse ES cells. Our results support a conserved role for the MSL complex to enhance transcription initiation of X-linked genes. Comparison of the profiles of RNA PolII, the H4K16ac acetyltransferase MOF and histone active marks on the X versus autosomes in mouse