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MeCP2 links heterochromatin condensates and neurodevelopmental disease.

ABSTRACT: Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a key component of constitutive heterochromatin, which is crucial for chromosome maintenance and transcriptional silencing^1-3. Mutations in the MECP2 gene cause the progressive neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome^3-5, which is associated with severe mental disability and autism-like symptoms that affect girls during early childhood. Although previously thought to be a dense and relatively static structure^1,2, heterochromatin is now understood to exhibit properties consistent with a liquid-like condensate^6,7. Here we show that MeCP2 is a dynamic component of heterochromatin condensates in cells, and is stimulated by DNA to form liquid-like condensates. MeCP2 contains several domains that contribute to the formation of condensates, and mutations in MECP2 that lead to Rett syndrome disrupt the ability of MeCP2 to form condensates. Condensates formed by MeCP2 selectively incorporate and concentrate heterochromatin cofactors rather than components of euchromatic transcriptionally active condensates. We propose that MeCP2 enhances the separation of heterochromatin and euchromatin through its condensate partitioning properties, and that disruption of condensates may be a common consequence of mutations in MeCP2 that cause Rett syndrome.

SUBMITTER: Li CH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7735819 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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MeCP2 links heterochromatin condensates and neurodevelopmental disease

Project description:MeCP2 (methyl CpG binding protein 2) is a key component of constitutive heterochromatin, which plays important roles in chromosome maintenance and transcriptional silencing. Mutations in MeCP2 cause Rett syndrome (RTT), a postnatal progressive neurodevelopmental disorder associated with severe mental disability and autism-like symptoms that manifests in girls during early childhood. Heterochromatin, long considered a dense and relatively static structure, is now understood to exhibit properties consistent with a liquid-like condensate. Here we report that MeCP2 is a dynamic component of heterochromatin condensates in cells, is stimulated by DNA to form liquid-like condensates, contains multiple domains that contribute to condensate formation, manifests physicochemical properties that selectively concentrate heterochromatin cofactors compared to components of transcriptionally active condensates, and when altered by RTT-causing mutations is disrupted in its ability to form condensates. We propose that MeCP2 enhances heterochromatin/euchromatin separation through its condensate partitioning properties and that condensate disruption may be a common consequence of RTT patient mutations.

2020-06-23 | GSE139033 | GEO

MeCP2 links heterochromatin condensates and neurodevelopmental disease

Project description:MeCP2 links heterochromatin condensates and neurodevelopmental disease

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Heterochromatin formation and remodeling by IRTKS condensates counteract cellular senescence

Project description:Heterochromatin, a key component of the eukaryotic nucleus, is fundamental to the regulation of genome stability, gene expression and cellular functions. However, the factors and mechanisms involved in heterochromatin formation and maintenance still remain largely unknown. Here, we show that insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate (IRTKS), an I-BAR domain protein, is indispensable for constitutive heterochromatin formation via liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS). In particular, IRTKS droplets can infiltrate heterochromatin condensates composed of HP1 and diverse DNA-bound nucleosomes. IRKTS can stabilize HP1 by recruiting the E2 ligase Ubc9 to SUMOylate HP1 which enables it to form larger phase-separated droplets than unmodified HP1. Furthermore, IRTKS deficiency leads to loss of heterochromatin, resulting in genome-wide changes in chromatin accessibility and aberrant transcription of repetitive DNA elements. This leads to activation of cGAS-STING pathway and type-I interferon (IFN-I) signaling, as well as to the induction of cellular senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) responses. Collectively, our findings establish a mechanism by which IRTKS condensates consolidate constitutive heterochromatin, revealing an unexpected role of IRTKS as an epigenetic mediator of cellular senescence.

| S-SCDT-10_1038-S44318-024-00212-3 | biostudies-other

MeCP2 dependent heterochromatin reorganization during neural differentiation of a novel Mecp2-deficient embryonic stem cell reporter line.

Project description:The X-linked Mecp2 is a known interpreter of epigenetic information and mutated in Rett syndrome, a complex neurological disease. MeCP2 recruits HDAC complexes to chromatin thereby modulating gene expression and, importantly regulates higher order heterochromatin structure. To address the effects of MeCP2 deficiency on heterochromatin organization during neural differentiation, we developed a versatile model for stem cell in vitro differentiation. Therefore, we modified murine Mecp2 deficient (Mecp2(-/y)) embryonic stem cells to generate cells exhibiting green fluorescent protein expression upon neural differentiation. Subsequently, we quantitatively analyzed heterochromatin organization during neural differentiation in wild type and in Mecp2 deficient cells. We found that MeCP2 protein levels increase significantly during neural differentiation and accumulate at constitutive heterochromatin. Statistical analysis of Mecp2 wild type neurons revealed a significant clustering of heterochromatin per nuclei with progressing differentiation. In contrast we found Mecp2 deficient neurons and astroglia cells to be significantly impaired in heterochromatin reorganization. Our results (i) introduce a new and manageable cellular model to study the molecular effects of Mecp2 deficiency, and (ii) support the view of MeCP2 as a central protein in heterochromatin architecture in maturating cells, possibly involved in stabilizing their differentiated state.

| S-EPMC3480415 | biostudies-literature

Disruption of MeCP2-TCF20 complex underlies distinct neurodevelopmental disorders.

Project description:MeCP2 is associated with Rett syndrome (RTT), MECP2 duplication syndrome, and a number of conditions with isolated features of these diseases, including autism, intellectual disability, and motor dysfunction. MeCP2 is known to broadly bind methylated DNA, but the precise molecular mechanism driving disease pathogenesis remains to be determined. Using proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID), we identified a transcription factor 20 (TCF20) complex that interacts with MeCP2 at the chromatin interface. Importantly, RTT-causing mutations in MECP2 disrupt this interaction. TCF20 and MeCP2 are highly coexpressed in neurons and coregulate the expression of key neuronal genes. Reducing Tcf20 partially rescued the behavioral deficits caused by MECP2 overexpression, demonstrating a functional relationship between MeCP2 and TCF20 in MECP2 duplication syndrome pathogenesis. We identified a patient exhibiting RTT-like neurological features with a missense mutation in the PHF14 subunit of the TCF20 complex that abolishes the MeCP2-PHF14-TCF20 interaction. Our data demonstrate the critical role of the MeCP2-TCF20 complex for brain function.

| S-EPMC8794850 | biostudies-literature

ATRX Contributes to MeCP2-Mediated Pericentric Heterochromatin Organization during Neural Differentiation.

Project description:Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a multi-function factor involved in locus-specific transcriptional modulation and the regulation of genome architecture, e.g., pericentric heterochromatin (PCH) organization. MECP2 mutations are responsible for Rett syndrome (RTT), a devastating postnatal neurodevelopmental disorder, the pathogenetic mechanisms of which are still unknown. MeCP2, together with Alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked protein (ATRX), accumulates at chromocenters, which are repressive PCH domains. As with MECP2, mutations in ATRX cause ATR-X syndrome which is associated with severe intellectual disability. We exploited two murine embryonic stem cell lines, in which the expression of MeCP2 or ATRX is abolished. Through immunostaining, chromatin immunoprecipitation and western blot, we show that MeCP2 and ATRX are reciprocally dependent both for their expression and targeting to chromocenters. Moreover, ATRX plays a role in the accumulation of members of the heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) family at PCH and, as MeCP2, modulates their expression. Furthermore, ATRX and HP1 targeting to chromocenters depends on an RNA component. 3D-DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) highlighted, for the first time, a contribution of ATRX in MeCP2-mediated chromocenter clustering during neural differentiation. Overall, we provide a detailed dissection of the functional interplay between MeCP2 and ATRX in higher-order PCH organization in neurons. Our findings suggest molecular defects common to RTT and ATR-X syndrome, including an alteration in PCH.

| S-EPMC6862095 | biostudies-literature

MeCP2 and Major Satellite Forward RNA Cooperate for Pericentric Heterochromatin Organization.

Project description:Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) has historically been linked to heterochromatin organization, and in mouse cells it accumulates at pericentric heterochromatin (PCH), closely following major satellite (MajSat) DNA distribution. However, little is known about the specific function of MeCP2 in these regions. We describe the first evidence of a role in neurons for MeCP2 and MajSat forward (MajSat-fw) RNA in reciprocal targeting to PCH through their physical interaction. Moreover, MeCP2 contributes to maintenance of PCH by promoting deposition of H3K9me3 and H4K20me3. We highlight that the MeCP2B isoform is required for correct higher-order PCH organization, and underline involvement of the methyl-binding and transcriptional repression domains. The T158 residue, which is commonly mutated in Rett patients, is directly involved in this process. Our findings support the hypothesis that MeCP2 and the MajSat-fw transcript are mutually dependent for PCH organization, and contribute to clarify MeCP2 function in the regulation of chromatin architecture.

| S-EPMC7724518 | biostudies-literature

MeCP2 heterochromatin organization is modulated by arginine methylation and serine phosphorylation.

Project description:Rett syndrome is a human intellectual disability disorder that is associated with mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene. The epigenetic reader MeCP2 binds to methylated cytosines on the DNA and regulates chromatin organization. We have shown previously that MECP2 Rett syndrome missense mutations are impaired in chromatin binding and heterochromatin reorganization. Here, we performed a proteomics analysis of post-translational modifications of MeCP2 isolated from adult mouse brain. We show that MeCP2 carries various post-translational modifications, among them phosphorylation on S80 and S421, which lead to minor changes in either heterochromatin binding kinetics or clustering. We found that MeCP2 is (di)methylated on several arginines and that this modification alters heterochromatin organization. Interestingly, we identified the Rett syndrome mutation site R106 as a dimethylation site. In addition, co-expression of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT)1 and PRMT6 lead to a decrease of heterochromatin clustering. Altogether, we identified and validated novel modifications of MeCP2 in the brain and show that these can modulate its ability to bind as well as reorganize heterochromatin, which may play a role in the pathology of Rett syndrome.

| S-EPMC9510713 | biostudies-literature

Suv39h1 links the SUMO pathway to constitutive heterochromatin.

Project description:The Suv39h lysine methyltransferases, known as key enzymes responsible for histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, are critical for heterochromatin protein 1 enrichment at constitutive heterochromatin. Our recent findings reveal a new role for the Suv39h1 paralog that links it to SUMO pathway function at constitutive heterochromatin.

| S-EPMC5160415 | biostudies-other

HP1 links centromeric heterochromatin to centromere cohesion in mammals.

Project description:Heterochromatin protein-1 (HP1) is a key component of heterochromatin. Reminiscent of the cohesin complex which mediates sister-chromatid cohesion, most HP1 proteins in mammalian cells are displaced from chromosome arms during mitotic entry, whereas a pool remains at the heterochromatic centromere region. The function of HP1 at mitotic centromeres remains largely elusive. Here, we show that double knockout (DKO) of HP1? and HP1? causes defective mitosis progression and weakened centromeric cohesion. While mutating the chromoshadow domain (CSD) prevents HP1? from protecting sister-chromatid cohesion, centromeric targeting of HP1? CSD alone is sufficient to rescue the cohesion defects in HP1 DKO cells. Interestingly, HP1-dependent cohesion protection requires Haspin, an antagonist of the cohesin-releasing factor Wapl. Moreover, HP1? CSD directly binds the N-terminal region of Haspin and facilitates its centromeric localization. The need for HP1 in cohesion protection can be bypassed by centromeric targeting of Haspin or inhibiting Wapl activity. Taken together, these results reveal a redundant role for HP1? and HP1? in the protection of centromeric cohesion through promoting Haspin localization at mitotic centromeres in mammalian cells.

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