A disproportionate impact of G9a methyltransferase deficiency on the X chromosome.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Szanto A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8247598 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundModifications of the histone amino-terminal tails affect access of regulatory factors and complexes to chromatin and thereby influence biological processes. Cancer cells are characterized by prominent epigenetic dysregulation, including histone modifications. However, the functional roles of the histone methyltransferases (HMT) in cancer remain unclear.Methodology/principal findingsWe studied RNAi-based inhibition (knockdown, KD) of 2 different H3K9 HMTs, SUV39H1 and G9a. Knockdown of the 2 HMTs in PC3 cancer cell line markedly inhibited cell growth and caused profound morphological changes with loss of telomerase activity and shortened telomeres. SUV39H1 KD cells showed substantial increase in G2/M fraction. G9a KD cells showed increased DNA content (1.7-fold in 2 independent clones) compared with FACS analyses to control. Karyotype analyses showed that this was due to an increased number of chromosomes (from 61 to 102) in G9a KD cells compared to parental PC3. Intriguingly, we found abnormal centrosome morphology and number in about 25% of the G9a KD cells, while centrosomes were morphologically normal in control cells. Microarray analyses after KD of SUV39H1 or G9a showed very few genes up-regulated among the 39,000 genes. The silenced tumor-suppressor genes p16 and RASSF1A were not activated in KD cells.Conclusions/significanceThese data suggest that the 2 HMTs, SUV39H1 and G9a are required to perpetuate the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, G9a plays a critical role in regulating centrosome duplication presumably through chromatin structure rather than through affecting gene expression in cancer cells. Targeting these histone methyltransferases may be of therapeutic benefit in cancers.
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Project description:The discovery of Suv39h1, the first SET domain-containing histone lysine methyltransferase (HKMT), was reported in 2000. Since then, research on histone methylation has progressed rapidly. Among the identified HKMTs in mammals, G9a and GLP are the primary enzymes for mono- and dimethylation at Lys 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me1 and H3K9me2), and exist predominantly as a G9a-GLP heteromeric complex that appears to be a functional H3K9 methyltransferase in vivo. Recently, many important studies have reported that G9a and GLP play critical roles in various biological processes. The physiological relevance of G9a/GLP-mediated epigenetic gene regulation is discussed.
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Project description:DNA CpG methylation and histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation are two major repressive epigenetic modifications, and these methylations are positively correlated with one another in chromatin. Here we show that G9a or G9a-like protein (GLP) dimethylate the amino-terminal lysine 44 (K44) of mouse Dnmt3a (equivalent to K47 of human DNMT3A) in vitro and in cells overexpressing G9a or GLP. The chromodomain of MPP8 recognizes the dimethylated Dnmt3aK44me2. MPP8 also interacts with self-methylated GLP in a methylation-dependent manner. The MPP8 chromodomain forms a dimer in solution and in crystals, suggesting that a dimeric MPP8 molecule could bridge the methylated Dnmt3a and GLP, resulting in a silencing complex of Dnmt3a-MPP8-GLP/G9a on chromatin templates. Together, these findings provide a molecular explanation, at least in part, for the co-occurrence of DNA methylation and H3K9 methylation in chromatin.
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Project description:The epigenetic enzyme G9a is a histone methyltransferase that dimethylates lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2), and in the adult nucleus accumbens (NAc), G9a regulates multiple behaviors associated with substance use disorder. We show here that chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure in male mice reduced both G9a and H3K9me2 levels in the adult NAc, but not dorsal striatum. Viral-mediated reduction of G9a in the NAc had no effects on baseline volitional ethanol drinking or escalated alcohol drinking produced by CIE exposure; however, NAc G9a was required for stress-regulated changes in ethanol drinking, including potentiated alcohol drinking produced by activation of the kappa-opioid receptor. In addition, we observed that chronic systemic administration of a G9a inhibitor, UNC0642, also blocked stress-potentiated alcohol drinking. Together, our findings suggest that chronic alcohol use, similar to other abused substances, produces a NAc-selective reduction in G9a levels that serves to limit stress-regulated alcohol drinking. Moreover, our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of G9a might provide a novel therapeutic approach to treat stress-induced alcohol drinking, which is a major trigger of relapse in individuals suffering from AUD.
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Project description:Research suggests that the epigenetic regulator G9a, a H3K9 histone methyltransferase, is involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. Here we show that G9a is linked to cancer angiogenesis and poor patient survival. Invasive cervical cancer has a higher G9a expression than cancer precursors or normal epithelium. Pharmacological inhibition and genetic silencing of G9a suppresses H3K9 methylation, cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and cancer cell invasion/migration, but not apoptosis. Microarray and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses reveal that G9a induces a cohort of angiogenic factors that include angiogenin, interleukin-8, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 16. Depressing G9a by either pharmacological inhibitor or gene knock down significantly reduces angiogenic factor expression. Moreover, promoting G9a gene expression augments transcription and angiogenic function. A luciferase reporter assay suggests that knockdown of G9a inhibits transcriptional activation of interleukin-8. G9a depletion suppresses xenograft tumor growth in mouse model, which is linked to a decrease in microvessel density and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Clinically, higher G9a expression correlates with poorer survival for cancer patients. For patients' primary tumors a positive correlation between G9a expression and microvessel density also exists. In addition to increasing tumor cell proliferation, G9a promotes tumor angiogenesis and reduces the patient survival rate. G9a may possess great value for targeted therapies.
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Project description:Activity of H3K9 histone methyltransferase G9a is reportedly induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and plays an important role in the progression of cancer and fibrosis. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of G9a-mediated H3K9 methylation attenuates peritoneal fibrosis in mice and human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs). Nonadherent cells of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients were isolated from PD effluent to examine expression of G9a. Peritoneal fibrosis was induced by peritoneal injection of methylglyoxal (MGO) in male C57/B6 mice for 3 weeks. BIX01294, a G9a inhibitor, was administered by subcutaneous injection. Effects of BIX01294 on MGO-induced pathological and functional changes in mice were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and a peritoneal equilibration test. HPMCs were isolated from human omentum, and the inhibitory effect of BIX01294 on TGF-β1-induced fibrotic changes was investigated in the HPMCs by western blotting. G9a was upregulated in nonadherent cells of human PD effluent, the peritoneum of MGO-injected mice, and TGF-β1-stimulated HPMCs. BIX01294 significantly reduced the submesothelial zone thickness and cell density in MGO-injected mice. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that BIX01294 treatment decreased not only mono-methylation of H3K9 (H3K9me1), but also the number of mesenchymal cells, accumulation of collagen, and infiltration of monocytes. In addition to the pathological changes, BIX01294 reduced the level of TGF-β1 in peritoneal fluid and improved peritoneal functions. Furthermore, BIX01294 inhibited TGF-β1-induced fibrotic changes along with suppression of H3K9me1 in HPMCs. Therefore, inhibition of H3K9 methyltransferase G9a suppresses peritoneal fibrosis through a reduction of H3K9me1.
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