RNA-seq in differentiating female FVBxCAST F1 ES cells with Smarca4 gene knockdown [Female Smarca4 RNA-seq]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test if X chromosome inactivation is altered upon Smarca4 gene knockdown.
Project description:Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test if X chromosome inactivation is altered upon Smarcc1 gene knockdown.
Project description:Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test if nucleosome remodelling during X chromosome inactivation is altered upon Smarcc1 gene knockdown.
Project description:Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test the effect of our improved ES culture conditions on the male ES cell karyotype.
Project description:Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test the effect of our improved ES culture conditions on the male ES cell transciptome.
Project description:Major complications with in vitro culture of female embryonic stem cells (ESC) have impeded study of sex-specific pluripotency; however, from the published work female pluripotency significantly differs to male. We report a replenishable female ESC system that has enabled us to optimise a protocol for preserving the XX karyotype. Our protocol also improves male ESC fitness. To demonstrate the utility of the system, we screened for regulators of the female-specific process of X chromosome inactivation, revealing a new role for chromatin remodellers Smarcc1 and Smarca4 in establishment of X inactivation. The remodellers create a nucleosome depleted region at gene promotors on the inactive X during exit from pluripotency, without which gene silencing fails. Our female ESC system provides a tractable model for XX ESC culture that will expedite study of female pluripotency and has enabled us to discover new features of the female-specific process of X inactivation. This experiment is designed to test if Xmas ES cells are transcriptionally similar to published ES cell lines during differentiation.
Project description:To reveal the genome-wide targets of SWI/SNF complexes in neuroblastoma cells, we performed ATAC-seq in IMR-32 cells with or without SMARCA4 inactivation. To identify changes in DNA accessibility following SMARCA4 inactivation, we used either the small-molecule catalytic inhibitor BRM014, auxin-induced degradation of IMR-32 cells engineered with SMARCA4 tagged to the minimal auxin-induced degron (SMARCA4-mAID), or the corresponding vehicle controls. Analysis of these locations reveal that SMARCA4-dependent sites are located at enhancers used by the neuroblastoma core regulatory circuitry.
Project description:During early mammalian development, the two X-chromosomes in female cells are active. Dosage compensation between XX female and XY male cells is then achieved by X-chromosome inactivation in female cells. Reprogramming female mouse somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) leads to X-chromosome reactivation. The extent to which increased X-chromosome dosage (X-dosage) in female iPSCs leads to differences in the molecular and cellular properties of XX and XY iPSCs is still unclear. We show that chromatin accessibility in mouse iPSCs is modulated by X-dosage. Specific sets of transcriptional regulator motifs are enriched in chromatin with increased accessibility in XX or XY iPSCs. We show that the transcriptome, growth and pluripotency exit are also modulated by X-dosage in iPSCs. To understand the mechanisms by which increased X-dosage modulates the molecular and cellular properties of mouse pluripotent stem cells, we used heterozygous deletions of the X-linked gene Dusp9 in XX embryonic stem cells. We show that X-dosage regulates the transcriptome, open chromatin landscape, growth and pluripotency exit largely independently of global DNA methylation. Our results uncover new insights into X-dosage in pluripotent stem cells, providing principles of how gene dosage modulates the epigenetic and genetic mechanisms regulating cell identity.
Project description:Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are a prevalent and deadly human pathology with strong sexual dimorphism. Research demonstrates that sex hormones influence, but do not fully explain, male versus female AAA pathology. In addition to sex hormones, the X and Y sex chromosomes, and their unique complements of genes, may contribute to sexually dimorphic AAA pathology. Here, for the first time, we defined the effect of female (XX) versus male (XY) chromosome complement on AAA formation and rupture in phenotypically female mice using an established murine model. Abdominal aortas from female mice bearing the XY chromosome selectively expressed Y chromosome genes, while genes known to escape X-inactivation were higher in XX females. The majority of gene differences in XY females fell within inflammatory pathways. When XY females were infused with AngII, AAA incidences doubled and aneurysms ruptured. AAAs from XY females exhibited significant inflammation. Moreover, infusion of AngII to XY females augmented aortic activity of matrix metalloproteinases. Finally, testosterone exposure applied chronically, or as a single bolus at postnatal day 1, markedly worsened AAA outcomes in XY compared to XX females. These results demonstrate that an XY sex chromosome complement profoundly influences aortic gene expression profiles and promotes AAA severity.