Cell Type-Specific DNA Methylation at Intragenic CpG Islands in the Immune System (gene expression data)
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ABSTRACT: Human and mouse genomes contain a similar number of CpG islands (CGIs), which are discrete CpG-rich DNA sequences associated with transcription start sites. In both species, about 50% of all CGIs are remote from annotated promoters, but nevertheless often have promoter-like features. To document the role of CGI methylation in cell differentiation, we analysed DNA methylation at a comprehensive CGI set in cells of the mouse hematopoietic lineage. Using a method that potentially detects ~33% of genomic CpGs in the methylated state (>7 million) we found that large differences in gene expression were accompanied by surprisingly few DNA methylation changes. There were, however, many DNA methylation differences between hematopoietic cells and a distantly related tissue, brain. Altered DNA methylation occurred predominantly at CGIs within gene bodies, which have the properties of cell type-restricted promoters, but infrequently at annotated gene promoters or CGI flanking sequences. Elevated intragenic CGI methylation correlated with silencing of the associated gene. Differentially methylated intragenic CGIs tended to lack H3K4me3 and associate with a transcriptionally repressive environment regardless of methylation state. Our results indicate that DNA methylation changes play a relatively minor role in the late stages of differentiation, but point to a distinct role for intragenic CGIs.
Project description:Human and mouse genomes contain a similar number of CpG islands (CGIs), which are discrete CpG-rich DNA sequences associated with transcription start sites. In both species, about 50% of all CGIs are remote from annotated promoters, but nevertheless often have promoter-like features. To document the role of CGI methylation in cell differentiation, we analysed DNA methylation at a comprehensive CGI set in cells of the mouse hematopoietic lineage. Using a method that potentially detects ~33% of genomic CpGs in the methylated state (>7 million) we found that large differences in gene expression were accompanied by surprisingly few DNA methylation changes. There were, however, many DNA methylation differences between hematopoietic cells and a distantly related tissue, brain. Altered DNA methylation occurred predominantly at CGIs within gene bodies, which have the properties of cell type-restricted promoters, but infrequently at annotated gene promoters or CGI flanking sequences. Elevated intragenic CGI methylation correlated with silencing of the associated gene. Differentially methylated intragenic CGIs tended to lack H3K4me3 and associate with a transcriptionally repressive environment regardless of methylation state. Our results indicate that DNA methylation changes play a relatively minor role in the late stages of differentiation, but point to a distinct role for intragenic CGIs.
Project description:Human and mouse genomes contain a similar number of CpG islands (CGIs), which are discrete CpG-rich DNA sequences associated with transcription start sites. In both species, about 50% of all CGIs are remote from annotated promoters, but nevertheless often have promoter-like features. To document the role of CGI methylation in cell differentiation, we analysed DNA methylation at a comprehensive CGI set in cells of the mouse hematopoietic lineage. Using a method that potentially detects ~33% of genomic CpGs in the methylated state (>7 million) we found that large differences in gene expression were accompanied by surprisingly few DNA methylation changes. There were, however, many DNA methylation differences between hematopoietic cells and a distantly related tissue, brain. Altered DNA methylation occurred predominantly at CGIs within gene bodies, which have the properties of cell type-restricted promoters, but infrequently at annotated gene promoters or CGI flanking sequences. Elevated intragenic CGI methylation correlated with silencing of the associated gene. Differentially methylated intragenic CGIs tended to lack H3K4me3 and associate with a transcriptionally repressive environment regardless of methylation state. Our results indicate that DNA methylation changes play a relatively minor role in the late stages of differentiation, but point to a distinct role for intragenic CGIs. Mouse immune cells (dendritic cells, B cells, CD4 T cells, Th1 and Th2 cells) were isolated and DNA methylation and gene expression profiled. Methylation and expression patterns were compared to those in brain. DNA methylation was profiled using MAP-seq and two replicates were carried out for each cell type of interest.
Project description:Human and mouse genomes contain a similar number of CpG islands (CGIs), which are discrete CpG-rich DNA sequences associated with transcription start sites. In both species, about 50% of all CGIs are remote from annotated promoters, but nevertheless often have promoter-like features. To document the role of CGI methylation in cell differentiation, we analysed DNA methylation at a comprehensive CGI set in cells of the mouse hematopoietic lineage. Using a method that potentially detects ~33% of genomic CpGs in the methylated state (>7 million) we found that large differences in gene expression were accompanied by surprisingly few DNA methylation changes. There were, however, many DNA methylation differences between hematopoietic cells and a distantly related tissue, brain. Altered DNA methylation occurred predominantly at CGIs within gene bodies, which have the properties of cell type-restricted promoters, but infrequently at annotated gene promoters or CGI flanking sequences. Elevated intragenic CGI methylation correlated with silencing of the associated gene. Differentially methylated intragenic CGIs tended to lack H3K4me3 and associate with a transcriptionally repressive environment regardless of methylation state. Our results indicate that DNA methylation changes play a relatively minor role in the late stages of differentiation, but point to a distinct role for intragenic CGIs. Mouse immune cells (dendritic cells, B cells, CD4 T cells, Th1 and Th2 cells) were isolated and DNA methylation and gene expression profiled. Methylation and expression patterns were compared to those in brain. For gene expression analysis three biological replicates were used for each cell type.
Project description:The human genome contains approximately 27,700 CpG islands (CGIs). Most are associated with promoters and their DNA is nearly always unmethylated. By contrast, CGIs lying within the bodies of genes usually become methylated during differentiation and development. CGIs also normally become methylated at X-inactivated and imprinted genes and abnormally methylated in genome rearrangements and in malignancy. In such circumstances, methylation of CGIs is often associated with RNA transcripts reading through these elements but the relationship of this RNA to methylation of CGIs is not clear. Here we investigated a previously described form of α-thalassemia caused by a genome rearrangement leading to abnormal transcription and DNA methylation of the CGI at the promoter of the α-globin gene. We show that transcription per se is responsible for DNMT3B-mediated methylation of the globin CGI, and that this is a general mechanism responsible for methylation of most intragenic CpG islands.
Project description:The human genome contains approximately 27,700 CpG islands (CGIs). Most are associated with promoters and their DNA is nearly always unmethylated. By contrast, CGIs lying within the bodies of genes usually become methylated during differentiation and development. CGIs also normally become methylated at X-inactivated and imprinted genes and abnormally methylated in genome rearrangements and in malignancy. In such circumstances, methylation of CGIs is often associated with RNA transcripts reading through these elements but the relationship of this RNA to methylation of CGIs is not clear. Here we investigated a previously described form of α-thalassemia caused by a genome rearrangement leading to abnormal transcription and DNA methylation of the CGI at the promoter of the α-globin gene. We show that transcription per se is responsible for DNMT3B-mediated methylation of the globin CGI, and that this is a general mechanism responsible for methylation of most intragenic CpG islands.
Project description:The human genome contains approximately 27,700 CpG islands (CGIs). Most are associated with promoters and their DNA is nearly always unmethylated. By contrast, CGIs lying within the bodies of genes usually become methylated during differentiation and development. CGIs also normally become methylated at X-inactivated and imprinted genes and abnormally methylated in genome rearrangements and in malignancy. In such circumstances, methylation of CGIs is often associated with RNA transcripts reading through these elements but the relationship of this RNA to methylation of CGIs is not clear. Here we investigated a previously described form of α-thalassemia caused by a genome rearrangement leading to abnormal transcription and DNA methylation of the CGI at the promoter of the α-globin gene. We show that transcription per se is responsible for DNMT3B-mediated methylation of the globin CGI, and that this is a general mechanism responsible for methylation of most intragenic CpG islands.
Project description:While the majority of RNA polymerase II initiation events in mammalian genomes take place within CpG island (CGI) promoters, our understanding of their regulation remains limited. Here we combine single-molecule footprinting with interaction proteomics to identify BANP as a critical CGI regulator and the long sought-after TF that binds the orphan CGCG element in mouse and human. We show that BANP drives the activity of essential metabolic genes in the mouse genome in pluripotent and terminally differentiated cells. However, BANP binding is strongly repelled by DNA methylation of its motif in vitro and in vivo, which epigenetically restricts most binding to CGIs and accounts for its absence at aberrantly methylated CGIs in cancer cells. Upon binding to an unmethylated motif, BANP opens chromatin and phases nucleosomes. Our results establish Banp as a critical activator and put forth a model whereby CGI promoter activity relies on methylation-sensitive TFs capable of chromatin opening.
Project description:Genome-wide methylation analysis was performed by methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP)-CpG island (CGI) microarray analysis to identify candidate CGIs specifically methylated in mouse colon tumors associated with colitis. We sucessfully identified 23 candidate CGIs methylated in tumors.
Project description:<p>Aberrant DNA methylation changes are known to occur during prostate cancer progression beginning with precursor lesions. Utilizing fifty nanograms of genomic DNA in Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS) we mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2). Peaks were located from mapped reads obtained in each sequencing run using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based algorithm previously used for Chip-Seq data analysis(<a href="http://www.sph.umich.edu/csg/qin/HPeak">http://www.sph.umich.edu/csg/qin/HPeak</a>). The total methylation events in intergenic/intronic regions between benign adjacent and cancer tissues were comparable. Promoter CGI methylation gradually increased from -12.6% in benign samples to 19.3% and 21.8% in localized and metastatic cancer tissues and approximately 20% of all CpG islands (CGIs) (68,508) were methylated in tissues. We observed distinct patterns in promoter methylation around transcription start sites, where methylation occurred directly on the CGIs, flanking regions and on CGI sparse promoters. Among the 6,691 methylated promoters in prostate tissues, 2481 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are cancer specific and several previously studied targets were among them. A novel cancer specific DMR in WFDC2 promoter showed 77% methylation in cancer (17/22), 100% methylation in transformed prostate cell lines (6/6), none in the benign tissues (0/10) and normal PrEC cells. Integration of LNCaP DNA methylation and H3K4me3 data suggested a role for DNA methylation in alternate transcription start site utilization. While methylated promoters containing CGIs had mutually exclusive H3K4me3 modification, the histone mark was absent in CGI sparse promoters. Finally, we observed difference in methylation of LINE-1 elements between transcription factor ERG positive and negative cancers. The comprehensive methylome map presented here will further our understanding of epigenetic regulation of the prostate cancer genome. Overall Design: We mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2) from fifty nanograms of genomic DNA using Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS). For replicate analysis in cell lines, a total of 4 runs were completed for PrEC prostate normal cell line, and 5 runs were completed for LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. For tissue samples, 2 benign prostate samples were sequenced twice on Illumina next generation sequencing platform to access overall repeatability of M-NGS.</p>
Project description:We report the application of single molecule-based sequencing technology in combination with CXXC affinity purifcation (CAP-seq), MBD affinity purification (MAP-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) to generate reciprocal methylation and chromatin modifcation maps in human and mouse. We find that contrary to sequence based prediction methods that humans and mice possess highly equivalent compliments of CpG islands (CGIs). The majority of these CGIs are positive for the active histone modification; H3K4me3 in embryonic stem cells (ES cells) the magnitude of which is correlated with the local density of non-methylated CpG. Approximately half of the human and mouse CGIs are distal to annotated gene promoters, yet more than 40% identify unanticipated transcription start sites as defined by RNA polymerase occupancy and published RNA mapping data. These orphans CGIs preferentially acquire DNA methylation in somatic cells, and this corresponds with a loss of H3K4me3 and RNA polymerase II at these sites. Conversely abnormal CGI methylation found in colorectal tumours showed a distinct distribution relative to that found in normal somatic tissues displaying preferential association with loci marked by H3K27me3 in human ES cells. This study provides a comprehensive functional assessment of CGIs in normal and diseased tissues. Examination of CGI methylation status in human and mouse primary tissues.