Genome-wide co-occupancy of Hoxa9 and C/EBPα in Hoxa9/Meis1 transformed HSCs [ChIP-seq]
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ABSTRACT: Identification of the genome-wide binding sites of Hoxa9 and C/EBPα in a murine myeloblastic cell line transformed by Hoxa9/Meis1. Over 50% of Hoxa9 binding sites are co-bound by C/EBPα, providing mechanistic insight into the requirement of C/EBPα for Hoxa9-mediated leukemogenesis. Additionally, genome-wide occupancy of H3K4 monomethylation and H3K27 trimethylation provide additional information on the functionality of Hoxa9/C/EBPα cobound loci.
Project description:Identification of the genome-wide binding sites of Hoxa9 and C/EBPα in a murine myeloblastic cell line transformed by Hoxa9/Meis1. Over 50% of Hoxa9 binding sites are co-bound by C/EBPα, providing mechanistic insight into the requirement of C/EBPα for Hoxa9-mediated leukemogenesis. Additionally, genome-wide occupancy of H3K4 monomethylation and H3K27 trimethylation provide additional information on the functionality of Hoxa9/C/EBPα cobound loci. Examination of two transcription factor binding sites and two histone modifications in a transformed cell line.
Project description:RNAseq characterization of gene expression changes 72 hours after genomic excision of Cebpa in murine hematopoietic progenitors from Cebpaf/f;CreER mice transformed by Hoxa9/Meis1. In the presence of tamoxifen (4OHT), Cre-ER localizes to the nucleus of cells allowing for excision of Cebpa and loss of C/EBPα protein levels. Loss of C/EBPα leads to a decrease in cellular proliferation. Examination of gene expression by RNAseq in two conditions in biological replicates.
Project description:RNAseq characterization of gene expression changes 72 hours after genomic excision of Cebpa in murine hematopoietic progenitors from Cebpaf/f;CreER mice transformed by Hoxa9/Meis1. In the presence of tamoxifen (4OHT), Cre-ER localizes to the nucleus of cells allowing for excision of Cebpa and loss of C/EBPα protein levels. Loss of C/EBPα leads to a decrease in cellular proliferation.
Project description:Relative overexpression of HOXA9 is a key feature of aggressive AML (acute myeloid leukemia). Here we determined genome wide binding sites of Hoxa9 in primary murine cells transformed by Hoxa9 and in a human AML cell line. In addition global H3K4 monomethylation and H3K27acetylation levels were determined in cells transformed by an inducible Hoxa9-ER construct in Hoxa9-active conditions and 72h after Hoxa9 was inactivated.
Project description:Homeobox A9 (HOXA9) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that plays a key role in hematopoietic stem cell expansion and is commonly deregulated in human acute leukemias. A variety of upstream genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) lead to overexpression of HOXA9, almost always in association with overexpression of its cofactor meis homeobox 1 (MEIS1) . A wide range of data suggests that HOXA9 and MEIS1 play a synergistic causative role in AML, although the molecular mechanisms leading to transformation by HOXA9 and MEIS1 remain elusive. In this study, we identify CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) as a critical collaborator required for Hoxa9/Meis1-mediated leukemogenesis. We show that C/EBPα is required for the proliferation of Hoxa9/Meis1-transformed cells in culture and that loss of C/EBPα greatly improves survival in both primary and secondary murine models of Hoxa9/Meis1-induced leukemia. Over 50% of Hoxa9 genome-wide binding sites are cobound by C/EBPα, which coregulates a number of downstream target genes involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. Finally, we show that Hoxa9 represses the locus of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors Cdkn2a/b in concert with C/EBPα to overcome a block in G1 cell cycle progression. Together, our results suggest a previously unidentified role for C/EBPα in maintaining the proliferation required for Hoxa9/Meis1-mediated leukemogenesis.
Project description:The clustered homeobox proteins play crucial roles in development, hematopoiesis and leukemia yet the targets they regulate and their mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Here, we identified the binding sites for Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 on a genome-wide level and profiled their associated epigenetic modifications and transcriptional targets. Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 co-bind at hundreds of highly evolutionarily-conserved sites, most of which are distant from transcription start sites. These sites show high levels of histone H3K4 monomethylation and CBP/P300 binding characteristic of enhancers. Furthermore, a subset of these sites shows enhancer activity in transient transfection assays. Many Hoxa9 and Meis1 binding sites are also bound by PU.1 and other lineage-restricted transcription factors previously implicated in establishment of myeloid enhancers. Conditional Hoxa9 activation is associated with CBP/P300 recruitment, histone acetylation and transcriptional activation of a network of proto-oncogenes including Erg, Flt3, Lmo2, Myb and Sox4. Collectively this work suggests that Hoxa9 regulates transcription by interacting with enhancers of genes important for hematopoiesis and leukemia. To identify the genome-wide binding sites for Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1
Project description:The clustered homeobox proteins play crucial roles in development, hematopoiesis and leukemia yet the targets they regulate and their mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Here, we identified the binding sites for Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 on a genome-wide level and profiled their associated epigenetic modifications and transcriptional targets. Hoxa9 and the Hox cofactor Meis1 co-bind at hundreds of highly evolutionarily-conserved sites, most of which are distant from transcription start sites. These sites show high levels of histone H3K4 monomethylation and CBP/P300 binding characteristic of enhancers. Furthermore, a subset of these sites shows enhancer activity in transient transfection assays. Many Hoxa9 and Meis1 binding sites are also bound by PU.1 and other lineage-restricted transcription factors previously implicated in establishment of myeloid enhancers. Conditional Hoxa9 activation is associated with CBP/P300 recruitment, histone acetylation and transcriptional activation of a network of proto-oncogenes including Erg, Flt3, Lmo2, Myb and Sox4. Collectively this work suggests that Hoxa9 regulates transcription by interacting with enhancers of genes important for hematopoiesis and leukemia.
Project description:Meis1 is found cooperatively activated with Hoxa7/a9 in AML, and it indeed promotes leukemogenic activities of Hoxa9. It is important to identify downstream target genes of Meis1 to understand its cooperative activity with Hoxa9 in leukemogenesis. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression upon Meis1 knockout. Murine primary bone marrow cells of the Rosa26-Cre-ERT2 knock-in mouse were transformed by retroviral transduction of Hoxa9 and floxed Meis1. The immortalized bone marrow cells were treated with 2 μM of 4-hydroxytamoxifen to delete Meis1 cDNA. Gene expression profiles were compared between the original Hoxa9/Meis1-expressing cells and Meis1 deleted (Hoxa9 only) cells.
Project description:Meis1 is found cooperatively activated with Hoxa7/a9 in AML, and it indeed promotes leukemogenic activities of Hoxa9. It is important to identify downstream target genes of Meis1 to understand its cooperative activity with Hoxa9 in leukemogenesis. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression upon Meis1 knockout.
Project description:Aberrant expression of homeobox transcription factor HOXA9 is a central component of the leukemogenic program driven by diverse oncogenes. Here we show that HOXA9 overexpression in myeloid progenitor cells and pro-B cells leads to significant rearrangement of the epigenetic landscape with prominent emergence of cancer specific de novo enhancers. HOXA9 acts as a pioneer factor at the de novo enhancers and is required for recruitment of transcription factor CEBP/a and the histone H3K4 methyltransferase MLL3/MLL4 complex. HOXA9 function at the de novo enhancer is distinct from its physiological role at distal enhancers during normal hematopoietic development. Genetic deletion of MLL3/4 specifically affects the active enhancer signatures at de novo enhancers and inhibits HOXA9/MEIS1-mediated leukemogenesis. Our study reveals a previously uncharacterized role of HOXA9 and the MLL3/4 complex in leukemogenesis and provide mechanistic insights in epigenetic deregulation during malignant transformation.