MLL2 conveys transcription-independent H3K4me3 in the oocyte
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ABSTRACT: Trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) is classically thought of as a mark of active promoters and yet it occurs at untranscribed domains. Partial redundancy of H3K4 methyltransferases has made it difficult to delineate the mechanisms underlying genomic targeting of H3K4me3. The oocyte provides an attractive system to investigate this, because extensive acquisition of H3K4me3 occurs in a non-dividing cell and ablation of a single H3K4 methyltransferase, Mll2, prevents most H3K4me3. We developed low-input chromatin immunoprecipitation to interrogate promoter associated histone modifications H3K4me3, H3K27ac and H3K27me3 throughout oogenesis. In non-growing oocytes, H3K4me3 was restricted to transcriptionally active promoters, but as oogenesis progresses, H3K4me3 accumulates in a transcription-independent manner: targeted to broad inter-genic regions, putative enhancers, and transcriptionally silent H3K27me3-marked promoters. Consequently, thousands of bivalent domains are established during oogenesis. Ablation of Mll2 resulted in loss of transcription-independent H3K4me3, with limited effects on transcription-coupled H3K4me3 or gene expression. Deletion of Dnmt3a/b showed that DNA methylation protects regions from acquiring H3K4me3. Our findings show that there are two independent mechanisms of targeting H3K4me3 to genomic elements, with MLL2 recruited to unmethylated CpG-rich regions independently of transcription.
Project description:Histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is an epigenetic mark found at active gene promoters and CpG islands. H3K4me3 is essential for mammalian development, yet mechanisms underlying its genomic targeting are poorly understood. H3K4me3 methyltransferases SETD1B and MLL2 are essential for oogenesis. We investigated changes in H3K4me3 in Setd1b conditional knockout (cKO) GV oocytes using ultra-low input ChIP-seq, in complement to DNA methylation and gene expression analysis. Setd1b cKO oocytes showed a redistribution of H3K4me3, with a marked loss at active gene promoters associated with downregulated gene expression. Remarkably, many regions gained H3K4me3 in Setd1b cKOs, in particular those that were DNA hypomethylated, transcriptionally inactive and CpG-rich. All of these are hallmarks of MLL2 targets; thus, loss of SETD1B appears to enable enhanced MLL2 activity. Our work reveals two distinct, complementary mechanisms of genomic targeting of H3K4me3 in oogenesis, with SETD1B linked to transcriptional activity and MLL2 to CpG content.
Project description:Histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is an epigenetic mark found at active gene promoters and CpG islands. H3K4me3 is essential for mammalian development, yet mechanisms underlying its genomic targeting are poorly understood. H3K4me3 methyltransferases SETD1B and MLL2 are essential for oogenesis. We investigated changes in H3K4me3 in Setd1b conditional knockout (cKO) GV oocytes using ultra-low input ChIP-seq, in complement to DNA methylation and gene expression analysis. Setd1b cKO oocytes showed a redistribution of H3K4me3, with a marked loss at active gene promoters associated with downregulated gene expression. Remarkably, many regions gained H3K4me3 in Setd1b cKOs, in particular those that were DNA hypomethylated, transcriptionally inactive and CpG-rich. All of these are hallmarks of MLL2 targets; thus, loss of SETD1B appears to enable enhanced MLL2 activity. Our work reveals two distinct, complementary mechanisms of genomic targeting of H3K4me3 in oogenesis, with SETD1B linked to transcriptional activity and MLL2 to CpG content.
Project description:Histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is an epigenetic mark found at active gene promoters and CpG islands. H3K4me3 is essential for mammalian development, yet mechanisms underlying its genomic targeting are poorly understood. H3K4me3 methyltransferases SETD1B and MLL2 are essential for oogenesis. We investigated changes in H3K4me3 in Setd1b conditional knockout (cKO) GV oocytes using ultra-low input ChIP-seq, in complement to DNA methylation and gene expression analysis. Setd1b cKO oocytes showed a redistribution of H3K4me3, with a marked loss at active gene promoters associated with downregulated gene expression. Remarkably, many regions gained H3K4me3 in Setd1b cKOs, in particular those that were DNA hypomethylated, transcriptionally inactive and CpG-rich. All of these are hallmarks of MLL2 targets; thus, loss of SETD1B appears to enable enhanced MLL2 activity. Our work reveals two distinct, complementary mechanisms of genomic targeting of H3K4me3 in oogenesis, with SETD1B linked to transcriptional activity and MLL2 to CpG content.
Project description:Trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) at promoters of actively transcribed genes is a universal epigenetic mark and a key product of Trithorax-Group action. Here we show that Mll2, one of the six Set1/Trithorax-type H3K4 methyltransferases in mammals, is required for trimethylation of bivalent promoters in mouse embryonic stem cells. Mll2 is bound to bivalent promoters but also to most active promoters, which do not require Mll2 for H3K4me3 or mRNA expression. In contrast, the Set1 complex (Set1C) subunit Cxxc1 is primarily bound to active but not bivalent promoters. This indicates that bivalent promoters rely on Mll2 for H3K4me3 whereas active promoters have more than one bound H3K4 methyltransferase including Set1C. Removal of Mll1, sister to Mll2, had almost no effect on any promoter unless Mll2 was also removed indicating functional back-up between these enzymes. Except for a subset, loss of H3K4me3 on bivalent promoters did not prevent responsiveness to retinoic acid thereby arguing against a priming model for bivalency. In contrast, we propose that Mll2 is the pioneer trimethyltransferase for promoter definition in the naM-CM-/ve epigenome and Polycomb-Group action on bivalent promoters blocks premature establishment of active, Set1C bound, promoters. ChIP-Seq to study MLL2 function using H3K4me3 (12 samples), H3K27me3 (4 samples), Pol2 (1 sample) or GFP (7 samples) antibody, and 6 RNA-Seq profiles
Project description:Trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) at promoters of actively transcribed genes is a universal epigenetic mark and a key product of Trithorax-Group action. Here we show that Mll2, one of the six Set1/Trithorax-type H3K4 methyltransferases in mammals, is required for trimethylation of bivalent promoters in mouse embryonic stem cells. Mll2 is bound to bivalent promoters but also to most active promoters, which do not require Mll2 for H3K4me3 or mRNA expression. In contrast, the Set1 complex (Set1C) subunit Cxxc1 is primarily bound to active but not bivalent promoters. This indicates that bivalent promoters rely on Mll2 for H3K4me3 whereas active promoters have more than one bound H3K4 methyltransferase including Set1C. Removal of Mll1, sister to Mll2, had almost no effect on any promoter unless Mll2 was also removed indicating functional back-up between these enzymes. Except for a subset, loss of H3K4me3 on bivalent promoters did not prevent responsiveness to retinoic acid thereby arguing against a priming model for bivalency. In contrast, we propose that Mll2 is the pioneer trimethyltransferase for promoter definition in the naïve epigenome and Polycomb-Group action on bivalent promoters blocks premature establishment of active, Set1C bound, promoters.
Project description:The spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression is central for cell-lineage specification during embryonic development and is achieved through the combinatorial action of transcription factors/co-factors and the epigenetic states at cis-regulatory elements. Previously, we reported that Mll2 (KMT2B)/COMPASS is responsible for the implementation of H3K4me3 at promoters of bivalent genes. Here, we show that Mll2/COMPASS can also implements H3K4me3 at some of the non-TSS regulatory elements, a subset of which share epigenetic signatures of active enhancers. Our mechanistic studies reveal that the association of Mll2’s CXXC domain with CpG-rich regions plays an instrumental role for chromatin targeting and subsequent implementation of H3K4me3. Although Mll2/COMPASS is required for H3K4me3 implementation on thousands of sites, it appears to be essential for the expression of a subset of genes, including those functioning in the control of transcriptional programs during embryonic development, indicating that not all H3K4 trimethylations implemented by MLL2/COMPASS are functionally equivalent.
Project description:Promoters of many developmentally regulated genes, in the embryonic stem cell state, have a bivalent mark of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, proposed to confer precise temporal activation upon differentiation. Although Polycomb repressive complex 2 is known to implement H3K27 trimethylation, the COMPASS family member responsible for H3K4me3 at bivalently marked promoters was previously unknown. Here, we identify Mll2 (KMT2b) as the enzyme catalyzing H3K4 trimethylation at bivalently marked promoters in embryonic stem cells. Although H3K4me3 at bivalent genes is proposed to prime future activation, we detected no substantial defect in rapid transcriptional induction after retinoic acid treatment in Mll2-depleted cells. Our identification of the Mll2 complex as the COMPASS family member responsible for H3K4me3 marking at bivalent promoters provides an opportunity to reevaluate and experimentally test models for the function of bivalency in the embryonic stem cell state and in differentiation. ChIP-Seq in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells for MLL2. ChIP-seq of H3K4me1, H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 for mES cells with RNAi against MLL2(shMLL2) and control (shGFP). ChIP-seq of H3K4me3 in mES cells with RNAi against MLL3 (shMLL3). RNA-seq of mES cells with RNAi against MLL2 and control (shGFP). RNA-seq of control mES cells (shGFP) or MLL2 RNAi mES cells (shMLL2) induced with RA for 6h and 12h.
Project description:Promoters of many developmentally regulated genes, in the embryonic stem cell state, have a bivalent mark of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3, proposed to confer precise temporal activation upon differentiation. Although Polycomb repressive complex 2 is known to implement H3K27 trimethylation, the COMPASS family member responsible for H3K4me3 at bivalently marked promoters was previously unknown. Here, we identify Mll2 (KMT2b) as the enzyme catalyzing H3K4 trimethylation at bivalently marked promoters in embryonic stem cells. Although H3K4me3 at bivalent genes is proposed to prime future activation, we detected no substantial defect in rapid transcriptional induction after retinoic acid treatment in Mll2-depleted cells. Our identification of the Mll2 complex as the COMPASS family member responsible for H3K4me3 marking at bivalent promoters provides an opportunity to reevaluate and experimentally test models for the function of bivalency in the embryonic stem cell state and in differentiation.
Project description:During oogenesis, oocytes gain competence to accomplish meiotic maturation and prepare for embryonic development following fertilization. Trimethylated histone H3 on lysine-4 (H3K4me3) mediates a wide range of nuclear events during these processes. Oocyte-specific knockout of CxxC-finger protein 1 (CXXC1, also known as CFP1), the chromatin-binding subunit of SETD1 methyltransferase, impairs the H3K4me3 accumulation during murine oogenesis and caused changes in chromatin configurations. This study investigated the changes of genomic H3K4me3 landscapes in oocytes after Cxxc1 knockout, as well as the influences of H3K4me3 changes on other epigenetic marks including DNA methylation, H3K27me3, H2AK119ub1, and H3K36me3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing results indicated that H3K4me3 is globally decreased after abolishing Cxxc1, including both the promoter region and the gene body. The results also demonstrate that CXXC1 and another histone H3 methyltransferase MLL2 have nonoverlapping roles in mediating H3K4 trimethylation during oogenesis. In addition, Cxxc1 deletion caused a significant decrease of DNA methylation level in oocytes, and affected H3K27me3 and H2AK119ub1 distributions in the maternal genome, particularly at the regions that have high DNA methylation levels. The changes of epigenetic networks caused by Cxxc1 deletion correlated with transcription changes of the genes in the corresponding genomic regions. Taken together, this study provided mechanistic explanations underlying the phenotypes and molecular defects in Cxxc1 deleted oocytes, and highlighted a role of CXXC1 in orchestrating multiple factors to build up the appropriate epigenetic states of maternal genome during oocyte maturation.