Project description:The 5-methylcytosine (5mC) modification regulates multiple cellular processes and is faithfully maintained following DNA replication. In addition to DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) family proteins, ubiquitin-like PHD and ring finger domain-containing protein 1 (UHRF1) plays an important role in the maintenance of 5mC levels. Loss of UHRF1 abolishes 5mC in cells and leads to embryonic lethality in mice. Interestingly, UHRF1 has a paralog, UHRF2, that has similar sequence and domain architecture, but its biologic function is not clear. Here, we have generated Uhrf2 knockout mice and characterized the role of UHRF2 in vivo. Uhrf2 knockout mice are viable, but the adult mice develop frequent spontaneous seizures and display abnormal electrical activities in brain. Despite no global DNA methylation changes, 5mC levels are decreased at certain genomic loci in the brains of Uhrf2 knockout mice. Therefore, our study has revealed a unique role of UHRF2 in the maintenance of local 5mC levels in brain that is distinct from that of its paralog UHRF1.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) regulates multiple cellular processes and is faithfully maintained following DNA replication. Ubiquitin-like PHD and ring finger domain-containing protein 1 (UHRF1) plays an important role in the maintenance of 5mC levels. Interestingly, UHRF1 has a paralog UHRF2 that has similar sequence and domain architecture, but the biological function of UHRF2 is not clear. Here, we have generated Uhrf2 knockout mice and characterized the role of UHRF2 in vivo. Uhrf2 knockout mice are viable, but the adult mice develop frequent spontaneous seizures and display abnormal electrical activities in brain. To explore possible mechanism beyond these phenomenon, we utilized high-throughput sequencing to identify global expression changes in Uhrf2 knockout mice brains. In addition, we explored genome-wide 5mc profiles in these samples to examine if UHRF2 regulates 5mc levels in specific genome loci.
Project description:5-methylcytosine (5mC) regulates multiple cellular processes and is faithfully maintained following DNA replication. Ubiquitin-like PHD and ring finger domain-containing protein 1 (UHRF1) plays an important role in the maintenance of 5mC levels. Interestingly, UHRF1 has a paralog UHRF2 that has similar sequence and domain architecture, but the biological function of UHRF2 is not clear. Here, we have generated Uhrf2 knockout mice and characterized the role of UHRF2 in vivo. Uhrf2 knockout mice are viable, but the adult mice develop frequent spontaneous seizures and display abnormal electrical activities in brain. To explore possible mechanism beyond these phenomenon, we utilized high-throughput sequencing to identify global expression changes in Uhrf2 knockout mice brains. In addition, we explored genome-wide 5mc profiles in these samples to examine if UHRF2 regulates 5mc levels in specific genome loci.