Project description:Insulators are cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) that can block enhancers from activating target promoters or act as barriers to block the spread of heterochromatin. Their name derives from their ability to ‘insulate’ transgenes from genomic position effects, an important function in gene therapy and biotechnology applications that require high levels of sustained transgene expression. In theory, flanking transgenes with insulators protects them from position effects, but in practice, efforts to insulate transgenes meet with mixed success because the contextual requirements for insulator function in the genome are not well understood. A key question is whether insulators are modular elements that can function anywhere in the genome or whether they are adapted to function only in certain genomic locations. To distinguish between these two possibilities we developed MPIRE (Massively Parallel Integrated Regulatory Elements) and used it to measure the effects of three insulators (A2, cHS4, ALOXE3) and their mutants at thousands of locations across the genome. Our results show that each insulator functions in only a small number of genomic locations, and that insulator function depends on the sequence motifs that comprise each insulator. All three insulators can block enhancers in the genome, but specificity arises because each insulator blocks enhancers that are bound by different sets of transcription factors. In contrast, only ALOXE3 can act as a heterochromatin barrier. We conclude that insulator function is highly context dependent and that MPIRE is a robust and systematic method for revealing the context dependencies of insulators and other cis-regulatory elements across the genome.
Project description:Insulators are cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) that can block enhancers from activating target promoters or act as barriers to block the spread of heterochromatin. Their name derives from their ability to ‘insulate’ transgenes from genomic position effects, an important function in gene therapy and biotechnology applications that require high levels of sustained transgene expression. In theory, flanking transgenes with insulators protects them from position effects, but in practice, efforts to insulate transgenes meet with mixed success because the contextual requirements for insulator function in the genome are not well understood. A key question is whether insulators are modular elements that can function anywhere in the genome or whether they are adapted to function only in certain genomic locations. To distinguish between these two possibilities we developed MPIRE (Massively Parallel Integrated Regulatory Elements) and used it to measure the effects of three insulators (A2, cHS4, ALOXE3) and their mutants at thousands of locations across the genome. Our results show that each insulator functions in only a small number of genomic locations, and that insulator function depends on the sequence motifs that comprise each insulator. All three insulators can block enhancers in the genome, but specificity arises because each insulator blocks enhancers that are bound by different sets of transcription factors. In contrast, only ALOXE3 can act as a heterochromatin barrier. We conclude that insulator function is highly context dependent and that MPIRE is a robust and systematic method for revealing the context dependencies of insulators and other cis-regulatory elements across the genome.
Project description:Insulators are cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) that can block enhancers from activating target promoters or act as barriers to block the spread of heterochromatin. Their name derives from their ability to ‘insulate’ transgenes from genomic position effects, an important function in gene therapy and biotechnology applications that require high levels of sustained transgene expression. In theory, flanking transgenes with insulators protects them from position effects, but in practice, efforts to insulate transgenes meet with mixed success because the contextual requirements for insulator function in the genome are not well understood. A key question is whether insulators are modular elements that can function anywhere in the genome or whether they are adapted to function only in certain genomic locations. To distinguish between these two possibilities we developed MPIRE (Massively Parallel Integrated Regulatory Elements) and used it to measure the effects of three insulators (A2, cHS4, ALOXE3) and their mutants at thousands of locations across the genome. Our results show that each insulator functions in only a small number of genomic locations, and that insulator function depends on the sequence motifs that comprise each insulator. All three insulators can block enhancers in the genome, but specificity arises because each insulator blocks enhancers that are bound by different sets of transcription factors. In contrast, only ALOXE3 can act as a heterochromatin barrier. We conclude that insulator function is highly context dependent and that MPIRE is a robust and systematic method for revealing the context dependencies of insulators and other cis-regulatory elements across the genome.
Project description:Chromatin insulators organize the genome into distinct transcriptional domains and contribute to cell type-specific chromatin organization. However, factors regulating tissue-specific insulator function have not yet been discovered. Here we identify the RNA recognition motif-containing protein, Shep, as a direct interactor of two individual components of the gypsy insulator complex in Drosophila. Mutation of shep improves gypsy-dependent enhancer blocking, indicating a role as a negative regulator of insulator activity. Unlike ubiquitously expressed core gypsy insulator proteins, Shep is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) with lower expression in other tissues. We developed a novel, quantitative tissue-specific barrier assay to demonstrate that Shep functions as a negative regulator of insulator activity in the CNS but not in muscle tissue. Additionally, mutation of shep alters insulator complex nuclear localization in the CNS but not other tissues. Consistent with negative regulatory activity, ChIP-seq analysis of Shep in a CNS-derived cell line indicates substantial genome-wide colocalization with a single gypsy insulator component but limited overlap with intact insulator complexes. Taken together, these data reveal a novel, tissue-specific mode of regulation of a chromatin insulator. ChIP-seq of Shep, Su(Hw), and Mod(mdg4)2.2 in Drosophila BG3 cells along with alternate antibodies
Project description:Chromatin insulators organize the genome into distinct transcriptional domains and contribute to cell type-specific chromatin organization. However, factors regulating tissue-specific insulator function have not yet been discovered. Here we identify the RNA recognition motif-containing protein, Shep, as a direct interactor of two individual components of the gypsy insulator complex in Drosophila. Mutation of shep improves gypsy-dependent enhancer blocking, indicating a role as a negative regulator of insulator activity. Unlike ubiquitously expressed core gypsy insulator proteins, Shep is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) with lower expression in other tissues. We developed a novel, quantitative tissue-specific barrier assay to demonstrate that Shep functions as a negative regulator of insulator activity in the CNS but not in muscle tissue. Additionally, mutation of shep alters insulator complex nuclear localization in the CNS but not other tissues. Consistent with negative regulatory activity, ChIP-seq analysis of Shep in a CNS-derived cell line indicates substantial genome-wide colocalization with a single gypsy insulator component but limited overlap with intact insulator complexes. Taken together, these data reveal a novel, tissue-specific mode of regulation of a chromatin insulator.
Project description:Hybrid incompatibility between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans is caused by a lethal interaction of the proteins encoded by the Hmr and Lhr genes. In D. melanogaster the loss of HMR results in mitotic defects, an increase in transcription of transposable elements and a deregulation of heterochromatic genes. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that mediate HMRs function, we measured genome-wide localization of HMR in D. melanogaster by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Interestingly, we find HMR localizing to genomic insulator sites that can be classified into two groups. One group that belongs to the gypsy class of insulators and another one that separates HP1a binding regions from active promoters. The activity of these promoters is strongly affected in Hmr mutant flies. Our data provide a novel link between HMR and insulator proteins and suggest a key role for genome organization in the formation of species.
Project description:Chromatin insulators are DNA-protein complexes that can prevent the spread of repressive chromatin and block communication between enhancers and promoters to regulate gene expression. In Drosophila, the gypsy chromatin insulator complex consists of three core proteins: CP190, Su(Hw), and Mod(mdg4)67.2. These factors concentrate at nuclear foci termed insulator bodies, and their normal localization is correlated with proper insulator function. Here, we identified NURF301/E(bx), a nucleosome remodeling factor, as a novel regulator of gypsy insulator body localization through a high-throughput RNAi imaging screen. NURF301 promotes gypsy-dependent insulator barrier activity and physically interacts with gypsy insulator proteins. Using ChIP-seq, we found that NURF301 co-localizes with insulator proteins genome-wide, and NURF301 promotes chromatin association of Su(Hw) and CP190 at gypsy insulator binding sites. These effects correlate with NURF301-dependent nucleosome repositioning. At the same time, CP190 and Su(Hw) are also required for recruitment of NURF301 to chromatin. Finally, Oligopaint FISH combined with immunofluorescence revealed that NURF301 promotes 3D contact between insulator bodies and gypsy binding site DNA, and NURF301 is required for proper nuclear positioning of gypsy binding sites. Our data provide new insights into how a nucleosome remodeling factor and insulator proteins cooperatively contribute to nuclear organization.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs found to regulate several biological processes including adipogenesis. Understanding adipose tissue regulation is critical for beef cattle as fat is an important determinant of beef quality and nutrient value . This study analyzed the association between genomic context characteristics of miRNAs with their expression and function in bovine adipose tissue. Twenty-four subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained from eight British-continental crossbred steers at 3 different time points . Total RNA was extracted and miRNAs were profiled using a miRNA microarray with expression further validated by qRT-PCR. A total of 224 miRNAs were detected of which 155 were expressed in all steers (n=8), and defined as the core miRNAs of bovine subcutaneous adipose tissue. Core adipose miRNAs varied in terms of genomic location (59.5% intergenic, 38.7% intronic, 1.2% exonic, and 0.6% mirtron), organization (55.5% non-clustered and 44.5% clustered), and conservation (49% highly conserved, 14% conserved and 37% poorly conserved). Clustered miRNAs and highly conserved miRNAs were more highly expressed (p<0.05) and had more predicted targets than non-clustered or less conserved miRNAs (p<0.001). A total of 34 miRNAs were coordinately expressed, being part of six identified relevant networks. Two intronic miRNAs (miR-33a and miR-1281) were shown to have coordinated expression with their host genes which are involved in lipid metabolism, suggesting these miRNAs may also play a role in regulation of lipid metabolism/adipogenesis of bovine adipose tissue. Furthermore, a total of 17 bovine specific miRNAs were predicted to be involved in the regulation of energy balance in adipose tissue. These findings improve our understanding on the behavior of miRNAs in the regulation of bovine adipogenesis and fat metabolism as it reveals that miRNA expression patterns and functions are associated with miRNA genomic organization and conservation in bovine adipose tissue. In this study, a total of 24 subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were analyzed by microRNA microarrays. The samples were derived from eight steers at three different ages (12, 13.5 and 15 months).