Project description:Histone H3K4 monomethyltransferases MLL3 and MLL4 contain a set of uncharacterized PHD fingers. By structural and biochemical assays, we found a novel function of the PHD2 and PHD3 (PHD2/3) fingers of MLL3 and MLL4, revealing their direct binding to the conserved MBH (MLL binding helix) region of ASXL1/2, components of the Polycomb repressive PR-DUB complex. In mouse embryonic stem cells, we observed that BAP1, the catalytic subunit of the PR-DUB complex, physically interacts with MLL4 in an ASXL1/2 MBH-dependent manner. Genomic studies demonstrate that the ASXL1/2 MBH is required for BAP1 binding on active enhancers and suggest that MLL4 facilitates BAP1 binding on active enhancers through ASXL1/2 MBH.
Project description:ASXL1 is the obligate regulatory subunit of a deubiquitinase complex whose catalytic subunit is BAP1. Heterozygous mutations of ASXL1 that result in premature truncations are frequent in myeloid leukemias and Bohring-Opitz syndrome. Here, we demonstrate that truncated ASXL1 proteins confer enhanced activity on the ASXL1-BAP1 complex. Stable expression of truncated, hyperactive ASXL1-BAP1 complexes in a hematopoietic precursor cell line resulted in global erasure of H2AK119Ub, striking depletion of H3K27me3, selective upregulation of a subset of genes whose promoters bore both H2AK119Ub and H3K4me3, and spontaneous differentiation to the mast cell lineage. These outcomes required the catalytic activity of BAP1, indicating these events were downstream consequences of H2AK119Ub erasure. In bone marrow precursors, truncated ASXL1-BAP1 expression cooperated with TET2 loss-of-function to increase differentiation to the myeloid lineage in vivo. We propose that pathological ASXL1 mutations confer gain-of-function on the ASXL-BAP1 complex. ChIP-Seq for H2AK119Ub, H3K4me3, H3K27me3 on EML cells. RNA-Seq on EML cells expressing ASXL1(1-479)+BAP1 and control.
Project description:Our genomic studies show that ~20% of MLL4 chromatin binding sites overlap with BAP1 binding regions in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. By comparing MLL4 and BAP1 localization in wild type and knockout cells, we show an interdependent genomic binding of MLL4 and BAP1 on MLL4+ BAP1+ enhancers. Profiling of transcriptomes reveals that a small subset of gene expression is co-regulated by MLL4 and BAP1. Together, our findings identify a functional interaction between enhancer H3K4 methyltransferase MLL4 and H2A deubiquitinase.
Project description:ASXL1 is the obligate regulatory subunit of a deubiquitinase complex whose catalytic subunit is BAP1. Heterozygous mutations of ASXL1 that result in premature truncations are frequent in myeloid leukemias and Bohring-Opitz syndrome. Here, we demonstrate that truncated ASXL1 proteins confer enhanced activity on the ASXL1-BAP1 complex. Stable expression of truncated, hyperactive ASXL1-BAP1 complexes in a hematopoietic precursor cell line resulted in global erasure of H2AK119Ub, striking depletion of H3K27me3, selective upregulation of a subset of genes whose promoters bore both H2AK119Ub and H3K4me3, and spontaneous differentiation to the mast cell lineage. These outcomes required the catalytic activity of BAP1, indicating these events were downstream consequences of H2AK119Ub erasure. In bone marrow precursors, truncated ASXL1-BAP1 expression cooperated with TET2 loss-of-function to increase differentiation to the myeloid lineage in vivo. We propose that pathological ASXL1 mutations confer gain-of-function on the ASXL-BAP1 complex.
Project description:To identify target genes of mutant ASXL1 and BAP1 in hematopoietic cells, we performed RNA-seq using murine c-kit positive cells transduced with ASXL1-MT (MT) or ASXL1-MT-K351R (KR) together with vector or BAP1. Method:Murine c-kit positive bone marrow cells were transduced with ASXL1-MT (MT) or ASXL1-MT-K351R (KR) (coexpressing blastcidin resistant gene) together with vector or BAP1 (coexpressing puromycin resistant gene). After the selection with blasticidin and puromycin for three days, colony-forming cells were collected to extract RNA for RNA-seq analysis.
Project description:The ASXL1 gene is the human homolog of the Drosophila Asx gene, a core subunit in the BAP1 histone H2A deubiquitinase complex. Mutations of ASXL1 occur in multiple myeloid neoplasms and are uniformly associated with poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism through which ASXL1 mutations alter BAP1 activity to drive leukemogenesis remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that cancer-associated frame-shift ASXL1 mutations, which were originally proposed to act as destabilizing loss-of-function mutations, in fact encode truncated stable gain-of-function proteins. Truncated ASXL1 protein stabilizes BAP1, enhances BAP1 complex recruitment to chromatin and promotes the expression of numerous leukemia associated genes. Chemical inhibition of BAP1 rescues these changes in gene expression in leukemic cells and inhibits tumor progression. This study represents a breakthrough advance in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of ASXL1 mutations in leukemic pathogenesis and identifies small molecular inhibitors of BAP1 function as a potential targeted therapy for leukemia.
Project description:We report the genome wide binding sites of BAP1, HCF1 and OGT in bone marrow derived macrophages. De-ubiquitinating enzyme BAP1 is mutated in a hereditary cancer syndrome with increased risk of mesothelioma and uveal melanoma. Somatic BAP1 mutations occur in various malignancies. We show that mouse Bap1 gene deletion is lethal during embryogenesis, but systemic or hematopoietic-restricted deletion in adults recapitulates features of human myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Knockin mice expressing BAP1 with a 3xFlag tag revealed that BAP1 interacts with host cell factor–1 (HCF-1), O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT), and the polycomb group proteins ASXL1 and ASXL2 in vivo. OGT and HCF-1 levels were decreased by Bap1 deletion, indicating a critical role for BAP1 in stabilizing these epigenetic regulators. Human ASXL1 is mutated frequently in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) so an ASXL/BAP1 complex may suppress CMML. A BAP1 catalytic mutation found in a MDS patient implies that BAP1 loss of function has similar consequences in mice and humans. For BAP1, bone marrow derived macrophages were used differentiated from bone marrow cells of BAP1-3X Flag Tagged KI mice we generated. For OGT and HCF1, bone marrow derived macrophages were used from BAP1 WT mice.
Project description:BAP1 and ASXL1 interact to form a polycomb deubiquitinase complex that removes monoubiquitin from histone H2A lysine 119 (H2AK119Ub). However, BAP1 and ASXL1 are mutated in distinct cancer types, consistent with independent roles in regulating epigenetic state and malignant transformation. Here we demonstrate that Bap1 loss results in increased trimethylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), elevated Ezh2 expression, and enhanced repression of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) targets. These findings contrast with the reduction in H3K27me3 seen with Asxl1 loss. Conditional deletion of Bap1 and Ezh2 in vivo abrogates the myeloid progenitor expansion induced by Bap1 loss alone.
Project description:Enhancers play a central role in cell-type-specific gene expression and are marked by H3K4me1/2. Active enhancers are further marked by H3K27ac. However, the methyltransferases responsible for the deposition of H3K4me1/2 on enhancers remain elusive. Furthermore, the functions of these methyltransferases on enhancers and associated cell-type-specific gene expression are poorly understood. Here, we identify MLL4 (KMT2D) as a major H3K4 mono- and di-methyltransferase in mammalian cells. Using adipogenesis and myogenesis as model systems, we show that MLL4 exhibits cell-type- and differentiation-stage-specific genomic binding and is predominantly localized on enhancers. MLL4 co-localizes with lineage-determining transcription factors (TFs) on active enhancers during differentiation. Deletion of MLL4 dramatically decreases H3K4me1/2 and H3K27ac on enhancers and leads to severe defects in cell-type-specific gene expression and cell differentiation. Finally, we provide evidence that lineage-determining TFs recruit and require MLL4 to establish enhancers critical for cell-type-specific gene expression. Together, these results identify MLL4 as an H3K4 mono-/di-methyltransferase required for enhancer activation during cell differentiation. ChIP-Seq analyses of C/EBPbeta, MLL4 and histone modifications (H3K4me1, H3K27ac) in vec- or C/EBPbeta-overexpressing, adenoviral GFP- or Cre-infected, MLL3-/-MLL4-flox/flox brown preadipocytes without induction of differentiation.
Project description:Clusters of enhancers called super-enhancers are associated with gene activation. Broad trimethyl histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) often defines actively transcribed tumor suppressor genes. However, how these epigenetic signatures are regulated for tumor suppression is poorly understood. Here, we show that brain-specific knockout of the H3K4 methyltransferase MLL4 (aka KMT2D) in mice spontaneously induces cerebellar tumors in brain while indirectly increasing expression of oncogenic programs, such as Ras activators and Notch pathway components. Mll4 loss caused widespread impairment of super-enhancers and broad H3K4me3. Notably, Mll4 loss reduced super-enhancer and broad H3K4me3 signals in tumor suppressor genes co-marked by both signatures, including Dnmt3a and Bcl6. MLL4 upregulates DNMT3A-mediated DNA methylation to downregulate expression of Ras activators and increases Bcl6 expression to suppress the Notch pathway. These findings suggest an unanticipated epigenetic tumor-suppressive mechanism in which MLL4 is required for establishing super-enhancers and broad H3K4me3 for anti-tumor programs in normal cells.