Project description:Spi-B and PU.1 are highly related members of the E26-transformation-specific (ETS) family of transcription factors that have similar, but not identical, functions in B cell development. PU.1 and Spi-B are both expressed at high levels in lymphoma cell lines. We hypothesized that Spi-B and PU.1 occupy similar sites in the genome. To determine binding sites of Spi-B and PU.1, WEHI-279 mouse lymphoma cells were infected with retroviral vectors encoding 3XFLAG-tagged PU.1 or Spi-B. Anti-FLAG chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) was performed. Both transcription factors occupied approximately 2000 sites in the genome, and approximately half of these sites were bound by both factors while the other sites were unique to each factor.
Project description:Deletion of genes encoding the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factors, PU.1 and Spi-B, in B cells (CD19-CreDPB mice) leads to acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 100% incidence and with a median survival of 21 weeks. To identify pathways of leukemic transformation, we compared gene expression in leukemia cells from CD19-CreDPB mice (CD19-CreDPB B220- B-ALL) with B cells from Spi-B knockout (Control DB) or B cells from CD19-CreDPB mice (CD19-CreDPB B220+ B cell)
Project description:Acute leukemia are characterized by deregulation of transcriptional networks that control the lineage specificity of gene expression. The aberrant overexpression of the Spi-1/PU.1 transcription factor leads to erythroleukemia. To determine how Spi-1 mechanistically influences the transcriptional program, we combined a ChIP-seq analysis with transcriptional profiling in cells from an erythroleukemic mouse model. We show that Spi-1 displays a selective DNA-binding that does not often cause transcriptional modulation. We report that Spi-1 controls transcriptional activation and repression through distinct Spi-1 recruitment to chromatin. We revealed several parameters impacting on Spi-1-mediated transcriptional activation. Gene activation is facilitated by Spi-1 occupancy close to transcriptional starting site of genes devoid of CGIs. Moreover, in those regions Spi-1 acts by binding to multiple motifs tightly clustered and with similar orientation. Finally, in contrast to the myeloid and lymphoid B cells in which Spi-1 exerts a physiological activity, in the erythroleukemic cells, lineage-specific cooperating factors do not play a prevalent role in Spi-1-mediated transcriptional activation. Thus, our work describes a new mechanism of gene activation through clustered site occupancy of Spi-1 particularly relevant in regard to the strong expression of Spi-1 in the erythroleukemic cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitations of Spi-1, H3K36me3, RNApolII,mouse IgG followed by sequencing were performed on spleen-derived erythroleukemic cells of spi-1 transgenic mice. In case of Spi-1, reads obtained from the two different mice represent biological replicates and were merged for bioinformatic analysis. Input DNA from each ChIP experiments have been pooled and sequenced as one control.
Project description:Acute leukemia are characterized by deregulation of transcriptional networks that control the lineage specificity of gene expression. The aberrant overexpression of the Spi-1/PU.1 transcription factor leads to erythroleukemia. To determine how Spi-1 mechanistically influences the transcriptional program, we combined a ChIP-seq analysis with transcriptional profiling in cells from an erythroleukemic mouse model. We show that Spi-1 displays a selective DNA-binding that does not often cause transcriptional modulation. We report that Spi-1 controls transcriptional activation and repression through distinct Spi-1 recruitment to chromatin. We revealed several parameters impacting on Spi-1-mediated transcriptional activation. Gene activation is facilitated by Spi-1 occupancy close to transcriptional starting site of genes devoid of CGIs. Moreover, in those regions Spi-1 acts by binding to multiple motifs tightly clustered and with similar orientation. Finally, in contrast to the myeloid and lymphoid B cells in which Spi-1 exerts a physiological activity, in the erythroleukemic cells, lineage-specific cooperating factors do not play a prevalent role in Spi-1-mediated transcriptional activation. Thus, our work describes a new mechanism of gene activation through clustered site occupancy of Spi-1 particularly relevant in regard to the strong expression of Spi-1 in the erythroleukemic cells.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Five-vertebrate ChIP-seq reveals the evolutionary dynamics of trancription factor binding. The SRF files for this experiment can be found in the European Read Archive with study accession number ERP000054. The fastq files can be found in the raw archives and for some assays links to the ENA runs and ENA fastq files are provided.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is an IRF family transcription factor with critical roles in lymphoid development and in regulating the immune response. IRF4 binds DNA weakly owing to a carboxy-terminal auto-inhibitory domain, but cooperative binding with factors such as PU.1 or SPIB in B cells increases binding affinity, allowing IRF4 to regulate genes containing ETS–IRF composite elements (EICEs; 5'-GGAAnnGAAA-3'). Here we show that in mouse CD4+ T cells, where PU.1/SPIB expression is low, and in B cells, where PU.1 is well expressed, IRF4 unexpectedly can cooperate with activator protein-1 (AP1) complexes to bind to AP1–IRF4 composite (5'-TGAnTCA/GAAA-3') motifs that we denote as AP1–IRF composite elements (AICEs). Moreover, BATF–JUN family protein complexes cooperate with IRF4 in binding to AICEs in pre-activated CD4+ T cells stimulated with IL-21 and in TH17 differentiated cells. Importantly, BATF binding was diminished in Irf4-/- T cells and IRF4 binding was diminished in Batf-/- T cells, consistent with functional cooperation between these factors. Moreover, we show that AP1 and IRF complexes cooperatively promote transcription of the Il10 gene, which is expressed in TH17 cells and potently regulated by IL-21. These findings reveal that IRF4 can signal via complexes containing ETS or AP1 motifs depending on the cellular context, thus indicating new approaches for modulating IRF4-dependent transcription. Genome-wide transcription factors mapping and binding of IRF4, BATF, IRF8, STAT3, JUN etc in WT, Irf4-/- and Batf-/- mice in different cell types (B cells, CD4+ T cells and TH17 cells) cultured with or without IL-21 was conducted. RNA-Seq is conducted in mouse B cells, CD4+ T cells, TH1/TH2/TH9/TH17/Treg.