Project description:Progeroid syndromes are rare genetic disorders that phenotypically resemble natural aging. Despite identification of causal mutations, mechanisms that generate their clinical manifestations remain elusive. Here, we identified a DNA replication timing (RT) signature that distinguishes progeroid syndromes from normal aging and identifies TP63 gene as a new disease marker. Abnormal TP63 RT appears early during differentiation of progeroid iPSCs and is associated with altered gene variant expression. Our findings demonstrate the utility of RT signatures to identify novel biomarkers not detected by other methods, reveal abnormal TP63 RT as an early event in progeroid disease progression and offer TP63 gene regulation as a potential therapeutic target.
Project description:Progeroid syndromes are rare genetic disorders that phenotypically resemble natural aging. Despite identification of causal mutations, mechanisms that generate their clinical manifestations remain elusive. Here, we identified a DNA replication timing (RT) signature that distinguishes progeroid syndromes from normal aging and identifies TP63 gene as a new disease marker. Abnormal TP63 RT appears early during differentiation of progeroid iPSCs and is associated with altered gene variant expression. Our findings demonstrate the utility of RT signatures to identify novel biomarkers not detected by other methods, reveal abnormal TP63 RT as an early event in progeroid disease progression and offer TP63 gene regulation as a potential therapeutic target.
Project description:Duplication of eukaryotic genomes during S phase is coordinated in space and time. In order to identify zones of initiation and cell-type as well as gender-specific plasticity of DNA replication, we profiled replication timing, histone acetylation and transcription throughout the Drosophila genome. We observed two waves of replication initiation with many distinct zones firing in early and multiple, less defined peaks at the end of S phase, suggesting that initiation becomes more promiscuous at the end of S phase. A comparison of different cell types revealed widespread plasticity of replication timing on autosomes. Most occur in large regions but only half coincide with local differences in transcription. In contrast to confined autosomal differences, a global shift in replication timing occurs throughout the single male X chromosome. Unlike in females, the dosage compensated X chromosome replicates almost exclusively early. This difference occurs at sites which are not transcriptionally hyperactivated, but show increased acetylation of lysine 16 of histone H4. This suggests a transcription-independent, yet chromosome-wide process related to chromatin. Importantly, H4K16ac is also enriched at initiation zones as well as early replicating regions on autosomes during S phase. Together, our data reveal novel organizational principles of DNA replication of the Drosophila genome and imply chromatin structure as a determinant of replication timing locally and chromosome-wide. Keywords: cell type comparison, chip-chip, replication timing
Project description:The temporal order of DNA replication is modified during differentiation, but when a replication timing program is established and what alterations occur in vivo during embryogenesis are not known. Here we used zebrafish embryos to generate genome-wide, high-resolution replication timing maps throughout development. Unexpectedly, a non-random and defined replication timing program was evident in the rapid cell cycles before the midblastula transition. The majority of the genome undergoes dynamic shifts in replication timing throughout development as the timing program is decompressed, with many abrupt timing changes occurring during lineage specification. Strikingly, the long arm of chromosome 4 undergoes a developmentally regulated switch to late replication, reminiscent of mammalian X chromosome inactivation. This analysis also revealed a strong relationship between early replication and epigenetic marks at enhancers. Collectively, these data reveal the major changes in replication timing that occur during zebrafish embryogenesis, and demonstrate its dynamic regulation during vertebrate development.
Project description:The human A-family DNA polymerase M-NM-8 (Pol q) is a large, multidomain enzyme whose physiological function is still unclear despite its in vitro translesion synthesis capacity in front of DNA damage and its involvement in some features of DNA repair after external stress. Here we present evidence that Pol q holds a novel role in the absence of external stress as a critical determinant of the replication timing program in human cells. Pol q binds to chromatin at early G1 and is required for proper formation of pre-replicative complexe and replication origin activation. Pol q-depleted cells show modified spatial organization of chromatin-loop structures at replication factories. Genome-wide analysis of replication timing shows delayed replication of a part of early replicating domains and advanced replication of a part of late replicating domains following Pol q depletion. Our results identify Pol q as one of the first critical human factors discovered in the replication timing programme. Two-condition experiment, siRNA control vs. siRNA polQ cells. Biological replicates: 2 control replicates, 2 transfected replicates.