Project description:Epigenetic reprogramming of the zygote involves dynamic incorporation of the histone variant, H3.3. However, the genome-wide distribution and dynamics of H3.3 during early development remain unknown. Here, we delineate the H3.3 landscapes in mouse oocytes and early embryos. We unexpectedly identify a non-canonical H3.3 pattern in mature oocytes and zygotes, in which local enrichment of H3.3 at active chromatin is suppressed and H3.3 is relatively evenly distributed across the genome. Interestingly, while the non-canonical H3.3 pattern forms gradually during oogenesis, it quickly switches to a canonical pattern at the 2-cell stage in a transcription-independent and replication-dependent manner. We find that incorporation of H3.1/H3.2 mediated by CAF-1 is a key process for the de novo establishment of the canonical pattern. Our data suggest that the presence of the non-canonical pattern and its timely transition toward a canonical pattern support the developmental program of early embryos.
Project description:Mature oocyte cytoplasm can reprogram somatic cell nuclei to the pluripotent state through a series of sequential events including protein exchange between the donor nucleus and ooplasm, chromatin remodeling, and pluripotency gene reactivation. Maternal factors that are responsible for this reprogramming process remain largely unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that knockdown of histone variant H3.3 in mouse oocytes results in compromised reprogramming and down-regulation of key pluripotency genes; and this compromised reprogramming both for developmental potentials and transcription of pluripotency genes can be rescued by injecting exogenous H3.3 mRNA, but not H3.2 mRNA into oocytes in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. We show that maternal H3.3, and not H3.3 in the donor nucleus, is essential for successful reprogramming of somatic cell nucleus into the pluripotent state. Furthermore, H3.3 is involved in this reprogramming process by remodeling the donor nuclear chromatin through replacement of donor nucleus-derived H3 with de novo synthesized maternal H3.3 protein. Our study shows that H3.3 is a crucial maternal factor for oocyte reprogramming and provides a practical model to directly dissect the oocyte for its reprogramming capacity. Transcriptome sequencing of 4-cell NT embryos, Luciferase 4-cell SCNT embryos, 4-cell NT embryos_H3.3KD, 4-cell NT embryos_H3.3KD+H3.3mRNA, H3.3 KD + H3.2 mRNA SCNT embryos
Project description:Mature oocyte cytoplasm can reprogram somatic cell nuclei to the pluripotent state through a series of sequential events including protein exchange between the donor nucleus and ooplasm, chromatin remodeling, and pluripotency gene reactivation. Maternal factors that are responsible for this reprogramming process remain largely unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that knockdown of histone variant H3.3 in mouse oocytes results in compromised reprogramming and down-regulation of key pluripotency genes; and this compromised reprogramming both for developmental potentials and transcription of pluripotency genes can be rescued by injecting exogenous H3.3 mRNA, but not H3.2 mRNA into oocytes in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. We show that maternal H3.3, and not H3.3 in the donor nucleus, is essential for successful reprogramming of somatic cell nucleus into the pluripotent state. Furthermore, H3.3 is involved in this reprogramming process by remodeling the donor nuclear chromatin through replacement of donor nucleus-derived H3 with de novo synthesized maternal H3.3 protein. Our study shows that H3.3 is a crucial maternal factor for oocyte reprogramming and provides a practical model to directly dissect the oocyte for its reprogramming capacity.
Project description:Histone H3.3 is a highly conserved histone H3 replacement variant in metazoans, and has been implicated in many important biological processes including cell differentiation and reprogramming. Germline and somatic mutations in H3.3 genomic incorporation pathway components, or in H3.3 encoding genes, have been associated with human congenital diseases and cancers, respectively. However, the role of H3.3 in mammalian development remains unclear. To address this question, we generated H3.3 null mouse models through classical genetic approaches. We found H3.3 plays an essential role in mouse development. Complete depletion of H3.3 leads to developmental retardation and early embryonic lethality. At the cellular level, H3.3 loss triggers cell cycle suppression and cell death. Surprisingly, H3.3 depletion does not dramatically disrupt gene regulation in the developing embryo. Instead, H3.3 depletion causes dysfunction of heterochromatin structures at telomeres, centromeres and pericentromeric regions of chromosomes leading to mitotic defects. The resulting karyotypical abnormalities and DNA damage lead to p53 pathway activation. In summary, our results reveal that an important function of H3.3 is to support chromosomal heterochromatic structures, thus maintaining genome integrity during mammalian development. RNA-seq in embryos at E10.5 comparing 3 samples with the following genotype Trp53-/-; H3f3afl/-; H3f3bfl/-; Sox2-CreTg/0 to three samples with the following genotype Trp53-/-; H3f3afl/+; H3f3bfl/+; Sox2-CreTg/0
Project description:Histone H3.3 is a highly conserved histone H3 replacement variant in metazoans, and has been implicated in many important biological processes including cell differentiation and reprogramming. Germline and somatic mutations in H3.3 genomic incorporation pathway components, or in H3.3 encoding genes, have been associated with human congenital diseases and cancers, respectively. However, the role of H3.3 in mammalian development remains unclear. To address this question, we generated H3.3 null mouse models through classical genetic approaches. We found H3.3 plays an essential role in mouse development. Complete depletion of H3.3 leads to developmental retardation and early embryonic lethality. At the cellular level, H3.3 loss triggers cell cycle suppression and cell death. Surprisingly, H3.3 depletion does not dramatically disrupt gene regulation in the developing embryo. Instead, H3.3 depletion causes dysfunction of heterochromatin structures at telomeres, centromeres and pericentromeric regions of chromosomes leading to mitotic defects. The resulting karyotypical abnormalities and DNA damage lead to p53 pathway activation. In summary, our results reveal that an important function of H3.3 is to support chromosomal heterochromatic structures, thus maintaining genome integrity during mammalian development.
Project description:Establishment of a proper chromatin landscape is central to genome function. Here, we explain H3 variant distribution by specific targeting and dynamics of deposition involving the CAF-1 and HIRA histone chaperones. Impairing replicative H3.1 incorporation via CAF-1 enables an alternative H3.3 deposition at replication sites via HIRA. Conversely, the H3.3 incorporation throughout the cell cycle via HIRA cannot be replaced by H3.1. ChIP-seq analyses reveal correlation between HIRA-dependent H3.3 accumulation and RNA pol II at transcription sites and specific regulatory elements, further supported by their biochemical association. Remarkably, the HIRA complex shows unique DNA binding properties and depleting HIRA increases DNA sensitivity to nucleases. We propose that protective gap-filling of naked DNA by HIRA leads to a broad distribution of H3.3, and HIRA association with Pol II ensures local H3.3 enrichment at specific sites. Examination of genome-wide localization of two histone H3 variants.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE16882: Histone H1 binding is restricted by histone variant H3.3 (Nucleosome) GSE16883: Histone H1 binding is restricted by histone variant H3.3 (DamID) GSE16884: Histone H1 binding is restricted by histone variant H3.3 (Expression) GSE19764: Histone H1 binding is restricted by histone variant H3.3 (FAIRE) Refer to individual Series
Project description:ATAC sequencing of bovine oocytes and early embryos revealed a genome-wide map of accessible chromatin of bovine early embryo development, highlighting the critical features of chromatin landscape and epigenetic reprogramming during bovine preimplantation embryo development.
Project description:Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) play critical roles in diverse biological processes by mediating the activation of their target genes. However, the systematic landscape and potential regulations and functions of eRNAs during mammalian early embryo development remains elusive. Here, we present the comprehensive detection and characterization of eRNAs during mouse early embryo development. We demonstrated the spatiotemporal and allelic landscape of eRNA expression. We found the asymmetric activation of paternal-specific eRNAs during zygotic genome activation (ZGA). We identified TFs and their cooperation in regulating dynamic eRNA expression. eRNA are involved in multiple developmental signaling pathways through putatively regulating their target genes. Interestingly, we observed that the transcriptions of enhancers themselves are also widely modulated by eRNAs during mouse early embryo development. Critically, we de novo identified a novel eRNA transcribed from a super-enhancer region exclusively expressed at 2-cell stage of mouse early embryos and experimentally validated its key functional role in regulating ZGA and early embryo development.