Project description:Tissue-specific transcription factors control the transcriptome through an association with noncoding regulatory regions (cistromes). Identifying the combination of transcription factors that dictate specific cell fate, their specific cistromes and examining their involvement in complex human traits remain a major challenge. Here we focus on the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), an essential lineage for retinal development and function and the primary tissue affected in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. By combining mechanistic findings in stem-cell-derived human RPE, in- vivo functional studies in mice and global transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we revealed that the key developmental transcription factors LHX2 and OTX2 function together in transcriptional module containing LDB1 and SWI/SNF (BAF) to regulate the RPE transcriptome. Importantly, the intersection between the identified LHX2-OTX2 cistrome with published expression quantitative trait loci, ATAC-seq data from human RPE, and AMD GWAS data, followed by functional validation using a reporter assay, revealed a causal genetic variant that affects AMD risk by altering TRPM1 expression in the RPE through modulation of LHX2 transcriptional activity on its promoter. Taken together, the reported cistrome of LHX2 and OTX2, the identified downstream genes and interacting co-factors reveal the RPE transcription module and uncover a causal regulatory risk SNP in the multifactorial common blinding disease AMD.
Project description:The Lhx2 transcription factor plays essential roles in morphogenesis and patterning of ectodermal derivatives, as well as in controlling stem cell activity. Lhx2 is expressed in the hair follicle (HF) buds, while in postnatal telogen HFs Lhx2+ cells reside in the stem cell-enriched epithelial compartments (bulge, secondary hair germ) and co-express selected stem cell markers (Sox9, Tcf4 and Lgr5). Lhx2+ cells represent the vast majority of cells in the bulge and secondary hair germ that proliferate in response to skin injury. This is functionally important, since the wound re-epithelialization is significantly retarded in heterozygous Lhx2 knockout (+/-) mice, while anagen onset in the HFs located closely to the wound is accelerated compared to wild-type mice. Cell proliferation in the bulge and the number of Sox9+ and Tcf4+ cells in the HFs closely adjacent to the wound in Lhx2+/- mice are decreased in comparison to wild-type controls, while expression of Lgr5 and cell proliferation in the secondary hair germ are increased. Furthermore, acceleration of wound-induced anagen development in Lhx2+/- mice is inhibited by administration of Lgr5 siRNA. In addition, Chip-on-chip/ChIP-qPCR and reporter assay analyses reveal Sox9, Tcf4 and Lgr5 as direct Lhx2 targets in keratinocytes. These data strongly suggest that Lhx2 positively regulates Sox9 and Tcf4 in the bulge cells and promotes wound re-epithelization, while it simultaneously negatively regulates Lgr5 in the secondary hair germ and inhibits HF cycling. Thus, Lhx2 operates as a regulator of epithelial stem cell activity during skin response to injury. Chromatin form primary mouse keratinocytes (PMK) was subjected to ChIP analysis with Lhx2 antibody; input and ChIP DNA were labelled with Cy3 and Cy5 respectivly and used form Nimblegen MM8 Mouse Promoter Array
Project description:The Lhx2 transcription factor plays essential roles in morphogenesis and patterning of ectodermal derivatives, as well as in controlling stem cell activity. Lhx2 is expressed in the hair follicle (HF) buds, while in postnatal telogen HFs Lhx2+ cells reside in the stem cell-enriched epithelial compartments (bulge, secondary hair germ) and co-express selected stem cell markers (Sox9, Tcf4 and Lgr5). Lhx2+ cells represent the vast majority of cells in the bulge and secondary hair germ that proliferate in response to skin injury. This is functionally important, since the wound re-epithelialization is significantly retarded in heterozygous Lhx2 knockout (+/-) mice, while anagen onset in the HFs located closely to the wound is accelerated compared to wild-type mice. Cell proliferation in the bulge and the number of Sox9+ and Tcf4+ cells in the HFs closely adjacent to the wound in Lhx2+/- mice are decreased in comparison to wild-type controls, while expression of Lgr5 and cell proliferation in the secondary hair germ are increased. Furthermore, acceleration of wound-induced anagen development in Lhx2+/- mice is inhibited by administration of Lgr5 siRNA. In addition, Chip-on-chip/ChIP-qPCR and reporter assay analyses reveal Sox9, Tcf4 and Lgr5 as direct Lhx2 targets in keratinocytes. These data strongly suggest that Lhx2 positively regulates Sox9 and Tcf4 in the bulge cells and promotes wound re-epithelization, while it simultaneously negatively regulates Lgr5 in the secondary hair germ and inhibits HF cycling. Thus, Lhx2 operates as a regulator of epithelial stem cell activity during skin response to injury.