scholarly journals Influence of DNA methylation on positioning and DNA flexibility of nucleosomes with pericentric satellite DNA

Open Biology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 150128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihisa Osakabe ◽  
Fumiya Adachi ◽  
Yasuhiro Arimura ◽  
Kazumitsu Maehara ◽  
Yasuyuki Ohkawa ◽  
...  

DNA methylation occurs on CpG sites and is important to form pericentric heterochromatin domains. The satellite 2 sequence, containing seven CpG sites, is located in the pericentric region of human chromosome 1 and is highly methylated in normal cells. In contrast, the satellite 2 region is reportedly hypomethylated in cancer cells, suggesting that the methylation status may affect the chromatin structure around the pericentric regions in tumours. In this study, we mapped the nucleosome positioning on the satellite 2 sequence in vitro and found that DNA methylation modestly affects the distribution of the nucleosome positioning. The micrococcal nuclease assay revealed that the DNA end flexibility of the nucleosomes changes, depending on the DNA methylation status. However, the structures and thermal stabilities of the nucleosomes are unaffected by DNA methylation. These findings provide new information to understand how DNA methylation functions in regulating pericentric heterochromatin formation and maintenance in normal and malignant cells.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria Florea

Exposure of cells and organisms to stressors might result in epigenetic changes. Here it is shown that investigation of DNA methylation using pyrosequencing is an alternative forin vitroandin vivotoxicological testing of epigenetic effects induced by chemicals and drugs. Anin vitroevaluation of global and CpG site specific DNA methylation upon treatment of cells with chemicals/drugs is shown. Bisulfite genomic sequencing of methylation controls showed high methylation of LINE1 in methylation positive control and low methylation in the negative controls. The CpG sites within the LINE1 element are methylated at different levels.In vitrocell cultures show a methylation level ranging from 56% to 49%. Cultures of drug resistant tumor cells show significant hypomethylation as compared with the originating nonresistant tumor cells. Thein vitrotesting of epigenetically active chemicals (5-methyl-2’-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A) revealed a significant change of LINE1 methylation status upon treatment, while specific CpG sites were more prone to demethylation than others (focal methylation). In conclusion, DNA methylation using pyrosequencing might be used not only for testing epigenetic toxins/drugs but also in risk assessment of drugs, food, and environmental relevant pollutants.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Canat ◽  
Adeline Veillet ◽  
Robert Illingworth ◽  
Emmanuelle Fabre ◽  
Pierre Therizols

AbstractDNA methylation is essential for heterochromatin formation and repression of DNA repeat transcription, both of which are essential for genome integrity. Loss of DNA methylation is associated with disease, including cancer, but is also required for development. Alternative pathways to maintain heterochromatin are thus needed to limit DNA damage accumulation. Here, we find that DAXX, an H3.3 chaperone, protects pericentromeric heterochromatin and is essential for embryonic stem cells (ESCs) maintenance in the ground-state of pluripotency. Upon DNA demethylation-mediated damage, DAXX relocalizes to pericentromeric regions, and recruits PML and SETDB1, thereby promoting heterochromatin formation. In the absence of DAXX, the 3D-architecture and physical properties of pericentric heterochromatin are disrupted, resulting in derepression of major satellite DNA. Using epigenome editing tools, we demonstrate that H3.3, and specifically H3.3K9 modification, directly contribute to maintaining pericentromeric chromatin conformation. Altogether, our data reveal that DAXX and H3.3 unite DNA damage response and heterochromatin maintenance in ESCs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Siyuan Li ◽  
Ying Hu ◽  
Guolei Cao ◽  
Siyao Wang ◽  
...  

Objective. We investigated the expression levels of both FOSL2 mRNA and protein as well as evaluating DNA methylation in the blood of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) Uyghur patients from Xinjiang. This study also evaluated whether FOSL2 gene expression had demonstrated any associations with clinical and biochemical indicators of T2DM. Methods. One hundred Uyghur subjects where divided into two groups, T2DM and nonimpaired glucose tolerance (NGT) groups. DNA methylation of FOSL2 was also analyzed by MassARRAY Spectrometry and methylation data of individual units were generated by the EpiTyper v1.0.5 software. The expression levels of FOS-like antigen 2 (FOSL2) and the protein expression levels were analyzed. Results. Significant differences were observed in mRNA and protein levels when compared with the NGT group, while methylation rates of eight CpG units within the FOSL2 gene were higher in the T2DM group. Methylation of CpG sites was found to inversely correlate with expression of other markers. Conclusions. Results show that a correlation between mRNA, protein, and DNA methylation of FOSL2 gene exists among T2DM patients from Uyghur. FOSL2 protein and mRNA were downregulated and the DNA became hypermethylated, all of which may be involved in T2DM pathogenesis in this population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
M. Tiwari ◽  
N. Rawat ◽  
P. Vats ◽  
D. Nagoorvali ◽  
M. Mahajan ◽  
...  

Parthenogenesis has been observed in lower animals but no known instance has been reported in mammals because both maternal and paternal genomes are a fundamental prerequisite for embryogenesis. A major reason for developmental failure of uniparental zygotes is expression of certain genes in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, i.e. genomic imprinting of genes. Out of many imprinted genes identified so far, IGF2/H19 have been extensively studied and known to play an important role in fetal and placental development. Gene IGF2 is expressed by the paternal allele, H19 is transcribed from the maternal allele, and the reciprocal expression of both genes is regulated by the DMR3 region placed upstream of the H19 gene. In the present study we compared the methylation status of IGF2/H19 DMR in parthenogenetic activated (PA) and IVF goat (Capra hircus) blastocyst through bisulphite sequencing. For this, immature oocytes of usable quality were subjected to in vitro maturation and subsequently used for embryo production through parthenogenesis (n = 993) (by calcium ionophore and 6-DMAP activation) and IVF (n = 1096). It was found that embryo production rate at all the embryonic stages (2-cell, 4-cell, 8–16-cell, morula, and blastocyst) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in parthenogenesis (74.66 ± 3.35%, 61.90 ± 2.73%, 47.83 ± 2.95%, 38.13 ± 5.28%, and 21.11 ± 2.51%, respectively) as compared with IVF (55.21 ± 2.02%, 38.12 ± 2.48%, 28.53 ± 1.67%, 21.57 ± 1.59%, and 8.23 ± 1.02%, respectively). When blastocysts (n = 6 each) were subjected to TUNEL, it was found that PA blastocyst showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) total cell number (217.83 ± 18.80 v. 159.67 ± 13.94) and significantly low (P < 0.05) apoptotic index (2.04 ± 0.25 v. 4.03 ± 0.29) as compared with IVF blastocysts. For the methylation pattern study, we analysed 17 CpG sites on the DMR3 region of the IGF2/H19 gene. Variable methylation pattern was observed within these CpG sites in different clones (n = 15) of PA and IVF blastocyst. The DMR3 region of the IGF2/H19 gene was significantly hypermethylated (P < 0.05) in PA blastocysts as compared with IVF blastocysts (80.39 ± 2.96, 32.55 ± 4.37, respectively), which suggests higher expression of IGF2 in parthenotes. The result suggests IGF2 might play different roles in different species; the same expression pattern of IGF2 is observed in ovine, but a contrary result is found in porcine species. Our results signify the hypermethylation of IGF2/H19 DMR3, which leads to higher expression of IGF2 to support embryonic development at the blastocyst stage. This work was supported by the NFBSFARA Project on Parthenogenetic Goat (CA-4002), New Delhi, India.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 4466-4466
Author(s):  
Margaret Dellett ◽  
Michelle Lazenby ◽  
Alan K Burnett ◽  
Ken I Mills

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for ~30% of adult leukaemia cases and is expected to increase as the population ages, due to median age of onset at ~60 years old. Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation is actively involved in AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Tumor suppressor genes, such as p16, have been shown to be silenced by methylation in AML. However, epigenetic events such as DNA methylation are reversible and therefore targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. It has been reported that ~30% of MDS patients with an abnormal karyotype show normalization of their methylation status after receiving a demethylating drug during early stages of their therapy. The UK NCRI AML16 programme for elderly patients (&gt;60 years old at diagnosis) with AML and high risk MDS has several therapeutic questions for patients considered fit for intensive treatment, one of which is to compare the use of azacytidine demethylation maintenance treatment with no maintenance therapy. Samples were obtained from patients entered into the AML16 trial, at diagnosis and from patients entered into the intensive arm of the trial who were randomized to receive azacytidine maintenance therapy were analyzed for the alterations for genomic methylation. Pyrosequencing was used to determine methylation within 17 CpG sites within p16, MLH1, and MGMT whilst LINE1 was used as a measure of global methylation. To date, approximately 714 patients have been entered into AML16. Of these 195 diagnostic samples have been analyzed, of which 103 were in the intensive arm of the trial. At the second randomization stage, 34 patient samples were analyzed and a further 26 samples were obtained following 3, 6 or 9 courses of azacytidine therapy. Statistical comparison of the methylation levels at each individual CpG or for the averaged CpG in each gene studies indicated that there was no difference whether the sample was derived from bone marrow or peripheral blood. This allowed the direct comparison of peripheral blood samples obtained at 2nd randomization and during azacytidine maintenance courses. Differential levels of methylation at individual CpG within the gene were seen at diagnosis. Higher levels of average p16 methylation were observed in the AML patients when compared to a small cohort of “well elderly” individuals. No difference was noted in the individual or averaged CpG methylation status for MGMT or LINE1 during the maintenance course of azacytidine. However, the methylation status of the CpG sites within the p16 and MLH1 genes reduced during maintenance by a median of 19% and 25% respectively. However, the number of patients completing three courses of azacytidine was only about 20% of those entering the intensive arm of AML16, however sequential samples from the same individual also showed demethylation of the CpG sites in p16 and MLH1. This study shows that azacytidine maintenance therapy in elderly AML patients does reduce the methylation status of some genes whilst others genes show no response. This is being investigated further using arrays containing 12,000 CpG sites which will be correlated with gene expression microarrays on the diagnostic samples from AML16.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 3549-3549
Author(s):  
Yang Xi ◽  
Velizar Shivarov ◽  
Gur Yaari ◽  
Steven Kleinstein ◽  
Matthew P. Strout

Abstract DNA methylation and demethylation at cytosine residues are epigenetic modifications that regulate gene expression associated with early cell development, somatic cell differentiation, cellular reprogramming and malignant transformation. While the process of DNA methylation and maintenance by DNA methyltransferases is well described, the nature of DNA demethylation remains poorly understood. The current model of DNA demethylation proposes modification of 5-methylcytosine followed by DNA repair-dependent cytosine substitution. Although there is debate on the extent of its involvement in DNA demethylation, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) has recently emerged as an enzyme that is capable of deaminating 5-methylcytosine to thymine, creating a T:G mismatch which can be repaired back to cytosine through DNA repair pathways. AID is expressed at low levels in many tissue types but is most highly expressed in germinal center B cells where it deaminates cytidine to uracil during somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination of the immunoglobulin genes. In addition to this critical role in immune diversification, aberrant targeting of AID contributes to oncogenic point mutations and chromosome translocations associated with B cell malignancies. Thus, to explore a role for AID in DNA demethylation in B cell lymphoma, we performed genome-wide methylation profiling in BL2 and AID-deficient (AID-/-) BL2 cell lines (Burkitt lymphoma that can be induced to express high levels of AID). Using Illumina’s Infinium II DNA Methylation assay combined with the Infinium Human Methylation 450 Bead Chip, we analyzed over 450,000 methylation (CpG) sites at single nucleotide resolution in each line. BL2 AID-/- cells had a median average beta value (ratio of the methylated probe intensity to overall intensity) of 0.76 compared with 0.73 in AID-expressing BL2 cells (P < 0.00001), indicating a significant reduction in global methylation in the presence of AID. Using a delta average beta value of ≥ 0.3 (high stringency cut-off whereby a difference of 0.3 or more defines a CpG site as hypomethylated), we identified 5883 CpG sites in 3347 genes that were hypomethylated in BL2 versus BL2 AID-/- cells. Using the Illumina HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip and Genome Studio software, we then integrated gene expression and methylation profiles from both lines to generate a list of genes that met the following criteria: 1) contained at least 4 methylation sites within the first 1500 bases downstream of the primary transcriptional start site (TSS 1500; AID is most active in this region during somatic hypermutation); 2) average beta value increased by >0.1 in the TSS 1500 region in BL2 compared with BL2 AID-/- cells; and 3) down-regulated by >50% in BL2 compared with BL2 AID-/- cells. This analysis identified 31 candidate genes targeted for AID-dependent demethylation with consequent changes in gene expression. Interestingly, 15 of these genes have been reported to be bound by AID in association with stalled RNA polymerase II in activated mouse B cells. After validating methylation status in a subset of genes (APOBEC3B, BIN1, DEM1, GRN, GNPDA1) through bisulfite sequencing, we selected DEM1 for further analysis. DEM1 encodes an exonuclease involved in DNA repair and contains 16 CpG sites within its TSS1500, with only one site >50% methylated in BL2 cells compared with 8 of 16 in BL2 AID-/- cells. To assess a direct role for AID in DEM1 methylation status, a retroviral construct (AIDΔL189-L198ER) driving tamoxifen-inducible expression of a C-terminal deletion mutant of AID (increases time spent in the nucleus) was introduced into BL2 AID-/- cells. BL2, BL2 AID-/-, and BL2 AIDΔL189-L198ER cells were cultured continuously for 21 days in the presence of tamoxifen, 100 nM. Bisulfite sequencing of DEM1 TSS 1500 did not demonstrate any significant changes in methylation at day 7. However, at day 21, 13 of the 16 DEM1 TSS 1500 methylation sites in BL2 AIDΔL189-L198ER cells were found to have an increase in the ratio of unmethylated to methylated clones ~10-25% above that of BL2 AID-/- cells. By qPCR, this correlated with a 1.75-fold increase in DEM1 gene expression to levels that were equivalent to that seen in BL2 cells (P = 0.003). Although further investigations are needed, this data supports the notion that AID is able to regulate target gene expression in B cell malignancy through active DNA demethylation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Author(s):  
Lajmi Lakhal-Chaieb ◽  
Celia M.T. Greenwood ◽  
Mohamed Ouhourane ◽  
Kaiqiong Zhao ◽  
Belkacem Abdous ◽  
...  

AbstractWe consider the assessment of DNA methylation profiles for sequencing-derived data from a single cell type or from cell lines. We derive a kernel smoothed EM-algorithm, capable of analyzing an entire chromosome at once, and to simultaneously correct for experimental errors arising from either the pre-treatment steps or from the sequencing stage and to take into account spatial correlations between DNA methylation profiles at neighbouring CpG sites. The outcomes of our algorithm are then used to (i) call the true methylation status at each CpG site, (ii) provide accurate smoothed estimates of DNA methylation levels, and (iii) detect differentially methylated regions. Simulations show that the proposed methodology outperforms existing analysis methods that either ignore the correlation between DNA methylation profiles at neighbouring CpG sites or do not correct for errors. The use of the proposed inference procedure is illustrated through the analysis of a publicly available data set from a cell line of induced pluripotent H9 human embryonic stem cells and also a data set where methylation measures were obtained for a small genomic region in three different immune cell types separated from whole blood.


Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (11) ◽  
pp. 5599-5609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erling A. Hoivik ◽  
Linda Aumo ◽  
Reidun Aesoy ◽  
Haldis Lillefosse ◽  
Aurélia E. Lewis ◽  
...  

Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) is expressed in a time- and cell-specific manner in the endocrine system. In this study we present evidence to support that methylation of CpG sites located in the proximal promoter of the gene encoding SF1 contributes to the restricted expression pattern of this nuclear receptor. DNA methylation analyses revealed a nearly perfect correlation between the methylation status of the proximal promoter and protein expression, such that it was hypomethylated in cells that express SF1 but hypermethylated in nonexpressing cells. Moreover, in vitro methylation of this region completely repressed reporter gene activity in transfected steroidogenic cells. Bisulfite sequencing of DNA from embryonic tissue demonstrated that the proximal promoter was unmethylated in the developing testis and ovary, whereas it was hypermethylated in tissues that do not express SF1. Together these results indicate that the DNA methylation pattern is established early in the embryo and stably inherited thereafter throughout development to confine SF1 expression to the appropriate tissues. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that the transcriptional activator upstream stimulatory factor 2 and RNA polymerase II were specifically recruited to this DNA region in cells in which the proximal promoter is hypomethylated, providing functional support for the fact that lack of methylation corresponds to a transcriptionally active gene. In conclusion, we identified a region within the SF1/Sf1 gene that epigenetically directs cell-specific expression of SF1.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11034-11034
Author(s):  
Shengyang Wu ◽  
Benjamin Thomas Cooper ◽  
Fang Bu ◽  
Christopher Bowman ◽  
Keith Killian ◽  
...  

11034 Background: Bone sarcomas present a unique diagnostic challenge because of the considerable morphologic overlap between different entities. The choice of optimal treatment, however, is dependent upon accurate diagnosis. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling has emerged as a new approach to aid in the diagnosis of brain tumors, with diagnostic accuracy exceeding standard histopathology. In this work we developed and validated a methylation based classifier to differentiate between osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and synovial sarcoma. Methods: DNA methylation status of 482,421 CpG sites in 15 osteosarcoma, 10 Ewing’s sarcoma, and 11 synovial sarcoma samples were measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 array. From this training set of 36 samples we developed a random forest classifier using the 400 most differentially methylated CpG sites (FDR q value < 0.001). This classifier was then validated on 10 synovial sarcoma samples from TCGA, 86 osteosarcoma samples from TARGET-OS, and 15 Ewing’s sarcoma from a recently published series (Huertas-Martinez et al., Cancer Letters 2016). Results: Methylation profiling revealed three distinct molecular clusters, each enriched with a single sarcoma subtype. Within the validation cohorts, all samples from TCGA were correctly classified as synovial sarcoma (10/10, sensitivity and specificity 100%). All but one sample from TARGET-OS were classified as osteosarcoma (85/86, sensitivity 98%, specificity 100%) and all but one sample from the Ewing’s sarcoma series was classified as Ewing’s sarcoma (14/15, sensitivity 93%, specificity 100%). The single misclassified osteosarcoma sample was classified as Ewing’s sarcoma, and was later determined to be a misdiagnosed Ewing’s sarcoma based on RNA-Seq demonstrating high EWRS1 and ETV1 expression. An additional clinical sample that was misdiagnosed as a synovial sarcoma by initial histolopathology, was accurately recognized as osteosarcoma by the methylation classifier. Conclusions: Osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and synovial sarcoma have distinct epigenetic profiles. Our validated methylation-based classifier can be used to provide an accurate diagnosis when histological and standard techniques are inconclusive.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document