scholarly journals Growth disrupting mutations in epigenetic regulatory molecules are associated with abnormalities of epigenetic aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron R Jeffries ◽  
Reza Maroofian ◽  
Claire G. Salter ◽  
Barry A. Chioza ◽  
Harold E. Cross ◽  
...  

AbstractGermline mutations in fundamental epigenetic regulatory molecules including DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) are commonly associated with growth disorders, whereas somatic mutations are often associated with malignancy. We profiled genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in DNMT3A c.2312G>A; p.(Arg771Gln) carriers in a large Amish sibship with Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome (TBRS), their mosaic father and 15 TBRS patients with distinct pathogenic de novo DNMT3A variants. This defined widespread DNA hypomethylation at specific genomic sites enriched at locations annotated to genes involved in morphogenesis, development, differentiation, and malignancy predisposition pathways. TBRS patients also displayed highly accelerated DNA methylation aging. Notably, these findings were most striking in a carrier of the AML associated driver mutation p.Arg882Cys. Our studies additionally defined phenotype related accelerated and decelerated epigenetic aging in two histone methyltransferase disorders; NSD1 Sotos syndrome overgrowth disorder and KMT2D Kabuki syndrome growth impairment. Together, our findings provide fundamentally new insights into aberrant epigenetic mechanisms, the role of epigenetic machinery maintenance and determinants of biological aging in these growth disorders.

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shir Toubiana ◽  
Miriam Gagliardi ◽  
Mariarosaria Papa ◽  
Roberta Manco ◽  
Maty Tzukerman ◽  
...  

DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) is the major DNMT that methylates mammalian genomes during early development. Mutations in human DNMT3B disrupt genome-wide DNA methylation patterns and result in ICF syndrome type 1 (ICF1). To study whether normal DNA methylation patterns may be restored in ICF1 cells, we corrected DNMT3B mutations in induced pluripotent stem cells from ICF1 patients. Focusing on repetitive regions, we show that in contrast to pericentromeric repeats, which reacquire normal methylation, the majority of subtelomeres acquire only partial DNA methylation and, accordingly, the ICF1 telomeric phenotype persists. Subtelomeres resistant to de novo methylation were characterized by abnormally high H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3), and short-term reduction of H3K4me3 by pharmacological intervention partially restored subtelomeric DNA methylation. These findings demonstrate that the abnormal epigenetic landscape established in ICF1 cells restricts the recruitment of DNMT3B, and suggest that rescue of epigenetic diseases with genome-wide disruptions will demand further manipulation beyond mutation correction.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean S Fain ◽  
Axelle Loriot ◽  
Anna Diacofotaki ◽  
Aurelie Van Tongelen ◽  
Charles De Smet

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark associated with gene repression. It is now well established that tumor development involves alterations in DNA methylation patterns, which include both gains (hypermethylation) and losses (hypomethylation) of methylation marks in different genomic regions. The mechanisms underlying these two opposite, yet co-existing, alterations in tumors remain unclear. While studying the human MAGEA6/GABRA3 gene locus, we observed that DNA hypomethylation in tumor cells can lead to the activation of a long transcript (CT-GABRA3) that overlaps downstream promoters (GABRQ and GABRA3) and triggers their hypermethylation. Overlapped promoters displayed increases in H3K36me3, a histone mark known to be deposited during progression of the transcription machinery and to stimulate de novo DNA methylation. Consistent with such a processive mechanism, increases in H3K36me3 and DNA methylation were observed over the entire region covered by the CT-GABRA3 overlapping transcript. Importantly, experimental induction of CT-GABRA3 by depletion of DNMT1 DNA methyltransferase, resulted in a similar pattern of increased DNA methylation in the MAGEA6/GABRA3 locus. Bioinformatics analyses in lung cancer datasets identified other genomic loci displaying this process of coupled DNA hypo- and hypermethylation. In several of these loci, DNA hypermethylation affected tumor suppressor genes, e.g. RERG and PTPRO. Together, our work reveals that focal DNA hypomethylation in tumors can indirectly contribute to hypermethylation of nearby promoters through activation of overlapping transcription, and establishes therefore an unsuspected connection between these two opposite epigenetic alterations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean S. Fain ◽  
Axelle Loriot ◽  
Anna Diacofotaki ◽  
Aurélie Van Tongelen ◽  
Charles De Smet

AbstractTumor development involves alterations in DNA methylation patterns, which include both gains (hypermethylation) and losses (hypomethylation) in different genomic regions. The mechanisms underlying these two opposite, yet co-existing, alterations in tumors remain unclear. While studying the human MAGEA6/GABRA3 gene locus, we observed that DNA hypomethylation in tumor cells can lead to the activation of a long transcript (CT-GABRA3) that overlaps downstream promoters (GABRQ and GABRA3) and triggers their hypermethylation. Overlapped promoters displayed increases in H3K36me3, a histone mark deposited during transcriptional elongation and known to stimulate de novo DNA methylation. Consistent with such a processive mechanism, increases in H3K36me3 and DNA methylation were observed over the entire region covered by the CT-GABRA3 overlapping transcript. Importantly, experimental induction of CT-GABRA3 by depletion of DNMT1 DNA methyltransferase, resulted in a similar pattern of regional DNA hypermethylation. Bioinformatics analyses in lung cancer datasets identified other genomic loci displaying this process of coupled DNA hypo/hypermethylation, and some of these included tumor suppressor genes, e.g. RERG and PTPRO. Together, our work reveals that focal DNA hypomethylation in tumors can indirectly contribute to hypermethylation of nearby promoters through activation of overlapping transcription, and establishes therefore an unsuspected connection between these two opposite epigenetic alterations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd R. Robeck ◽  
Zhe Fei ◽  
Ake T. Lu ◽  
Amin Haghani ◽  
Eve Jourdain ◽  
...  

AbstractThe development of a precise blood or skin tissue DNA Epigenetic Aging Clock for Odontocete (OEAC) would solve current age estimation inaccuracies for wild odontocetes. Therefore, we determined genome-wide DNA methylation profiles using a custom array (HorvathMammalMethyl40) across skin and blood samples (n = 446) from known age animals representing nine odontocete species within 4 phylogenetic families to identify age associated CG dinucleotides (CpGs). The top CpGs were used to create a cross-validated OEAC clock which was highly correlated for individuals (r = 0.94) and for unique species (median r = 0.93). Finally, we applied the OEAC for estimating the age and sex of 22 wild Norwegian killer whales. DNA methylation patterns of age associated CpGs are highly conserved across odontocetes. These similarities allowed us to develop an odontocete epigenetic aging clock (OEAC) which can be used for species conservation efforts by provide a mechanism for estimating the age of free ranging odontocetes from either blood or skin samples.


2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessilyn Dunn ◽  
Haiwei Qiu ◽  
Soyeon Kim ◽  
Daudi Jjingo ◽  
Ryan Hoffman ◽  
...  

Atherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions of disturbed blood flow (d-flow), which alters gene expression, endothelial function, and atherosclerosis. Here, we show that d-flow regulates genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT)-dependent manner. We found that d-flow induced expression of DNMT1, but not DNMT3a or DNMT3b, in mouse arterial endothelium in vivo and in cultured endothelial cells by oscillatory shear (OS) compared to unidirectional laminar shear in vitro. The DNMT inhibitor 5-Aza-2’deoxycytidine (5Aza) or DNMT1 siRNA significantly reduced OS-induced endothelial inflammation. Moreover, 5Aza reduced lesion formation in two atherosclerosis models using ApoE-/- mice (western diet for 3 months and the partial carotid ligation model with western diet for 3 weeks). To identify the 5Aza mechanisms, we conducted two genome-wide studies: reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and transcript microarray using endothelial-enriched gDNA and RNA, respectively, obtained from the partially-ligated left common carotid artery (LCA exposed to d-flow) and the right contralateral control (RCA exposed to s-flow) of mice treated with 5Aza or vehicle. D-flow induced DNA hypermethylation in 421 gene promoters, which was significantly prevented by 5Aza in 335 genes. Systems biological analyses using the RRBS and the transcriptome data revealed 11 mechanosensitive genes whose promoters were hypermethylated by d-flow but rescued by 5Aza treatment. Of those, five genes contain hypermethylated cAMP-response-elements in their promoters, including the transcription factors HoxA5 and Klf3. Their methylation status could serve as a mechanosensitive master switch in endothelial gene expression. Our results demonstrate that d-flow controls epigenomic DNA methylation patterns in a DNMT-dependent manner, which in turn alters endothelial gene expression and induces atherosclerosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 3949-3961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Chu Lin ◽  
Yi-Ping Chen ◽  
Wei-Zen Yang ◽  
James C K Shen ◽  
Hanna S Yuan

Abstract DNA methyltransferases are primary enzymes for cytosine methylation at CpG sites of epigenetic gene regulation in mammals. De novo methyltransferases DNMT3A and DNMT3B create DNA methylation patterns during development, but how they differentially implement genomic DNA methylation patterns is poorly understood. Here, we report crystal structures of the catalytic domain of human DNMT3B–3L complex, noncovalently bound with and without DNA of different sequences. Human DNMT3B uses two flexible loops to enclose DNA and employs its catalytic loop to flip out the cytosine base. As opposed to DNMT3A, DNMT3B specifically recognizes DNA with CpGpG sites via residues Asn779 and Lys777 in its more stable and well-ordered target recognition domain loop to facilitate processive methylation of tandemly repeated CpG sites. We also identify a proton wire water channel for the final deprotonation step, revealing the complete working mechanism for cytosine methylation by DNMT3B and providing the structural basis for DNMT3B mutation-induced hypomethylation in immunodeficiency, centromere instability and facial anomalies syndrome.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
LM Legault ◽  
K Doiron ◽  
A Lemieux ◽  
M Caron ◽  
D Chan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn early embryos, DNA methylation is remodelled to initiate the developmental program but for mostly unknown reasons, methylation marks are acquired unequally between embryonic and placental cells. To better understand this, we generated high-resolution DNA methylation maps of mouse mid-gestation (E10.5) embryo and placenta. We uncovered specific subtypes of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that contribute directly to the developmental asymmetry existing between mid-gestation embryonic and placental DNA methylation patterns. We show that the asymmetry occurs rapidly during the acquisition of marks in the post-implanted conceptus (E3.5-E6.5), and that these patterns are long-lasting across subtypes of DMRs throughout prenatal development and in somatic tissues. We reveal that at the peri-implantation stages, the de novo methyltransferase activity of DNMT3B is the main driver of methylation marks on asymmetric DMRs, and that DNMT3B can largely compensate for lack of DNMT3A in the epiblast and extraembryonic ectoderm, whereas DNMT3A can only partially compensate in the absence of DNMT3B. However, as development progresses and as DNMT3A becomes the principal de novo methyltransferase, the compensatory DNA methylation mechanism of DNMT3B on DMRs becomes less effective.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristjan H. Gretarsson ◽  
Jamie A. Hackett

ABSTRACTEarly mammalian development entails genome-wide epigenome remodeling, including DNA methylation erasure and reacquisition, which facilitates developmental competence. To uncover the mechanisms that orchestrate DNA methylation (DNAme) dynamics, we coupled a single-cell ratiometric DNAme reporter with unbiased CRISPR screening in ESC. We identify key genes and regulatory pathways that drive global DNA hypomethylation, and characterise roles for Cop1 and Dusp6. We also identify Dppa2 and Dppa4 as essential safeguards of focal epigenetic states. In their absence, developmental genes and evolutionary-young LINE1 elements, which DPPA2 specifically binds, lose H3K4me3 and gain ectopic de novo DNA methylation in pluripotent cells. Consequently, lineage-associated genes (and LINE1) acquire a repressive epigenetic memory, which renders them incompetent for activation during future lineage-specification. Dppa2/4 thereby sculpt the pluripotent epigenome by facilitating H3K4me3 and bivalency to counteract de novo methylation; a function co-opted by evolutionary young LINE1 to evade epigenetic decommissioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 997-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiming Zhang ◽  
Kang Zhang ◽  
Jian-Kang Zhu

Abstract DNA methylation at the fifth position of cytosine is a major epigenetic mark conserved in plants and mammals. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns are dynamically controlled by integrated activities of establishment, maintenance, and removal. In both plants and mammals, a pattern of global DNA hypomethylation coupled with increased methylation levels at some specific genomic regions arises at specific developmental stages and in certain abnormal cells, such as mammalian aging cells and cancer cells as well as some plant epigenetic mutants. Here we provide an overview of this distinct DNA methylation pattern in mammals and plants, and propose that a methylstat, which is a cis-element responsive to both DNA methylation and active demethylation activities and controlling the transcriptional activity of a key DNA methylation regulator, can help to explain the enigmatic DNA methylation patterns in aging cells and cancer cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4874-4884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinwen Zhang ◽  
Jered M. Wendte ◽  
Lexiang Ji ◽  
Robert J. Schmitz

In plants and mammals, DNA methylation plays a critical role in transcriptional silencing by delineating heterochromatin from transcriptionally active euchromatin. A homeostatic balance between heterochromatin and euchromatin is essential to genomic stability. This is evident in many diseases and mutants for heterochromatin maintenance, which are characterized by global losses of DNA methylation coupled with localized ectopic gains of DNA methylation that alter transcription. Furthermore, we have shown that genome-wide methylation patterns inArabidopsis thalianaare highly stable over generations, with the exception of rare epialleles. However, the extent to which natural variation in the robustness of targeting DNA methylation to heterochromatin exists, and the phenotypic consequences of such variation, remain to be fully explored. Here we describe the finding that heterochromatin and genic DNA methylation are highly variable among 725A. thalianaaccessions. We found that genic DNA methylation is inversely correlated with that in heterochromatin, suggesting that certain methylation pathway(s) may be redirected to genes upon the loss of heterochromatin. This redistribution likely involves a feedback loop involving the DNA methyltransferase, CHROMOMETHYLASE 3 (CMT3), H3K9me2, and histone turnover, as highly expressed, long genes with a high density of CMT3-preferred CWG sites are more likely to be methylated. Importantly, although the presence of CG methylation in genes alone may not affect transcription, genes containing CG methylation are more likely to become methylated at non-CG sites and silenced. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that natural variation in DNA methylation homeostasis may underlie the evolution of epialleles that alter phenotypes.


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