scholarly journals CpG island promoter region methylation patterns of the inactive-X-chromosome hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (Hprt) gene.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 7975-7983 ◽  
Author(s):  
J G Park ◽  
V M Chapman

Inactive-X-chromosome genes in mammalian females have methylated CpG islands. We have questioned whether there are variable levels of cytosine methylation at different CpG sites within the island that might indicate the presence of primary sites of methylation which may be critical for the maintenance of gene repression and candidate sites for the initiation of inactivation. To address these questions, we have analyzed the methylation patterns of 32 CpG sites of the X-linked hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (Hprt) gene on the active and inactive X chromosomes of mouse tissues and cell lines, using genomic sequencing of bisulfite-treated genomic DNA. Cytosine is deaminated by bisulfite, but methylcytosine is not affected. Cell lines that were heterozygous for the Hprt deletion mutation (Hprtb-m3) and a functional Hprt allele were selected with 6-thioguanine. The resulting cell populations uniformly carry the intact Hprt allele on the inactive X chromosome. The methylation of these CpG sites was determined either by the direct sequence analysis of bisulfite-treated and amplified DNA or by the sequence analysis of clones derived from the amplified DNA. No CpG methylation was detected on the active Hprt genes from either males or the active X chromosome of females. On average, 22 CpGs were methylated in the other 50% of female DNA, and the level of methylation at individual sites varied from 42 to 100%. Analysis of the inactive Hprt gene in two cell lines showed that averages of 14 and 18 CpGs were methylated and that the frequency of methylation at 32 individual sites ranged from 3 to 100%. The highest frequency of methylation in cell lines coincided with the sequences flanking transcription initiation sites. These results suggest that methylation patterns are heterogeneous within a tissue and even in clonal cell populations and that specific subsets of CpG sites sustain high methylation frequencies which may be critical for the maintenance of X-chromosome inactivation. The bisulfite method identified which CpG sites were methylated on the inactive X chromosome, and it provided a quantitative estimate of the frequency of methylation of these sites in genomic DNA.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 7975-7983
Author(s):  
J G Park ◽  
V M Chapman

Inactive-X-chromosome genes in mammalian females have methylated CpG islands. We have questioned whether there are variable levels of cytosine methylation at different CpG sites within the island that might indicate the presence of primary sites of methylation which may be critical for the maintenance of gene repression and candidate sites for the initiation of inactivation. To address these questions, we have analyzed the methylation patterns of 32 CpG sites of the X-linked hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (Hprt) gene on the active and inactive X chromosomes of mouse tissues and cell lines, using genomic sequencing of bisulfite-treated genomic DNA. Cytosine is deaminated by bisulfite, but methylcytosine is not affected. Cell lines that were heterozygous for the Hprt deletion mutation (Hprtb-m3) and a functional Hprt allele were selected with 6-thioguanine. The resulting cell populations uniformly carry the intact Hprt allele on the inactive X chromosome. The methylation of these CpG sites was determined either by the direct sequence analysis of bisulfite-treated and amplified DNA or by the sequence analysis of clones derived from the amplified DNA. No CpG methylation was detected on the active Hprt genes from either males or the active X chromosome of females. On average, 22 CpGs were methylated in the other 50% of female DNA, and the level of methylation at individual sites varied from 42 to 100%. Analysis of the inactive Hprt gene in two cell lines showed that averages of 14 and 18 CpGs were methylated and that the frequency of methylation at 32 individual sites ranged from 3 to 100%. The highest frequency of methylation in cell lines coincided with the sequences flanking transcription initiation sites. These results suggest that methylation patterns are heterogeneous within a tissue and even in clonal cell populations and that specific subsets of CpG sites sustain high methylation frequencies which may be critical for the maintenance of X-chromosome inactivation. The bisulfite method identified which CpG sites were methylated on the inactive X chromosome, and it provided a quantitative estimate of the frequency of methylation of these sites in genomic DNA.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1635-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
S G Grant ◽  
R G Worton

We have investigated the genetic activation of the hprt (hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase) gene located on the inactive X chromosome in primary and transformed female diploid Chinese hamster cells after treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5azaCR). Mutants deficient in HPRT were first selected by growth in 6-thioguanine from two primary fibroblast cell lines and from transformed lines derived from them. These HPRT- mutants were then treated with 5azaCR and plated in HAT (hypoxanthine-methotrexate-thymidine) medium to select for cells that had reexpressed the hprt gene on the inactive X chromosome. Contrary to previous results with primary human cells, 5azaCR was effective in activating the hprt gene in primary Chinese hamster fibroblasts at a low but reproducible frequency of 2 x 10(-6) to 7 x 10(-6). In comparison, the frequency in independently derived transformed lines varied from 1 x 10(-5) to 5 x 10(-3), consistently higher than in the nontransformed cells. This increase remained significant when the difference in growth rates between the primary and transformed lines was taken into account. Treatment with 5azaCR was also found to induce transformation in the primary cell lines but at a low frequency of 4 x 10(-7) to 8 x 10(-7), inconsistent with a two-step model of transformation followed by gene activation to explain the derepression of hprt in primary cells. Thus, these results indicate that upon transformation, the hprt gene on the inactive Chinese hamster X chromosome is rendered more susceptible to action by 5azaCR, consistent with a generalized DNA demethylation associated with the transformation event or with an increase in the instability of an underlying primary mechanism of X inactivation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1635-1641
Author(s):  
S G Grant ◽  
R G Worton

We have investigated the genetic activation of the hprt (hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase) gene located on the inactive X chromosome in primary and transformed female diploid Chinese hamster cells after treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5azaCR). Mutants deficient in HPRT were first selected by growth in 6-thioguanine from two primary fibroblast cell lines and from transformed lines derived from them. These HPRT- mutants were then treated with 5azaCR and plated in HAT (hypoxanthine-methotrexate-thymidine) medium to select for cells that had reexpressed the hprt gene on the inactive X chromosome. Contrary to previous results with primary human cells, 5azaCR was effective in activating the hprt gene in primary Chinese hamster fibroblasts at a low but reproducible frequency of 2 x 10(-6) to 7 x 10(-6). In comparison, the frequency in independently derived transformed lines varied from 1 x 10(-5) to 5 x 10(-3), consistently higher than in the nontransformed cells. This increase remained significant when the difference in growth rates between the primary and transformed lines was taken into account. Treatment with 5azaCR was also found to induce transformation in the primary cell lines but at a low frequency of 4 x 10(-7) to 8 x 10(-7), inconsistent with a two-step model of transformation followed by gene activation to explain the derepression of hprt in primary cells. Thus, these results indicate that upon transformation, the hprt gene on the inactive Chinese hamster X chromosome is rendered more susceptible to action by 5azaCR, consistent with a generalized DNA demethylation associated with the transformation event or with an increase in the instability of an underlying primary mechanism of X inactivation.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1419-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
I K Hornstra ◽  
T P Yang

DNA methylation within GC-rich promoters of constitutively expressed X-linked genes is correlated with transcriptional silencing on the inactive X chromosome in female mammals. For most X-linked genes, X chromosome inactivation results in transcriptionally active and inactive alleles occupying each female nucleus. To examine mechanisms responsible for maintaining this unique system of differential gene expression, we have analyzed the methylation of individual cytosine residues in the 5' CpG island of the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene on the active and inactive X chromosomes. Methylation analysis of 142 CpG dinucleotides by genomic sequencing was carried out on purified DNA using the cytosine-specific Maxam and Gilbert DNA sequencing reaction in conjunction with ligation-mediated PCR. These studies demonstrate the 5' CpG islands of active and 5-azacytidine-reactivated alleles are essentially unmethylated while the inactive allele is hypermethylated. The inactive allele is completely methylated at nearly all CpG dinucleotides except in a 68-bp region containing four adjacent GC boxes where most CpG dinucleotides are either unmethylated or partially methylated. Curiously, these GC boxes exhibit in vivo footprints only on the active X chromosome, not on the inactive X. The methylation pattern of the inactive HPRT gene is strikingly different from that reported for the inactive X-linked human phosphoglycerate kinase gene which exhibits methylation at all CpG sites in the 5' CpG island. These results suggest that the position of methylated CpG dinucleotides, the density of methylated CpGs, the length of methylated regions, and/or chromatin structure associated with methylated DNA may have a role in repressing the activity of housekeeping promoters on the inactive X chromosome. The pattern of DNA methylation on the inactive human HPRT gene may also provide insight into the process of inactivating the gene early in female embryogenesis.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1419-1430
Author(s):  
I K Hornstra ◽  
T P Yang

DNA methylation within GC-rich promoters of constitutively expressed X-linked genes is correlated with transcriptional silencing on the inactive X chromosome in female mammals. For most X-linked genes, X chromosome inactivation results in transcriptionally active and inactive alleles occupying each female nucleus. To examine mechanisms responsible for maintaining this unique system of differential gene expression, we have analyzed the methylation of individual cytosine residues in the 5' CpG island of the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene on the active and inactive X chromosomes. Methylation analysis of 142 CpG dinucleotides by genomic sequencing was carried out on purified DNA using the cytosine-specific Maxam and Gilbert DNA sequencing reaction in conjunction with ligation-mediated PCR. These studies demonstrate the 5' CpG islands of active and 5-azacytidine-reactivated alleles are essentially unmethylated while the inactive allele is hypermethylated. The inactive allele is completely methylated at nearly all CpG dinucleotides except in a 68-bp region containing four adjacent GC boxes where most CpG dinucleotides are either unmethylated or partially methylated. Curiously, these GC boxes exhibit in vivo footprints only on the active X chromosome, not on the inactive X. The methylation pattern of the inactive HPRT gene is strikingly different from that reported for the inactive X-linked human phosphoglycerate kinase gene which exhibits methylation at all CpG sites in the 5' CpG island. These results suggest that the position of methylated CpG dinucleotides, the density of methylated CpGs, the length of methylated regions, and/or chromatin structure associated with methylated DNA may have a role in repressing the activity of housekeeping promoters on the inactive X chromosome. The pattern of DNA methylation on the inactive human HPRT gene may also provide insight into the process of inactivating the gene early in female embryogenesis.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 4692-4699
Author(s):  
R S Hansen ◽  
N A Ellis ◽  
S M Gartler

X8/6T2, a hamster-human hybrid cell line which contains an inactive human X chromosome, was treated with 5-azacytidine and selected for derepression of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Clones were examined for coreactivation of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene (Pgk). Of 68 of these hybrids, approximately 20% expressed measurable human phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) activity. A 600-base-pair region of the Pgk 5' CpG cluster was examined for the methylation status of eight CCGG sites (site 1 being 5'-most) in a number of PGK-negative and PGK-positive cell lines. The inactive X chromosome is normally methylated at all eight sites, and this was also true for the majority of X8/6T2 cells. However, several PGK-negative hybrids were demethylated in the site 3 to site 6 region. PGK activity correlated with demethylation at both sites 6 and 7. The data for PGK-positive and -negative hybrids indicate that demethylation at or near site 7 was necessary for reactivation of Pgk. Chromatin sensitivity to MspI digestion in the nuclei of male lymphoblastoid cells and several PGK-positive and PGK-negative hybrids was examined. PGK-positive cell lines were hypersensitive to digestion, while PGK-negative hybrids were resistant. Cleavage at sites 6 and 7 was observed in all PGK-positive cell lines at each MspI concentration examined. Sites 7 and 8 were less accessible to digestion than site 6. Cleavage in the site 2 to site 5 region was observable at the lowest MspI concentration. In most PGK-positive hybrids, a nonspecific endogenous nuclease detected the presence of a hypersensitive region spanning at least 450 base pairs, bounded at the 3' end near HpaII site 6. Nuclease hypersensitivity appears to be related to promoter activity, because sites 7 and 8 are in transcribed regions of the gene. These data indicate that specific sites within the CpG cluster have a dominant controlling influence over the Pgk promoter conformation and the transcriptional activation of Pgk.


Genomics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 777-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond J. Monnat ◽  
Alden F.M. Hackmann ◽  
Teresa A. Chiaverotti

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Anna Jankowska ◽  
Myunggon Ko ◽  
Yun Huang (equal contribution) ◽  
Utz J. Pape ◽  
Hadrian Szpurka ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 1 TET2 mutations are frequently found across broad spectrum of myeloid malignancies but how these mutations contribute to diseases is still unknown. Preliminary results from our laboratory have suggested that TET2 converts 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) and consequently, the levels of 5-hmC may be lower in genomes of mutant bone marrow cells. To facilitate study of TET2 function we developed a blot assay to detect 5-hmC in genomic DNA with a specific antiserum to 5-hmC. In a second improved assay with increased sensitivity and precision, we treated genomic DNA with bisulfite in order to convert 5-hmC to cytosine 5-methylenesulfonate (CMS) and measured 5-hmC levels indirectly using a specific anti-CMS serum. Based on the results of this technique we demonstrate here for the first time that indeed TET2 mutations in predicted catalytic residues and other positions compromised TET2 function. We studied 102 patients with various myeloid malignancies (4/28 MDS, 14%, 26/48 MDS/MPN, 54% and 1/4 MPN, 2% and primary 2/11 AML 18% and 3/11 sAML, 27% TET2 mutants, respectively) and compared to wt cases or controls (N=17). Mutations were found throughout the entire coding region and were mostly inactivating (33/45 TET2 mutations). The levels of 5-hmC in genomic DNA from TET2 mutants were significantly decreased in comparison to wt cases and controls (p=4.5e-08 and p=1.8e-09, respectively). Particularly low levels of 5-hmC were found in patients with homozygous (UPD)/hemizygous (deletion) TET2 mutations and those with biallelic mutations. Surprisingly, 18% of all TET2 WT patients also showed low levels of genomic 5-hmC (despite normal TET2 mRNA expression), suggesting that these patients may carry not yet identified variants/lesions in TET2 or other partner proteins involved in TET2-mediated catalysis. To further investigate the impact of TET2 mutations associated with myeloid malignancies we also introduced 9 different missense mutations corresponding to those found in patients into murine Tet2 cells; severe loss of enzymatic activity was observed in 7/9 cases as measured by greatly diminished 5-hmC levels. To study the role of Tet2 in normal hematopoiesis we depleted Tet2 in C57BL/6 mice by retrovirus-mediated transduction of shRNA against Tet2. Tet2 depletion is associated with skewing of hematopoietic differentiation towards the monocyte/macrophage lineage. To further investigate the function of TET2 we transduced the myeloid THP-1 cell line with lentiviral vector containing TET2 cDNA (TET2+) or an empty vector. This manipulation allowed us to select clones showing 19-fold increase in TET2 mRNA expression without significantly alterations of proliferation kinetics. Using this model we studied the impact of TET2 overexpression on resultant methylation pattern of CpG sites. We have applied Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 arrays (27,5K CpG sites/14.4K genes). Overexpression of TET2 resulted in a distinct promoter methylation patterns with 169 altered CpG sites with difference of averaged β>0.5 (considered significant as compared to control). Among these differentially methylated loci, 27 promoters were significantly hypomethylated while 42 were hypermethylated as compared to control cells. Change in methylation pattern observed through overexpression of TET2 in vitro prompted us to analyze methylation patterns in patients with and without TET2 mutations or those with decreased 5-hmC levels. Using methylation arrays a total of 62 cases were analyzed. When patients were grouped based on the levels of 5hmC, an associated methylation signature can be clearly discerned with 2512 differentially methylated loci and distinct skewing towards hypomethylation (2510 sites; e.g., TMEM102, ABCC11) vs. hypermethylation (2 sites, AIM2 and SP140), consistent with the observation made in the TET2+ cells line. In sum, our results provide strong evidence for TET2 as the first mutated gene in myeloid malignancies that is involved in conversion of 5-mC to 5-hmC in DNA, indicating the novel role of TET2 in a substantial component of epigenetic deregulation in myeloid malignancies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3819-3826 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Sasaki ◽  
R S Hansen ◽  
S M Gartler

Reactivation of the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene on an inactive human X chromosome in a somatic cell hybrid was analyzed following exposure to 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Hemimethylation and chromatin hypersensitivity in the 5' CpG island appeared by 6 h after exposure and continued to increase for 24 h in an exponentially growing cell culture. These results imply that the conformation of inactive chromatin requires a symmetrically methylated 5' G+C-rich promoter region. In addition, quantitative analysis of the time course patterns suggest that chromatin sensitivity changes may depend on strand-specific demethylation. Symmetrically demethylated DNA was first detected at 24 h and continued to increase until 48 h. HPRT mRNA was first detected at 24 h and increased in a biphasic pattern until 48 h. These results suggest that hemimethylation permits nuclease attack but not transcription factor binding, which requires symmetrically demethylated DNA. We also show that in G1-arrested cells, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine has no effect on methylation, chromatin conformation, or transcription. We conclude that reactivation of the HPRT gene present on the inactive X chromosome of a somatic cell hybrid involves the initial events of DNA hemimethylation and chromatin hypersensitivity at the 5' CpG island, followed by symmetrical demethylation and transcriptional reactivation.


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