scholarly journals Murine De Novo Methyltransferase Dnmt3a Demonstrates Strand Asymmetry and Site Preference in the Methylation of DNA In Vitro

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 704-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iping G. Lin ◽  
Li Han ◽  
Alexander Taghva ◽  
Laura E. O’Brien ◽  
Chih-Lin Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Site Preference ◽  
Cpg Sites ◽  
Methylation Of Dna ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Methylation Patterns

ABSTRACT CpG methylation is involved in a wide range of biological processes in vertebrates as well as in plants and fungi. To date, three enzymes, Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b, are known to have DNA methyltransferase activity in mouse and human. It has been proposed that de novo methylation observed in early embryos is predominantly carried out by the Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b methyltransferases, while Dntm1 is believed to be responsible for maintaining the established methylation patterns upon replication. Analysis of the sites methylated in vivo using the bisulfite genomic sequencing method confirms the previous finding that some regions of the plasmid are much more methylated by Dnmt3a than other regions on the same plasmid. However, the preferred targets of the enzyme cannot be determined due to the presence of other methylases, DNA binding proteins, and chromatin structure. To discern the DNA targets of Dnmt3a without these compounding factors, sites methylated by Dnmt3a in vitro were analyzed. These analyses revealed that the two cDNA strands have distinctly different methylation patterns. Dnmt3a prefers CpG sites on a strand in which it is flanked by pyrimidines over CpG sites flanked by purines in vitro. These findings indicate that, unlike Dnmt1, Dnmt3a most likely methylates one strand of DNA without concurrent methylation of the CpG site on the complementary strand. These findings also indicate that Dnmt3a may methylate some CpG sites more frequently than others, depending on the sequence context. Methylation of each DNA strand independently and with possible sequence preference is a novel feature among the known DNA methyltransferases.

scholarly journals Evolutionary persistence of DNA methylation for millions of years after ancient loss of a de novo methyltransferase

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Catania ◽  
Phillip A. Dumesic ◽  
Harold Pimentel ◽  
Ammar Nasif ◽  
Caitlin I. Stoddard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Darwinian Evolution ◽  
Methylation Of Dna ◽  
Efficient Replication ◽  
Methylation Patterns ◽  
Evolutionary Persistence

SUMMARYCytosine methylation of DNA is a widespread modification of DNA that plays numerous critical roles, yet has been lost many times in diverse eukaryotic lineages. In the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, CG methylation occurs in transposon-rich repeats and requires the DNA methyltransferase, Dnmt5. We show that Dnmt5 displays exquisite maintenance-type specificity in vitro and in vivo and utilizes similar in vivo cofactors as the metazoan maintenance methylase Dnmt1. Remarkably, phylogenetic and functional analysis revealed that the ancestral species lost the gene for a de novo methylase, DnmtX, between 50-150 MYA. We examined how methylation has persisted since the ancient loss of DnmtX. Experimental and comparative studies reveal efficient replication of methylation patterns in C. neoformans, rare stochastic methylation loss and gain events, and the action of natural selection. We propose that an epigenome has been propagated for >50 MY through a process analogous to Darwinian evolution of the genome.

scholarly journals Structural insights into CpG-specific DNA methylation by human DNA methyltransferase 3B

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
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Water Channel ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Cpg Sites ◽  
Methylation Patterns

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.

scholarly journals De novo design of self-assembling helical protein filaments

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6415) ◽  
pp. 705-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Shen ◽  
Jorge A. Fallas ◽  
Eric Lynch ◽  
William Sheffler ◽  
Bradley Parry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
De Novo ◽  
Computational Design ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Repeat Units ◽  
Self Assembling ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Helical Protein ◽  
Monomeric Proteins

We describe a general computational approach to designing self-assembling helical filaments from monomeric proteins and use this approach to design proteins that assemble into micrometer-scale filaments with a wide range of geometries in vivo and in vitro. Cryo–electron microscopy structures of six designs are close to the computational design models. The filament building blocks are idealized repeat proteins, and thus the diameter of the filaments can be systematically tuned by varying the number of repeat units. The assembly and disassembly of the filaments can be controlled by engineered anchor and capping units built from monomers lacking one of the interaction surfaces. The ability to generate dynamic, highly ordered structures that span micrometers from protein monomers opens up possibilities for the fabrication of new multiscale metamaterials.

Recombinant mammalian DNA methyltransferase activity on model transcriptional gene silencing short RNA–DNA heteroduplex substrates

2010 ◽  
Vol 432 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Ross ◽  
Isao Suetake ◽  
Shoji Tajima ◽  
Peter L. Molloy
Keyword(s):  
Gene Silencing ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Enzyme Analysis ◽  
Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Restriction Enzyme Analysis

The biochemical mechanism of short RNA-induced TGS (transcriptional gene silencing) in mammals is unknown. Two competing models exist; one suggesting that the short RNA interacts with a nascent transcribed RNA strand (RNA–RNA model) and the other implying that short RNA forms a heteroduplex with DNA from the unwound double helix, an R-loop structure (RNA–DNA model). Likewise, the requirement for DNA methylation to enact TGS is still controversial. In vitro assays using purified recombinant murine Dnmt (DNA methyltransferase) 1-dN (where dN indicates an N-terminal truncation), 3a and 3b enzymes and annealed oligonucleotides were designed to question whether Dnmts methylate DNA in a RNA–DNA heteroduplex context and whether a RNA–DNA heteroduplex R-loop is a good substrate for Dnmts. Specifically, model synthetic oligonucleotides were used to examine methylation of single-stranded oligonucleotides, annealed oligonucleotide duplexes, RNA–DNA heteroduplexes, DNA bubbles and R-loops. Dnmt methylation activity on the model substrates was quantified with initial velocity assays, novel ARORA (annealed RNA and DNA oligonucleotide-based methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme analysis), tBS (tagged-bisulfite sequencing) and the quantitative PCR-based method MethylQuant. We found that RNA–DNA heteroduplexes and R-loops are poor substrates for methylation by both the maintenance (Dnmt1) and de novo (Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b) Dnmts. These results suggest the proposed RNA/DNA model of TGS in mammals is unlikely. Analysis of tagged-bisulfite genomic sequencing led to the unexpected observation that Dnmt1-dN can methylate cytosines in a non-CpG context in DNA bubbles. This may have relevance in DNA replication and silencing of transcriptionally active loci in vivo.

scholarly journals Establishment and Maintenance of Genomic Methylation Patterns in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (16) ◽  
pp. 5594-5605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiping Chen ◽  
Yoshihide Ueda ◽  
Jonathan E. Dodge ◽  
Zhenjuan Wang ◽  
En Li
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Es Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Methylation Patterns ◽  
Genomic Methylation ◽  
De Novo Methylation

ABSTRACT We have previously shown that the DNA methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b carry out de novo methylation of the mouse genome during early postimplantation development and of maternally imprinted genes in the oocyte. In the present study, we demonstrate that Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b are also essential for the stable inheritance, or “maintenance,” of DNA methylation patterns. Inactivation of both Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b in embryonic stem (ES) cells results in progressive loss of methylation in various repeats and single-copy genes. Interestingly, introduction of the Dnmt3a, Dnmt3a2, and Dnmt3b1 isoforms back into highly demethylated mutant ES cells restores genomic methylation patterns; these isoforms appear to have both common and distinct DNA targets, but they all fail to restore the maternal methylation imprints. In contrast, overexpression of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3b3 failed to restore DNA methylation patterns due to their inability to catalyze de novo methylation in vivo. We also show that hypermethylation of genomic DNA by Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b is necessary for ES cells to form teratomas in nude mice. These results indicate that genomic methylation patterns are determined partly through differential expression of different Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b isoforms.

scholarly journals A novel microRNA-based strategy to expand the differentiation potency of stem cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Salazar-Roa ◽  
Marianna Trakala ◽  
Mónica Álvarez-Fernández ◽  
Fátima Valdés-Mora ◽  
Cuiqing Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Short Exposure ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Differentiation Capacity ◽  
Tetraploid Complementation

SUMMARYFull differentiation potential along with self-renewal capacity is a major property of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). However, the differentiation capacity frequently decreases during expansion of PSCs in vitro. We show here that transient exposure to a single microRNA, expressed at early stages during normal development, improves the differentiation capacity of already-established murine and human PSCs. Short exposure to miR-203 in PSCs (miPSCs) results in expanded differentiation potency as well as improved efficiency in stringent assays such as tetraploid complementation and human-mouse interspecies chimerism. Mechanistically, these effects are mediated by direct repression of de novo DNA methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b, leading to transient and reversible erasing of DNA methylation. As a proof of concept, miR-203 improves differentiation and maturation of PSCs into cardiomyocytes in vitro as well as cardiac regeneration in vivo, after cardiac injury. These data support the use of transient exposure to miR-203 as a general and single method to reset the epigenetic memory in PSCs, and improve their use in regenerative medicine.

scholarly journals MO006CHANGES IN THE KYNURENINE PATHWAY LEAD TO ALTERATIONS IN NAD BALANCE AND BIOENERGETICS PARAMETERS IN GLOMERULAR CELLS IN VITRO AND CONTRIBUTE TO PROTEINURIA IN A ZEBRAFISH  MODEL*

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Bolanos-Palmieri ◽  
Ahmed Kotb ◽  
Heiko Schenk ◽  
Heike Bähre ◽  
Patricia Schroder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Analysis ◽  
Bioactive Metabolites ◽  
Enzymatic Function ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Tryptophan Catabolism

Abstract Background and Aims Tryptophan catabolism is carried out by the enzymes of the kynurenine pathway leading to the de novo synthesis of NAD and the production of a series of bioactive metabolites. Kynurenine 3-Monooxigenase (KMO) is a key component of this pathway and it is one of the enzymes responsible for the degradation of kynurenine. The kynurenine metabolites participate in various cellular processes, so systemic dysregulation of tryptophan metabolism, marked by increased kynurenine in the circulation, has been linked to the onset and severity of a wide range of pathologies, such as chronic kidney disease and associated co-morbidities. Since the enzymes of the kynurenine pathway are expressed in the kidney and the metabolites are cleared in the urine, we aim to describe the effects of changes in tryptophan catabolism on glomerular cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Method Modulation of KMO expression or enzymatic function was performed in a transgenic zebrafish line that allows for the monitoring of a fluorescently labelled protein in the circulation as an indicator for proteinuria. Morpholinos targeting three enzymes of the kynurenine pathway were injected into fish embryos, leading to a knockdown of Afmid, Kmo and Kynu. Additionally, dechorionated larvae were treated with a Kmo inhibitor administered via the embryo rearing media, starting at 48hpf. In all cases at 96hpf, circulating fluorescent protein levels were determined, larval phenotype was scored based on the severity of the edema, and samples were collected for metabolite analysis or fixed and prepared for imaging. Since the kynurenine pathway results in the de novo production of NAD, and the enzyme KMO is located in the outer mitochondrial membrane, cultured murine parietal epithelial cells as well as immortalized human and mouse podocytes were incubated with a KMO inhibitor. Changes in NAD+ and NADH, as well as alterations in the mitochondrial membrane polarization were assessed. Additionally, the oxygen consumption rate was measured in order to determine if KMO inhibition leads to changes in the bioenergetics parameters of glomerular cells in vitro. Results The modification of Afmid, Kmo and Kynu expression levels by morpholino mediated knockdown or inhibition of Kmo lead to the accumulation of upstream kynurenine metabolites in the treated larvae, as was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Following our previous results, alteration of the kynurenine pathway led to the development of yolk sac edema, pericardial effusion and loss of protein from the circulation, accompanied by an enlargement of the Bowman’s space and changes in nephrin expression in the glomerulus of the treated larvae. Under cell culture conditions, KMO inhibition in immortalized podocytes led to a reduction in cell size and focal adhesion proteins (podocalyxin). The NAD+/NADH ratio as well as mitochondrial membrane polarity were also altered. Additionally, changes in spare respiratory capacity, coupling efficiency and proton leak suggest that alterations in the kynurenine pathway might impair the cell’s ability to adapt its bioenergetic profile in response to stress. Conclusion Taken together these results suggest that the modulation of tryptophan catabolism through the kynurenine pathway may contribute to maintaining the structural integrity of glomerular cytoskeleton as well a flexible energy metabolism in podocytes. Moreover, the results from our in vivo model also suggest that imbalances in kynurenine metabolites might ultimately impact the function of the glomerular filtration barrier.

scholarly journals Novel In Vivo-Degradable Cellulose-Chitin Copolymer from Metabolically Engineered Gluconacetobacter xylinus

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (18) ◽  
pp. 6257-6265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Yadav ◽  
Bruce J. Paniliatis ◽  
Hai Shi ◽  
Kyongbum Lee ◽  
Peggy Cebe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Cellulose ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Biomass Conversion ◽  
Gluconacetobacter Xylinus ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Rapid Hydrolysis

ABSTRACT Despite excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties, the poor in vitro and in vivo degradability of cellulose has limited its biomedical and biomass conversion applications. To address this issue, we report a metabolic engineering-based approach to the rational redesign of cellular metabolites to introduce N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues into cellulosic biopolymers during de novo synthesis from Gluconacetobacter xylinus. The cellulose produced from these engineered cells (modified bacterial cellulose [MBC]) was evaluated and compared with cellulose produced from normal cells (bacterial cellulose [BC]). High GlcNAc content and lower crystallinity in MBC compared to BC make this a multifunctional bioengineered polymer susceptible to lysozyme, an enzyme widespread in the human body, and to rapid hydrolysis by cellulase, an enzyme commonly used in biomass conversion. Degradability in vivo was demonstrated in subcutaneous implants in mice, where modified cellulose was completely degraded within 20 days. We provide a new route toward the production of a family of tailorable modified cellulosic biopolymers that overcome the longstanding limitation associated with the poor degradability of cellulose for a wide range of potential applications.

scholarly journals De novo synthetic biliprotein design, assembly and excitation energy transfer

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (141) ◽  
pp. 20180021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Mancini ◽  
Molly Sheehan ◽  
Goutham Kodali ◽  
Brian Y. Chow ◽  
Donald A. Bryant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Excitation Energy ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Excitation Energy Transfer ◽  
Fluorescence Yield ◽  
Conformational Restriction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Α Helix

Bilins are linear tetrapyrrole chromophores with a wide range of visible and near-visible light absorption and emission properties. These properties are tuned upon binding to natural proteins and exploited in photosynthetic light-harvesting and non-photosynthetic light-sensitive signalling. These pigmented proteins are now being manipulated to develop fluorescent experimental tools. To engineer the optical properties of bound bilins for specific applications more flexibly, we have used first principles of protein folding to design novel, stable and highly adaptable bilin-binding four-α-helix bundle protein frames, called maquettes, and explored the minimal requirements underlying covalent bilin ligation and conformational restriction responsible for the strong and variable absorption, fluorescence and excitation energy transfer of these proteins. Biliverdin, phycocyanobilin and phycoerythrobilin bind covalently to maquette Cys in vitro . A blue-shifted tripyrrole formed from maquette-bound phycocyanobilin displays a quantum yield of 26%. Although unrelated in fold and sequence to natural phycobiliproteins, bilin lyases nevertheless interact with maquettes during co-expression in Escherichia coli to improve the efficiency of bilin binding and influence bilin structure. Bilins bind in vitro and in vivo to Cys residues placed in loops, towards the amino end or in the middle of helices but bind poorly at the carboxyl end of helices. Bilin-binding efficiency and fluorescence yield are improved by Arg and Asp residues adjacent to the ligating Cys on the same helix and by His residues on adjacent helices.

69 BLASTOCYSTS DEVELOPED FROM EMBRYOS THAT SPENT UP TO 2-CELL STAGE IN VIVO EXHIBITED MASSIVE DNA METHYLATION DYSREGULATION INCLUDING IMPRINTED GENES AND DNA METHYLTRANSFERASES

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 142 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Salilew-Wondim ◽  
M. Hoelker ◽  
U. Besenfelder ◽  
V. Havlicek ◽  
E. Held ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Culture Condition ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Embryonic Genome ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Methylation Patterns ◽  
Genome Activation

Suboptimal culture condition before minor or major genome activation is believed to affect the quality and the transcriptome landscape of the resulting blastocysts. Thus, we hypothesised that exposure of bovine embryos to suboptimal culture condition before minor embryonic genome activation could affect the genome methylation patterns of the resulting blastocysts. Therefore, here we aimed to investigate the genome wide DNA methylation patterns of blastocysts derived from embryos developed up to 2-cell stages in vivo followed by in vitro culture. For this, Simmental heifers were superovulated and artificially inseminated. The 2-cell stage embryos were then flushed using a state-of-the-art nonsurgical endoscopic early-stage embryo flushing technique and in vitro cultured until the blastocyst stage. The DNA methylation patterns of these blastocysts were then determined with reference to blastocysts derived from embryos developed completely under in vivo condition. For this, the genomic DNA isolated from each blastocyst group were fragmented, and unmethylated genomic regions were cleaved using methylation sensitive restriction enzymes. The samples were then amplified using ligation mediated PCR and labelled either with Cy-3 or Cy-5 dyes in a dye-swap design using the ULS Fluorescent genomic DNA labelling kit (Kreatech Biotechnology) and hybridized on an EmbryoGENE DNA Methylation Array as described previously (Saadi 2014 BMC Genomics 15, 451; Salilew-Wondim 2015 PLoS ONE 10, e0140467). Array hybridization was performed for 40 h at 65°C, and 4 hybridizations were preformed to represent 4 biological replicates. The slides were scanned using Agilent’s High-Resolution C Scanner (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA), and Agilent’s Feature Extraction software (Agilent Technologies) was used to extract data features. Differentially methylated regions with fold change ≥1.5 and P-value < 0.05 were identified using linear modelling for microarray and R software. The results have shown that including imprinted genes (PEG3, IGF1, RASGRF1, IGF2R, GRB10, SNRPN, and PLAGL1) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B), a total of 10,388 genomic regions were differentially methylated, of which 6393 genomic regions were hypermethylated in blastocysts derived from 2-cell flush compared with the complete vivo group. In addition, comparative analysis of the current DNA methylation data with our previous transcriptome profile data have shown that including DNMT3A, CTSZ, ElF3E, and PPP2R2B, the expression patterns of 603 genes was inversely correlated with the methylation patterns. Moreover, canonical pathways including gap junction, adherens junction, axon guidance, focal adhesion, and calcium signalling were affected by differentially methylated regions. Therefore, this study indicated that exposure of embryos to suboptimal culture condition before embryonic genome activation would lead to a massive dysregulation of methylation pattern of genes involved in developmentally relevant pathways in the resulting blastocysts.

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