scholarly journals Regulation of Pol II Pausing Is Involved in Daily Gene Transcription in the Mouse Liver

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jialou Zhu ◽  
Chengwei Li ◽  
Changxia Gong ◽  
Xiaodong Li

The circadian clock orchestrates gene expression rhythms. Regulation at the level of gene transcription is essential for molecular and cellular rhythms. Pol II pause release is a critical step of transcription regulation. However, whether and how Pol II pause release is regulated during daily transcription have not been characterized. In this study, we performed Pol II ChIP-seq across the day in the mouse liver and quantitatively analyzed binding signals within the transcription start site (TSS) region and the gene body. We frequently found discordant changes between Pol II near the TSS ([Pol II]TSS, paused Pol II) and that within the gene body ([Pol II]GB, transcribing Pol II) across the genome, with only [Pol II]GB always reflecting transcription of clock and clock-controlled genes. Accordingly, Pol II traveling ratios of more than 7000 genes showed significant daily changes (>1.5-fold). Therefore, there is widespread regulation of Pol II pausing in the mouse liver. Interestingly, gene transcription rhythms exhibited a bimodal phase distribution. The transcription of ~400 genes peaked near ZT0, coincident with a genome-wide increase in [Pol II]TSS and traveling ratio (TR). The transcription of ~300 other genes peaked ~12 h later, when there was a global decrease in [Pol II]TSS and TR. ChIP-seq against TATA-binding protein (Tbp), a preinitiation complex (PIC) component, revealed that Pol II recruitment mainly played an indirect role in transcriptional output, with transcriptional termination and pause release functioning prominently in determining the fate of initiated Pol II and its pausing status. Taken together, our results revealed a critical, albeit complex role of Pol II pausing control in regulating the temporal output of gene transcription.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (17) ◽  
pp. 2826-2834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ata Abbas ◽  
Roshan Padmanabhan ◽  
Todd Romigh ◽  
Charis Eng

Abstract Control of gene expression is one of the most complex yet continuous physiological processes impacting cellular homeostasis. RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription is tightly regulated at promoter-proximal regions by intricate dynamic processes including Pol II pausing, release into elongation and premature termination. Pol II pausing is a phenomenon where Pol II complex pauses within 30–60 nucleotides after initiating the transcription. Negative elongation factor (NELF) and DRB sensitivity inducing factor (DSIF) contribute in the establishment of Pol II pausing, and positive transcription elongation factor b releases (P-TEFb) paused complex after phosphorylating DSIF that leads to dissociation of NELF. Pol II pausing is observed in most expressed genes across the metazoan. The precise role of Pol II pausing is not well understood; however, it’s required for integration of signals for gene regulation. In the present study, we investigated the role of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in genome-wide transcriptional regulation using PTEN overexpression and PTEN knock-down models. Here we identify that PTEN alters the expression of hundreds of genes, and its restoration establishes genome-wide Pol II promoter-proximal pausing in PTEN null cells. Furthermore, PTEN re-distributes Pol II occupancy across the genome and possibly impacts Pol II pause duration, release and elongation rate in order to enable precise gene regulation at the genome-wide scale. Our observations demonstrate an imperative role of PTEN in global transcriptional regulation that will provide a new direction to understand PTEN-associated pathologies and its management.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1007
Author(s):  
Divya Kattupalli ◽  
Asha Sreenivasan ◽  
Eppurathu Vasudevan Soniya

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a prominent spice that is an indispensable ingredient in cuisine and traditional medicine. Phytophthora capsici, the causative agent of footrot disease, causes a drastic constraint in P. nigrum cultivation and productivity. To counterattack various biotic and abiotic stresses, plants employ a broad array of mechanisms that includes the accumulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. Through a genome-wide survey, eleven PR-1 genes that belong to a CAP superfamily protein with a caveolin-binding motif (CBM) and a CAP-derived peptide (CAPE) were identified from P. nigrum. Despite the critical functional domains, PnPR-1 homologs differ in their signal peptide motifs and core amino acid composition in the functional protein domains. The conserved motifs of PnPR-1 proteins were identified using MEME. Most of the PnPR-1 proteins were basic in nature. Secondary and 3D structure analyses of the PnPR-1 proteins were also predicted, which may be linked to a functional role in P. nigrum. The GO and KEGG functional annotations predicted their function in the defense responses of plant-pathogen interactions. Furthermore, a transcriptome-assisted FPKM analysis revealed PnPR-1 genes mapped to the P. nigrum-P. capsici interaction pathway. An altered expression pattern was detected for PnPR-1 transcripts among which a significant upregulation was noted for basic PnPR-1 genes such as CL10113.C1 and Unigene17664. The drastic variation in the transcript levels of CL10113.C1 was further validated through qRT-PCR and it showed a significant upregulation in infected leaf samples compared with the control. A subsequent analysis revealed the structural details, phylogenetic relationships, conserved sequence motifs and critical cis-regulatory elements of PnPR-1 genes. This is the first genome-wide study that identified the role of PR-1 genes during P. nigrum-P. capsici interactions. The detailed in silico experimental analysis revealed the vital role of PnPR-1 genes in regulating the first layer of defense towards a P. capsici infection in Panniyur-1 plants.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Holm ◽  
Luisa Nardini ◽  
Adrien Pain ◽  
Emmanuel Bischoff ◽  
Cameron E. Anderson ◽  
...  

Almost all regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic genomes is mediated by the action of distant non-coding transcriptional enhancers upon proximal gene promoters. Enhancer locations cannot be accurately predicted bioinformatically because of the absence of a defined sequence code, and thus functional assays are required for their direct detection. Here we used a massively parallel reporter assay, Self-Transcribing Active Regulatory Region sequencing (STARR-seq), to generate the first comprehensive genome-wide map of enhancers in Anopheles coluzzii, a major African malaria vector in the Gambiae species complex. The screen was carried out by transfecting reporter libraries created from the genomic DNA of 60 wild A. coluzzii from Burkina Faso into A. coluzzii 4a3A cells, in order to functionally query enhancer activity of the natural population within the homologous cellular context. We report a catalog of 3,288 active genomic enhancers that were significant across three biological replicates, 74% of them located in intergenic and intronic regions. The STARR-seq enhancer screen is chromatin-free and thus detects inherent activity of a comprehensive catalog of enhancers that may be restricted in vivo to specific cell types or developmental stages. Testing of a validation panel of enhancer candidates using manual luciferase assays confirmed enhancer function in 26 of 28 (93%) of the candidates over a wide dynamic range of activity from two to at least 16-fold activity above baseline. The enhancers occupy only 0.7% of the genome, and display distinct composition features. The enhancer compartment is significantly enriched for 15 transcription factor binding site signatures, and displays divergence for specific dinucleotide repeats, as compared to matched non-enhancer genomic controls. The genome-wide catalog of A. coluzzii enhancers is publicly available in a simple searchable graphic format. This enhancer catalogue will be valuable in linking genetic and phenotypic variation, in identifying regulatory elements that could be employed in vector manipulation, and in better targeting of chromosome editing to minimize extraneous regulation influences on the introduced sequences.Importance: Understanding the role of the non-coding regulatory genome in complex disease phenotypes is essential, but even in well-characterized model organisms, identification of regulatory regions within the vast non-coding genome remains a challenge. We used a large-scale assay to generate a genome wide map of transcriptional enhancers. Such a catalogue for the important malaria vector, Anopheles coluzzii, will be an important research tool as the role of non-coding regulatory variation in differential susceptibility to malaria infection is explored and as a public resource for research on this important insect vector of disease.


Author(s):  
Yunkai Zhu ◽  
Fei Feng ◽  
Gaowei Hu ◽  
Yuyan Wang ◽  
Yin Yu ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe global spread of SARS-CoV-2 is posing major public health challenges. One unique feature of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the insertion of multi-basic residues at the S1/S2 subunit cleavage site, the function of which remains uncertain. We found that the virus with intact spike (Sfull) preferentially enters cells via fusion at the plasma membrane, whereas a clone (Sdel) with deletion disrupting the multi-basic S1/S2 site instead utilizes a less efficient endosomal entry pathway. This idea was supported by the identification of a suite of endosomal entry factors specific to Sdel virus by a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen. A panel of host factors regulating the surface expression of ACE2 was identified for both viruses. Using a hamster model, animal-to-animal transmission with the Sdel virus was almost completely abrogated, unlike with Sfull. These findings highlight the critical role of the S1/S2 boundary of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in modulating virus entry and transmission.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather R. Keys ◽  
Kristin A. Knouse

ABSTRACTOur ability to understand and modulate mammalian physiology and disease requires knowing how all genes contribute to any given phenotype in the organism. Genome-wide screening using CRISPR-Cas9 has emerged as a powerful method for the genetic dissection of cellular processes1,2, but the need to stably deliver single guide RNAs to millions of cells has restricted its implementation to ex vivo systems. These ex vivo systems cannot reproduce all of the cellular phenotypes observed in vivo nor can they recapitulate all of the factors that influence these phenotypes. There thus remains a pressing need for high-throughput functional genomics in a living organism. Here, we establish accessible genome-wide screening in the mouse liver and use this approach to uncover the complete regulation of cellular fitness in a living organism. We discover novel sex-specific and cell non-autonomous regulation of cell growth and viability. In particular, we find that the class I major histocompatibility complex is essential for preventing immune-mediated clearance of hepatocytes. Our approach provides the first comprehensive picture of cell fitness in a living organism and highlights the importance of investigating cellular phenomena in their native context. Our screening method is robust, scalable, and easily adapted to examine diverse cellular processes using any CRISPR application. We have hereby established a foundation for high-throughput functional genomics in a living mammal, enabling unprecedented insight into mammalian physiology and disease.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Shen ◽  
Shuang Wang ◽  
Abby B. Siegel ◽  
Helen Remotti ◽  
Qiao Wang ◽  
...  

Background.Previous studies, including ours, have examined the regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) by DNA methylation, but whether this regulation occurs at a genome-wide level in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear.Subjects/Methods.Using a two-phase study design, we conducted genome-wide screening for DNA methylation and miRNA expression to explore the potential role of methylation alterations in miRNAs regulation.Results.We found that expressions of 25 miRNAs were statistically significantly different between tumor and nontumor tissues and perfectly differentiated HCC tumor from nontumor. Six miRNAs were overexpressed, and 19 were repressed in tumors. Among 133 miRNAs with inverse correlations between methylation and expression, 8 miRNAs (6%) showed statistically significant differences in expression between tumor and nontumor tissues. Six miRNAs were validated in 56 additional paired HCC tissues, and significant inverse correlations were observed for miR-125b and miR-199a, which is consistent with the inactive chromatin pattern found in HepG2 cells.Conclusion.These data suggest that the expressions of miR-125b and miR-199a are dramatically regulated by DNA hypermethylation that plays a key role in hepatocarcinogenesis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 2837-2848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Gobert ◽  
Dani Osman ◽  
Stéphanie Bras ◽  
Benoit Augé ◽  
Muriel Boube ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Transcription factors of the RUNX and GATA families play key roles in the control of cell fate choice and differentiation, notably in the hematopoietic system. During Drosophila hematopoiesis, the RUNX factor Lozenge and the GATA factor Serpent cooperate to induce crystal cell differentiation. We used Serpent/Lozenge-activated transcription as a paradigm to identify modulators of GATA/RUNX activity by a genome-wide RNA interference screen in cultured Drosophila blood cells. Among the 129 factors identified, several belong to the Mediator complex. Mediator is organized in three modules plus a regulatory “CDK8 module,” composed of Med12, Med13, CycC, and Cdk8, which has long been thought to behave as a single functional entity. Interestingly, our data demonstrate that Med12 and Med13 but not CycC or Cdk8 are essential for Serpent/Lozenge-induced transactivation in cell culture. Furthermore, our in vivo analysis of crystal cell development show that, while the four CDK8 module subunits control the emergence and the proliferation of this lineage, only Med12 and Med13 regulate its differentiation. We thus propose that Med12/Med13 acts as a coactivator for Serpent/Lozenge during crystal cell differentiation independently of CycC/Cdk8. More generally, we suggest that the set of conserved factors identified herein may regulate GATA/RUNX activity in mammals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (43) ◽  
pp. eabb3063
Author(s):  
Wei Xu ◽  
Si-Da Han ◽  
Can Zhang ◽  
Jie-Qiong Li ◽  
Yan-Jiang Wang ◽  
...  

Progranulin (PGRN) is a secreted pleiotropic glycoprotein associated with the development of common neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the pathophysiological role of PGRN may help uncover biological underpinnings. We performed a genome-wide association study to determine the genetic regulators of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PGRN levels. Common variants in region of FAM171A2 were associated with lower CSF PGRN levels (rs708384, P = 3.95 × 10−12). This was replicated in another independent cohort. The rs708384 was associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia and could modify the expression of the FAM171A2 gene. FAM171A2 was considerably expressed in the vascular endothelium and microglia, which are rich in PGRN. The in vitro study further confirmed that the rs708384 mutation up-regulated the expression of FAM171A2, which caused a decrease in the PGRN level. Collectively, genetic, molecular, and bioinformatic findings suggested that FAM171A2 is a key player in regulating PGRN production.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1669
Author(s):  
Angelo De Paolis ◽  
Sofia Caretto ◽  
Angela Quarta ◽  
Gian-Pietro Di Sansebastiano ◽  
Irene Sbrocca ◽  
...  

Artemisia annua L. is well-known as the plant source of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone with effective antimalarial activity. Here, a putative ortholog of the Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY40 transcription factor (TF) was isolated via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends in A. annua and named AaWRKY40. A putative nuclear localization domain was identified in silico and experimentally confirmed by using protoplasts of A. annua transiently transformed with AaWRKY40-GFP. A genome-wide analysis identified 122 WRKY genes in A. annua, and a manually curated database was obtained. The deduced proteins were categorized into the major WRKY groups, with group IIa containing eight WRKY members including AaWRKY40. Protein motifs, gene structure, and promoter regions of group IIa WRKY TFs of A. annua were characterized. The promoter region of AaWRKY group IIa genes contained several abiotic stress cis-acting regulatory elements, among which a highly conserved W-box motif was identified. Expression analysis of AaWRKY40 compared to AaWRKY1 in A. annua cell cultures treated with methyl jasmonate known to enhance artemisinin production, suggested a possible involvement of AaWRKY40 in terpenoid metabolism. Further investigation is necessary to study the role of AaWRKY40 and possible interactions with other TFs in A. annua.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2057-2068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Eisenstatt ◽  
Lars Boeckmann ◽  
Wei-Chun Au ◽  
Valerie Garcia ◽  
Levi Bursch ◽  
...  

The evolutionarily conserved centromeric histone H3 variant (Cse4 in budding yeast, CENP-A in humans) is essential for faithful chromosome segregation. Mislocalization of CENP-A to non-centromeric chromatin contributes to chromosomal instability (CIN) in yeast, fly, and human cells and CENP-A is highly expressed and mislocalized in cancers. Defining mechanisms that prevent mislocalization of CENP-A is an area of active investigation. Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of overexpressed Cse4 (GALCSE4) by E3 ubiquitin ligases such as Psh1 prevents mislocalization of Cse4, and psh1Δ strains display synthetic dosage lethality (SDL) with GALCSE4. We previously performed a genome-wide screen and identified five alleles of CDC7 and DBF4 that encode the Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK) complex, which regulates DNA replication initiation, among the top twelve hits that displayed SDL with GALCSE4. We determined that cdc7-7 strains exhibit defects in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of Cse4 and show mislocalization of Cse4. Mutation of MCM5 (mcm5-bob1) bypasses the requirement of Cdc7 for replication initiation and rescues replication defects in a cdc7-7 strain. We determined that mcm5-bob1 does not rescue the SDL and defects in proteolysis of GALCSE4 in a cdc7-7 strain, suggesting a DNA replication-independent role for Cdc7 in Cse4 proteolysis. The SDL phenotype, defects in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and the mislocalization pattern of Cse4 in a cdc7-7 psh1Δ strain were similar to that of cdc7-7 and psh1Δ strains, suggesting that Cdc7 regulates Cse4 in a pathway that overlaps with Psh1. Our results define a DNA replication initiation-independent role of DDK as a regulator of Psh1-mediated proteolysis of Cse4 to prevent mislocalization of Cse4.


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