scholarly journals The BHMT-betaine methylation pathway epigenetically modulates oligodendrocyte maturation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0250486
Author(s):  
Sarah Sternbach ◽  
Nicole West ◽  
Naveen K. Singhal ◽  
Robert Clements ◽  
Soumitra Basu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Methyltransferase Activity ◽  
Methyl Donor ◽  
Methylation Pathway ◽  
Chromatin Fractionation ◽  
Sirna Knockdown ◽  
Oxidative Insult

Research into the epigenome is of growing importance as a loss of epigenetic control has been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have implicated aberrant DNA and histone methylation in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathogenesis. We have previously reported that the methyl donor betaine is depleted in MS and is linked to changes in histone H3 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in neurons. We have also shown that betaine increases histone methyltransferase activity by activating chromatin bound betaine homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT). Here, we investigated the role of the BHMT-betaine methylation pathway in oligodendrocytes. Immunocytochemistry in the human MO3.13 cell line, primary rat oligodendrocytes, and tissue from MS postmortem brain confirmed the presence of the BHMT enzyme in the nucleus in oligodendrocytes. BHMT expression is increased 2-fold following oxidative insult, and qRT-PCR demonstrated that betaine can promote an increase in expression of oligodendrocyte maturation genes SOX10 and NKX-2.2 under oxidative conditions. Chromatin fractionation provided evidence of a direct interaction of BHMT on chromatin and co-IP analysis indicates an interaction between BHMT and DNMT3a. Our data show that both histone and DNA methyltransferase activity are increased following betaine administration. Betaine effects were shown to be dependent on BHMT expression following siRNA knockdown of BHMT. This is the first report of BHMT expression in oligodendrocytes and suggests that betaine acts through BHMT to modulate histone and DNA methyltransferase activity on chromatin. These data suggest that methyl donor availability can impact epigenetic changes and maturation in oligodendrocytes.

The role of DNA methyltransferase activity in cocaine treatment and withdrawal in the nucleus accumbens of mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Urb ◽  
Kerly Niinep ◽  
Terje Matsalu ◽  
Karin Kipper ◽  
Koit Herodes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Methyltransferase Activity

scholarly journals Dysregulation of protein kinase C in adult depression and suicide: evidence from postmortem brain studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghanshyam N Pandey ◽  
Anuradha Sharma ◽  
Hooriyah S Rizavi ◽  
Xinguo Ren
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase C ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Cortical Region ◽  
Cytosol Fraction ◽  
Kinase C ◽  
Pkc Isozymes

Abstract Background Several lines of evidence suggest the abnormalities of protein kinase C (PKC) signaling system in mood disorders and suicide based primarily on the studies of PKC and its isozymes in the platelets and postmortem brain of depressed and suicidal subjects. In this study we examined the role of PKC isozymes in depression and suicide. Methods We determined the protein and mRNA expression of various PKC isozymes in the prefrontal cortical region [Brodmann area 9 (BA9)] in 24 normal control (NC) subjects, 24 depressed suicide (DS) subjects and 12 depressed non-suicide (DNS) subjects. The levels of mRNA in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were determined by qRT-PCR and the protein expression was determined by Western blotting. Results We observed a significant decrease in mRNA expression of PKCα, PKCβI, PKCδ and PKCε and decreased protein expression either in the membrane or the cytosol fraction of PKC isozymes - PKCα, PKCβI, PKCβII and PKCδ in DS and DNS subjects compared with NC subjects. Conclusions The current study provides detailed evidence of specific dysregulation of certain PKC isozymes in the postmortem brain of DS and DNS subjects and further supports earlier evidence for the role of PKC in the platelets and brain of adult and teenage depressed and suicidal population. This comprehensive study may lead to further knowledge of the involvement of PKC in the pathophysiology of depression and suicide.

scholarly journals Lowering DNA binding affinity of SssI DNA methyltransferase does not enhance the specificity of targeted DNA methylation in E. coli

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Ślaska-Kiss ◽  
Nikolett Zsibrita ◽  
Mihály Koncz ◽  
Pál Albert ◽  
Ákos Csábrádi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Restriction Enzymes ◽  
Dna Binding Protein ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Dna Binding Affinity ◽  
Higher Eukaryotes

AbstractTargeted DNA methylation is a technique that aims to methylate cytosines in selected genomic loci. In the most widely used approach a CG-specific DNA methyltransferase (MTase) is fused to a sequence specific DNA binding protein, which binds in the vicinity of the targeted CG site(s). Although the technique has high potential for studying the role of DNA methylation in higher eukaryotes, its usefulness is hampered by insufficient methylation specificity. One of the approaches proposed to suppress methylation at unwanted sites is to use MTase variants with reduced DNA binding affinity. In this work we investigated how methylation specificity of chimeric MTases containing variants of the CG-specific prokaryotic MTase M.SssI fused to zinc finger or dCas9 targeting domains is influenced by mutations affecting catalytic activity and/or DNA binding affinity of the MTase domain. Specificity of targeted DNA methylation was assayed in E. coli harboring a plasmid with the target site. Digestions of the isolated plasmids with methylation sensitive restriction enzymes revealed that specificity of targeted DNA methylation was dependent on the activity but not on the DNA binding affinity of the MTase. These results have implications for the design of strategies of targeted DNA methylation.

scholarly journals Huaier Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Inhibiting the Methylation Levels of CDKN2A and TP53

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153473542110316
Author(s):  
Liang Wang ◽  
Lei Xu ◽  
Yu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Squamous Cell ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Concentration Gradients ◽  
A431 Cells

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a malignant tumor that originates from keratinocytes in the epidermis or appendage. Traditional Chinese medicine Huaier has anti-tumor activity in various malignancies. Little is known about the role of Huaier in CSCC. Here, we investigated the function of Huaier in CSCC. We treated CSCC cell line (SCL-1 and A431) with a series of concentration gradients of Huaier to examine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Huaier on SCL-1 and A431 cells. The IC50 of Huaier on growth of SCL-1 and A431 cells were 6.96 and 7.57 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, Huaier reduced the methylation levels of CDKN2A and TP53, and enhanced the expression of CDKN2A and TP53 in SCL-1 and A431 cells in a dosage-dependent manner. The expression of DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 was severely repressed by Huaier treatment in SCL-1 and A431 cells. DNMT1 overexpression enhanced the methylation levels of CDKN2A and TP53, and suppressed the expression of CDKN2A and TP53 in Huaier-treated SCL-1 and A431 cells. Huaier treatment inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of SCL-1 and A431 cells. However, inhibition of CDKN2A or TP53 reversed the influence of Huaier treatment on proliferation, migration, and invasion of CSCC cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that Huaier inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of CSCC cells by regulating DNA methylation of CDKN2A and TP53, thereby attenuating the progression of CSCC. Thus, Huaier extract may act as a drug for treating CSCC.

scholarly journals Protein farnesylation is upregulated in Alzheimer’s human brains and neuron-specific suppression of farnesyltransferase mitigates pathogenic processes in Alzheimer’s model mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Jeong ◽  
Shaowu Cheng ◽  
Rui Zhong ◽  
David A. Bennett ◽  
Martin O. Bergö ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Specific Role ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
Mtorc1 Signaling ◽  
Behavioral Assessments ◽  
Human Brains

AbstractThe pathogenic mechanisms underlying the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain elusive and to date there are no effective prevention or treatment for AD. Farnesyltransferase (FT) catalyzes a key posttranslational modification process called farnesylation, in which the isoprenoid farnesyl pyrophosphate is attached to target proteins, facilitating their membrane localization and their interactions with downstream effectors. Farnesylated proteins, including the Ras superfamily of small GTPases, are involved in regulating diverse physiological and pathological processes. Emerging evidence suggests that isoprenoids and farnesylated proteins may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the dynamics of FT and protein farnesylation in human brains and the specific role of neuronal FT in the pathogenic progression of AD are not known. Here, using postmortem brain tissue from individuals with no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or Alzheimer’s dementia, we found that the levels of FT and membrane-associated H-Ras, an exclusively farnesylated protein, and its downstream effector ERK were markedly increased in AD and MCI compared with NCI. To elucidate the specific role of neuronal FT in AD pathogenesis, we generated the transgenic AD model APP/PS1 mice with forebrain neuron-specific FT knockout, followed by a battery of behavioral assessments, biochemical assays, and unbiased transcriptomic analysis. Our results showed that the neuronal FT deletion mitigates memory impairment and amyloid neuropathology in APP/PS1 mice through suppressing amyloid generation and reversing the pathogenic hyperactivation of mTORC1 signaling. These findings suggest that aberrant upregulation of protein farnesylation is an early driving force in the pathogenic cascade of AD and that targeting FT or its downstream signaling pathways presents a viable therapeutic strategy against AD.

scholarly journals Macrocyclic Peptides as Allosteric Inhibitors of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase (NNMT)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthijs van Haren ◽  
Yurui Zhang ◽  
Vito Thijssen ◽  
Ned Buijs ◽  
Yongzhi Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allosteric Inhibitors ◽  
Methyl Donor ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Macrocyclic Peptides

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) methylates nicotinamide to form 1-methylnicotinamide (MNA) using S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as the methyl donor. The complexity of the role of NNMT in healthy and disease states is slowly...

scholarly journals DNA Methyltransferase 3A Is Involved in the Sustained Effects of Chronic Stress on Synaptic Functions and Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wei ◽  
Jia Cheng ◽  
Nicholas J Waddell ◽  
Zi-Jun Wang ◽  
Xiaodong Pang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Dna Methyltransferase ◽  
Epigenetic Modification ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Dna Methyltransferases ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Dnmt Inhibitors ◽  
Synaptic Functions

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms regulate aberrant gene transcription in stress-associated mental disorders. However, it remains to be elucidated about the role of DNA methylation and its catalyzing enzymes, DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), in this process. Here, we found that male rats exposed to chronic (2-week) unpredictable stress exhibited a substantial reduction of Dnmt3a after stress cessation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a key target region of stress. Treatment of unstressed control rats with DNMT inhibitors recapitulated the effect of chronic unpredictable stress on decreased AMPAR expression and function in PFC. In contrast, overexpression of Dnmt3a in PFC of stressed animals prevented the loss of glutamatergic responses. Moreover, the stress-induced behavioral abnormalities, including the impaired recognition memory, heightened aggression, and hyperlocomotion, were partially attenuated by Dnmt3a expression in PFC of stressed animals. Finally, we found that there were genome-wide DNA methylation changes and transcriptome alterations in PFC of stressed rats, both of which were enriched at several neural pathways, including glutamatergic synapse and microtubule-associated protein kinase signaling. These results have therefore recognized the potential role of DNA epigenetic modification in stress-induced disturbance of synaptic functions and cognitive and emotional processes.

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