LTRs activated by Epstein-Barr virus-induced transformation of B cells alter the transcriptome.

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are ancient viral elements that have accumulated in the genome through retrotransposition events. Although they have lost their ability to transpose, many of the long terminal repeats (LTRs) that originally flanked full-length ERVs maintain the ability to regulate transcription. While these elements are typically repressed in somatic cells, they can function as transcriptional enhancers and promoters when this repression is lost. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which transforms primary B cells into continuously proliferating cells, is a tumor virus associated with lymphomas. We report here that transformation of primary B cells by EBV leads to genome-wide activation of LTR enhancers and promoters. The activation of LTRs coincides with local DNA hypomethylation and binding by transcription factors such as RUNX3, EBF1, and EBNA2. The set of activated LTRs is unique to transformed B cells compared with other cell lines known to have activated LTRs. Furthermore, we found that LTR activation impacts the B cell transcriptome by up-regulating transcripts driven by cryptic LTR promoters. These transcripts include genes important to oncogenesis of Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers, such as HUWE1/HECTH9 These data suggest that the activation of LTRs by EBV-induced transformation is important to the pathology of EBV-associated cancers. Altogether, our results indicate that EBV-induced transformation of B cells alters endogenous retroviral element activity, thereby impacting host gene regulatory networks and oncogenic potential.

Epigenetic dysregulation by nickel through repressive chromatin domain disruption.

Investigations into the genomic landscape of histone modifications in heterochromatic regions have revealed histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) to be important for differentiation and maintaining cell identity. H3K9me2 is associated with gene silencing and is organized into large repressive domains that exist in close proximity to active genes, indicating the importance of maintenance of proper domain structure. Here we show that nickel, a nonmutagenic environmental carcinogen, disrupted H3K9me2 domains, resulting in the spreading of H3K9me2 into active regions, which was associated with gene silencing. We found weak CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-binding sites and reduced CTCF binding at the Ni-disrupted H3K9me2 domain boundaries, suggesting a loss of CTCF-mediated insulation function as a potential reason for domain disruption and spreading. We furthermore show that euchromatin islands, local regions of active chromatin within large H3K9me2 domains, can protect genes from H3K9me2-spreading-associated gene silencing. These results have major implications in understanding H3K9me2 dynamics and the consequences of chromatin domain disruption during pathogenesis.

G9a/GLP-dependent H3K9me2 patterning alters chromatin structure at CpG islands in hematopoietic progenitors.

BACKGROUND: The formation of chromatin domains is an important step in lineage commitment. In human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), G9a/GLP-dependent H3K9me2 chromatin territories form de novo during lineage specification and are nucleated at punctate sites during lineage commitment. Here, we examined the patterning of G9a/GLP-dependent H3K9me2 in HSPCs and the consequences for chromatin structure. RESULTS: We profiled chromatin accessibility across the genome of HSPCs treated with either a small molecule inhibitor of G9a/GLP or DMSO. We observed that chromatin accessibility is dramatically altered at the regions of H3K9me2 nucleation. We have characterized the regions of H3K9me2 nucleation, with our analysis revealing that H3K9me2 is nucleated in HSPCs at CpG islands (CGIs) and CGI-like sequences across the genome. Our analysis furthermore revealed a bias of H3K9me2 nucleation towards regions with low rates of C- > T deamination, which typically lack DNA methylation. Lastly, we examined the interaction of H3K9me2 and DNA methylation and determined that chromatin accessibility changes upon loss of H3K9me2 are dependent on the presence of DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that H3K9me2 nucleation is established at specific sequences that have base composition similar to CGIs. Our results furthermore indicate that H3K9me2 nucleation leads to local changes in chromatin accessibility and that H3K9me2 and DNA methylation work synergistically to regulate chromatin accessibility.