Single substitution in H3.3G34 alters DNMT3A recruitment to cause progressive neurodegeneration.

Germline histone H3.3 amino acid substitutions, including H3.3G34R/V, cause severe neurodevelopmental syndromes. To understand how these mutations impact brain development, we generated H3.3G34R/V/W knock-in mice and identified strikingly distinct developmental defects for each mutation. H3.3G34R-mutants exhibited progressive microcephaly and neurodegeneration, with abnormal accumulation of disease-associated microglia and concurrent neuronal depletion. G34R severely decreased H3K36me2 on the mutant H3.3 tail, impairing recruitment of DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A and its redistribution on chromatin. These changes were concurrent with sustained expression of complement and other innate immune genes possibly through loss of non-CG (CH) methylation and silencing of neuronal gene promoters through aberrant CG methylation. Complement expression in G34R brains may lead to neuroinflammation possibly accounting for progressive neurodegeneration. Our study reveals that H3.3G34-substitutions have differential impact on the epigenome, which underlie the diverse phenotypes observed, and uncovers potential roles for H3K36me2 and DNMT3A-dependent CH-methylation in modulating synaptic pruning and neuroinflammation in post-natal brains.

Histone H3.3 K27M and K36M mutations de-repress transposable elements through perturbation of antagonistic chromatin marks.

Histone H3.3 lysine-to-methionine substitutions K27M and K36M impair the deposition of opposing chromatin marks, H3K27me3/me2 and H3K36me3/me2. We show that these mutations induce hypotrophic and disorganized eyes in Drosophila eye primordia. Restriction of H3K27me3 spread in H3.3K27M and its redistribution in H3.3K36M result in transcriptional deregulation of PRC2-targeted eye development and of piRNA biogenesis genes, including krimp. Notably, both mutants promote redistribution of H3K36me2 away from repetitive regions into active genes, which associate with retrotransposon de-repression in eye discs. Aberrant expression of krimp represses LINE retrotransposons but does not contribute to the eye phenotype. Depletion of H3K36me2 methyltransferase ash1 in H3.3K27M, and of PRC2 component E(z) in H3.3K36M, restores the expression of eye developmental genes and normal eye growth, showing that redistribution of antagonistic marks contributes to K-to-M pathogenesis. Our results implicate a novel function for H3K36me2 and showcase convergent downstream effects of oncohistones that target opposing epigenetic marks.

Migration speed of captured breast cancer subpopulations correlates with metastatic fitness.

The genetic alterations contributing to migration proficiency, a phenotypic hallmark of metastatic cells required for colonizing distant organs, remain poorly defined. Here, we used single-cell magneto-optical capture (scMOCa) to isolate fast cells from heterogeneous human breast cancer cell populations, based on their migratory ability alone. We show that captured fast cell subpopulations retain higher migration speed and focal adhesion dynamics over many generations as a result of a motility-related transcriptomic profile. Upregulated genes in isolated fast cells encoded integrin subunits, proto-cadherins and numerous other genes associated with cell migration. Dysregulation of several of these genes correlates with poor survival outcomes in people with breast cancer, and primary tumors established from fast cells generated a higher number of circulating tumor cells and soft tissue metastases in pre-clinical mouse models. Subpopulations of cells selected for a highly migratory phenotype demonstrated an increased fitness for metastasis.

Childhood cerebellar tumours mirror conserved fetal transcriptional programs.

Study of the origin and development of cerebellar tumours has been hampered by the complexity and heterogeneity of cerebellar cells that change over the course of development. Here we use single-cell transcriptomics to study more than 60,000 cells from the developing mouse cerebellum and show that different molecular subgroups of childhood cerebellar tumours mirror the transcription of cells from distinct, temporally restricted cerebellar lineages. The Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma subgroup transcriptionally mirrors the granule cell hierarchy as expected, while group 3 medulloblastoma resembles Nestin+ stem cells, group 4 medulloblastoma resembles unipolar brush cells, and PFA/PFB ependymoma and cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma resemble the prenatal gliogenic progenitor cells. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics of human childhood cerebellar tumours demonstrates that many bulk tumours contain a mixed population of cells with divergent differentiation. Our data highlight cerebellar tumours as a disorder of early brain development and provide a proximate explanation for the peak incidence of cerebellar tumours in early childhood.

Satellite cell expansion is mediated by P-eIF2α-dependent Tacc3 translation.

Translational control of gene expression is an important regulator of adult stem cell quiescence, activation and self-renewal. In skeletal muscle, quiescent satellite cells maintain low levels of protein synthesis, mediated in part through the phosphorylation of eIF2α (P-eIF2α). Pharmacological inhibition of the eIF2α phosphatase with the small molecule sal003 maintains P-eIF2α and permits the expansion of satellite cells ex vivo Paradoxically, P-eIF2α also increases the translation of specific mRNAs, which is mediated by P-eIF2α-dependent read-through of inhibitory upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Here, we ask whether P-eIF2α-dependent mRNA translation enables expansion of satellite cells. Using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we show a number of genes associated with the assembly of the spindle pole to be upregulated at the level of protein, without corresponding change in mRNA levels, in satellite cells expanded in the presence of sal003. We show that uORFs in the 5' UTR of mRNA for the mitotic spindle stability gene Tacc3 direct P-eIF2α-dependent translation. Satellite cells deficient for TACC3 exhibit defects in expansion, self-renewal and regeneration of skeletal muscle.

SWI/SNF-deficient undifferentiated malignancies: where to draw the line†.

Alterations in chromatin remodelling genes are increasingly recognised as drivers of undifferentiated malignancies. In atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (ATRTs) and extracranial rhabdoid tumours (ECRTs), inactivation of SMARCB1 underlies >95% of cases. In the remainder, the culprit is another SWI/SNF family member, SMARCA4. By contrast, in small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT), SMARCA4 deficiency is by far the most common driver mechanism, while SMARCB1 alterations are rarely seen. It is unclear why alterations are so heavily weighted towards one or another subunit based on site alone, but both have become essential markers for the diagnosis and management of these undifferentiated lesions. Core SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated malignancies share an aggressive clinical course and show an overlapping morphologic phenotype. In their study, Andrianteranagna, Cyrta and colleagues used DNA methylation and gene expression profiling to compare two subsets of SMARCA4-deficient malignancies diagnosed as SCCOHT and ECRT. Their work gives further insight into the subtle molecular spectrum of SMARCA4-deficient tumours, and their distinction from ATRT and ECRT with SMARCB1 inactivation. The characterisation of these molecular features is likely to play an important role in the future as we try to establish a clinically meaningful framework for the diagnosis and management of these lesions. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Detection and genomic analysis of BRAF fusions in Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma through the combination and integration of multi-omic data.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytomas (JPAs) are one of the most common pediatric brain tumors, and they are driven by aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. RAF-fusions are the most common genetic alterations identified in JPAs, with the prototypical KIAA1549-BRAF fusion leading to loss of BRAF's auto-inhibitory domain and subsequent constitutive kinase activation. JPAs are highly vascular and show pervasive immune infiltration, which can lead to low tumor cell purity in clinical samples. This can result in gene fusions that are difficult to detect with conventional omics approaches including RNA-Seq. METHODS: To this effect, we applied RNA-Seq as well as linked-read whole-genome sequencing and in situ Hi-C as new approaches to detect and characterize low-frequency gene fusions at the genomic, transcriptomic and spatial level. RESULTS: Integration of these datasets allowed the identification and detailed characterization of two novel BRAF fusion partners, PTPRZ1 and TOP2B, in addition to the canonical fusion with partner KIAA1549. Additionally, our Hi-C datasets enabled investigations of 3D genome architecture in JPAs which showed a high level of correlation in 3D compartment annotations between JPAs compared to other pediatric tumors, and high similarity to normal adult astrocytes. We detected interactions between BRAF and its fusion partners exclusively in tumor samples containing BRAF fusions. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the power of integrating multi-omic datasets to identify low frequency fusions and characterize the JPA genome at high resolution. We suggest that linked-reads and Hi-C could be used in clinic for the detection and characterization of JPAs.

Mapping Angiopoietin1 Expression in the Developing and Adult Brain.

Angiopoietin1 (Angpt1) is a secreted protein that activates the endothelial Tie2 receptor. Angpt1 plays a critical role in cardiac development and vascular remodeling in response to disease or injury and shows cell type-restricted expression in the lung, eye, and hematopoietic system. However, the expression of Angpt1 in the developing and adult brain is not known. Here, we employ Angpt1-GFP knock-in reporter mice and a systematic analysis of multiple single-cell RNA sequencing datasets to map the expression of Angpt1 during brain development and adulthood. In the developing brain, Angpt1 displays specific spatiotemporal patterns, with strong expression in cerebellar GABA interneuron progenitors and, to a lower level, in glial progenitor and astrocyte lineages. In the adult brain, on the other hand, we show that neurons are the main source of Angpt1 in the cerebrum, while in the cerebellum, expression is mostly restricted to astrocytes. Together, our data provide clarity on the cell types that express Angpt1 in the developing and adult brain and can be utilized to guide future studies, examining Angpt1 function in brain development, homeostasis, and pathological conditions.

Leukodystrophy-associated POLR3A mutations down-regulate the RNA polymerase III transcript and important regulatory RNA BC200.

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) is an essential enzyme responsible for the synthesis of several small noncoding RNAs, a number of which are involved in mRNA translation. Recessive mutations in POLR3A, encoding the largest subunit of Pol III, cause POLR3-related hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (POLR3-HLD), characterized by deficient central nervous system myelination. Identification of the downstream effectors of pathogenic POLR3A mutations has so far been elusive. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce the POLR3A mutation c.2554A→G (p.M852V) into human cell lines and assessed its impact on Pol III biogenesis, nuclear import, DNA occupancy, transcription, and protein levels. Transcriptomic profiling uncovered a subset of transcripts vulnerable to Pol III hypofunction, including a global reduction in tRNA levels. The brain cytoplasmic BC200 RNA (BCYRN1), involved in translation regulation, was consistently affected in all our cellular models, including patient-derived fibroblasts. Genomic BC200 deletion in an oligodendroglial cell line led to major transcriptomic and proteomic changes, having a larger impact than those of POLR3A mutations. Upon differentiation, mRNA levels of the MBP gene, encoding myelin basic protein, were significantly decreased in POLR3A-mutant cells. Our findings provide the first evidence for impaired Pol III transcription in cellular models of POLR3-HLD and identify several candidate effectors, including BC200 RNA, having a potential role in oligodendrocyte biology and involvement in the disease.

chromswitch: a flexible method to detect chromatin state switches.

Summary: Chromatin state plays a major role in controlling gene expression, and comparative analysis of ChIP-seq data is key to understanding epigenetic regulation. We present chromswitch, an R/Bioconductor package to integrate epigenomic data in a defined window of interest to detect an overall switch in chromatin state. Chromswitch accurately classifies a benchmarking dataset, and when applied genome-wide, the tool successfully detects chromatin changes that result in brain-specific expression. Availability and implementation: Chromswitch is implemented as an R package available from Bioconductor at https://bioconductor.org/packages/chromswitch. All data and code for reproducing the analysis presented in this paper are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1101260. Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

A pseudouridine synthase module is essential for mitochondrial protein synthesis and cell viability.

Pseudouridylation is a common post-transcriptional modification in RNA, but its functional consequences at the cellular level remain largely unknown. Using a proximity-biotinylation assay, we identified a protein module in mitochondrial RNA granules, platforms for post-transcriptional RNA modification and ribosome assembly, containing several proteins of unknown function including three uncharacterized pseudouridine synthases, TRUB2, RPUSD3, and RPUSD4. TRUB2 and RPUSD4 were previously identified as core essential genes in CRISPR/Cas9 screens. Depletion of the individual enzymes produced specific mitochondrial protein synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation assembly defects without affecting mitochondrial mRNA levels. Investigation of the molecular targets in mitochondrial RNA by pseudouridine-Seq showed that RPUSD4 plays a role in the pseudouridylation of a single residue in the 16S rRNA, a modification that is essential for its stability and assembly into the mitochondrial ribosome, while TRUB2/RPUSD3 were similarly involved in pseudouridylating specific residues in mitochondrial mRNAs. These results establish essential roles for epitranscriptomic modification of mitochondrial RNA in mitochondrial protein synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and cell survival.

ChIP-seq analysis of the LuxR-type regulator VjbR reveals novel insights into the Brucella virulence gene expression network.

LuxR-type transcription factors control diverse physiological functions necessary for bacterial adaptation to environmental changes. In the intracellular pathogen Brucella, the LuxR homolog VjbR has been shown to regulate the expression of virulence factors acting at early stages of the intracellular infection and, directly or indirectly, hundreds of additional genes. However, the precise determination of VjbR direct targets has so far proved elusive. Here, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation of VjbR followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). We detected a large amount of VjbR-binding sites distributed across the Brucella genome and determined a markedly asymmetric binding consensus motif, an unusual feature among LuxR-type regulators. RNA-seq analysis performed under conditions mimicking the eukaryotic intracellular environment revealed that, among all loci associated to VjbR-binding, this regulator directly modulated the expression of only a subset of genes encoding functions consistent with an intracellular adaptation strategy for survival during the initial stages of the host cell infection. Other VjbR-binding events, however, showed to be dissociated from transcription and may require different environmental signals to produce a transcriptional output. Taken together, our results bring new insights into the extent and functionality of LuxR-type-related transcriptional networks.

Gene networks show associations with seed region connectivity.

Primary patterns in adult brain connectivity are established during development by coordinated networks of transiently expressed genes; however, neural networks remain malleable throughout life. The present study hypothesizes that structural connectivity from key seed regions may induce effects on their connected targets, which are reflected in gene expression at those targeted regions. To test this hypothesis, analyses were performed on data from two brains from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, for which both gene expression and DW-MRI were available. Structural connectivity was estimated from the DW-MRI data and an approach motivated by network topology, that is, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), was used to cluster genes with similar patterns of expression across the brain. Group exponential lasso models were then used to predict gene cluster expression summaries as a function of seed region structural connectivity patterns. In several gene clusters, brain regions located in the brain stem, diencephalon, and hippocampal formation were identified that have significant predictive power for these expression summaries. These connectivity-associated clusters are enriched in genes associated with synaptic signaling and brain plasticity. Furthermore, using seed region based connectivity provides a novel perspective in understanding relationships between gene expression and connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3126-3140, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Polyadenylation-dependent control of long noncoding RNA expression by the poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1.

The poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that is thought to function during mRNA poly(A) tail synthesis in the nucleus. Despite the predicted role of PABPN1 in mRNA polyadenylation, little is known about the impact of PABPN1 deficiency on human gene expression. Specifically, it remains unclear whether PABPN1 is required for general mRNA expression or for the regulation of specific transcripts. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we show here that the large majority of protein-coding genes express normal levels of mRNA in PABPN1-deficient cells, arguing that PABPN1 may not be required for the bulk of mRNA expression. Unexpectedly, and contrary to the view that PABPN1 functions exclusively at protein-coding genes, we identified a class of PABPN1-sensitive long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the majority of which accumulated in conditions of PABPN1 deficiency. Using the spliced transcript produced from a snoRNA host gene as a model lncRNA, we show that PABPN1 promotes lncRNA turnover via a polyadenylation-dependent mechanism. PABPN1-sensitive lncRNAs are targeted by the exosome and the RNA helicase MTR4/SKIV2L2; yet, the polyadenylation activity of TRF4-2, a putative human TRAMP subunit, appears to be dispensable for PABPN1-dependent regulation. In addition to identifying a novel function for PABPN1 in lncRNA turnover, our results provide new insights into the post-transcriptional regulation of human lncRNAs.

RNA sequencing reveals the role of splicing polymorphisms in regulating human gene expression.

Expression levels of many human genes are under the genetic control of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Despite technological advances, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying most eQTLs remain elusive. Here, we use deep mRNA sequencing of two CEU individuals to investigate those mechanisms, with particular focus on the role of splicing control loci (sQTLs). We identify a large number of genes that are differentially spliced between the two samples and associate many of those differences with nearby single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Subsequently, we investigate the potential effect of splicing SNPs on eQTL control in general. We find a significant enrichment of alternative splicing (AS) events within a set of highly confident eQTL targets discovered in previous studies, suggesting a role of AS in regulating overall gene expression levels. Next, we demonstrate high correlation between the levels of mature (exonic) and unprocessed (intronic) RNA, implying that ∼75% of eQTL target variance can be explained by control at the level of transcription, but that the remaining 25% may be regulated co- or post-transcriptionally. We focus on eQTL targets with discordant mRNA and pre-mRNA expression patterns and use four examples: USMG5, MMAB, MRPL43, and OAS1, to dissect the exact downstream effects of the associated genetic variants.

RNA editing of protein sequences: a rare event in human transcriptomes.

RNA editing, the post-transcriptional recoding of RNA molecules, has broad potential implications for gene expression. Several recent studies of human transcriptomes reported a high number of differences between DNA and RNA, including events not explained by any known mammalian RNA-editing mechanism. However, RNA-editing estimates differ by orders of magnitude, since technical limitations of high-throughput sequencing have been sometimes overlooked and sequencing errors have been confounded with editing sites. Here, we developed a series of computational approaches to analyze the extent of this process in the human transcriptome, identifying and addressing the major sources of error of a large-scale approach. We apply the detection pipeline to deep sequencing data from lymphoblastoid cell lines expressing ADAR1 at high levels, and show that noncanonical editing is unlikely to occur, with at least 85%-98% of candidate sites being the result of sequencing and mapping artifacts. By implementing a method to detect intronless gene duplications, we show that most noncanonical sites previously validated originate in read mismapping within these regions. Canonical A-to-G editing, on the other hand, is widespread in noncoding Alu sequences and rare in exonic and coding regions, where the validation rate also dropped. The genomic distribution of editing sites we find, together with the lack of consistency across studies or biological replicates, suggest a minor quantitative impact of this process in the overall recoding of protein sequences. We propose instead a primary role of ADAR1 protein as a defense system against elements potentially damaging to the genome.

Targeting the dependence on PIK3C3-mTORC1 signaling in dormancy-prone breast cancer cells blunts metastasis initiation.

Halting breast cancer metastatic relapses following primary tumor removal and the clinical dormant phase, remains challenging, due to a lack of specific vulnerabilities to target during dormancy. To address this, we conducted genome-wide CRISPR screens on two breast cancer cell lines with distinct dormancy properties: 4T1 (short-term dormancy) and 4T07 (prolonged dormancy). We discovered that loss of class-III PI3K, Pik3c3, revealed a unique vulnerability in 4T07 cells. Surprisingly, dormancy-prone 4T07 cells exhibited higher mTORC1 activity than 4T1 cells, due to lysosome-dependent signaling occurring at the cell periphery. Pharmacological inhibition of Pik3c3 counteracted this phenotype in 4T07 cells, and selectively reduced metastasis burden only in the 4T07 dormancy-prone model. This mechanism was also detected in human breast cancer cell lines in addition to a breast cancer patient-derived xenograft supporting that it may be relevant in humans. Our findings suggest dormant cancer cell-initiated metastasis may be prevented in patients carrying tumor cells that display PIK3C3-peripheral lysosomal signaling to mTORC1. Statement of Significance: We reveal that dormancy-prone breast cancer cells depend on the class III PI3K to mediate a constant peripheral lysosomal positioning and mTORC1 hyperactivity. Targeting this pathway might blunt breast cancer metastasis.

The Neurodevelopmental Protein POGZ Suppresses Metastasis in Triple Negative Breast Cancer by Attenuating TGFß Signaling.

The pogo transposable element derived zinc finger protein, POGZ, is notably associated with neurodevelopmental disorders through its role in gene transcription. Many proteins involved in neurological development are often dysregulated in cancer, suggesting a potential role for POGZ in tumor biology. Here, we provided experimental evidence that POGZ influences the growth and metastatic spread of triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). In well-characterized models of TNBC, POGZ exerted a dual role, both as a tumor promoter and metastasis suppressor. Mechanistically, loss of POGZ potentiated TGFß pathway activation to exert cytostatic effects while simultaneously increasing the mesenchymal and migratory properties of breast tumors. Whereas POGZ levels are elevated in human breast cancers, the most aggressive forms of TNBC tumors, including those with increased mesenchymal and metastatic properties, exhibit dampened POGZ levels, and low POGZ expression was associated with inferior clinical outcomes in these tumor types. Taken together, these data suggest that POGZ is a critical suppressor of the early stages of the metastatic cascade.

The Deubiquitylase Otub1 Regulates the Chemotactic Response of Splenic B Cells by Modulating the Stability of the γ-Subunit Gng2.

The ubiquitin proteasome system performs the covalent attachment of lysine 48-linked polyubiquitin chains to substrate proteins, thereby targeting them for degradation, while deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) reverse this process. This posttranslational modification regulates key features both of innate and adaptative immunity, including antigen presentation, protein homeostasis and signal transduction. Here we show that loss of one of the most highly expressed DUBs, Otub1, results in changes in murine splenic B cell subsets, leading to a significant increase in marginal zone and transitional B cells and a concomitant decrease in follicular B cells. We demonstrate that Otub1 interacts with the γ-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein, Gng2, and modulates its ubiquitylation status, thereby controlling Gng2 stability. Proximal mapping of Gng2 revealed an enrichment in partners associated with chemokine signaling, actin cytoskeleton and cell migration. In line with these findings, we show that Otub1-deficient B cells exhibit greater Ca2+ mobilization, F-actin polymerization and chemotactic responsiveness to Cxcl12, Cxcl13 and S1P in vitro, which manifests in vivo as altered localization of B cells within the spleen. Together, our data establishes Otub1 as a novel regulator of G-protein coupled receptor signaling in B cells, regulating their differentiation and positioning in the spleen.

p66ShcA promotes malignant breast cancer phenotypes by alleviating energetic and oxidative stress.

Significant efforts have focused on identifying targetable genetic drivers that support the growth of solid tumors and/or increase metastatic ability. During tumor development and progression to metastatic disease, physiological and pharmacological selective pressures influence parallel adaptive strategies within cancer cell sub-populations. Such adaptations allow cancer cells to withstand these stressful microenvironments. This Darwinian model of stress adaptation often prevents durable clinical responses and influences the emergence of aggressive cancers with increased metastatic fitness. However, the mechanisms contributing to such adaptive stress responses are poorly understood. We now demonstrate that the p66ShcA redox protein, itself a ROS inducer, is essential for survival in response to physiological stressors, including anchorage independence and nutrient deprivation, in the context of poor outcome breast cancers. Mechanistically, we show that p66ShcA promotes both glucose and glutamine metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer cells, to increase their capacity to engage catabolic metabolism and support glutathione synthesis. In doing so, chronic p66ShcA exposure contributes to adaptive stress responses, providing breast cancer cells with sufficient ATP and redox balance needed to withstand such transient stressed states. Our studies demonstrate that p66ShcA functionally contributes to the maintenance of aggressive phenotypes and the emergence of metastatic disease by forcing breast tumors to adapt to chronic and moderately elevated levels of oxidative stress.