RNA and the epigenetic regulation of X chromosome inactivation.
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Developmental regulation of the mouse Xist gene at the onset of X chromosome inactivation is mediated by RNA stabilization. Here, we show that alternate promoter usage gives rise to distinct stable and unstable RNA isoforms. Unstable Xist transcript initiates at a novel upstream promoter, whereas stable Xist RNA is transcribed from the previously identified promoter and from a novel downstream promoter. Analysis of cells undergoing X inactivation indicates that a developmentally regulated promoter switch mediates stabilization and accumulation of Xist RNA on the inactive X chromosome.
Coating of the X chromosome by Xist RNA is an essential trigger for X inactivation. However, little is known about the early chromatin remodeling events that transform this signal into transcriptional silencing. Here we report that methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 on the inactive X chromosome occurs immediately after Xist RNA coating and before transcriptional inactivation of X-linked genes. X-chromosomal H3 Lys-9 methylation occurs during the same window of time as H3 Lys-9 hypoacetylation and H3 Lys-4 hypomethylation. Histone H3 modifications thus represent the earliest known chromatin changes during X inactivation. We also identify a unique "hotspot" of H3 Lys-9 methylation 5' to Xist, and we propose that this acts as a nucleation center for Xist RNA-dependent spread of inactivation along the X chromosome via H3 Lys-9 methylation.
The onset of X inactivation is preceded by a marked increase in the level of Xist RNA. Here we demonstrate that increased stability of Xist RNA is the primary determinant of developmental up-regulation. Unstable transcript is produced by both alleles in XX ES cells and in XX embryos prior to the onset of random X inactivation. Following differentiation, transcription of unstable RNA from the active X chromosome allele continues for a period following stabilization and accumulation of transcript on the inactive X allele. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of models for the initiation of random and imprinted X inactivation.
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We studied IGF2 and H19 expression, and methylation status of H19 gene in androgenetic moles and choriocarcinomas. The human placentae were examined similarly as a control. The CpG sites analyzed for methylation covered the 5' portion and the entire coding regions of H19. Although the paternal IGF2 and the maternal H19 allele were exclusively transcribed in full-term placentae, both H19 alleles were active in early placentate of 6-8 weeks gestation. The level of H19 expression in the mole was similar to that in normal placentae, which is compatible with the finding that half of the H19 gene was methylated and the remaining one was hypomethylated en masse in the complete mole. These imply the importance of regulating the level of H19 transcription not only for normal embryogenesis but also for the development of androgenetic moles. Choriocarcinomas were characterized by a low expression of IGF2 and a high expression of H19 with the transcripts being apparently intact in size. Biallelic expression of IGF2 or H19 was found frequently but not consistently in choriocarcinomas. Contrary to expectation, enhanced H19 expression was accompanied by hypermethylation of CpG sites over the entire gene region, apparently being at variance with the finding in normal placentae and androgenetic moles. The hypermethylation of CpG sites was also recognized in choriocarcinoma specimens surgically removed. The active H19 allele was unmethylated in placentae and probably so in androgenetic moles, but it was heavily methylated in choriocarcinomas. These findings provide the possibility that the mutated promoter is responsible for overcoming transcriptional suppression by CpG methylation in the H19 gene.
We have investigated the epigenetic mark in the human H19 gene. The H19 promoter is methylation-free in human sperm, but it is methylated in the paternally derived allele of most adult tissues. Consequently, the H19 gene is exclusively transcribed from the maternal allele. It was demonstrated that the differentially methylated region (DMR) located 2 kb upstream from mouse H19 is essential for the imprinting of H19. A 39 bp sequence in DMR has a high degree of similarity between humans, mice and rats. The highly conserved 15 bp core region of the consensus sequence contains four methylatable sites, and thus has been proposed as a potential imprinting mark region. In this study, fine epigenetic sequencing analysis was performed on the sperm DNA in comparison with other adult organs. Interestingly, the conserved sequence of the potential mark region was methylated in almost all the sperm genomes analyzed. Furthermore, the single dinucleotide CpG, whose methylation affects the accessibility of the element to CTCF, was methylated in the conserved core in the human sperm. These results suggest that the human core sequences may act as an imprinting center in the reciprocal monoallelic expression of H19.
DNA methylation is crucial for mammalian development because embryos that cannot maintain normal methylation levels die after gastrulation. I propose that DNA methylation is only important for the somatic lineages, but has no role in embryonic lineages including the germ line. Among vertebrates, genomic imprinting is found only in mammals, and numerous hypotheses have ascribed an essential function to imprinting because of the uniquely mammalian developmental and physiological requirements. However, our understanding of molecular details of the imprinting process, as well as evolutionary considerations, is rather consistent with imprinting having no intrinsic role in mammalian development.
Imprinted genes in mammals can be clustered in the genome. This raises important questions about mechanistic and functional relationships between imprinted genes in a cluster. The insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) gene is paternally expressed and is surrounded by maternally expressed genes. Loss of imprinting of IGF2 is the most common molecular defect found in the human foetal overgrowth syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). Transgenic experiments in the mouse establish that overexpression of IGF2 can result in most of the symptoms of BWS. However, mutations, translocations, or methylation defects in BWS have so far been found in three of the linked maternally expressed genes. We present a model where the paternal growth enhancer IGF2 is surrounded by multiple maternal suppressors, and mutations, or epigenetic alterations, in any of these suppressors could cause BWS. In addition, the precise phenotypic spectrum of BWS might depend on which maternally expressed gene is mutated.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Comparing female and male brain structures reveals a variety of sex differences in many vertebrates. These differences are manifested throughout the brain, in regions such as the hypothalamus, the preoptic area and the amygdala. Some are thought to be induced during the fetal period by the effect of steroid hormones produced in the gonads. It is well-established that fetal androgens, probably through the conversion to estrogen by the enzyme aromatase, masculinize the nervous system and set adult mounting behavior in rodents. However, less is known about molecular mechanisms involved in gender-specific development of the brain. We have taken a broad approach to isolate sex-specific genes from fetal brain. mRNAs from 18.5 days post-coitum (dpc) female and male mouse brain were screened with the classical and the recently developed signal peptide differential display (SPDD) and with representational difference analysis of cDNA (cDNA-RDA). Two sex-specific cDNAs were isolated, F29 and M17, corresponding to the female-specific Xist gene and the male-specific Smcy gene, respectively.
The genomic matching technique (GMT) improves survival following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) between unrelated donor and recipient pairs correlating with a decrease in incidence and severity of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The principles of this technique are based on the duplication and polymorphic characteristics of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Specifically, the beta block GMT matches for a 300 kb region that contains the human leukocyte antigen (HLA-B and -C) genes as well as other non-HLA genes such as the natural killer cell receptor ligand PERB11 (MIC). The block contains two large segmental duplications. One results in two PERB11 genes (11.1 and 11.2), the other in two class I genes (HLA-B and -C). With the complete sequencing of the class I region of the MHC in different haplotypes, we can now show that the beta block GMT profiles reflect amplification of the duplicated PERB11 segments and not the duplicated segments containing HLA-B and -C, and yet provide a signature that characterizes the entire block rather than individual loci.
STUDY: To examine the expression of the imprinted maternally expressed H19 gene in benign, low malignant potential (borderline) and malignant surface epithelial ovarian tumors. DESIGN: In situ hybridization for H19 RNA using S-labeled and digoxigenin-labeled probes was performed on paraffin sections of ovarian surface epithelial tumors. The serous tumors included nine section cystadenomas, twelve serous tumors of low malignant potential and twenty serous carcinomas, grade I-IIII (FIGO classification). A smaller group included two mucinous cystadenomas, four mucinous tumors of low malignant potential and two mucinous cystadenocarcinomas. RESULTS: H19 expression was found to be positive in 6/9 (67%) serous cystadenomas, 9/12 (75%) of serous tumors of low malignant potential and 13/20 (65%) of invasive serous carcinomas. Expression in mucinous tumors was confined to the stroma beneath the epithelial lining. CONCLUSION: H19 is expressed in the majority of serous epithelial tumors. Taking into consideration the high percentage of H19 expressing serous ovarian neoplasms we suggest that H19 RNA may be used as an adjuvant tumor marker for the diagnosis and mainly for staging and follow-up of patients with serous ovarian carcinoma.