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Histone hypomethylation is an indicator of epigenetic plasticity in quiescent lymphocytes.

Post-translational modifications of histone amino termini are thought to convey epigenetic information that extends the coding potential of DNA. In particular, histone lysine methylation has been implicated in conveying transcriptional memory and maintaining lineage fidelity. Here an analysis of histone lysine methylation in quiescent (G(0)) and cycling lymphocytes showed that methylation of histone H3 at lysines 4 (H3K4), 9 (H3K9), 27 (H3K27) and histone H4 at lysine 20 is markedly reduced in resting B lymphocytes as compared with cycling cells. Quiescent B cells also lacked heterochromatin-associated HP1beta and Ikaros at pericentric chromatin and expressed low levels of Ezh2 and ESET histone methyl transferases (HMTases). Nuclei from resting B or T cells were approximately three times more efficiently reprogrammed in nuclear transfer assays than cells in which HMTase expression, histone methylation and HP1beta binding had been restored following mitotic stimulation. These results showing local and global changes in histone lysine methylation levels in vivo demonstrate that constitutive heterochromatin organization is modified in resting lymphocytes and suggest that histone hypomethylation is a useful indicator of epigenetic plasticity.

Animals↗

Genomic clones coding for some of the initial genes expressed during Drosophila development.

Preblastoderm Drosophila embryos were made permeable and labeled in vivo with [32P]phosphate-containing medium. Cytoplasmic polyadenylylated RNA was extracted from these embryos and used to screen a library of Drosophila genomic DNA sequences cloned in phage lambda. Ten cloned sequences were selected for further study. These sequences were not complementary to mitochondrial DNA, nor did they contain the repeated nuclear genes coding for rRNA or histones. The cloned sequences each encode one or more unique genes expressed in preblastoderm embryos. RNA blot analysis indicated that some of these genes are also expressed at other times during embryogenesis. These results show that, in spite of the rapid nuclear divisions taking place during the preblastoderm stage, Drosophila nuclear genes are transcribed and that a subset of these genes show variable, stage-specific levels of expression during early embryogenesis.

Animals↗

Silent nucleotide substitutions and the molecular evolutionary clock.

Half of the nucleotide substitutions during the evolutionary divergence of genes in animals, bacteria, and viruses are silent changes. These result from an inherent biochemical property of DNA and are fixed by genetic drift. Evolution may be viewed as a device for protecting DNA molecules from extinction.

Animals↗

Proteins present in bovine papillomavirus particles.

Analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and silver staining of heavy full, light full, and empty bovine papillomavirus particles has shown that the major capsid protein L1 is highly modified. Besides exhibiting at least 13 isoelectric point variants of approximately the same molecular mass (54 kilodaltons), it is suggested that an additional heavier protein chain (69 kilodaltons) is also derived from L1 by glycosylation. These modifications may stabilize the particle structure. Treatment with neuraminidase reduces the number of modification products detectable, with a concomitant increase in the more basic forms of L1. Although it was not possible to detect histones in any of the preparations, proteins of similar molecular mass were detected. Therefore, it is suggested that the basic tails of L1 bind to the DNA in a manner similar to that of histone. Calculation of the theoretical mobilities of the papillomavirus proteins shows good agreement with the actual position of L1 and its isoelectric point variants and suggests that two of the proteins with molecular masses similar to those of the histones may actually be coded by the bovine papillomavirus E7 and E5 open reading frames.

Animals↗

m6A RNA modification and its emerging roles in diseases: recent advances and therapeutic implications.

BACKGROUND: In the recent past, insights in post transcriptional regulation of gene expression have profoundly reshaped our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease. This paradigm shift largely stems from the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, which highlights the pivotal role of chemical RNA modifications. While more than 170 distinct chemical modifications on the RNA are known, the m6A modification is the most abundant internal mRNA modification in higher eukaryotic cells, present not only on protein coding transcripts but also on non-coding RNAs, regulated by “writers”, “erasers”, and “readers” that together modulate alternative splicing, nuclear export, translation efficiency, and mRNA stability. MAIN BODY: This review addresses an important gap by presenting a multilayered regulatory framework that catalogs the full repertoire of m6A machinery and uniquely reveals how non-coding RNAs, transcription factors, histone modifications, and chromatin remodelers governs the spatiotemporal specificity of m6A modification. We explore how dysregulation of m6A modification and its regulatory proteins contribute to the development and progression of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, cancer, and type 2 diabetes through context-dependent modulation of gene networks. Furthermore, we present an integrative overview of the therapeutic pipeline, tracing the development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting m6A regulators, thus bridging a crucial link between fundamental mechanisms and new therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this review integrates current findings and emerging insights to provide a comprehensive understanding of m6A biology. By linking upstream regulatory mechanisms with downstream pathological consequences and therapeutic interventions, we highlight the potential of targeting the epitranscriptome for clinical applications.

Humans↗

Evolutionary change of codon usage for the histone gene family in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei.

The nucleotide divergence in the protein-coding region for replication-dependent and replication-independent histone 3 and 4 genes of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei occurred mostly at the synonymous site. Therefore, the pattern of codon usage was analyzed in the two species, considering the genomic codon bias, which is proposed for estimating the genomic composition pressure in the protein-coding regions. The results indicated that the codon usage in the histone gene family could be explained mostly by the genomic codon bias. However, biases for Ala and Arg were commonly observed for the histone 3 and histone 4 gene families, and biases for Ser, Leu, and Glu were observed in a gene-specific manner. This suggests that both genomic codon bias and gene- or codon-specific bias are responsible for the nucleotide differentiation in the protein-coding region of the histone genes.

Animals↗

Histone synthesis in Leishmania infantum is tightly linked to DNA replication by a translational control.

We have analysed the regulation of histone synthesis in Leishmania infantum following inhibition of DNA replication. Run-on experiments indicated that transcription rates of the genes coding for the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) were not affected by the inhibition with hydroxyurea of DNA synthesis. However, a dramatic decrease was observed in the newly synthesized histones after inhibition of DNA synthesis. Furthermore, the synthesis of both the histones and DNA resumed in promastigotes after removal of hydroxyurea, indicating that inhibition was reversible. Unlike most eukaryotes, in which the replication-dependent histone transcripts decrease upon a replication blockade, the levels of L. infantum histone mRNAs do not change under similar conditions. Thus the present data indicate that histone synthesis in Leishmania is tightly coupled to DNA replication by a mechanism operating at the translational level.

Animals↗

Chromatin structure of histone genes in sea urchin sperms and embryos.

The nucleosomal organization of active and repressed alpha subtype histone genes has been investigated by micrococcal nuclease digestion of P. lividus sperm, 32-64 cell embryo and mesenchyme blastula nuclei, followed by hybridization with 32P-labeled specific DNA probes. In sperms, fully repressed histone genes are regularly folded in nucleosomes, and exhibit a greater resistance to micrococcal nuclease cleavage than bulk chromatin. In contrast, both coding and spacer alpha subtype histone DNA sequences acquire an altered conformation in nuclei from early cleavage stage embryos, i.e., when these genes are maximally expressed. Switching off of the alpha subtype histone genes, in mesenchyme blastulae, restores the typical nucleosomal organization on this chromatin region. As probed by hybridization to D.melanogaster actin cDNA, actin genes retain a regular nucleosomal structure in all the investigated stages.

Animals↗

Isolation and characterization of two human H1 histone genes within clusters of core histone genes.

Two human H1 histone genes, termed H1.3 and H1.4, were isolated from two cosmid clones. The H1.4 gene is associated with an H2B gene, whereas genes coding for all four core histones are located in the vicinity of the H1.3 gene. This cluster arrangement was found both in the two cosmid clones and on overlapping bacteriophage clones isolated from an EMBL3 library. In continuation of our previous analysis of two human H1 genes, this analysis raises the number of completely sequenced H1 histone genes within clusters of core histone genes to four.

Amino Acid Sequence↗