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Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are distinct clinical entities primarily driven by autoimmunity and metabolic dysfunction, respectively. However, there is a growing appreciation that they may share an etiopathological factor, namely the role of variation in beta-cell sensitivity to stress factors. Increased sensitivity increases the risk of beta-cell death or insulin secretion dysfunction. The beta-cell fragility model proposes that this variation contributes to the risk of developing either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, in the presence of immunological and/or metabolic stress factors. Therapeutics that increase the resistance of beta cells to these factors and decreasing fragility may constitute a new class of anti-diabetogenics, with potential use across both diseases.

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ required for the induction and maintenance of central tolerance. The main function of the thymus is to generate an immunocompetent set of T cells not reactive to self. During negative selection in the thymus, thymocytes with autoreactive potential are either deleted or differentiated into regulatory T cells (Tregs). The molecular basis by which the thymus allows high-efficiency Treg induction remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that IFN regulatory factor 4 (Irf4) is highly expressed in murine thymic epithelium and is required to prime thymic epithelial cells (TEC) for effective Treg induction. TEC-specific Irf4 deficiency resulted in a significantly reduced thymic Treg compartment and increased susceptibility to mononuclear infiltrations in the salivary gland. We propose that Irf4 is imperative for thymic Treg homeostasis because it regulates TEC-specific expression of several chemokines and costimulatory molecules indicated in thymocyte development and Treg induction.

The gastrointestinal tract is continuously exposed to many environmental factors that influence intestinal epithelial cells and the underlying mucosal immune system. In this article, we demonstrate that dietary fiber and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) induced the expression of the vitamin A-converting enzyme RALDH1 in intestinal epithelial cells in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Furthermore, our data showed that the expression levels of RALDH1 in small intestinal epithelial cells correlated with the activity of vitamin A-converting enzymes in mesenteric lymph node dendritic cells, along with increased numbers of intestinal regulatory T cells and a higher production of luminal IgA. Moreover, we show that the consumption of dietary fiber can alter the composition of SCFA-producing microbiota and SCFA production in the small intestines. In conclusion, our data illustrate that dietary adjustments affect small intestinal epithelial cells and can be used to modulate the mucosal immune system.

Epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), which are pluripotent cells isolated from early post-implantation mouse embryos (E5.5), show both similarities and differences compared to mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), isolated earlier from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the E3.5 embryo. Previously, we have observed that while chromatin is very dispersed in E3.5 ICM, compact chromatin domains and chromocentres appear in E5.5 epiblasts after embryo implantation. Given that the observed chromatin re-organization in E5.5 epiblasts coincides with an increase in DNA methylation, in this study, we aimed to examine the role of DNA methylation in chromatin re-organization during the in vitro conversion of ESCs to EpiSCs. The requirement for DNA methylation was determined by converting both wild-type and DNA methylation-deficient ESCs to EpiSCs, followed by structural analysis with electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI). We show that the chromatin re-organization which occurs in vivo can be re-capitulated in vitro during the ESC to EpiSC conversion. Indeed, after 7 days in EpiSC media, compact chromatin domains begin to appear throughout the nuclear volume, creating a chromatin organization similar to E5 epiblasts and embryo-derived EpiSCs. Our data demonstrate that DNA methylation is dispensable for this global chromatin re-organization but required for the compaction of pericentromeric chromatin into chromocentres.

Cellular metabolism dynamically regulates the epigenome via availability of the metabolite substrates of chromatin-modifying enzymes. The impact of diet on the metabolism-epigenome axis is poorly understood but could alter gene expression and influence metabolic health. ATP citrate-lyase produces acetyl-CoA in the nucleus and cytosol and regulates histone acetylation levels in many cell types. Consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) results in suppression of ATP citrate-lyase levels in tissues such as adipose and liver, but the impact of diet on acetyl-CoA and histone acetylation in these tissues remains unknown. Here we examined the effects of HFD on levels of acyl-CoAs and histone acetylation in mouse white adipose tissue (WAT), liver, and pancreas. We report that mice consuming a HFD have reduced levels of acetyl-CoA and/or acetyl-CoA:CoA ratio in these tissues. In WAT and the pancreas, HFD also impacted the levels of histone acetylation; in particular, histone H3 lysine 23 acetylation was lower in HFD-fed mice. Genetic deletion of in cultured adipocytes also suppressed acetyl-CoA and histone acetylation levels. In the liver, no significant effects on histone acetylation were observed with a HFD despite lower acetyl-CoA levels. Intriguingly, acetylation of several histone lysines correlated with the acetyl-CoA: (iso)butyryl-CoA ratio in liver. Butyryl-CoA and isobutyryl-CoA interacted with the acetyltransferase P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) in liver lysates and inhibited its activity This study thus provides evidence that diet can impact tissue acyl-CoA and histone acetylation levels and that acetyl-CoA abundance correlates with acetylation of specific histone lysines in WAT but not in the liver.

Low-complexity "prion-like" domains in key RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) mediate the reversible assembly of RNA granules. Individual RBPs harboring these domains have been linked to specific neurodegenerative diseases. Although their aggregation in neurodegeneration has been extensively characterized, it remains unknown how the process of aging disturbs RBP dynamics. We show that a wide variety of RNA granule components, including stress granule proteins, become highly insoluble with age in C. elegans and that reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) daf-2 receptor signaling efficiently prevents their aggregation. Importantly, stress-granule-related RBP aggregates are associated with reduced fitness. We show that heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF-1) is a main regulator of stress-granule-related RBP aggregation in both young and aged animals. During aging, increasing DAF-16 activity restores dynamic stress-granule-related RBPs, partly by decreasing the buildup of other misfolded proteins that seed RBP aggregation. Longevity-associated mechanisms found to maintain dynamic RBPs during aging could be relevant for neurodegenerative diseases.

This protocol describes the derivation and culture of epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) from early postimplantation epiblasts. EpiSCs can be maintained in an undifferentiated state and retain the ability to generate tissues from all three germ layers in vitro and to form teratomas in vivo. However, they seem unable to form chimeras. Whether this is due to differences in developmental status or a cellular incompatibility (e.g., cell adhesion) between EpiSCs and the host inner cell mass (ICM) is currently unclear. Other differences between mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and EpiSCs also exist, including gene expression profiles and different growth factor requirements for self-renewal. Thus, EpiSCs provide an important in vitro model for studying the establishment and maintenance of pluripotency in postimplantation epiblast tissues.

Whereas embryonic stem (ES) cells are isolated from the embryonic lineage of the blastocyst, other stable stem cell lines can be derived from the extraembryonic tissues of the early mouse embryo. Trophoblast stem (TS) cells are derived from trophectoderm and early postimplantation trophoblast, and extraembryonic endoderm stem (XEN) cells are derived from primitive endoderm. The derivation of XEN cell lines from 3.5-dpc mouse blastocysts, described here, is similar to the derivation of TS cell lines. TS and XEN cells can self-renew in vitro and differentiate in vitro and in chimeras (in vivo) in a lineage-appropriate manner, showing the developmental potential of their origin, thus providing important models to study the mouse extraembryonic lineages.

The adenylate cyclase toxin-hemolysin (CyaA) plays a key role in immune evasion and virulence of the whooping cough agent Bordetella pertussis. CyaA penetrates the complement receptor 3-expressing phagocytes and ablates their bactericidal capacities by catalyzing unregulated conversion of cytosolic ATP to the key second messenger molecule cAMP. We show that signaling of CyaA-generated cAMP blocks the oxidative burst capacity of neutrophils by two converging mechanisms. One involves cAMP/protein kinase A-mediated activation of the Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) and limits the activation of MAPK ERK and p38 that are required for assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex. In parallel, activation of the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) provokes inhibition of the phospholipase C by an as yet unknown mechanism. Indeed, selective activation of Epac by the cell-permeable analog 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-2'-O-methyladenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate counteracted the direct activation of phospholipase C by 2,4,6-trimethyl-N-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]benzenesulfonamide. Hence, by inhibiting production of the protein kinase C-activating lipid, diacylglycerol, cAMP/Epac signaling blocks the bottleneck step of the converging pathways of oxidative burst triggering. Manipulation of neutrophil membrane composition by CyaA-produced signaling of cAMP thus enables B. pertussis to evade the key innate host defense mechanism of reactive oxygen species-mediated killing of bacteria by neutrophils.

Sex chromosome dosage compensation is essential in most metazoans, but the developmental timing and underlying mechanisms vary significantly, even among placental mammals. Here we identify human-specific mechanisms regulating X chromosome activity in early embryonic development. Single-cell RNA sequencing and imaging revealed co-activation and accumulation of the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) XACT and XIST on active X chromosomes in both early human pre-implantation embryos and naive human embryonic stem cells. In these contexts, the XIST RNA adopts an unusual, highly dispersed organization, which may explain why it does not trigger X chromosome inactivation at this stage. Functional studies in transgenic mouse cells show that XACT influences XIST accumulation in cis. Our findings therefore suggest a mechanism involving antagonistic activity of XIST and XACT in controlling X chromosome activity in early human embryos, and they highlight the contribution of rapidly evolving lncRNAs to species-specific developmental mechanisms.

Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) cells are T lymphocytes displaying innate effector functions, acquired through a distinct thymic developmental program regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Deleting miRNAs by Dicer ablation (Dicer KO) in thymocytes selectively impairs iNKT cell survival and functional differentiation. To unravel this miRNA-dependent program, we systemically identified transcripts that were differentially expressed between WT and Dicer KO iNKT cells at different differentiation stages and predicted to be targeted by the iNKT cell-specific miRNAs. TGF-β receptor II (TGF-βRII), critically implicated in iNKT cell differentiation, was found up-regulated in iNKT Dicer KO cells together with enhanced TGF-β signaling. miRNA members of the miR-17∼92 family clusters were predicted to target Tgfbr2 mRNA upon iNKT cell development. iNKT cells lacking all three miR-17∼92 family clusters (miR-17∼92, miR-106a∼363, miR-106b∼25) phenocopied both increased TGF-βRII expression and signaling, and defective effector differentiation, displayed by iNKT Dicer KO cells. Consistently, genetic ablation of TGF-β signaling in the absence of miRNAs rescued iNKT cell differentiation. These results elucidate the global impact of miRNAs on the iNKT cell developmental program and uncover the targeting of a lineage-specific cytokine signaling by miRNAs as a mechanism regulating innate-like T-cell development and effector differentiation.

Through the histone methyltransferase EZH2, the Polycomb complex PRC2 mediates H3K27me3 and is associated with transcriptional repression. PRC2 regulates cell-fate decisions in model organisms; however, its role in regulating cell differentiation during human embryogenesis is unknown. Here, we report the characterization of EZH2-deficient human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). H3K27me3 was lost upon EZH2 deletion, identifying an essential requirement for EZH2 in methylating H3K27 in hESCs, in contrast to its non-essential role in mouse ESCs. Developmental regulators were derepressed in EZH2-deficient hESCs, and single-cell analysis revealed an unexpected acquisition of lineage-restricted transcriptional programs. EZH2-deficient hESCs show strongly reduced self-renewal and proliferation, thereby identifying a more severe phenotype compared to mouse ESCs. EZH2-deficient hESCs can initiate differentiation toward developmental lineages; however, they cannot fully differentiate into mature specialized tissues. Thus, EZH2 is required for stable ESC self-renewal, regulation of transcriptional programs, and for late-stage differentiation in this model of early human development.

DNA methylation plays a critical role in the regulation and maintenance of cell-type specific transcriptional programs. Targeted epigenome editing is an emerging technology to specifically regulate cellular gene expression in order to modulate cell phenotypes or dissect the epigenetic mechanisms involved in their control. In this work, we employed a DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L construct fused to the nuclease-inactivated dCas9 programmable targeting domain to introduce DNA methylation into the human genome specifically at the EpCAM, CXCR4 and TFRC gene promoters. We show that targeting of these loci with single gRNAs leads to efficient and widespread methylation of the promoters. Multiplexing of several guide RNAs does not increase the efficiency of methylation. Peaks of targeted methylation were observed around 25 bp upstream and 40 bp downstream of the PAM site, while 20-30 bp of the binding site itself are protected against methylation. Potent methylation is dependent on the multimerization of Dnmt3a/Dnmt3L complexes on the DNA. Furthermore, the introduced methylation causes transcriptional repression of the targeted genes. These new programmable epigenetic editors allow unprecedented control of the DNA methylation status in cells and will lead to further advances in the understanding of epigenetic signaling.

Cardiac hypertrophic growth in response to pathological cues is associated with reexpression of fetal genes and decreased cardiac function and is often a precursor to heart failure. In contrast, physiologically induced hypertrophy is adaptive, resulting in improved cardiac function. The processes that selectively induce these hypertrophic states are poorly understood. Here, we have profiled 2 repressive epigenetic marks, H3K9me2 and H3K27me3, which are involved in stable cellular differentiation, specifically in cardiomyocytes from physiologically and pathologically hypertrophied rat hearts, and correlated these marks with their associated transcriptomes. This analysis revealed the pervasive loss of euchromatic H3K9me2 as a conserved feature of pathological hypertrophy that was associated with reexpression of fetal genes. In hypertrophy, H3K9me2 was reduced following a miR-217-mediated decrease in expression of the H3K9 dimethyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 (EHMT1/2). miR-217-mediated, genetic, or pharmacological inactivation of EHMT1/2 was sufficient to promote pathological hypertrophy and fetal gene reexpression, while suppression of this pathway protected against pathological hypertrophy both in vitro and in mice. Thus, we have established a conserved mechanism involving a departure of the cardiomyocyte epigenome from its adult cellular identity to a reprogrammed state that is accompanied by reexpression of fetal genes and pathological hypertrophy. These results suggest that targeting miR-217 and EHMT1/2 to prevent H3K9 methylation loss is a viable therapeutic approach for the treatment of heart disease.

Isotopic tracer analysis by mass spectrometry is a core technique for the study of metabolism. Isotopically labeled atoms from substrates, such as [C]-labeled glucose, can be traced by their incorporation over time into specific metabolic products. Mass spectrometry is often used for the detection and differentiation of the isotopologues of each metabolite of interest. For meaningful interpretation, mass spectrometry data from metabolic tracer experiments must be corrected to account for the naturally occurring isotopologue distribution. The calculations required for this correction are time consuming and error prone and existing programs are often platform specific, non-intuitive, commercially licensed and/or limited in accuracy by using theoretical isotopologue distributions, which are prone to artifacts from noise or unresolved interfering signals.

Cholesterol can regulate the Hedgehog signalling pathway by directly binding to a receptor on the cell surface.

The three-membered RUNX gene family includes RUNX1, a major mutational target in human leukemias, and displays hallmarks of both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In mouse models, the Runx genes appear to act as conditional oncogenes, as ectopic expression is growth suppressive in normal cells but drives lymphoma development potently when combined with over-expressed Myc or loss of p53. Clues to underlying mechanisms emerged previously from murine fibroblasts where ectopic expression of any of the Runx genes promotes survival through direct and indirect regulation of key enzymes in sphingolipid metabolism associated with a shift in the "sphingolipid rheostat" from ceramide to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Testing of this relationship in lymphoma cells was therefore a high priority. We find that ectopic expression of Runx1 in lymphoma cells consistently perturbs the sphingolipid rheostat, whereas an essential physiological role for Runx1 is revealed by reduced S1P levels in normal spleen after partial Cre-mediated excision. Furthermore, we show that ectopic Runx1 expression confers increased resistance of lymphoma cells to glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis, and elucidate the mechanism of cross-talk between glucocorticoid and sphingolipid metabolism through Sgpp1. Dexamethasone potently induces expression of Sgpp1 in T-lymphoma cells and drives cell death which is reduced by partial knockdown of Sgpp1 with shRNA or direct transcriptional repression of Sgpp1 by ectopic Runx1. Together these data show that Runx1 plays a role in regulating the sphingolipid rheostat in normal development and that perturbation of this cell fate regulator contributes to Runx-driven lymphomagenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1432-1441, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes oxidise DNA methylation as part of an active demethylation pathway. Despite extensive research into the role of TETs in genome regulation, little is known about their effect on transposable elements (TEs), which make up nearly half of the mouse and human genomes. Epigenetic mechanisms controlling TEs have the potential to affect their mobility and to drive the co-adoption of TEs for the benefit of the host.

Long-range interactions between regulatory elements and gene promoters play key roles in transcriptional regulation. The vast majority of interactions are uncharted, constituting a major missing link in understanding genome control. Here, we use promoter capture Hi-C to identify interacting regions of 31,253 promoters in 17 human primary hematopoietic cell types. We show that promoter interactions are highly cell type specific and enriched for links between active promoters and epigenetically marked enhancers. Promoter interactomes reflect lineage relationships of the hematopoietic tree, consistent with dynamic remodeling of nuclear architecture during differentiation. Interacting regions are enriched in genetic variants linked with altered expression of genes they contact, highlighting their functional role. We exploit this rich resource to connect non-coding disease variants to putative target promoters, prioritizing thousands of disease-candidate genes and implicating disease pathways. Our results demonstrate the power of primary cell promoter interactomes to reveal insights into genomic regulatory mechanisms underlying common diseases.

The chromosomal region 6q23 has been found to be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) predisposition through genome wide association studies (GWAS). There are four independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with MS in this region, which spans around 2.5 Mb. Most GWAS variants associated with complex traits, including these four MS associated SNPs, are non-coding and their function is currently unknown. However, GWAS variants have been found to be enriched in enhancers and there is evidence that they may be involved in transcriptional regulation of their distant target genes through long range chromatin looping.

Variation in protein expression is a feature of all cell populations. Using T cell subsets as a proof-of-concept, Lu et al. (2016) develop a framework for dissecting out the contributors to this cell-to-cell expression variation from high-parameter flow cytometry studies.