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Developmental cell type specific enhancers in orofacial morphology and disease [mouse]

ABSTRACT: The noncoding genome contains sequences called enhancers which facilitate expression of target genes through recruitment and binding of transcription factors. Enhancers are typically active in developmental stage-, tissue-, and cell type-specific patterns, whereby they control the spatiotemporal expression patterns of target genes. Sequence variation within enhancers can alter expression of their target genes where the enhancer is active, causing isolated phenotypes ranging from normal morphological differences to malformations. The role of orofacial enhancers in normal morphology and disease of the orofacial region has previously been established in bulk human assays. However, the conservation of these findings and the cell types contributing to these phenotypes are unknown, limiting work in prevention and treatment of malformations. To uncover cell type-specific enhancers whose sequence variants contribute to normal facial morphology and malformations, we performed single cell multiome (snATAC and snRNA-seq) sequencing on 17 human samples spanning 6 unique stages from 4-8 weeks gestation and 14 mouse samples spanning 6 stages from E9.5-15.5. We identified 15 distinct cell types, for which we leveraged the cell type specific chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic profiles and previously published chromatin conformation data to identify cell type specific enhancer-gene predicted interactions, which we call the ‘enhancerprints’. These enhancerprints revealed a cell type-specific enrichment pattern of common single nucleotide variants for biologically relevant phenotypes such as epithelium in orofacial clefting and mesenchyme in facial variation.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE249496 | GEO | 2025/12/01

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The cranial neural crest plays a fundamental role in orofacial development and morphogenesis. As a pluripotent and dynamic cell population, the cranial neural crest is undergoing vast transcriptional alterations throughout embryogenesis and the formation of facial structures. These transcriptional changes are regulated by several transcription factors and remodeling complexes. Previously, we revealed the relevance of the Ep400/Kat5 histone acetyltransferase complex in the cranial neural crest and showed that the knockout of Ep400 causes neural crest-related malformations such as orofacial clefting. Furthermore, a case study identified three patients carrying missense mutations in Kat5 who showed severe mental impairments as well as orofacial clefts.2 The exact molecular causes and mechanisms, however, are still unknown. In this study we selectively knocked out Ep400 or Kat5 in the murine cranial neural crest cell line O9-1 to examine its roles in neural crest biology. To understand the regulatory effects of Ep400 and Kat5, knockout neural crest cells were investigated via bulk RNA sequencing to unravel transcriptomic changes in the affected cells. Bioinformatic analyses hinted at the regulation of major cellular functions such as proliferation, ATP generation and protein synthesis by the Ep400/Kat5 complex. Reduced proliferation was confirmed by crystal violet staining, phospho-histone H3 staining and the determination of mitotic cells with condensed chromatin in vitro. We did not detect increased apoptosis in the knockout cell lines. The energetic profile of the cells was investigated by Seahorse technology. The ATP-rate assay showed a decreased glycolytic activity in Ep400- or Kat5-deficient cells. An O-propargyl-puromycin (OPP) Click-iT assay revealed a significant reduction in protein synthesis. To verify in vivo the discovered in vitro effects, Ep400 and Kat5 were selectively ablated in cranial neural crest using Wnt1-Cre in transgenic mice. The knockout of each of the subunits resulted in severe craniofacial malformations from E12.5 onwards. At E10.5 a significant reduction in neural crest-derived tissue and proliferation rate was evident. The strong defect in orofacial structures of mice lacking Kat5 or Ep400 completely correspond to the milder orofacial malformations in patients carrying heterozygous missense mutations. Our results furthermore argue that changes of metabolism, protein synthesis and proliferation in cranial neural crest cells are responsible for the orofacial defects observed in patients.

Project description:The purpose of this project is to identify genes associated with normal human quantitative facial variation. The motivation for this project stems from the fact that very little is known about how variation in specific genes relates to the diversity of facial forms commonly observed in humans. Viable candidates for these morphogenes originate from a number of sources: tissue expression studies, animal models with targeted or spontaneous mutations, and genetic syndromes with craniofacial manifestations. Importantly, understanding the genetic basis for normal facial variation also has important implications for health-related research. For example, this work has the potential to shed light on the factors influencing liability to common craniofacial anomalies such as orofacial clefts. There is now ample evidence that certain facial features (e.g., increased midfacial retrusion) characterize individuals genetically at-risk for orofacial clefts (e.g., biological relatives of affected cases). While these predisposing facial features are statistically over-represented in at-risk groups, they are also common in the general population. Since many of the current candidate genes for clefting are thought to play a critical role in facial morphogenesis, variation in these genes may also underlie normal variation in these facial features. These candidate genes, however, probably represent only a small fraction of the total number of loci influencing normal human facial variation. Phenotypes for this project were obtained from over 3000 healthy Caucasian subjects recruited through three separate studies. The majority of the subjects were recruited as part of the 3D Facial Norms Project, which is described in extensive detail here: (<a href="https://www.facebase.org/facial_norms/notes" target="_blank">https://www.facebase.org/facial_norms/notes</a>). The provided dbGaP phenotypes include a series of anthropometric craniofacial measurements (linear distances) primarily derived from 3D photographic facial surface scans (see previous hyperlink). The specific genotyping requested is described elsewhere in this document. Our analysis team is pursuing a variety of different analytic approaches to derive genetically informative phenotypes, including various shape-based morphometric methods. For those interested in pursuing more advanced phenotypic approaches, the original 3D surface scans and additional phenotypic traits are available to researchers through the FaceBase Consortium. This dataset has the potential to facilitate the discovery of new genetic loci with an important role in both normal and abnormal facial development. It may also serve as a dataset to test hypotheses regarding specific SNP associations (e.g. as a replication dataset) or as part of a larger meta-analysis.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Orofacial development is a multifaceted process involving precise, spatio-temporal expression of a panoply of genes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute the largest family of noncoding RNAs involved in gene silencing, and represent critical regulators of cell and tissue differentiation. MicroRNA gene expression profiling is an effective means of acquiring novel and valuable information regarding the expression and regulation of genes, under the control of miRNA, involved in mammalian orofacial development. RESULTS: To identify differentially expressed miRNAs during mammalian orofacial ontogenesis, miRNA expression profiles from gestation day (GD) -12, -13 and -14 murine orofacial tissue were compared utilizing miRXplore™ microarrays from Miltenyi Biotech GmbH. TaqManTM quantitative Real-Time PCR was utilized for validation of gene expression changes. Cluster analysis of the microarray data was conducted with the clValid R package and the UPGMA (hierarchical) clustering method. Functional relationships between selected miRNAs were investigated using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Expression of over 26% of the approximately 588 murine miRNA genes examined was detected in murine orofacial tissues from GD 12, 13 and 14. Among these expressed genes several clusters were seen to be developmentally regulated. Differential expression of genes encoding miRNAs within such clusters were shown to target genes encoding proteins involved in cell proliferation, cell adhesion, differentiation, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, all processes critical for normal orofacial development. Functional relationships between miRNAs differentially expressed were investigated using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA; Ingenuity Systems). CONCLUSIONS: Using miRNA microarray technology, unique gene expression signatures of hundreds of miRNAs in embryonic orofacial tissue were defined. Gene targeting and functional analysis revealed that the expression of numerous protein-encoding genes, crucial to normal orofacial ontogeny, may be regulated by specific miRNAs. Time-course experiment (Developmental Stages), ICR mice embryos on gestational days (GD) 12, 13 and 14. Biological replicates: For each day of gestation, 3 independent pools of 15 to 20 staged embryos were used to procure embryonic orofacial tissues for preparation of 3 distinct pools of RNA that were independently processed and applied to individual miRXplore™ microRNA Microarray chips (Miltenyi Biotec GmbH). Technology: 2-color spotted cDNA, Hy5 (experimental sample) vs. Hy3 (control - miRXplore Universal Reference).

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Developmental cell type specific enhancers in orofacial morphology and disease [mouse]

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