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Imprinted DNA methylation reconstituted at a non-imprinted locus

ABSTRACT: Background: In mammals, tight regulation of cytosine methylation is required for embryonic development and cellular differentiation. The trans-acting DNA methyltransferases that catalyze this modification have been identified and characterized; however, these proteins lack sequence specificity, leaving the mechanism of targeting unknown. A cis acting regulator within the Rasgrf1 imprinting control region (ICR) is necessary for establishment and maintenance of imprinted methylation at the locus. Here we investigate whether 3kb of sequence from the Rasgrf1 ICR is sufficient to direct appropriate imprinted methylation and target-gene expression patterns when ectopically inserted at the Wnt1 locus. Results: The Rasgrf1 ICR at Wnt1 lacked somatic methylation when maternally transmitted, and was fully methylated upon paternal transmission, consistent with its behavior at the Rasgrf1 locus. It was unmethylated in the female germline and was enriched for methylation in the male germline, though not to the levels seen at the endogenous Rasgrf1 allele. Wnt1 expression was not imprinted by our construct, likely due to additional sequences being required for this function. Conclusion: We have identified sequences that are sufficient for partial establishment and full maintenance of the imprinted DNA methylation patterns. Because full somatic methylation can occur without full gametic methylation, we infer that somatic methylation of the Rasgrf1 ICR is not simply a consequence of maintained gametic methylation.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE79895 | GEO | 2016/09/12

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA317334

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:It is increasingly being recognized that physical interactions between distant chromosomal loci influence the expressivity of the genome. Thus, multiple enhancers may converge on a single gene promoter 1,2 and a single enhancer can stochastically loop to multiple promoters 3. Regulatory elements from neighboring domains or from other chromosomes may interact to generate chromatin structures poised for transcription4-8 or repression 9-11. However, a broader perspective on the formation and function of such networks remains largely unexplored. Using the high-resolution 4C (Circular Chromosome Conformation Capture) analysis, we identify here a genome-wide physical network between genomically imprinted domains impinging H19 imprinting control region (ICR). Sequences interacting with the H19 ICR constitutively map at or within most of known imprinted domains both in mouse embryonic stem cells and in vitro-derived embryoid bodies, despite distinct differences in chromatin environments. Moreover, all-to-all 3D DNA FISH analyses revealed that imprinted domains from 7 different chromosomes co-localize with each other in pair-wise patterns, highlighting the dynamic nature of these interactions. The observed interaction network is dependent on CTCF binding sites within the maternally inherited H19 ICR allele and delays reprogramming of epigenetic features at imprinted domains during male germline development. As other imprinted regions can interact with each other in an H19 ICR-dependent manner, the H19 ICR emerges as an organizer of chromosomal networks by specifically recognizing and reconfiguring imprinted domains. We propose that an ancient key regulatory region, such as the H19 ICR, gradually impacted epigenetic modifications via long-range interactions in the germline to facilitate the recruitment of imprinted genes and their formation in clusters during mammalian radiation. Furthermore, the perspective of epigenetic lesions de-stabilizing such chromosomal networks may advance our understanding of how quantitative traits influence human diseases, such as cancer.

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Imprinted DNA methylation reconstituted at a non-imprinted locus

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