Project description:Notch signalling plays crucial roles in mediating cell fate choices in all metazoans largely by specifying the transcriptional output of one cell in response to a neighbouring cell. The DNA-binding protein RBPJ is the principle effector of this pathway in mammals and together with the transcription factor moiety of Notch (NICD) it regulates the expression of target genes. The prevalent view presumes that RBPJ statically occupies consensus binding sites while exchanging repressors for activators in response to NICD. We present the first specific RBPJ chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing study in mammalian cells. To dissect the mode of transcriptional regulation by RBPJ and identify its direct targets, whole genome binding profiles were generated for RBPJ, its coactivator p300, NICD and the histone H3 modifications H3K4me3, H3K4me1 and H3K27ac in myogenic cells under active or inhibitory Notch signalling conditions. Our results demonstrate dynamic binding of RBPJ in response to Notch activation at essentially all sites co-occupied by NICD. Additionally, we identify a distinct set of sites where RBPJ recruits neither NICD nor p300, and binds DNA statically, irrespective of Notch activity. These findings significantly modify our views on how RBPJ and Notch signalling mediate their activities and consequently impact on cell fate decisions. ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) is followed by deep sequencing to generate genome-wide patterns of RBP-J binding in mouse C2C12 cells under various conditions. Cells were either Notch activated by exposure to immobilized ligand or by overexpression of NICDGFP, or Notch inhibited by treatment with DAPT. Notch activation and inhibition treatments were applied for 6h and 24h. In addition to RBP-J, p300 and NICDGFP were profiled by ChIP-Seq and gene expression was assessed by RNA-Seq.
Project description:Notch signalling plays crucial roles in mediating cell fate choices in all metazoans largely by specifying the transcriptional output of one cell in response to a neighbouring cell. The DNA-binding protein RBPJ is the principle effector of this pathway in mammals and together with the transcription factor moiety of Notch (NICD) it regulates the expression of target genes. The prevalent view presumes that RBPJ statically occupies consensus binding sites while exchanging repressors for activators in response to NICD. We present the first specific RBPJ chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing study in mammalian cells. To dissect the mode of transcriptional regulation by RBPJ and identify its direct targets, whole genome binding profiles were generated for RBPJ, its coactivator p300, NICD and the histone H3 modifications H3K4me3, H3K4me1 and H3K27ac in myogenic cells under active or inhibitory Notch signalling conditions. Our results demonstrate dynamic binding of RBPJ in response to Notch activation at essentially all sites co-occupied by NICD. Additionally, we identify a distinct set of sites where RBPJ recruits neither NICD nor p300, and binds DNA statically, irrespective of Notch activity. These findings significantly modify our views on how RBPJ and Notch signalling mediate their activities and consequently impact on cell fate decisions.
Project description:Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathway that is essential for metazoan development. At the molecular level, the key components of the Notch pathway are the NOTCH-family receptors, the ligands of the DSL (Delta, Serrate, Lag-2) family and the transcription factor CSL [CBF1/RBPJ, Su(H), Lag-1]. Upon ligand binding, the NOTCH Intra-Cellular Domain (NOTCH ICD) translocates into the nucleus and forms a complex with RBPJ to activate the transcription of target genes. In the absence of NOTCH ICD, RBPJ acts as a transcriptional repressor. Using a proteomic approach, we identified L3MBTL3 as a novel interactor of RBPJ. We discovered that L3MBTL3 competes with NOTCH ICD for binding to RBPJ. In the absence of NOTCH ICD, RBPJ recruits L3MBTL3 and its co-factor KDM1A [lysine (K)-specific demethylase 1A] to the promoters/enhancers of Notch target genes to promote H3K4me2 demethylation and transcriptional repression. In three distinct cell contexts in which Notch signaling governs cell fate, i.e., mature T-cells as well as brain and breast tumor cells, the loss of L3MBTL3 results in the de-repression of Notch target genes. Finally, the genetic analyses of the homologs of RBPJ and L3MBTL3 in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans demonstrate that the functional link between RBPJ/Su(H)/lag-1 and L3MBTL3/dL(3)mbt/lin-61 is evolutionarily conserved, thus identifying L3MBTL3 as a universal modulator of Notch signaling in metazoans.
Project description:The Notch signalling pathway is a master regulator of cell fate transitions in development and disease. In the brain, Notch promotes neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, regulates neuronal migration and maturation and can act as an oncogene or tumour suppressor. How NOTCH and its transcription factor RBPJ activate distinct gene regulatory networks in closely related cell types in vivo remains to be determined. Here we use Targeted DamID (TaDa), requiring only thousands of cells, to identify NOTCH and RBPJ binding in NSCs and their progeny in the mouse embryonic cerebral cortex in vivo. We find that NOTCH and RBPJ associate with a broad network of NSC genes. Repression of NSC-specific Notch target genes in intermediate progenitors and neurons correlates with decreased chromatin accessibility, suggesting that chromatin compaction may contribute to restricting NOTCH-mediated transactivation.
Project description:The main oncogenic driver in T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-LL) is NOTCH1, which activates genes by forming chromatin-associated Notch transcription complexes. Gamma-secretase (GSI) inhibitor treatment prevents NOTCH1 nuclear localization, but most genes with NOTCH1 binding sites are insensitive to GSI. Here, we demonstrate that fewer than 10% of NOTCH1 binding sites show dynamic changes in NOTCH1 occupancy when T-LL cells are toggled between the Notch-on and –off states with GSI. Dynamic NOTCH1 sites are functional, being highly associated with Notch target genes, are located mainly in distal enhancers, and frequently overlap with RUNX1 binding. In line with the latter association, we show that expression of IL7R, a gene with key roles in normal T cell development and in T-LL, is coordinately regulated by Runx factors and dynamic NOTCH1 binding to distal enhancers. Like IL7R, most Notch target genes and associated dynamic NOTCH1 binding sites co-occupy chromatin domains defined by constitutive binding of CCCTC binding factor (CTCF), which appears to restrict the regulatory potential of dynamic NOTCH1 sites. More remarkably, the majority of dynamic NOTCH1 sites lie in super-enhancers, distal elements with exceptionally broad and high levels of H3K27ac. Changes in Notch occupancy produces dynamic alterations in H3K27ac levels across the entire breadth of super-enhancers and in the promoters of nearby Notch target genes. These findings link regulation of super-enhancer function to NOTCH1, a master regulatory factor and potent oncoprotein in the context of immature T cells, and delineate a generally applicable roadmap for identifying functional Notch sites in cellular genomes. NOTCH1/RBPJ complexes binding dynamics in human T-LL
Project description:The transcription factor Ikaros represses Notch signaling. Since Ikaros and Notch treanscriptional mediator RBPJ both recognize sequences that contain the same core TGGGAA motif, it was hypothesized that Ikaros represses Notch signaling by targeting Notch response elements and competing with RBPJ for their binding. Here we used the mouse T-cell leukemia cell line T29 to compare the genomic binding profiles of Ikaros and RBPJ by ChIP-seq. The T29 cell line is derived from a Ikaros-deficient T-cell leukemia (Dumortier et al, MCB 26, 209-220, 2006) and exhibits strong Notch activation. We performed two chip-seq experiments with an anti-RBPJ antibody to map RBPJ binding sites. To map Ikaros binding sites, we engineered a T29-derived cell line that expresses a fusion protein between Ikaros and the ligand binding domain of the estrogen receptor (Ik1-ER) which is activated by addition of 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4OHT). We used an anti-Ikaros antibody to map the sites bound by Ik1-ER after treatment of the cells with 4OHT. Sequencing were performed with the Illumina GAII sequencer as as single end 36 base pair reads.
Project description:The transcription factor Ikaros represses Notch signaling. Since Ikaros and Notch treanscriptional mediator RBPJ both recognize sequences that contain the same core TGGGAA motif, it was hypothesized that Ikaros represses Notch signaling by targeting Notch response elements and competing with RBPJ for their binding. Here we used the mouse T-cell leukemia cell line T29 to compare the genomic binding profiles of Ikaros and RBPJ by ChIP-seq.
Project description:In Hydra, Notch inhibition causes defects in head patterning and prevents differentiation of proliferating nematocyte progenitor cells into mature nematocytes. To understand the molecular mechanisms by which the Notch pathway regulates these processes, we performed RNA-seq and identified genes that are differentially regulated in response to 48 h of treating the animals with the Notch inhibitor DAPT. To identify candidate direct regulators of Notch signalling, we profiled gene expression changes that occur during subsequent restoration of Notch activity and performed promoter analyses to identify RBPJ transcription factor-binding sites in the regulatory regions of Notch-responsive genes. Interrogating the available single-cell sequencing data set revealed the gene expression patterns of Notch-regulated Hydra genes. Through these analyses, a comprehensive picture of the molecular pathways regulated by Notch signalling in head patterning and in interstitial cell differentiation in Hydra emerged. As prime candidates for direct Notch target genes, in addition to Hydra (Hy)Hes, we suggest Sp5 and HyAlx. They rapidly recovered their expression levels after DAPT removal and possess Notch-responsive RBPJ transcription factorbinding sites in their regulatory regions
Project description:Liver cholestasis is a chronic liver disease (CLD) which belongs to a major health problem. Cholestasis is characterised by a decrease in bile flow due to impaired secretion by hepatocytes or by obstruction of bile flow through intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts. Thereby cholestasis can induce ductal proliferation, hepatocyte injury and liver fibrosis. Notch signalling promotes the formation and maturation of ductular reactions. We investigated the liver regeneration process in the context of cholestasis induced by disruption of the Notch signalling pathway. Liver-specific deletion of Rbpj, which represents a key regulator of Notch signalling, induces severe cholestasis through impaired IHBD maturation, severe necrosis and increased lethality. Deregulation of the biliary compartment and cholestasis are associated with change of several signalling pathways including the Hippo pathway resulting in upregulation of SOX9, which is associated with transdifferentiation of hepatocytes. SOX9 upregulation in cholestatic liver injury in vitro is independent of Notch signalling. We could comprehensively address that Rbpj depletion is followed by deregulation of YAP/TEAD, which influences transdifferentiation of hepatocytes and thereby contributing to liver regeneration. In this study the liver regeneration process was analyzed in 4 weeks old Rbpj knockout mice and compared to 4 weeks old Rbpj wildtype mice.
Project description:Dysregulation of the Notch-RBPJ signaling pathway has been found associated with various human diseases including cancers; however, precisely how this key signaling pathway is fine-tuned via its interactors and modifications is still largely unknown. In this study, using a proteomic approach, we identified FBXO42 as a novel RBPJ interactor. FBXO42 promotes RBPJ polyubiquitination on lysine (K) 175 via K63 linkage, which enhances the association of RBPJ with chromatin remodeling complexes and induces a global chromatin relaxation. Genetically depleting FBXO42 or pharmacologically targeting its E3 ligase activity attenuates the Notch signaling-related leukemia development in vivo. Taken together, our findings not only revealed FBXO42 as a critical regulator of the Notch pathway by modulating RBPJ-dependent global chromatin landscape changes, but also provide insights into the therapeutic intervention of the Notch pathway for leukemia treatment.