Project description:We used ChIP-Seq to map Ldb1, Scl and Gata1 binding sites in mouse total bone marrow cells. Together with functional studies comparing gene expression in Murine Erythroleukemia (MEL) cells expressing Ldb1 shRNA or control shRNA and bioinformatics analysis, we systematically determined the transcriptional program controlled by Ldb1 complexes in erythropoiesis. This represents the ChIP-Seq component of the study only To evaluate the role of Ldb1complexes in erythroid gene activation
Project description:Many questions remain about how close association of genes and distant enhancers occurs and how this is linked to transcription activation. In erythroid cells, LDB1 is recruited to the β-globin locus via LMO2 and is required for looping of the β-globin locus control region (LCR) to the active β-globin promoter. We show that the LDB1 dimerization domain (DD) is necessary and, when fused to LMO2 is sufficient, to completely restore LCR-promoter looping and transcription in LDB1 depleted cells. The looping function of the DD is unique and irreplaceable by heterologous dimerization domains. Dissection of the DD revealed distinct functional properties of conserved subdomains. Notably, a conserved helical region (DD4/5) is dispensable for LDB1 dimerization and chromatin looping but essential for transcriptional activation. DD4/5 is required for the recruitment of the co-regulators FOG1 and NuRD complex. Lack of DD4/5 alters histone acetylation and RNA polymerase II recruitment and results in failure of the locus to migrate to the nuclear interior as normally occurs during erythroid maturation. These results uncouple enhancer-promoter looping from nuclear migration and transcription activation and reveal new roles for LDB1in these processes. RNA-seq in LDB1 knockdown, LDB1 delta4/5 construct, LDB1 full-length construct, and control in induced MEL cells; three replicates each.
Project description:Prolonged or enhanced expression of the proto-oncogene Lmo2 is associated with a severe form of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), designated Early T-progenitor ALL (ETP-ALL), that is characterized by the aberrant self-renewal and subsequent oncogenic transformation of immature thymocytes. Recent data suggest that Lmo2 may exert these effects by functioning as component of a multi-subunit transcription complex that includes the ubiquitous adapter Ldb1 along with b-HLH and/or GATA family transcription factors. In this study, we investigated the importance of Ldb1 for Lmo2-induced T-ALL by conditional deletion of Ldb1 in thymocytes in a Lmo2 transgenic mouse model of T-ALL. Our results identify a critical requirement for Ldb1 in the induction of thymocyte self-renewal, thymocyte radio-resistance and transition to T-ALL in Lmo2 transgenic mice. Ldb1 was also required for acquisition of the pre-leukemic ETP gene expression signature in immature Lmo2 transgenic thymocytes. Together, these results support a model where Lmo2-induced T-ALL results from failure to down-regulate Ldb/Lmo2 nucleated transcription complexes that normally function to enforce self-renewal in bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors
Project description:Many questions remain about how close association of genes and distant enhancers occurs and how this is linked to transcription activation. In erythroid cells, LDB1 is recruited to the β-globin locus via LMO2 and is required for looping of the β-globin locus control region (LCR) to the active β-globin promoter. We show that the LDB1 dimerization domain (DD) is necessary and, when fused to LMO2 is sufficient, to completely restore LCR-promoter looping and transcription in LDB1 depleted cells. The looping function of the DD is unique and irreplaceable by heterologous dimerization domains. Dissection of the DD revealed distinct functional properties of conserved subdomains. Notably, a conserved helical region (DD4/5) is dispensable for LDB1 dimerization and chromatin looping but essential for transcriptional activation. DD4/5 is required for the recruitment of the co-regulators FOG1 and NuRD complex. Lack of DD4/5 alters histone acetylation and RNA polymerase II recruitment and results in failure of the locus to migrate to the nuclear interior as normally occurs during erythroid maturation. These results uncouple enhancer-promoter looping from nuclear migration and transcription activation and reveal new roles for LDB1in these processes.
Project description:Carbonic anhydrase 1 (Car1), an early specific marker of the erythroid differentiation, has been used to distinguish fetal and adult erythroid cells since its production closely follows the γ- to β-globin transition, but the molecular mechanism underlying transcriptional regulation of Car1 is unclear. Here, we show that Car1 mRNA decreases significantly when erythroid differentiation is induced in MEL cells. The Ldb1 protein complex including GATA1/SCL/LMO2 binds to the Car1 promoter in uninduced cells and reduced enrichment of the complex during differentiation correlates with loss of Car1 expression. Knockdown of Ldb1 results in a reduction of Ser2 phosphorylated RNA Pol II and Cdk9 at the Car1 promoter region, suggesting that Ldb1 is required for recruitment of Pol II as well as the transcription regulator P-TEFb to enhance elongation of Car1 transcripts. Taken together, these data show that Ldb1 forms a regulatory complex to maintain Car1 expression in erythroid cells. Expression analysis of induced and uninduced MEL cells after control or Ldb1 shRNA knockdown.
Project description:How transcription factors (TFs) cooperate within large protein complexes to allow rapid modulation of gene expression during development is still largely unknown. Here we show that the key haematopoietic LIM-domain-binding protein-1 (LDB1) TF complex contains several activator and repressor components that together maintain an erythroid-specific gene expression programme primed for rapid activation until differentiation is induced. A combination of proteomics, functional genomics and in vivo studies presented here identifies known and novel co-repressors, most notably the ETO2 and IRF2BP2 proteins, involved in maintaining this primed state. The ETO2–IRF2BP2 axis, interacting with the NCOR1/SMRT co-repressor complex, suppresses the expression of the vast majority of archetypical erythroid genes and pathways until its decommissioning at the onset of terminal erythroid differentiation. Our experiments demonstrate that multimeric regulatory complexes feature a dynamic interplay between activating and repressing components that determines lineage-specific gene expression and cellular differentiation.
Project description:How transcription factors (TFs) cooperate within large protein complexes to allow rapid modulation of gene expression during development is still largely unknown. Here we show that the key haematopoietic LIM-domain-binding protein-1 (LDB1) TF complex contains several activator and repressor components that together maintain an erythroid-specific gene expression programme primed for rapid activation until differentiation is induced. A combination of proteomics, functional genomics and in vivo studies presented here identifies known and novel co-repressors, most notably the ETO2 and IRF2BP2 proteins, involved in maintaining this primed state. The ETO2â??IRF2BP2 axis, interacting with the NCOR1/SMRT co-repressor complex, suppresses the expression of the vast majority of archetypical erythroid genes and pathways until its decommissioning at the onset of terminal erythroid differentiation. Our experiments demonstrate that multimeric regulatory complexes feature a dynamic interplay between activating and repressing components that determines lineage-specific gene expression and cellular differentiation. ChIP-Sequencing profiles of the IRF2BP2, GFI1B and LSD1 proteins were generated using mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. RNA-seq experiments of Irf2bp2-WT, Irf2bp2-KD, Eto2-WT, Eto2-KD, Gfi1b-WT, Gfi1b-KD, Lsd1-WT, Lsd1-KD, MEL-non-induced, and MEL-induced stages were performed using standard RNA-seq protocol. Illumina HiSeq 2000 (standard TruSeq RNA sequencing protocol) was used for the sequencing.
Project description:Transcriptional enhancers can be in physical proximity with their target genes via chromatin looping. The enhancer at the beta-globin locus (LCR) contacts the fetal (HBG) and adult (HBB) type beta-globin genes during corresponding developmental stages. We previously demonstrated that forcing proximity between the LCR and HBG genes in cultured adult-stage erythroid cells can activate HBG transcription. Activation of HBG expression in erythroid cells is of benefit to patients with sickle cell disease. Here, using the beta-globin locus as a model we provide proof-of-concept at the organismal level that forced enhancer re-wiring might present a strategy to alter gene expression for therapeutic purposes. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) from mice bearing human beta-globin genes were transduced with lentiviral vectors expressing a synthetic transcription factor (ZF-Ldb1) that fosters LCR-HBG contacts. When engrafted into host animals, HSPCs gave rise to adult-type erythroid cells with elevated HBG expression. Vectors containing ZF-Ldb1 were optimized for activity in cultured human and rhesus erythroid cells. Upon transplantation into rhesus macaques, erythroid cells from HSPCs expressing ZF-Ldb1 displayed elevated HBG production. These findings in two animal models suggest that forced redirection of gene regulatory elements may be used to alter gene expression to treat disease.
Project description:The nephron, functional unit of the vertebrate kidney, is specialized in metabolic wastes excretion and body fluids osmoregulation. Given the high evolutionary conservation of gene expression and segmentation patterning between mammalian and amphibian nephrons, the Xenopus laevis pronephric kidney offers a simplified model for studying nephrogenesis. The Lhx1 transcription factor plays critical roles in kidney development, regulating target gene expression by forming multiprotein complexes with LIM binding protein 1 (Ldb1). However, few Lhx1-Ldb1 cofactors have been identified for this organ formation. By tandem- affinity purification from kidney-induced Xenopus animal caps, we identified single-stranded DNA binding protein 2 (Ssbp2) to interact with the Ldb1-Lhx1 complex. Ssbp2 is expressed in the Xenopus pronephros, and knockdown prevents normal morphogenesis and differentiation of the glomus and the convoluted renal tubules. We demonstrate a role for a member of the Ssbp family in kidney organogenesis and provide evidence of a fundamental function for the Ldb1-Lhx1-Ssbp transcriptional complexes in embryonic development.
Project description:Carbonic anhydrase 1 (Car1), an early specific marker of the erythroid differentiation, has been used to distinguish fetal and adult erythroid cells since its production closely follows the γ- to β-globin transition, but the molecular mechanism underlying transcriptional regulation of Car1 is unclear. Here, we show that Car1 mRNA decreases significantly when erythroid differentiation is induced in MEL cells. The Ldb1 protein complex including GATA1/SCL/LMO2 binds to the Car1 promoter in uninduced cells and reduced enrichment of the complex during differentiation correlates with loss of Car1 expression. Knockdown of Ldb1 results in a reduction of Ser2 phosphorylated RNA Pol II and Cdk9 at the Car1 promoter region, suggesting that Ldb1 is required for recruitment of Pol II as well as the transcription regulator P-TEFb to enhance elongation of Car1 transcripts. Taken together, these data show that Ldb1 forms a regulatory complex to maintain Car1 expression in erythroid cells.