Project description:Ctcf heterozygous knockout mice are susceptible to neoplasia in a broad range of tissues, including lymphoma, endometrial cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Retention of the wild type Ctcf allele in these tumors establishes CTCF as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene. Both human tumors and normal murine tissues with CTCF disruption are characterized by genome-wide differences in DNA methylation relative to CTCF wild type tissues, indicating even modest disruption of CTCF broadly destabilizes DNA methylation in vivo. This cross species functional analysis identifies CTCF as a commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene and establishes a central role for DNA methylation stability in tumor suppression. RRBS sequencing of transgenic Ctcf heterozygous mice and wild-type litter mate whole lung tissue.
Project description:Ctcf heterozygous knockout mice are susceptible to neoplasia in a broad range of tissues, including lymphoma, endometrial cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Retention of the wild type Ctcf allele in these tumors establishes CTCF as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene. Both human tumors and normal murine tissues with CTCF disruption are characterized by genome-wide differences in DNA methylation relative to CTCF wild type tissues, indicating even modest disruption of CTCF broadly destabilizes DNA methylation in vivo. This cross species functional analysis identifies CTCF as a commonly mutated tumor suppressor gene and establishes a central role for DNA methylation stability in tumor suppression.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
Project description:<p>Metabolic lesions with pleiotropic effects on epigenetic regulation and other cellular processes are widely implicated in cancer, yet their oncogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficiency causes a subset of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with DNA hyper-methylation. Here we associate this hyper-methylation with changes in chromosome topology that activate oncogenic programs. To investigate epigenetic alterations in this disease, we systematically mapped DNA methylation, CTCF insulators, enhancers and chromosome topology in KIT-mutant, PDGFRA-mutant and SDH-deficient GISTs. Although these respective subtypes share similar enhancer landscapes, we identified hundreds of putative insulators where DNA methylation replaced CTCF binding in SDH-deficient GISTs. We focused on disrupted insulators that partitions super-enhancers from FGF3, FGF4 and the KIT oncogene. Recurrent loss of this insulator alters locus topology in SDH-deficient GISTs, allowing aberrant physical interaction between enhancers and oncogenes. CRISPR-mediated excision of the corresponding CTCF motif in an SDH-intact model disrupted the boundary and up-regulated FGFs and KIT expression. Our findings reveal how a metabolic lesion destabilizes chromatin structure to facilitate the initiation and selection of epigenetic alterations that drive oncogenic programs in the absence of canonical mutations.</p>
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility. Gene expression was measured in whole testis from males aged 62-86 days. Samples include 190 first generation lab-bred male offspring of wild-caught mice from the Mus musculus musculus - M. m. domesticus hybrid zone.
Project description:To characterize the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility in detail, we used a systems genetics approach, integrating mapping of gene expression traits with sterility phenotypes and QTL. We measured genome-wide testis expression in 305 male F2s from a cross between wild-derived inbred strains of M. musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. We identified several thousand cis- and trans-acting QTL contributing to expression variation (eQTL). Many trans eQTL cluster into eleven ‘hotspots,’ seven of which co-localize with QTL for sterility phenotypes identified in the cross. The number and clustering of trans eQTL - but not cis eQTL - were substantially lower when mapping was restricted to a ‘fertile’ subset of mice, providing evidence that trans eQTL hotspots are related to sterility. Functional annotation of transcripts with eQTL provides insights into the biological processes disrupted by sterility loci and guides prioritization of candidate genes. Using a conditional mapping approach, we identified eQTL dependent on interactions between loci, revealing a complex system of epistasis. Our results illuminate established patterns, including the role of the X chromosome in hybrid sterility.