Project description:Huntington neurodegenerative disease (HD) is associated with extensive down-regulation of neuronal genes. We show preferential down-regulation of super-enhancer-regulated neuronal function genes in the striatum of HD mice. Striatal super-enhancers display extensive H3K27 acetylation within gene bodies and drive transcription characterized by low levels of paused RNAPII. Down-regulation of gene expression is associated with diminished H3K27 acetylation and RNAPII recruitment. Striatal super-enhancers are enriched in binding motifs for Gata transcription factors, such as Gata2 regulating striatal identity genes. Thus, enhancer topography and transcription dynamics are major parameters determining the propensity of a gene to be deregulated in a neurodegenerative disease. Examination of H3k27ac and RNA pol II in Striatum by deep sequencing
Project description:The master transcription factors Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog bind enhancer elements and recruit the Mediator co-activator to activate much of the gene expression program of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We report here that the ESC master transcription factors and Mediator form “super-enhancers” at most genes known to control the pluripotent state, including those encoding the master transcription factors themselves. These super-enhancers consist of extraordinarily large genomic domains occupied by exceptional amounts of Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Klf4, Esrrb and Mediator. Super-enhancers stimulate considerably higher transcription than typical enhancers in vivo and in reporter vectors. Reduced levels of Oct4 or Mediator cause preferential loss of expression of super-enhancer-associated genes relative to other genes, suggesting how changes in gene expression programs might be accomplished during development. In other more differentiated cells, super-enhancers containing cell-type-specific master transcription factors are also found at genes that define cell identity. These results implicate super-enhancers in the control of mammalian cell identity and differentiation. ChIP-Seq and controls associated with Super-Enhancers in murine cell types
Project description:Cellular differentiation involves widespread epigenetic reprogramming, including modulation of DNA methylation patterns. We have investigated DNA genome-wide methylation dynamics in embryonic stem cells, primary myoblasts, terminal differentiated myotubes and mature myofibers. About 1.000 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) have been indentified during muscle-lineage determination and terminal differentiation. As a whole, muscle lineage commitment was characterized by a major gain of DNA methylation, while muscle differentiation was accompanied by loss of DNA methylation in CpG-poor regions. Notably, hypomethylated regions in muscle cells were neighboured by enhancer-type chromatin, suggesting the involvement of DNA methylation in the regulation of cell-type specific enhancers. Indeed, one of the hypomethylations detected in muscle cells affected the super-enhancer of the master transcription factor Myf5. Super-enhancers have been defined as large clusters of transcriptional enhancers driving cell-identity and gene expression, but how these lineage-specific super-enhancers are specifically activated or repressed in different tissues is not well understood. We demonstrated that the binding of the transcription factor USF1 to Myf5 locus occurs upon DNA demethylation of the super-enhancer region in myogenic committed cells. Taken all together, we have characterized the unique DNA methylation signatures of muscle-committed cells and highlighted the importance of DNA methylation mediated regulation of cell identity super-enhancers. We have investigated DNA genome-wide methylation dynamics in embryonic stem cells, primary myoblasts, terminal differentiated myotubes and mature myofibers by AIMS-seq techniques and coupled to microarray expression data by SurePrint G3 Mouse 8x60K from Agilent Technologies. Samples were in triplicates, except for ESCs (quadruplicates).
Project description:Super-enhancers are principal determinants of cell transcription, development, phenotype, and oncogenesis, not yet implicated in host-pathogen interactions. We found four Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) oncoproteins and five EBV-activated NF-M-oM-^AM-+B subunits co-occupying thousand of enhancer sites in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs). Of these, 187 had markedly higher and broader histone H3K27ac signals characteristic of super-enhancer formation, and were designated M-bM-^@M-^\EBV super-enhancersM-bM-^@M-^]. EBV super-enhancer associated genes included MYC and BCL2, which enable LCL proliferation and survival. EBV super-enhancers were enriched for specific B cell transcription factor motifs and had high STAT5 and NFAT co-occupancy. EBV super-enhancer associated genes were more highly expressed than other LCL genes. Disruption of EBV super-enhancers by the bromo-domain inhibitor, JQ1, by conditional inactivation of an EBV oncoprotein or NF-M-oM-^AM-+B, decreased MYC or BCL2 gene expression and arrested LCL growth. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms by which EBV causes lymphoproliferation and identify opportunities for therapeutic intervention. ChIP-seq was used to define the BRD4 genome-wide landscape in GM12878 lymphoblastoid cells.
Project description:Huntington neurodegenerative disease (HD) is associated with extensive down-regulation of neuronal genes. We show preferential down-regulation of super-enhancer-regulated neuronal function genes in the striatum of HD mice. Striatal super-enhancers display extensive H3K27 acetylation within gene bodies and drive transcription characterized by low levels of paused RNAPII. Down-regulation of gene expression is associated with diminished H3K27 acetylation and RNAPII recruitment. Striatal super-enhancers are enriched in binding motifs for Gata transcription factors, such as Gata2 regulating striatal identity genes. Thus, enhancer topography and transcription dynamics are major parameters determining the propensity of a gene to be deregulated in a neurodegenerative disease. RNA profiles in Striatum of WT and R6/1 mice by deep sequencing using Illumina HiSeq 2000.
Project description:Proinflammatory stimuli rapidly and globally remodel chromatin landscape, thereby enabling transcriptional responses. Yet, the mechanisms coupling chromatin regulators to the master regulatory inflammatory transcription factor NF-kB remain poorly understood. We report in human endothelial cells (ECs) that activated NF-kB binds to enhancers, provoking a rapid, global redistribution of BRD4 preferentially at super-enhancers, large enhancer domains highly bound by chromatin regulators. Newly established NF-kB super-enhancers drive nearby canonical inflammatory response genes. In both ECs and macrophages BET bromodomain inhibition prevents super-enhancer formation downstream of NF-kB activation, abrogating proinflammatory transcription. In TNFa-activated endothelium this culminates in functional suppression of leukocyte rolling, adhesion and transmigration. Sustained BET bromodomain inhibitor treatment of LDLr -/- animals suppresses atherogenesis, a disease process rooted in pathological vascular inflammation involving endothelium and macrophages. These data establish BET-bromodomains as key effectors of inflammatory response through their role in the dynamic, global reorganization of super-enhancers during NF-kB activation. ChIP-Seq for various transcription factors, RNA Polymerase II, and histone modifications in human endothelial cells
Project description:Using GRO-Seq, we find extensive regulation of enhancer RNAs (eRNA) within super-enhancers in response to lipopolysaccharide treatment in macrophages. Both activation and repression of gene expression are associated with super-enhancers and eRNA transcription dynamics. Co-treatment of LPS and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone targeted specific super-enhancers by attenuating their eRNA expression, leading to reduced expression of key inflammatory genes. We propose that super-enhancers function as molecular rheostats integrating the binding profiles of key regulators to produce dynamic profiles of gene expression. Nascent transcriptome (GRO-Seq) analysis over a time course (0, 20, 60, 180 min) of Lipopolisaccharide and Dexamethasone signaling in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages.
Project description:The master transcription factors Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog bind enhancer elements and recruit the Mediator co-activator to activate much of the gene expression program of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We report here that the ESC master transcription factors and Mediator form M-bM-^@M-^\super-enhancersM-bM-^@M-^] at most genes known to control the pluripotent state, including those encoding the master transcription factors themselves. These super-enhancers consist of extraordinarily large genomic domains occupied by exceptional amounts of Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Klf4, Esrrb and Mediator. Super-enhancers stimulate considerably higher transcription than typical enhancers in vivo and in reporter vectors. Reduced levels of Oct4 or Mediator cause preferential loss of expression of super-enhancer-associated genes relative to other genes, suggesting how changes in gene expression programs might be accomplished during development. In other more differentiated cells, super-enhancers containing cell-type-specific master transcription factors are also found at genes that define cell identity. These results implicate super-enhancers in the control of mammalian cell identity and differentiation. Time-course of gene expression following shRNA knockdown of Oct4 and Med12.
Project description:Super-enhancers comprise of dense transcription factor platforms highly enriched for active chromatin marks. A paucity of functional data led us to investigate their role in the mammary gland, an organ characterized by exceptional gene regulatory dynamics during pregnancy. ChIP-Seq for the master regulator STAT5, the glucocorticoid receptor, H3K27ac and MED1, identified 440 mammary-specific super-enhancers, half of which were associated with genes activated during pregnancy. We interrogated the Wap super-enhancer, generating mice carrying mutations in STAT5 binding sites within its three constituent enhancers. Individually, only the most distal site displayed significant enhancer activity. However, combinatorial mutations showed that the 1,000-fold gene induction relied on all enhancers. Disabling the binding sites of STAT5, NFIB and ELF5 in the proximal enhancer incapacitated the entire super-enhancer, suggesting an enhancer hierarchy. The identification of mammary-specific super-enhancers and the mechanistic exploration of the Wap locus provide insight into the complexity of cell-specific and hormone-regulated genes. ChIP-Seq for STAT5A, GR, H3K27ac, MED1, NFIB, ELF5, RNA Pol II, and H3K4me3 in wild type (WT) mammary tissues at day one of lactation (L1), and ChIP-Seq for STAT5A, GR, H3K27ac, MED1, NFIB, ELF5, and H3K4me3 in WT mammary tissues at day 13 of pregnancy (p13). ChIP-Seq for STAT5A, GR, H3K27a in Wap-delE1a, -delE1b, -delE1c, -delE2 and -delE3 mutant mammary tissues at L1, and ChIP-Seq for NFIB and ELF5 in Wap-delE1b and -delE1c mutant mammary tissues at L1. ChIP-Seq for H3K4me3 in mammary-epthelial cells at p13 and L1. DNase-seq in WT mammary tissues at L1 and DNase-seq in Wap-delE1a, -delE1c, and -delE3 mutant mammary tissues at L1.
Project description:Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) functions as an epigenetic reader and binds to so-called super-enhancer regions of driving oncogenes such as MYC in cancer. We investigated the possibility to target super-enhancer regulated genes in neuroblastoma and in MYCN amplified disease in particular. We used OTX015, the first small-molecule BRD4 inhibitor to enter clinical phase I/II trials in adults, to test the feasibility to specifically target super-enhancer regulated gene-expression in neuroblastoma. BRD4 inhibition lead to significant transcriptional down-regulation of genes that were associated with super-enhancers, supporting the notion that BRD4 preferentially acts at these chromatin sites. BRD4 inhibition not only attenuated MYCN transcription but most significantly affected MYCN-regulated transcriptional programs.