Project description:Endogenous retrovirus MERVL is specifically expressed in a minority of embryonic stem cells. To determine the restrain mechanism of MERVL, we knocked out Ssrp1 and analyzed the effect on the expression of transposable elements and coding genes. Ssrp1 further interacts with ubiquitin specific protease Usp7. We knocked down usp7 and analyzed the effect on the expression of MERVL. It turns out the deletion of ssrp1 or usp7 would lead to upregulation of MERVL. This study extends our understandings of the machanism by novel factors regulates MERVL.
Project description:FACT was discovered to be a repressor of transcription in mES cells. In addition, the murine endogenous retrovirus were repressed by various mechanisms. Hence, we examined the possibility for Ssrp1 as a repressor of MT2/MERVL.
Project description:Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) were usually silenced by various histone modifications on histone H3 variants and respective histone chaperones in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it is still unknown whether chaperones of other histones could repress ERVs. Here, we show that H2A/H2B histone chaperone FACT plays a critical role in silencing ERVs and ERV-derived cryptic promoters in ESCs. Loss of FACT component Ssrp1 activated MERVL whereas the re-introduction of Ssrp1 rescued the phenotype. Additionally, Ssrp1 interacted with MERVL and suppressed cryptic transcription of MERVL-fused genes. Remarkably, Ssrp1 interacted with and recruited H2B deubiquitinase Usp7 to Ssrp1 target genes. Suppression of Usp7 caused similar phenotypes as loss of Ssrp1. Furthermore, Usp7 acted by deubiquitinating H2Bub and thereby repressed the expression of MERVL-fused genes. Taken together, our study uncovers a unique mechanism by which FACT complex silences ERVs and ERV-derived cryptic promoters in ESCs.
Project description:USP7, a ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP), plays an important role in many cellular processes through its catalytic deubiquitination of various substrates. However, its nuclear function to regulate gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) remains largely unknown. Here, we report that USP7 maintains mESCs identity through both catalytic activity-dependent and -independent repression of lineage differentiation genes. Usp7 depletion attenuates SOX2 level and derepresses lineage differentiation genes thereby compromising mESCs identity. Mechanistically, USP7 deubiquitinates and stabilizes SOX2 to repress mesoendodermal (ME) lineage genes. Moreover, USP7 assembles into RYBP-variant polycomb repressive complex 1 (vPRC1) and contributes to Polycomb chromatin domain-mediated repression of ME lineage genes in a catalytic activity-dependent manner. However, USP7 deficient in its deubiquitination function is able to maintain RYBP binding on chromatin to represses primitive endoderm-associated genes in mESCs. Overall, our study demonstrates that USP7 harbors both catalytic and non-catalytic scaffold activity to repress lineage differentiation genes thereby revealing a previously unrecognized role in controlling gene expression and maintaining mESCs identity.
Project description:USP7, a ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP), plays an important role in many cellular processes through its catalytic deubiquitination of various substrates. However, its nuclear function to regulate gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) remains largely unknown. Here, we report that USP7 maintains mESCs identity through both catalytic activity-dependent and -independent repression of lineage differentiation genes. Usp7 depletion attenuates SOX2 level and derepresses lineage differentiation genes thereby compromising mESCs identity. Mechanistically, USP7 deubiquitinates and stabilizes SOX2 to repress mesoendodermal (ME) lineage genes. Moreover, USP7 assembles into RYBP-variant polycomb repressive complex 1 (vPRC1) and contributes to Polycomb chromatin domain-mediated repression of ME lineage genes in a catalytic activity-dependent manner. However, USP7 deficient in its deubiquitination function is able to maintain RYBP binding on chromatin to represses primitive endoderm-associated genes in mESCs. Overall, our study demonstrates that USP7 harbors both catalytic and non-catalytic scaffold activity to repress lineage differentiation genes thereby revealing a previously unrecognized role in controlling gene expression and maintaining mESCs identity.
Project description:In this experiment, we sought to identify the distribution of USP7 on chromatin relative to other PRC1 components ChIP-seq for USP7 in 293T-REx cells
Project description:USP7, a ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP), plays an important role in many cellular processes through its catalytic deubiquitination of various substrates. However, its nuclear function to shape the transcriptional network in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) remains poorly understood. Here, we report that USP7 maintains mESCs identity through both catalytic activity-dependent and -independent repression of lineage differentiation genes. Usp7 depletion attenuates SOX2 level and derepresses lineage differentiation genes thereby compromising mESCs pluripotency. Mechanistically, USP7 deubiquitinates and stabilizes SOX2 to repress mesoendodermal (ME) lineage genes. Moreover, USP7 assembles into RYBP-variant Polycomb repressive complex 1 and contributes to Polycomb chromatin-mediated repression of ME lineage genes in a catalytic activity-dependent manner. Importantly, USP7 deficient in its deubiquitination function is able to maintain RYBP binding to chromatin for repressing primitive endoderm-associated genes. Overall, our study demonstrates that USP7 harbors both catalytic and non-catalytic activity to repress different lineage differentiation genes thereby revealing a previously unrecognized role in controlling gene expression for maintaining mESCs identity.