Project description:Maintenance and maturation of primordial germ cells is controlled by complex genetic and epigenetic cascades, and disturbances in this network lead to either infertility or malignant aberration. Transcription factor Tcfap2c / TFAP2C has been described to be essential for primordial germ cell maintenance and to be upregulated in several human germ cell cancers. Using global gene expression profiling, we identified genes deregulated upon loss of Tcfap2c in primordial germ cell-like cells. We show that loss of Tcfap2c affects many aspects of the genetic network regulating germ cell biology, such as downregulation maturation markers and induction of markers indicative of somatic differentiation, cell cycle, epigenetic remodeling, and pluripotency associated genes. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated binding of Tcfap2c to regulatory regions of deregulated genes (Sfrp1, Dmrt1, Nanos3, c-Kit, Cdk6, Cdkn1a, Fgf4, Klf4, Dnmt3b and Dnmt3l) suggesting that these genes are direct transcriptional targets of Tcfap2c in primordial germ cells. Since Tcfap2c deficient primordial germ cell like cells display cancer related deregulations in epigenetic remodeling, cell cycle and pluripotency control, the Tcfap2c-knockout allele was bred onto 129S2/Sv genetic background. There, mice heterozygous for Tcfap2c develop germ cell cancer with high incidence. Precursor lesions can be observed as early as E16.5 in developing testes displaying persisting expression of pluripotency markers. We further demonstrate, that mice with a heterozygous deletion of the Tcfap2c target gene Nanos3 are also prone to develop teratoma. These data highlight Tcfap2c as a critical and dose-sensitive regulator of germ cell fate. 8 samples were analyzed. Ctrl ESC: Control mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), 2 biological rep KO ESC: Tcfap2c knock-out mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), 2 biological rep Ctrl PGC: Control mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs), 2 biological rep KO PGC: Tcfap2c knock-out mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs), 2 biological rep
Project description:We developed a ChIP protocol for the analysis of histone marks using less than 10,000 cells per IP, and used it to investigate the chromatin state of E11.5 mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs). A genome-wide ChIP-Seq analysis of E11.5 PGCs revealed a distribution of H3K4me3/H3K27me3 bivalent domains highly enriched for developmental regulatory genes. H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 ChIP-Seq from mouse E11.5 primordial germ cells.
Project description:A number of environmental factors (e.g. toxicants) have been shown to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. Transgenerational inheritance requires the germline transmission of altered epigenetic information between generations in the absence of direct environmental exposures. The primary periods for epigenetic programming of the germline is associated with primordial germ cell development and during fetal gonadal sex determination. The current study examined the actions of an agricultural fungicide vinclozolin on gestating female (F0 generation) progeny in regards to the primordial germ cell (PGC) epigenetic reprogramming of the F3 generation (i.e. great-grandchildren). The F3 generation primordial germ cell transcriptome and epigenome (DNA methylation) was altered transgenerationally. Interestingly, the differential DNA methylation regions (DMR) and altered transcriptomes were distinct between the onset of gonadal sex determination at embryonic day 13 (E13) and after cord formation in the testis at embryonic day 16 (E16). A larger number of DMR and transcriptional alterations were observed in the E13 PGC than E16 germ cells. Observations demonstrate an altered transgenerational epigenetic reprogramming and function of the primordial germ cells and subsequent male germline is a component of vinclozolin induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Insights into the molecular control of germline transmitted epigenetic inheritance are provided. The combined observations demonstrate ancestral exposure of a gestating female during fetal gonadal sex determination can promote transgenerational alterations in the primordial germ cell and subsequent male germline epigenetic and transcriptional programming. This altered germline programming leads to the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. Observations support the role of the primordial germ cell programming in the molecular mechanism involved and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance phenomena. Results suggest a cascade of epigenetic and transcriptional events during germ cell development is needed to obtain the mature germline epigenome that is then transmitted transgenerationally. RNA samples from PGC of 2 F3-control lineage groups were compared to PGC of 2 F3-vinclozolin lineage groups for two embryonic age E13 and E16
Project description:A number of environmental factors (e.g. toxicants) have been shown to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. Transgenerational inheritance requires the germline transmission of altered epigenetic information between generations in the absence of direct environmental exposures. The primary periods for epigenetic programming of the germline is associated with primordial germ cell development and during fetal gonadal sex determination. The current study examined the actions of an agricultural fungicide vinclozolin on gestating female (F0 generation) progeny in regards to the primordial germ cell (PGC) epigenetic reprogramming of the F3 generation (i.e. great-grandchildren). The F3 generation primordial germ cell transcriptome and epigenome (DNA methylation) was altered transgenerationally. Interestingly, the differential DNA methylation regions (DMR) and altered transcriptomes were distinct between the onset of gonadal sex determination at embryonic day 13 (E13) and after cord formation in the testis at embryonic day 16 (E16). A larger number of DMR and transcriptional alterations were observed in the E13 PGC than E16 germ cells. Observations demonstrate an altered transgenerational epigenetic reprogramming and function of the primordial germ cells and subsequent male germline is a component of vinclozolin induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Insights into the molecular control of germline transmitted epigenetic inheritance are provided. The combined observations demonstrate ancestral exposure of a gestating female during fetal gonadal sex determination can promote transgenerational alterations in the primordial germ cell and subsequent male germline epigenetic and transcriptional programming. This altered germline programming leads to the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. Observations support the role of the primordial germ cell programming in the molecular mechanism involved and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance phenomena. Results suggest a cascade of epigenetic and transcriptional events during germ cell development is needed to obtain the mature germline epigenome that is then transmitted transgenerationally.
Project description:Pluripotency can be induced in somatic cells by ectopic expression of defined transcription factors, however the identity of epigenetic regulators driving the progression of cellular reprogramming requires further investigation. Here we uncover a non-redundant role for the JmjC-domain-containing protein histone H3 methylated Lys 27 (H3K27) demethylase Utx, as a critical regulator for the induction, but not for the maintenance, of primed and naM-CM-/ve pluripotency in mice and in humans. Utx depletion results in aberrant H3K27me3 repressive chromatin demethylation dynamics, which subsequently hampers the reactivation of pluripotency promoting genes during reprogramming. Remarkably, Utx deficient primordial germ cells (PGCs) display a cell autonomous aberrant epigenetic reprogramming in vivo during their embryonic maturation, resulting in the lack of functional contribution to the germ-line lineage. H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 were measured genome-wide in the following cell types: Utx+/Y (WT) and Utx-/Y (KO) mouse ES cells and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) before and after DOX induction (initiating reprogramming by OSKM factors).
Project description:Chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) have an epigenetic signature which differs from the one that mammalian PGCs acquire with their epigenome reprogramming during early embryonic development. In particular, chicken PGCs display a high global amount of histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) compared to somatic cell types. We performed the genome-wide profiling of H3K9me3 and the transcriptome analysis on chicken PGCs compared to embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as a closely related, non germinal cell type.