Project description:Pseudoautosomal regions (PAR1 and PAR2) in eutherians retain homologous regions between the X and Y chromosomes that play a critical role in the obligatory X-Y crossover during male meiosis. Genes that reside in the PAR1 are exceptional in that they are rich in repetitive sequences and undergo a very high rate of recombination. Remarkably, murine PAR1 homologs have translocated to various autosomes, reflecting the complex recombination history during the evolution of the mammalian X chromosome. We now report that the SNF2-type chromatin remodeling protein ATRX controls the expression of eutherians ancestral PAR1 genes that have translocated to autosomes in the mouse. In addition, we have identified two potentially novel mouse PAR1 orthologs. We propose that the ancestral PAR1 genes share a common epigenetic environment that allows ATRX to control their expression. At E13.5, n = 3 biological replicates of littermate-matched wt/ko pairs. RNA from 2 forebrains were pooled to generate enough RNA for each sample. At P0.5, n = 4 biological replicates of littermate-matched wt/ko pairs (for pair #2 there is one wt and 2 Atrx-null samples (2A & 2B) and we count this as 2 pairs).
Project description:Pseudoautosomal regions (PAR1 and PAR2) in eutherians retain homologous regions between the X and Y chromosomes that play a critical role in the obligatory X-Y crossover during male meiosis. Genes that reside in the PAR1 are exceptional in that they are rich in repetitive sequences and undergo a very high rate of recombination. Remarkably, murine PAR1 homologs have translocated to various autosomes, reflecting the complex recombination history during the evolution of the mammalian X chromosome. We now report that the SNF2-type chromatin remodeling protein ATRX controls the expression of eutherians ancestral PAR1 genes that have translocated to autosomes in the mouse. In addition, we have identified two potentially novel mouse PAR1 orthologs. We propose that the ancestral PAR1 genes share a common epigenetic environment that allows ATRX to control their expression.
Project description:The SWI/SNF (or BAF) complex is an essential chromatin remodeler that regulates DNA accessibility at developmental genes and enhancers. SWI/SNF subunits are among the most frequently mutated genes in cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. These mutations are often heterozygous loss-of-function alleles, indicating a dosage-sensitive role for SWI/SNF subunits in chromatin regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate SWI/SNF subunit dosage to ensure proper complex assembly remain largely unexplored. We performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen, using epigenome editing in mouse embryonic stem cells, and identified Mlf2 and Rbm15 as regulators of SWI/SNF complex activity. First, we show that MLF2, a poorly characterized chaperone protein, regulates a subset of SWI/SNF target genes by promoting its chromatin remodeling activity. Rapid degradation of MLF2 reduces chromatin accessibility at sites that depend on high levels of SWI/SNF binding to maintain open chromatin. Next, we find that RBM15, part of the m6A RNA methylation writer complex, controls m6A modifications on specific SWI/SNF mRNAs to regulate protein levels of these subunits. Misregulation of m6A methylation causes overexpression of core SWI/SNF subunits leading to the assembly of incomplete complexes lacking the catalytic ATPase/ARP subunits. These data indicate that targeting modulators of SWI/SNF complex assembly may offer a potent therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with impaired chromatin remodeling.
Project description:The SWI/SNF (or BAF) complex is an essential chromatin remodeler that regulates DNA accessibility at developmental genes and enhancers. SWI/SNF subunits are among the most frequently mutated genes in cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. These mutations are often heterozygous loss-of-function alleles, indicating a dosage-sensitive role for SWI/SNF subunits in chromatin regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate SWI/SNF subunit dosage to ensure proper complex assembly remain largely unexplored. We performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen, using epigenome editing in mouse embryonic stem cells, and identified Mlf2 and Rbm15 as regulators of SWI/SNF complex activity. First, we show that MLF2, a poorly characterized chaperone protein, regulates a subset of SWI/SNF target genes by promoting its chromatin remodeling activity. Rapid degradation of MLF2 reduces chromatin accessibility at sites that depend on high levels of SWI/SNF binding to maintain open chromatin. Next, we find that RBM15, part of the m6A RNA methylation writer complex, controls m6A modifications on specific SWI/SNF mRNAs to regulate protein levels of these subunits. Misregulation of m6A methylation causes overexpression of core SWI/SNF subunits leading to the assembly of incomplete complexes lacking the catalytic ATPase/ARP subunits. These data indicate that targeting modulators of SWI/SNF complex assembly may offer a potent therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with impaired chromatin remodeling.
Project description:ATRX is a severe X-linked disorder characterized by mental retardation, facial dysmorphism, urogenital abnormalities and alpha-thalassemia. The disease is caused by mutations in ATRX gene, which encodes a protein belonging to the SWI/SNF DNA helicase family, a group of proteins involved in the regulation of gene transcription at the chromatin level. In order to identify specific genes involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, we compared, by cDNA microarray, the expression levels of approximately 8500 transcripts between ATRX and normal males of comparable age. The analysis has been performed on pooled RNA extracted by Peripheral blood mononuclear cell pellet of three male ATRX patients in comparison to that obtained from a pool of 42 normal males (age 7.6+ 2.4).
Project description:The X-linked alpha thalassaemia intellectual disability syndrome (ATRX) protein is a member of the SWI/SNF family of chromatin remodelling factors which acts as an ATP dependent molecular motor. Germline mutations in ATRX give rise to a severe form of syndromal intellectual disability (ATR-X syndrome). To date, only a small number of genes have been identified that are affected by pathogenic ATRX mutations in human. We performed microarray experiments on LCLs from normal individuals and patients with diverse pathogenic ATRX mutations, to identify more genes regulated by ATRX.
Project description:The histone variant macroH2A generally associates with transcriptionally inert chromatin, however the factors that regulate its chromatin incorporation remain elusive. Here, we identify the SWI/SNF helicase, ATRX, as a novel macroH2A interacting protein. Unlike its role in assisting H3.3 chromatin deposition, ATRX acts as a negative regulator of macroH2A’s chromatin association. In human erythroleukemic cells deficient for ATRX, ChIP-sequencing studies reveal that macroH2A accumulates at the HBA gene cluster on the subtelomere of chromosome 16, coinciding with the loss of α globin expression. Collectively, our results implicate deregulation of macroH2A’s distribution as a contributing factor to the α thalassemia phenotype of ATRX syndrome. Mononucleosomes from K562 cells bearing integrated lentiviral shRNA constructs targeting either luciferase (shluc) or ATRX (sh92) were isolated and ChIP'd with mH2A1 antibody. DNA from shluc Input and the two mH2A1 ChIPs were isolated and sequenced on Illumina's Hiseq.
Project description:ATRX is a severe X-linked disorder characterized by mental retardation, facial dysmorphism, urogenital abnormalities and alpha-thalassemia. The disease is caused by mutations in ATRX gene, which encodes a protein belonging to the SWI/SNF DNA helicase family, a group of proteins involved in the regulation of gene transcription at the chromatin level. In order to identify specific genes involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, we compared, by cDNA microarray, the expression levels of approximately 8500 transcripts between ATRX and normal males of comparable age.
Project description:The SWI/SNF (or BAF) complex is an essential chromatin remodeler that regulates DNA accessibility at developmental genes and enhancers. SWI/SNF subunits are among the most frequently mutated genes in cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. These mutations are often heterozygous loss-of-function alleles, indicating a dosage-sensitive role for SWI/SNF subunits in chromatin regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate SWI/SNF subunit dosage to ensure proper complex assembly remain largely unexplored. We performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen, using epigenome editing in mouse embryonic stem cells, and identified Mlf2 and Rbm15 as regulators of SWI/SNF complex activity. First, we show that MLF2, a poorly characterized chaperone protein, regulates a subset of SWI/SNF target genes by promoting chromatin remodeling activity. Next, we find that RBM15, part of the m6A RNA methylation writer complex, controls m6A modifications on specific SWI/SNF mRNAs to regulate protein levels of these subunits. Misregulation of m6A methylation causes overexpression of core SWI/SNF subunits leading to the assembly of incomplete complexes lacking the catalytic ATPase/ARP subunits. These data indicate that targeting modulators of SWI/SNF complex assembly may offer a potent therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with impaired chromatin remodeling.
Project description:ATRX is an X-linked gene of the SWI/SNF family whose role in vivo is currently unknown. Mutations in ATRX cause syndromal mental retardation. ATRX binds to tandem repeat (TR) sequences both in heterochromatin (e.g. telomeres) and euchromatin. Genes associated with these TRs can be dysregulated when ATRX is mutated and the degree to which their expression changes is determined by the size of the TR, producing skewed allelic expression. This explains the nature of the affected genes, the variable phenotypes seen with identical ATRX mutations and also illustrates a new mechanism underlying variable penetrance. Many of the TRs in ATRX targets are G-rich and predicted to form non-B DNA structures (including G quadruplex) in vivo. We have shown that ATRX binds G quadruplex structures in vitro suggesting a mechanism by which ATRX may play a role in various nuclear processes and how this is perturbed when ATRX is mutated. 4 Human Erythroblast, 1 HEP3B and 1 Fibroblast ChIP-ChIP Sample For ChIP-Seq: one human erythroblasts, one mouse ES, one human erythroblast reference Sample, and one mouse ES input reference Sample.