Project description:Cis-regulatory variants are predicted to mediate the majority of the common genetic risk associated to complex disease, yet the specific causal variants have thus far been poorly characterized. Allele-specific (AS) assessment of chromatin modifications has the potential to elucidate specific cis-regulatory mechanisms. However, development of chromatin landscapes at allelic resolution has been challenging since sites of variable signal strength require substantial read depth not commonly applied in next-generation sequencing based approaches. In this study, we addressed this by directly assessing AS chromatin states through parallel analyses of input DNA and chromatin immunoprecipitates (ChIP) on high-density Illumina genotyping arrays. Allele-specificity for the histone modifications H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27ac, H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 was assessed using ChIP samples generated from 14 lymphoblast and 6 fibroblast cell lines. Allele-specificity of chromatin was assessed in 14 lymphoblast and 6 fibroblast cell lines by assaying PolII & histone ChIP samples (H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27ac, H3K27me3, H3K36me3) in parallel with gDNA and cDNA on high-density Illumina genotyping arrays.
Project description:Allelic variation in gene expression is common in human genome. To understand genetic and epigenetic basis of allelic gene expression variation, we conducted allele specific RNA polymerase occupancy and allele specific gene expression analysis in CEPH lymphoblastoid cell lines.
Project description:Cis-regulatory variants are predicted to mediate the majority of the common genetic risk associated to complex disease, yet the specific causal variants have thus far been poorly characterized. Allele-specific (AS) assessment of chromatin modifications has the potential to elucidate specific cis-regulatory mechanisms. However, development of chromatin landscapes at allelic resolution has been challenging since sites of variable signal strength require substantial read depth not commonly applied in next-generation sequencing based approaches. In this study, we addressed this by directly assessing AS chromatin states through parallel analyses of input DNA and chromatin immunoprecipitates (ChIP) on high-density Illumina genotyping arrays. Allele-specificity for the histone modifications H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27ac, H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 was assessed using ChIP samples generated from 14 lymphoblast and 6 fibroblast cell lines.
Project description:Parent-of-origin dependent expression of alleles, imprinting, has been suggested to impact a substantial proportion of mammalian genes. Its discovery requires allele-specific detection of expressed transcripts, but in some cases detected allelic expression (AE) bias has been interpreted as imprinting without demonstrating compatible transmission patterns and excluding heritable variation. Therefore, we utilized a genome-wide tool exploiting high density genotyping arrays in parallel measurements of genotypes in RNA and DNA to determine AE across the transcriptome in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and skin fibroblasts derived from families.
Project description:Genetic variation and 3D chromatin structure have major roles in gene regulation. Structural differences between genotypically different chromosomes and their effects on gene expression remain ill understood, due to challenges in mapping 3D genome structure with allele-specific resolution. Here, we applied Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM) to a hybrid mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line with high SNP density. Given the high efficiency of GAM in haplotype phasing, we could resolve allele-specific 3D genome structures with high sensitivity. We discovered extensive genotype-specific folding of chromosomes in compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), long-range enhancer-promoter contacts and CTCF loops, often coinciding with allele-specific gene expression in association with Polycomb repression. We show that histone genes are expressed with allelic imbalance in ESCs, and involved in allele-specific chromatin contacts marked by H3K27me3. Functional analysis through conditional Ezh2- or Ring1b-knockdown shows a role for Polycomb repression in tuning histone protein levels. Our work reveals that the homologous chromosomes have highly distinct 3D folding structures, and their intricate relationships with gene-specific mechanisms of allelic expression imbalance.
Project description:Parent-of-origin dependent expression of alleles, imprinting, has been suggested to impact a substantial proportion of mammalian genes. Its discovery requires allele-specific detection of expressed transcripts, but in some cases detected allelic expression (AE) bias has been interpreted as imprinting without demonstrating compatible transmission patterns and excluding heritable variation. Therefore, we utilized a genome-wide tool exploiting high density genotyping arrays in parallel measurements of genotypes in RNA and DNA to determine AE across the transcriptome in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and skin fibroblasts derived from families. To investigate imprinting, transmission patterns were analyzed in 2 LCL trios, 1 LCL 3-generation pedigree and 9 FB trios. To investigate random monoallelic expression, 2 cell lines were treated with three concentrations of 5-azadeoxycytidine (AZA), and one cell line was treated for two time periods.
Project description:Random monoallelic expression is defined by the allele-specific expression of genes, and by the fact that for an individual cell this monoallelic expression is neither obligate nor necessarily coordinated with the allelic expression in other cells. In order to find novel examples of random monoallelic expression in mouse, we did a transcriptome-wide survey of allele-specific gene expression in two different immortalized cell types. Lymphoblast cell lines and fibroblast cell lines were established (both clonal and nonclonal) and were used as a source of both nuclear RNA and genomic DNA. These samples were assessed for allele-specific gene expression using a custom-designed Mouse SNP Chip. A large number of genes (over 10% of those that were assessed in lymphoblast clones) displayed random monoallelic expression. For each cell line, two replicate samples of ds-cDNA were assessed for monoallelic expression, while genomic DNA was assessed as a control for possible LOH events. Nonclonal samples were used as controls for cis-acting allelic bias.
Project description:Genetic variation and 3D chromatin structure have major roles in gene regulation. Structural differences between genotypically different chromosomes and their effects on gene expression remain ill understood, due to challenges in mapping 3D genome structure with allele-specific resolution. Here, we applied Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM) to a hybrid mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line with high SNP density. Given its high efficiency of haplotype phasing, GAM resolves allele-specific 3D genome structures with high sensitivity. We discovered extensive genotype-specific folding of chromosomes in compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), long-range enhancer-promoter contacts and CTCF loops, often coinciding with allele-specific gene expression in association with Polycomb repression. We show that histone genes are expressed with allelic imbalance and involved in allele-specific chromatin contacts marked by H3K27me3. Functional analysis through conditional Ezh2- or Ring1b-knockdown shows a role for Polycomb repression in tuning histone protein levels. Our work reveals that the homologous chromosomes have highly distinct 3D folding structures, and their intricate relationships with gene-specific mechanisms of allelic expression imbalance.
Project description:Genetic variation and 3D chromatin structure have major roles in gene regulation. Structural differences between genotypically different chromosomes and their effects on gene expression remain ill understood, due to challenges in mapping 3D genome structure with allele-specific resolution. Here, we applied Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM) to a hybrid mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line with high SNP density. Given its high efficiency of haplotype phasing, GAM resolves allele-specific 3D genome structures with high sensitivity. We discovered extensive genotype-specific folding of chromosomes in compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), long-range enhancer-promoter contacts and CTCF loops, often coinciding with allele-specific gene expression in association with Polycomb repression. We show that histone genes are expressed with allelic imbalance and involved in allele-specific chromatin contacts marked by H3K27me3. Functional analysis through conditional Ezh2- or Ring1b-knockdown shows a role for Polycomb repression in tuning histone protein levels. Our work reveals that the homologous chromosomes have highly distinct 3D folding structures, and their intricate relationships with gene-specific mechanisms of allelic expression imbalance.
Project description:Genetic variation and 3D chromatin structure have major roles in gene regulation. Structural differences between genotypically different chromosomes and their effects on gene expression remain ill understood, due to challenges in mapping 3D genome structure with allele-specific resolution. Here, we applied Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM) to a hybrid mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) line with high SNP density. Given its high efficiency of haplotype phasing, GAM resolves allele-specific 3D genome structures with high sensitivity. We discovered extensive genotype-specific folding of chromosomes in compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), long-range enhancer-promoter contacts and CTCF loops, often coinciding with allele-specific gene expression in association with Polycomb repression. We show that histone genes are expressed with allelic imbalance and involved in allele-specific chromatin contacts marked by H3K27me3. Functional analysis through conditional Ezh2- or Ring1b-knockdown shows a role for Polycomb repression in tuning histone protein levels. Our work reveals that the homologous chromosomes have highly distinct 3D folding structures, and their intricate relationships with gene-specific mechanisms of allelic expression imbalance.