Project description:Sotos syndrome (SS) represents an important human model system for the study of epigenetic regulation; it is an overgrowth/intellectual disability syndrome caused by mutations in a histone methyltransferase, NSD1. As layered epigenetic modifications are often interdependent, we propose that pathogenic NSD1 mutations have a genome-wide impact on the most stable epigenetic mark, DNA methylation (DNAm). By interrogating DNAm in SS patients, we identify a genome-wide, highly significant NSD1+/- specific signature that differentiates pathogenic NSD1 mutations from controls, benign NSD1 variants and the clinically overlapping Weaver syndrome. Validation studies of independent cohorts of SS and controls assigned 100% of these samples correctly. This highly specific and sensitive NSD1+/- specific signature encompasses genes that function in cellular morphogenesis and neuronal differentiation, reflecting cardinal features of the SS phenotype. The identification of SS-specific genome-wide DNAm alterations will facilitate both the elucidation of the molecular pathophysiology of SS and the development of improved diagnostic testing. Bisulphite converted DNA from 122 samples were hybridized to the Illumina Infinium 450k Human Methylation Beadchip array.
Project description:Sotos syndrome (SS) represents an important human model system for the study of epigenetic regulation; it is an overgrowth/intellectual disability syndrome caused by mutations in a histone methyltransferase, NSD1. As layered epigenetic modifications are often interdependent, we propose that pathogenic NSD1 mutations have a genome-wide impact on the most stable epigenetic mark, DNA methylation (DNAm). By interrogating DNAm in SS patients, we identify a genome-wide, highly significant NSD1+/- specific signature that differentiates pathogenic NSD1 mutations from controls, benign NSD1 variants and the clinically overlapping Weaver syndrome. Validation studies of independent cohorts of SS and controls assigned 100% of these samples correctly. This highly specific and sensitive NSD1+/- specific signature encompasses genes that function in cellular morphogenesis and neuronal differentiation, reflecting cardinal features of the SS phenotype. The identification of SS-specific genome-wide DNAm alterations will facilitate both the elucidation of the molecular pathophysiology of SS and the development of improved diagnostic testing.
Project description:Overgrowth with Intellectual Disability (OGID) is characterized by generalized overgrowth, including a head circumference and/or height ≥ 2 standard deviations (s.d.) above the mean, accompanied by mild to moderate intellectual disability. Sotos Syndrome, the most common form of OGID, results from loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in NSD1, which encodes a histone methyltransferase. Another major OGID subtype, Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, is caused by LoF mutations in DNMT3A, encoding a de novo DNA methyltransferase. In contrast, gain-of-function (GoF) mutations in DNMT3A cause Heyn-Sproul-Jackson syndrome, characterized by growth restriction and microcephaly. We hypothesize that NSD1 LoF and DNMT3A LoF mutations share a convergent DNA methylation signature that is distinct from the pattern seen in DNMT3A GoF mutations. To test this, we generated human embryonic stem cell lines carrying these growth syndrome-associated mutations in NSD1 and DNMT3A, profiled their DNA methylation patterns using the Illumina EPIC array, and analyzed both shared and unique methylation phenotypes.
Project description:Overgrowth with Intellectual Disability (OGID) is characterized by generalized overgrowth, including a head circumference and/or height ≥ 2 standard deviations (s.d.) above the mean, accompanied by mild to moderate intellectual disability. Sotos Syndrome, the most common form of OGID, results from loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in NSD1, which encodes a histone methyltransferase. Another major OGID subtype, Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, is caused by LoF mutations in DNMT3A, encoding a de novo DNA methyltransferase. In contrast, gain-of-function (GoF) mutations in DNMT3A cause Heyn-Sproul-Jackson syndrome, characterized by growth restriction and microcephaly. We hypothesize that NSD1 LoF and DNMT3A LoF mutations share a convergent DNA methylation signature that is distinct from the pattern seen in DNMT3A GoF mutations. To test this, we generated human embryonic stem cell lines carrying these growth syndrome-associated mutations in NSD1 and DNMT3A, profiled their DNA methylation patterns using the Illumina EPIC array, and analyzed both shared and unique methylation phenotypes.
Project description:Overgrowth with Intellectual Disability (OGID) is characterized by generalized overgrowth, including a head circumference and/or height ≥ 2 standard deviations (s.d.) above the mean, accompanied by mild to moderate intellectual disability. Sotos Syndrome, the most common form of OGID, results from loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in NSD1, which encodes a histone methyltransferase. Another major OGID subtype, Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, is caused by LoF mutations in DNMT3A, encoding a de novo DNA methyltransferase. In contrast, gain-of-function (GoF) mutations in DNMT3A cause Heyn-Sproul-Jackson syndrome, characterized by growth restriction and microcephaly. We hypothesize that NSD1 LoF and DNMT3A LoF mutations share a convergent DNA methylation signature that is distinct from the pattern seen in DNMT3A GoF mutations. To test this, we generated human embryonic stem cell lines carrying these growth syndrome-associated mutations in NSD1 and DNMT3A, profiled their DNA methylation patterns using the Illumina EPIC array, and analyzed both shared and unique methylation phenotypes.
Project description:<p>BRCA1 mutations are a hallmark of hereditary ovarian cancer, strongly linked to deficiencies in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair and impaired DNA replication fork protection. However, its roles in cancer progression beyond maintaining genomic integrity remain poorly understood. Through metabolomics approaches, we found BRCA1-deficiency strikingly increased choline metabolism. Loss of BRCA1 promotes choline uptake through upregulating choline transporter-like protein 4 (CTL4). BRCA1 directly binds and recruits EZH2-mediated H3K27Me3 deposition to CTL4 promoter. CTL4 was therefore overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissues with BRCA1 mutations. Furthermore, BRCA1-deficiency significantly promotes ovarian cancer invasion, while inhibition of CTL4 reverses the high metastatic potential of BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells, suggesting the functionality and specificity of CTL4 as a therapeutic target. Additionally, we discovered that phosphocholine, the choline metabolite increased by CTL4 overexpression, interacted with and stabilized the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition inducer FAM3C in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, we identified a potent CTL4 inhibitor, DT-13, which significantly reduces choline metabolism and effectively suppresses metastasis in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancers. Therefore, our study uncovers a mechanism underlying metastasis in BRCA1-deficient cancers and identifies CTL4 as a therapeutic target for metastatic ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 mutations.</p>
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.