Project description:Accumulating evidences propose the importance of epigenetic regulation in pancreatic carcinogenesis, but the mechanistic insights of a variety of histone modification process still remains to be elucidated. G9a functions as a transcriptional repressor via the methylating activity specific for histone H3 lysine9. We identified G9a as a critical factor in the development of murine pancreatic oncogenesis.
Project description:Epigenetic gene regulation in various oncogenic pathways is currently an important focus of cancer research. Histone modification plays a pivotal role in human carcinogenesis, but the significance of histone modification in hepatocarcinogenesis remains unknown. We used microarrays to investigate the oncogenic gene regulation by histone methylase G9a in chemically-induced murine hepatocellular carcinioma model.
Project description:G9a (EHMT2) and the G9a-like protein GLP (EHMT1) form a stable G9a/GLP heterodimer in embryonic stem cells and function cooperatively to establish and maintain the abundant repressive H3K9me2 modification, in addition to modifying several non-histone proteins. The G9a-dependent H3K9me2 is implicated in lineage-specific gene silencing and covers large chromosomal domains. While the mechanism of H3K9me2maintenance by G9a/GLP is known, how new patterns of this modification are established is not well understood. With this in mind, we used FLAG affinity purification of G9a under two different stringency conditions (150 and 300 mM NaCl) coupled with mass spectrometry to identify proteins stably associated with G9a/GLP, which could serve as potential recruiters of the complex to unmodified chromatin.
Project description:Gene expression in eukaryotes is tightly linked to the methylation state of specific lysine residues within the N-terminal region of the core histone proteins. While the mechanisms connecting histone lysine methylation to effector protein recruitment and control of gene activity are increasingly well understood, it remains unknown whether non-histone chromatin proteins are targets for similar modification-recognition systems. Here we show that histone H3 and the H3 methyltransferase G9a share a conserved methylation motif that is both necessary and sufficient to mediate in vivo interaction with the potent epigenetic regulator Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1). As with H3, G9a-HP1 interaction is dependent on lysine methylation and can be reversed by adjacent phosphorylation. NMR analysis demonstrates that the HP1 chromodomain recognizes methyl-G9a through a binding mode similar to that used in recognition of methyl-H3, and that adjacent phosphorylation directly antagonizes G9a-HP1 interaction. In addition to uncovering the chromodomain as a generalized methyl-lysine binding module, these data identify histone-like modification cassettes (or âhistone mimicsâ) as an entirely new class of non-histone methylation targets, and directly demonstrate the relevance of the principles underlying the histone code to the regulation of non-histone proteins. Experiment Overall Design: Two independent Affymetrix gene expression microarray analyses were performed on samples from G9a-deleted MEFs reconstituted with empty vector (delta), wild type FLAG-G9a (WT), FLAG-G9a K165A (K165A) or FLAG-G9a H1093K catalytic mutant (H1093K).
Project description:We report a novel translation-regulatory function of G9a, a histone methyltransferase and well-understood transcriptional repressor, in promoting hyperinflammation and lymphopenia; two hallmarks of endotoxin tolerance (ET)-associated chronic inflammatory complications. Using multiple approaches, we demonstrate that G9a interacts with multiple translation regulators during ET, particularly the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methyltransferase METTL3, to co-upregulate expression of certain m6A-modified mRNAs that encode immune-checkpoint and anti-inflammatory proteins. Mechanistically, G9a promotes m6A methyltransferase activity of METTL3 at translational/post-translational level by regulating its expression, its methylation, and its cytosolic localization during ET. Additionally, from a broader view extended from the G9a-METTL3-m6A translation regulatory axis, our translatome proteomics approach identified numerous “G9a-translated” proteins that unite the networks associated with inflammation dysregulation, T cell dysfunction, and systemic cytokine response. In sum, we identified a previously unrecognized function of G9a in protein-specific translation that can be leveraged to treat ET-related chronic inflammatory diseases.
Project description:PPARγ promotes adipogenesis while Wnt proteins inhibit adipogenesis. However, the mechanisms that control expression of these positive and negative master regulators of adipogenesis remain incompletely understood. By genome-wide histone methylation profiling in preadipocytes, we find that among gene loci encoding adipogenesis regulators, histone methyltransferase (HMT) G9a-mediated repressive epigenetic mark H3K9me2 is enriched on the entire PPARγ locus. H3K9me2 and G9a levels decrease during adipogenesis, which correlates inversely with induction of PPARγ. Removal of H3K9me2 by G9a deletion enhances chromatin opening and binding of adipogenic transcription factor C/EBP-beta to PPARγ promoter, which promotes PPARγ expression. Interestingly, G9a represses PPARγ expression in an HMT activity-dependent manner but facilitates Wnt10a expression independent of its enzymatic activity. Consistently, deletion of G9a or inhibiting G9a HMT activity promotes adipogenesis. Finally, deletion of G9a in mouse adipose tissues increases adipogenic gene expression and tissue weight. Thus, by inhibiting PPARγ expression and facilitating Wnt10a expression, G9a represses adipogenesis. Examination of gene expression changes in G9a KO brown preadipocytes
Project description:PPAR? promotes adipogenesis while Wnt proteins inhibit adipogenesis. However, the mechanisms that control expression of these positive and negative master regulators of adipogenesis remain incompletely understood. By genome-wide histone methylation profiling in preadipocytes, we find that among gene loci encoding adipogenesis regulators, histone methyltransferase (HMT) G9a-mediated repressive epigenetic mark H3K9me2 is enriched on the entire PPAR? locus. H3K9me2 and G9a levels decrease during adipogenesis, which correlates inversely with induction of PPAR?. Removal of H3K9me2 by G9a deletion enhances chromatin opening and binding of adipogenic transcription factor C/EBP-beta to PPAR? promoter, which promotes PPAR? expression. Interestingly, G9a represses PPAR? expression in an HMT activity-dependent manner but facilitates Wnt10a expression independent of its enzymatic activity. Consistently, deletion of G9a or inhibiting G9a HMT activity promotes adipogenesis. Finally, deletion of G9a in mouse adipose tissues increases adipogenic gene expression and tissue weight. Thus, by inhibiting PPAR? expression and facilitating Wnt10a expression, G9a represses adipogenesis. Examination of 3 different histone modification changes in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes