DNA Methylation Flashcards

1
Q

Programming of the genome is controlled by the epigenome

A

-the epigenome is composed of 2 main components

  1. Histones
    • associated with the DNA
  2. DNA methylation
    • covalently bound to the genome and thus a stable long term signal
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2
Q

History of DNA methylation

A
  • Rollin hotchkiss discovered methylated DNA in 1948
  • found that DNA from certain sources contained a fifth 5-methyl cytosine base
  • took almost 3 decades to find a role for it
  • in mid 1970s, Harold Weintraub noticed that active genes are low in methyl groups or under methylated
  • methylation help repress genes
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3
Q

Distribution of DNA methylation

A
  • chemical modification of DNA
  • can be inherited without sequence change
  • common in plants (30%), vertebrates (10%) and fungi
    • absent in yeast, flies, nematodes
  • occurs predominantly at 5’-CG-3’ (CpG positions)
  • in mammals, 60-90% of CpG sites are methylated
  • high frequency of CG dinucleotide, CpG islands
    • typically 300-3000 base pair in length and hypomethylated
    • near approximately 70% of human promoters
    • methylation correlated with tissue specific gene expression
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4
Q

Methylation of cytosine by DNA methytransferase (DMNT)

A

Cytosine —> 5-methylcytosine (5mc)

-via DNMT

  • cytosine methylation maintains inactive-condensed chromatin state
    • found in heterochromatin regions
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5
Q

Euchromatin vs Heterochromatin

A
  • euchromatin
    • high histone acetylation
    • low DNA methylation
    • H3-K4 methylation
  • heterochromatin
    • low histone acetylation
    • dense DNA methylation
    • H3-K9 methylation
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6
Q

DNMT3L

A

-closely related to DNMT3A/B in structure and critical for methylation but is inactive on its own

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7
Q

Types of DNA methylation

A
  1. Maintenance methylation (DNMT1)
    • methylation of newly synthesized DNA strand at positions opposite methylated sites on parent strand (occurs after DNA replication)
  2. De novo methylation (DNMT3A/B)
    • methylation of totally new positions
    • changes the pattern of methylation in a localized region of genome during gametogenesis and early development
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8
Q

DNA methylation Analysis:

Sodium bisulfite sequencing

A
  • methylated cytosine is unaffected
  • converts unmethylated cytosine to uracil
  • during PCR and subsequent sequencing, the ratio of cytosine and thymine present at each CpG site is quantified and reflects methylation level of that site in genomic DNA
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9
Q

Biological function of DNA methylation

A
  • transcriptional regulation of cellular genes
    • role in mammalian development including imprinting

-heterochromatin formation

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10
Q

Essential DNMTs

A
  • DNMT1:embryonic lethal
  • DNMT2: no obvious effect
  • DNMT3A: perinatal death
  • DNMT3B: embryonic lethal
  • DNMT3L: no imprints
  • important in finding methyl groups
  • require energy domains
  • writers (DNMTS), readers (MBD proteins), erasers (DNA demethylases)
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11
Q

Mediators of methylation induced gene silencing

A

-NURD (nucleosome remodelling deacetylase complex)
-bind to methylated DNA and bring complexes in remodeling
-recruiting suppressor complexes
-IL4 and TH2 helpers memory cells
-certain genes have to be expressed/suppressed to remember immune responses
-

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12
Q

Pathways for DNMTs to be recruits

A
  • PWWP domain
  • TGS domain
  • MBDs dock into methylated regions
  • steric hinderance blocks activating transcription factors
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13
Q

MBDs

A
  • MECP2
  • role in binding to methylated sites
  • absent/present in certain species
    • categorize different species and how their genes are regulated
  • mutations of MBDs cause different diseases
    • most die early on (lethal)
    • important for differentiation
  • methyl binding domains missing can cause certain cancers
  • KO of MBDs can cause autism and have deficit in adult neurogenesis and hippocampal function

-

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14
Q

Mediators of methylation induced gene silencing

A
  • KO or mutation of methyl CpG binding proteins lose attraction of NURD complex and problem of suppressing genes
  • genes will be inappropriately expressed
    • mental retardation
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15
Q

Stable repression of gene expression through development

A
  • if you dont want it to be permanently methylated
    • like through development
  • phosphorylation of MECP2
    • undergoes conformational change and loses capacity to bind to repressor complex
    • liberation of repressor complex
  • TFs are transient, DNA methylation is not

-MECP2 is phosphorylated and causes all suppression complexes to release and gene then expressed

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16
Q

How does DNA methylation repress gene transcription

A
  • 3 main types
    1. Unmethylated (hypomethylated) promoters allows gene transcription
    2. Methylated CpGs block binding of TFs
    • transcription blocked
      1. Indirect mechanism
    • Me-CpG binding proteins also preclude TF binding to the promoter region
    • steric hindrance
17
Q

Indirect mechanism

A
  • CpG islands proximal to promoter regions
  • methylation of CpG island upstream of gene provides recognition signals for MeCP components of histone deacetylase complex (HDAC)
  • HDAC modifies chromatin isn’t he region of CpG island and inactivates gene
  • self reinforcing cycle
  • keep heterochromatin closed/silences
    • assembly of histone at particular DNA sequence
18
Q

Pharm evidence

A
  • Trichostatin A (TSA)
    • blocks histone deacetylase activity
    • prevents DNA methylation dependent repression
    • HDAC inhibitor
    • promote acetylation (HAT)
  • sodium butyrate
    • anticonvulsant
    • mimics histone acetylation
    • loosen chromatin
19
Q

Essential roles of cytosine methylation in mammals

A
  • gene expression
  • chromosomal stability
  • cell differentiation
    • pluripotent -> differentiation (increase in methylation)
  • imprinting (inheritance of expression of alleles)
  • x inactivation
  • carcinogens
  • aging
    • loss or addition in methyl groups in different age related diseases
20
Q

Methylation during development

A
  • renewing cells in glial cells, stem cells in hippocampus (memory)
    • olfactory bulb
  • cluster of cells around hair follicles that contain stem cells
    • SKIPs
    • reduce autoimmunity/rejecting organ tissue from donors
  • stem cells to replenish lining of gut
21
Q

Methylated DNA from zygote to adult

A
  • increasing methylation as cells differentiate

- regulation of genes

22
Q

Differentiated cells can become totipotent

A
  • Stages of nuclear transfer
    • the nucleus is removed from and egg and replaces by nucleus from a donor cell
  • nuclear equivalence
    • differentiated cells maintain potential to generate an entire organism

-reason that dolly died of lung cancer and osteoporosis (age related disorder)

23
Q

De-differentiation

A
  1. Cloning by nuclear transfer —> regenerate entire organism from transfer of single nucleus
  2. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) —> expression of 4 genes are sufficient to transform differentiated cells to stem cells

-both processes must involve reprogramming of epigenome

24
Q

Critical CpG sequences in islands near promoters

A
  • 4% of all cytosines are methylated

- 70-80% of all CpGs are methylated

25
Q

Methylation in mammalian development

A
  • maintenance and inheritance of tissue specific gene expression
  • inhibition of transposone (and other repetitive sequences) gene expression
    • prevents transposition
    • inhibits DNA recombination between repetitive sequences
    • lower probability of genome rearrangements
  • genomic imprinting
    • inactivation of methylation of a gene on one of a pair of homologous chromosomes
    • relatively uncommon but important feature of mammalian chromosomes
26
Q

Genomic imprinting

A
  • developed along with giving live birth
  • coincide with placenta
  • raising fetal offspring with placenta
  • imprinted genes important for placenta - Response to changes of mother and fetus

-no evidence of imprinted genes in birds

27
Q

Genomic imprinting and epigenetic inheritance

A
  • need dosage compensation on genetic material expressed following fertilization
    • coevolve with placenta
  • if disrupted associated with neurological disorders
  • imprinted genes show difference in maternal/paternal lineage
  • imprinted gene is switched off/methylated
    • important in evolutionary development
  • ICE = imprinting centre
28
Q

Autosomal genes with a sex

A
  • result in monoallelic expression
  • maternal and paternal genomes not functionally equal
  • increase ability to propagate and have offspring
  • ICR methylation causes methylation of specific gene and prevents transcription of H19
  • if H19 not expressed, upstream regulatory factors are expressed and cause transcription of IGF2

-if not CTCF able to bind to ICR and upstream factors able to bind to promoter silencing of IGF2 gene

29
Q

Insulator model for control of gene expression at H19 and IGF2 imprinted locus

A
  • in humans IGF2 and h19 gene are differentials expressed depending on parent of origin
  • ICR between the 2 genes
  • the ICR is not methylated on maternal allele
    • this allows CTCF protein to bind to ICR and prevent enhancing factors from activating expression of IGF2 gene because the CTCF is blocking acces
    • H19 gene is active on this allele
  • ICR is methylated on paternal allele
    • prevents CTCF protein from binding ICR and allows enhancing factors to activate expression if IGF2 gene because CTCF is not blocking access
    • H19 gene is inactive on this allele
30
Q

Imprinting maintained by DNA methylation

A
  • differential methylation is erased in germ line cells at early stage
  • can be modified by diet
    • low methylated intake associated with lack of ability to methylated DMR groups
  • in uterine effects
    • insulin growth factors
    • placental growth
  • postnatal effects
    • movement disorders
    • lactation
    • brain development
  • genetic disorders
    • epimutations (inappropriate methylation)
    • prader willi/angel man syndrome
  • I’m somatic cells, imprints are maintained and modified during development
31
Q

Syndrome with DNA methylation

A
  1. Prader-Willi
    • deletion or inactivation of genes on paternally inherited chromosome 15
    • maternal copy is imprinted and silenced
    • associated with growth
  2. Angelman syndrome
    • deletion or inactivation of genes on maternally inherited chromosome 15
    • paternal copy is imprinted and silenced
32
Q

Methylation changes during development

A
  • maternal genome has influence on paternal genome
  • decrease in methylation as egg matures
    • reestablishment of methylation
  • maternal faster in re-establishment
  • loss of methylation associated with viral DNA
33
Q

Barr body

A
  • X chromosome inactivation
  • chromosome becomes condensated and shut down
  • Xist gene in one of X chromosomes is expressed that lead to inactivation
    • Xist gene in second chromosome is inactive (DNA methylation) leaving chromosome active

-Cix is an uncategorize gene with contains protein coding genes and 4 genes that express non coding RNA

34
Q

XIC

A
  • X in activation centre
  • contain 4 genes that express non coding RNA
  • 20kb cDNA with no open reading frame
  • results in highly expressed Xist RNA that remained intranuclear, coats the flute Xi, surrounds Barr body’s

-stain for non-coding RNA to find

35
Q

Tsix

A
  • gene located 15kb downstream of Xist
  • Xite function as an enhancer for development specific Tsix regulation
  • Tsix expresses a 40kb ncRNA transcript antisense to Xist RNA
  • before onset of X inactivation
    • Tsix is expressed from both X chromosomes (blocks Xist RNA)
  • at onset of x inactivation Tsix expression becomes monoallelic
    • in Xa, Tsix RNA blocks Xist RNA
    • in Xi, Xist RNA coats chromosome to repress Tsix expression
36
Q

Xi unacetylated Histone H4

A
  • inactive X has inactive chromatin

- unacetylated histone H4

37
Q

Chromatin related disorders

A
  • cis effect
    • within
    • mutation within sequence
  • trans
    • across
    • mutation in effectors/binding sites