IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Subject "Transcription"

Browsing by Subject "Transcription"

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AP2IX-4, a cell cycle regulated nuclear factor, modulates gene expression during bradyzoite development in toxoplasma gondii
(2017-01-10) Huang, Sherri Y.; Arrizabalaga, Gustavo; Sullivan, William J., Jr.; Lu, Tao; Takagi, Yuichiro; Zhang, Jian-Ting
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous, protozoan parasite contributing significantly to global human and animal health. In the host, this obligate intracellular parasite converts into a latent tissue cyst form known as the bradyzoite, which is impervious to the immune response. The tissue cysts facilitate wide-spread transmission through the food chain and give rise to chronic toxoplasmosis in immune compromised patients. In addition, they may reactivate into replicating tachyzoites which cause tissue damage and disseminated disease. Current available drugs do not appear to have appreciable activity against latent bradyzoites. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive interconversion between tachyzoite and bradyzoite forms is required to manage transmission and pathogenesis of Toxoplasma. Conversion to the bradyzoite is accompanied by an altered transcriptome, but the molecular players directing this process are largely uncharacterized. Studies of stage-specific promoters revealed that conventional cis-acting mechanisms operate to regulate developmental gene expression during tissue cyst formation. The major class of transcription factor likely to work through these cis-regulatory elements appears to be related to the Apetala-2 (AP2) family in plants. The Toxoplasma genome contains nearly 70 proteins harboring at least one predicted AP2 domain, but to date only three of these T. gondii AP2 proteins have been linked to bradyzoite development. We show that the putative T. gondii transcription factor, AP2IX-4, is localized to the parasite nucleus and exclusively expressed in tachyzoites and bradyzoites undergoing division. Knockout of AP2IX-4 had negligible effect on tachyzoite replication, but resulted in a reduced frequency of bradyzoite cysts in response to alkaline stress induction – a defect that is reversible by complementation. Microarray analyses revealed an enhanced activation of bradyzoite-associated genes in the AP2IX-4 knockout during alkaline conditions. In mice, the loss of AP2IX-4 resulted in a modest virulence defect and reduced brain cyst burden. Complementation of the AP2IX-4 knockout restored cyst counts to wild-type levels. These findings illustrate the complex role of AP2IX-4 in bradyzoite development and that certain transcriptional mechanisms responsible for tissue cyst development operate across parasite division.
Architectural Mediator subunits are differentially essential for global transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(Oxford University Press, 2021) Tourigny, Jason P.; Schumacher, Kenny; Saleh, Moustafa M.; Devys, Didier; Zentner, Gabriel E.; Biology, School of Science
Mediator is a modular coactivator complex involved in the transcription of the majority of RNA polymerase II-regulated genes. However, the degrees to which individual core subunits of Mediator contribute to its activity have been unclear. Here, we investigate the contribution of two essential architectural subunits of Mediator to transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that acute depletion of the main complex scaffold Med14 or the head module nucleator Med17 is lethal and results in global transcriptional downregulation, though Med17 removal has a markedly greater negative effect. Consistent with this, Med17 depletion impairs preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly to a greater extent than Med14 removal. Co-depletion of Med14 and Med17 reduced transcription and TFIIB promoter occupancy similarly to Med17 ablation alone, indicating that the contributions of Med14 and Med17 to Mediator function are not additive. We propose that, while the structural integrity of complete Mediator and the head module are both important for PIC assembly and transcription, the head module plays a greater role in this process and is thus the key functional module of Mediator in this regard.
The Contribution of Transcriptional Coregulators in the Maintenance of β-cell Function and Identity
(Endocrine Society, 2021) Davidson, Rebecca K.; Kanojia, Sukrati; Spaeth, Jason M.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
Islet β-cell dysfunction that leads to impaired insulin secretion is a principal source of pathology of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, this breakdown in β-cell health is associated with compromised islet-enriched transcription factor (TF) activity that disrupts gene expression programs essential for cell function and identity. TF activity is modulated by recruited coregulators that govern activation and/or repression of target gene expression, thereby providing a supporting layer of control. To date, more than 350 coregulators have been discovered that coordinate nucleosome rearrangements, modify histones, and physically bridge general transcriptional machinery to recruited TFs; however, relatively few have been attributed to β-cell function. Here, we will describe recent findings on those coregulators with direct roles in maintaining islet β-cell health and identity and discuss how disruption of coregulator activity is associated with diabetes pathogenesis.
Decoding regulatory associations of G-quadruplex with epigenetic and transcriptomic functional components
(Frontiers Media, 2022-08-25) Fang, Shuyi; Liu, Sheng; Yang, Danzhou; Yang, Lei; Hu, Chang-Deng; Wan, Jun; BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing
G-quadruplex (G4) has been previously observed to be associated with gene expression. In this study, we performed integrative analysis on G4 multi-omics data from in-silicon prediction and ChIP-seq in human genome. Potential G4 sites were classified into three distinguished groups, such as one group of high-confidence G4-forming locations (G4-II) and groups only containing either ChIP-seq detected G4s (G4-I) or predicted G4 motif candidates (G4-III). We explored the associations of different-confidence G4 groups with other epigenetic regulatory elements, including CpG islands, chromatin status, enhancers, super-enhancers, G4 locations compared to the genes, and DNA methylation. Our elastic net regression model revealed that G4 structures could correlate with gene expression in two opposite ways depending on their locations to the genes as well as G4-forming DNA strand. Some transcription factors were identified to be over-represented with G4 emergence. The motif analysis discovered distinct consensus sequences enriched in the G4 feet, the flanking regions of two groups of G4s. We found high GC content in the feet of high-confidence G4s (G4-II) when compared to high TA content in solely predicted G4 feet of G4-III. Overall, we uncovered the comprehensive associations of G4 formations or predictions with other epigenetic and transcriptional elements which potentially coordinate gene transcription.
Defective Hand1 phosphoregulation uncovers essential roles for Hand1 in limb morphogenesis
(The Company of Biologists Ltd, 2017-07-01) Firulli, Beth A.; Milliar, Hannah; Toolan, Kevin P.; Harkin, Jade; Fuchs, Robyn K.; Robling, Alex G.; Firulli, Anthony B.; Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine
The morphogenesis of the vertebrate limbs is a complex process in which cell signaling and transcriptional regulation coordinate diverse structural adaptations in diverse species. In this study, we examine the consequences of altering Hand1 dimer choice regulation within developing vertebrate limbs. Although Hand1 deletion via the limb-specific Prrx1-Cre reveals a non-essential role for Hand1 in mouse limb morphogenesis, altering Hand1 phosphoregulation, and consequently Hand1 dimerization affinities, results in a severe truncation of proximal-anterior limb elements. Molecular analysis reveals a non-cell-autonomous mechanism that causes widespread cell death within the embryonic limb bud. In addition, we observe changes in proximal-anterior gene regulation, including a reduction in the expression of Irx3, Irx5, Gli3 and Alx4, all of which are upregulated in Hand2 limb conditional knockouts. A reduction of Hand2 and Shh gene dosage improves the integrity of anterior limb structures, validating the importance of the Twist-family bHLH dimer pool in limb morphogenesis., Summary: Altering Hand1 phosphoregulation, and consequently Hand1 dimerization affinities, results in a severe truncation of anterior-proximal limb elements in mice.
Deletion of a Hand1 lncRNA-Containing Septum Transversum Enhancer Alters lncRNA Expression but Is Not Required for Hand1 Expression
(MDPI, 2021-05-04) George, Rajani M.; Firulli, Anthony B.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
We have previously identified a Hand1 transcriptional enhancer that drives expression within the septum transversum, the origin of the cells that contribute to the epicardium. This enhancer directly overlaps a common exon of a predicted family of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) that are specific to mice. To interrogate the necessity of this Hand1 enhancer, as well as the importance of these novel lncRNAs, we deleted the enhancer sequences, including the common exon shared by these lncRNAs, using genome editing. Resultant homozygous Hand1 enhancer mutants (Hand1ΔST/ΔST) present with no observable phenotype. Assessment of lncRNA expression reveals that Hand1ΔST/ΔST mutants effectively eliminate detectable lncRNA expression. Expression analysis within Hand1ΔST/ΔST mutant hearts indicates higher levels of Hand1 than in controls. The generation of Hand1 compound heterozygous mutants with the Hand1LacZ null allele (Hand1ΔST/LacZ) also did not reveal any observable phenotypes. Together these data indicate that deletion of this Hand1 enhancer and by consequence a family of murine-specific lncRNAs does not impact embryonic development in observable ways.
Directed Nucleosome Sliding during the Formation of the Simian Virus 40 Particle Exposes DNA Sequences Required for Early Transcription
(American Society for Microbiology, 2019-02-05) Kumar, Meera Ajeet; Kasti, Karine; Balakrishnan, Lata; Milavetz, Barry; Biology, School of Science
Simian virus 40 (SV40) exists as chromatin throughout its life cycle and undergoes typical epigenetic regulation mediated by changes in nucleosome location and associated histone modifications. In order to investigate the role of epigenetic regulation during the encapsidation of late-stage minichromosomes into virions, we mapped the locations of nucleosomes containing acetylated or methylated lysines in the histone tails of H3 and H4 present in the chromatin from 48-h-postinfection minichromosomes and disrupted virions. In minichromosomes obtained late in infection, nucleosomes were found carrying various histone modifications primarily in the regulatory region, with a major nucleosome located within the enhancer and other nucleosomes at the early and late transcriptional start sites. The nucleosome found in the enhancer would be expected to repress early transcription by blocking access to part of the SP1 binding sites and the left side of the enhancer in late-stage minichromosomes while also allowing late transcription. In chromatin from virions, the principal nucleosome located in the enhancer was shifted ∼70 bases in the late direction from what was found in minichromosomes, and the level of modified histones was increased throughout the genome. The shifting of the enhancer-associated nucleosome to the late side would effectively serve as a switch to relieve the repression of early transcription found in late minichromosomes while likely also repressing late transcription by blocking access to necessary regulatory sequences. This epigenetic switch appeared to occur during the final stage of virion formation.IMPORTANCE For a virus to complete infection, it must produce a new virus particle in which the genome is able to support a new infection. This is particularly important for viruses like simian virus 40 (SV40), which exist as chromatin throughout their life cycles, since chromatin structure plays a major role in the regulation of the life cycle. In order to determine the role of SV40 chromatin structure late in infection, we mapped the locations of nucleosomes and their histone tail modifications in SV40 minichromosomes and in the SV40 chromatin found in virions using chromatin immunoprecipitation-DNA sequencing (ChIP-Seq). We have identified a novel viral transcriptional control mechanism in which a nucleosome found in the regulatory region of the SV40 minichromosome is directed to slide during the formation of the virus particle, exposing transcription factor binding sites required for early transcription that were previously blocked by the presence of the nucleosome.
Disruption-Compensation (DisCo) Network Analysis of the RNA Polymerase II Interactome
(2022-08) Burriss, Katlyn Hughes; Mosley, Amber L.; Georgiadis, Millie M.; Goebl, Mark G.; Turchi, John J.
During RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription, a dynamic network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) coordinates the regulation of initiation, elongation, and termination. Taking a proteomics approach to study RNAPII transcription can offer a comprehensive view of the regulatory mechanisms mediated by PPIs within the transcription complex. However, traditional affinity purification mass spectrometry (APMS) methods have struggled to quantitatively capture many of the more dynamic, less abundant interactions within the elaborate RNAPII transcription interactome. To combat this challenge, we have developed and optimized a quantitative AP-MS based method termed Disruption-Compensation (DisCo) Network Analysis that we coupled with Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) labeling. In this application, TMT-DisCo was applied to investigate the PPIs that regulate RNAPII transcription. In the first study, TMT-DisCo network analysis was used to analyze how perturbation of subunits of four major transcription elongation regulators —Spt6, Spt5 (DSIF), Cdc73 (PAF-Complex), and Spt16 (FACT)— affect the RNAPII PPI network. TMT-DisCo was able to measure specific alterations of RNAPII PPIs that provide insight into the normal functions of Spt6/Spt5/Cdc73/Spt16 proteins within the RNAPII elongation complex. The observed changes in the RNAPII interactome also reveal the distinct mechanisms behind the phenotypes of each perturbation. Application of TMTDisCo provides in vivo, protein-level insights into synthetic genetic interaction data and in vitro structural data, aiding in the understanding of how dynamic PPIs regulate complex processes. The second study focused on the essential RNAPII CTD phosphatases, Ssu72 and Fcp1. TMT-DisCo captures how the ssu72-2 allele affects the ability of RNAPII to proceed through elongation, resulting in more arrested RNAPII that requires proteasomal degradation. Reduction of Ssu72 phosphatase activity shifts cells away from RNAPII reinitiation/ recycling and toward de novo expression and newly assembled RNAPII, aided by chaperones. RNAPII in fcp1-1 cells was observed to increase in interaction with the 26S proteasome, as well as TFIID and mRNA capping enzyme. These data support a model of the nuclear proteasome functioning as a chaperone during transcription initiation, as the fcp1-1 allele leads to inefficient formation of a pre-initiation complex with a hyperphosphorylated RNAPII CTD.
Dynamic regulation of pancreatic β cell function and gene expression by the SND1 coregulator in vitro
(Taylor & Francis, 2023) Kanojia, Sukrati; Davidson, Rebecca K.; Conley, Jason M.; Xu, Jerry; Osmulski, Meredith; Sims, Emily K.; Ren, Hongxia; Spaeth, Jason M.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
The pancreatic β cell synthesizes, packages, and secretes insulin in response to glucose-stimulation to maintain blood glucose homeostasis. Under diabetic conditions, a subset of β cells fail and lose expression of key transcription factors (TFs) required for insulin secretion. Among these TFs is Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1), which recruits a unique subset of transcriptional coregulators to modulate its activity. Here we describe a novel interacting partner of PDX1, the Staphylococcal Nuclease and Tudor domain-containing protein (SND1), which has been shown to facilitate protein-protein interactions and transcriptional control through diverse mechanisms in a variety of tissues. PDX1:SND1 interactions were confirmed in rodent β cell lines, mouse islets, and human islets. Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, we deleted Snd1 from the mouse β cell lines, which revealed numerous differentially expressed genes linked to insulin secretion and cell proliferation, including limited expression of Glp1r. We observed Snd1 deficient β cell lines had reduced cell expansion rates, GLP1R protein levels, and limited cAMP accumulation under stimulatory conditions, and further show that acute ablation of Snd1 impaired insulin secretion in rodent and human β cell lines. Lastly, we discovered that PDX1:SND1 interactions were profoundly reduced in human β cells from donors with type 2 diabetes (T2D). These observations suggest the PDX1:SND1 complex formation is critical for controlling a subset of genes important for β cell function and is targeted in diabetes pathogenesis.
Global approaches for profiling transcription initiation
(Elsevier, 2021) Policastro, Robert A.; Zentner, Gabriel E.; Medicine, School of Medicine
Transcription start site (TSS) selection influences transcript stability and translation as well as protein sequence. Alternative TSS usage is pervasive in organismal development, is a major contributor to transcript isoform diversity in humans, and is frequently observed in human diseases including cancer. In this review, we discuss the breadth of techniques that have been used to globally profile TSSs and the resulting insights into gene regulation, as well as future prospects in this area of inquiry.

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