Publications de l’équipe
Année de publication : 2017
Suv39h1 links the SUMO pathway to constitutive heterochromatin.
Molecular & cellular oncology : e1225546 : DOI : 10.1080/23723556.2016.1225546 En savoir plusRésumé
The Suv39h lysine methyltransferases, known as key enzymes responsible for histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, are critical for heterochromatin protein 1 enrichment at constitutive heterochromatin. Our recent findings reveal a new role for the Suv39h1 paralog that links it to SUMO pathway function at constitutive heterochromatin.
ReplierAnnée de publication : 2016
Chromatin dynamics during the cell cycle at centromeres.
Nature Reviews Genetics : 192-208 : DOI : 10.1038/nrg.2016.157 En savoir plusRésumé
Centromeric chromatin undergoes major changes in composition and architecture during each cell cycle. These changes in specialized chromatin facilitate kinetochore formation in mitosis to ensure proper chromosome segregation. Thus, proper orchestration of centromeric chromatin dynamics during interphase, including replication in S phase, is crucial. We provide the current view concerning the centromeric architecture associated with satellite repeat sequences in mammals and its dynamics during the cell cycle. We summarize the contributions of deposited histone variants and their chaperones, other centromeric components – including proteins and their post-translational modifications, and RNAs – and we link the expression and deposition timing of each component during the cell cycle. Because neocentromeres occur at ectopic sites, we highlight how cell cycle processes can go wrong, leading to neocentromere formation and potentially disease.
ReplierPurification of Yeast Native Reagents for the Analysis of Chromatin Function-II: Multiprotein Complexes and Biochemical Assays.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) : 53-67 En savoir plusRésumé
Post-translational modifications of histones play essential roles in regulating chromatin structure and function. These are tightly regulated in vivo and there is an intricate cross-talk between different marks as they are recognized by specific reader modules present in a large number of nuclear factors. In order to precisely dissect these processes in vitro native reagents like purified chromatin and histone modifying/remodeling enzymes are required to more accurately reproduce physiological conditions. The vast majority of these enzymes need to be part of stable multiprotein complexes with cofactors enabling them to act on chromatin substrates and/or read specific histone marks. In the accompanying chapter, we have described the protocol for purification of native chromatin from yeast cells (Chapter 3 ). Here, we present the methods to obtain highly purified native chromatin modifying complexes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, based on Tandem Affinity Purification (TAP). We also present possible applications and useful functional assays that can be performed using these yeast native reagents.
ReplierPurification of Yeast Native Reagents for the Analysis of Chromatin Function-I: Nucleosomes for Reconstitution and Manipulation of Histone Marks.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) : 39-51 En savoir plusRésumé
Purification of native biological material provides powerful tools for the functional analysis of enzymes and proteins in chromatin. In particular, histone proteins harbor numerous post-translational modifications, which may differ between species, tissues, and growth conditions and are lacking on recombinant histones. Moreover, the physiological substrate of most enzymes that modify histones is chromatin and the majority of these enzymes need to be part of a multiprotein assembly to be able to act on chromatin. For the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae different chromatin purification protocols are available but often result in poor yields or rely on genetic manipulation. We present a simple purification protocol that can yield up to 150 μg of pure native chromatin per liter of yeast culture. The purified material can be obtained from mutant cells lacking specific histone modifications and can be used in in vitro chromatin assembly for biochemical studies. Based on the extremely high degree of conservation throughout eukaryotes, this modifiable native chromatin can be used in studies with factors from other organisms including humans.
ReplierThe Epigenome and Cancer Stem Cell Fate: Connected by a Linker Histone Variant.
Cell stem cell : 567-568 : DOI : S1934-5909(16)30350-2 En savoir plusRésumé
The molecular features underlying tumor heterogeneity and the role of chromatin components in regulating cell fate within tumors are not well understood. Recently in Science, Torres et al. (2016) showed that the linker histone variant H1.0 functions as a chromatin switch that determines self-renewal versus differentiation decisions in cancer stem cells.
ReplierReal-Time Tracking of Parental Histones Reveals Their Contribution to Chromatin Integrity Following DNA Damage.
Molecular cell : DOI : S1097-2765(16)30461-0 En savoir plusRésumé
Chromatin integrity is critical for cell function and identity but is challenged by DNA damage. To understand how chromatin architecture and the information that it conveys are preserved or altered following genotoxic stress, we established a system for real-time tracking of parental histones, which characterize the pre-damage chromatin state. Focusing on histone H3 dynamics after local UVC irradiation in human cells, we demonstrate that parental histones rapidly redistribute around damaged regions by a dual mechanism combining chromatin opening and histone mobilization on chromatin. Importantly, parental histones almost entirely recover and mix with new histones in repairing chromatin. Our data further define a close coordination of parental histone dynamics with DNA repair progression through the damage sensor DDB2 (DNA damage-binding protein 2). We speculate that this mechanism may contribute to maintaining a memory of the original chromatin landscape and may help preserve epigenome stability in response to DNA damage.
ReplierThe methyltransferase Suv39h1 links the SUMO pathway to HP1α marking at pericentric heterochromatin.
Nature communications : 12224 : DOI : 10.1038/ncomms12224 En savoir plusRésumé
The trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me3) – a mark recognized by HP1 that depends on the Suv39h lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) – has provided a basis for the reader/writer model to explain HP1 accumulation at pericentric heterochromatin in mammals. Here, we identify the Suv39h1 paralog, as a unique enhancer of HP1α sumoylation both in vitro and in vivo. The region responsible for promoting HP1α sumoylation (aa1-167) is distinct from the KMT catalytic domain and mediates binding to Ubc9. Tethering the 1-167 domain of Suv39h1 to pericentric heterochromatin, but not mutants unable to bind Ubc9, accelerates the de novo targeting of HP1α to these domains. Our results establish an unexpected feature of Suv39h1, distinct from the KMT activity, with a major role for heterochromatin formation. We discuss how linking Suv39h1 to the SUMO pathway provides conceptual implications for our general view on nuclear domain organization and physiological functions.
ReplierFunctional Characterization of Histone Chaperones Using SNAP-Tag-Based Imaging to Assess De Novo Histone Deposition.
Methods in enzymology : 97-117 : DOI : 10.1016/bs.mie.2016.04.004 En savoir plusRésumé
Histone chaperones-key actors in the dynamic organization of chromatin-interact with the various histone variants to ensure their transfer in and out of chromatin. In vitro chromatin assembly assays and isolation of protein complexes using tagged histone variants provided first clues concerning their binding specificities and mode of action. Here, we describe an in vivo method using SNAP-tag-based imaging to assess the de novo deposition of histones and the role of histone chaperones. This method exploits cells expressing SNAP-tagged histones combined with individual cell imaging to visualize directly de novo histone deposition in vivo. We show how, by combining this method with siRNA-based depletion, we could assess the function of two distinct histone chaperones. For this, we provide the details of the method as applied in two examples to characterize the function of the histone chaperones CAF-1 and HIRA. In both cases, we document the impact of their depletion on the de novo deposition of the histone variants H3.1 and H3.3, first in a normal context and second in response to DNA damage. We discuss how this cellular assay offers means to define in a systematic manner the function of any chosen chaperone with respect to the deposition of a given histone variant.
ReplierMaking sense of big data in health research: Towards an EU action plan.
Genome medicine : 71 : DOI : 10.1186/s13073-016-0323-y En savoir plusRésumé
Medicine and healthcare are undergoing profound changes. Whole-genome sequencing and high-resolution imaging technologies are key drivers of this rapid and crucial transformation. Technological innovation combined with automation and miniaturization has triggered an explosion in data production that will soon reach exabyte proportions. How are we going to deal with this exponential increase in data production? The potential of « big data » for improving health is enormous but, at the same time, we face a wide range of challenges to overcome urgently. Europe is very proud of its cultural diversity; however, exploitation of the data made available through advances in genomic medicine, imaging, and a wide range of mobile health applications or connected devices is hampered by numerous historical, technical, legal, and political barriers. European health systems and databases are diverse and fragmented. There is a lack of harmonization of data formats, processing, analysis, and data transfer, which leads to incompatibilities and lost opportunities. Legal frameworks for data sharing are evolving. Clinicians, researchers, and citizens need improved methods, tools, and training to generate, analyze, and query data effectively. Addressing these barriers will contribute to creating the European Single Market for health, which will improve health and healthcare for all Europeans.
ReplierThe CENP-T/-W complex is a binding partner of the histone chaperone FACT.
Genes & development : 1313-26 : DOI : 10.1101/gad.275073.115 En savoir plusRésumé
The CENP-T/-W histone fold complex, as an integral part of the inner kinetochore, is essential for building a proper kinetochore at the centromere in order to direct chromosome segregation during mitosis. Notably, CENP-T/-W is not inherited at centromeres, and new deposition is absolutely required at each cell cycle for kinetochore function. However, the mechanisms underlying this new deposition of CENP-T/-W at centromeres are unclear. Here, we found that CENP-T deposition at centromeres is uncoupled from DNA synthesis. We identified Spt16 and SSRP1, subunits of the H2A-H2B histone chaperone facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT), as CENP-W binding partners through a proteomic screen. We found that the C-terminal region of Spt16 binds specifically to the histone fold region of CENP-T/-W. Furthermore, depletion of Spt16 impairs CENP-T and CENP-W deposition at endogenous centromeres, and site-directed targeting of Spt16 alone is sufficient to ensure local de novo CENP-T accumulation. We propose a model in which the FACT chaperone stabilizes the soluble CENP-T/-W complex in the cell and promotes dynamics of exchange, enabling CENP-T/-W deposition at centromeres.
ReplierChromatin regulators as a guide for cancer treatment choice.
Molecular cancer therapeutics : DOI : molcanther.1008.2015 En savoir plusRésumé
The limited capacity to predict a patient’s response to distinct chemotherapeutic agents is a major hurdle in cancer management. The efficiency of a large fraction of current cancer therapeutics (radio- and chemotherapies) is influenced by chromatin structure. Reciprocally, alterations in chromatin organization may impact resistance mechanisms. Here, we explore how the mis-expression of chromatin regulators-factors involved in the establishment and maintenance of functional chromatin domains-can inform about the extent of docetaxel response. We exploit gene Affymetrix and NanoString gene expression data for a set of chromatin regulators generated from breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and patient samples treated with docetaxel. Random Forest classification reveals specific panels of chromatin regulators, including key components of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler, which readily distinguish docetaxel high-responders and poor-responders. Further exploration of SWI/SNF components in the comprehensive NCI-60 dataset reveals that the expression inversely correlates with docetaxel sensitivity. Finally, we show that loss of the SWI/SNF subunit BRG1 (SMARCA4) in a model cell line leads to enhanced docetaxel sensitivity. Altogether, our findings identify chromatin regulators as biomarkers for drug response as well as therapeutic targets to sensitize patients towards docetaxel and combat drug resistance.
ReplierMaintenance of Epigenetic Information.
Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology : DOI : 10.1101/cshperspect.a019372 En savoir plusRésumé
SUMMARYThe genome is subject to a diverse array of epigenetic modifications from DNA methylation to histone posttranslational changes. Many of these marks are somatically stable through cell division. This article focuses on our knowledge of the mechanisms governing the inheritance of epigenetic marks, particularly, repressive ones, when the DNA and chromatin template are duplicated in S phase. This involves the action of histone chaperones, nucleosome-remodeling enzymes, histone and DNA methylation binding proteins, and chromatin-modifying enzymes. Last, the timing of DNA replication is discussed, including the question of whether this constitutes an epigenetic mark that facilitates the propagation of epigenetic marks.
ReplierAnnée de publication : 2015
INO80 Chromatin Remodeler Facilitates Release of RNA Polymerase II from Chromatin for Ubiquitin-Mediated Proteasomal Degradation.
Molecular cell : 784-96 : DOI : 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.10.028 En savoir plusRésumé
Stalling of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) on chromatin during transcriptional stress results in polyubiquitination and degradation of the largest subunit of RNAPII, Rpb1, by the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Here, we report that the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex INO80 is required for turnover of chromatin-bound RNAPII in yeast. INO80 interacts physically and functionally with Cdc48/p97/VCP, a component of UPS required for degradation of RNAPII. Cells lacking INO80 are defective in Rpb1 degradation and accumulate tightly bound ubiquitinated Rpb1 on chromatin. INO80 forms a ternary complex with RNAPII and Cdc48 and targets Rpb1 primed for degradation. The function of INO80 in RNAPII turnover is required for cell growth and survival during genotoxic stress. Our results identify INO80 as a bona fide component of the proteolytic pathway for RNAPII degradation and suggest that INO80 nucleosome remodeling activity promotes the dissociation of ubiquitinated Rpb1 from chromatin to protect the integrity of the genome.
ReplierPredictive and Prognostic Value of the TauProtein in Breast Cancer.
Anticancer research : 5179-84 En savoir plusRésumé
Predictive markers for response to chemotherapy are required in breast cancer. The Tau protein is a microtubule-associated protein variably expressed in breast cancer. The objective of our study was to describe drug resistance induced by the tau protein, and its predictive and prognostic value in breast cancer.
ReplierChromatin dynamics after DNA damage: The legacy of the access-repair-restore model.
DNA repair : 114-21 : DOI : 10.1016/j.dnarep.2015.09.014 En savoir plusRésumé
Eukaryotic genomes are packaged into chromatin, which is the physiological substrate for all DNA transactions, including DNA damage and repair. Chromatin organization imposes major constraints on DNA damage repair and thus undergoes critical rearrangements during the repair process. These rearrangements have been integrated into the « access-repair-restore » (ARR) model, which provides a molecular framework for chromatin dynamics in response to DNA damage. Here, we take a historical perspective on the elaboration of this model and describe the molecular players involved in damaged chromatin reorganization in human cells. In particular, we present our current knowledge of chromatin assembly coupled to DNA damage repair, focusing on the role of histone variants and their dedicated chaperones. Finally, we discuss the impact of chromatin rearrangements after DNA damage on chromatin function and epigenome maintenance.
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