甲基转移酶对鼻咽癌细胞中DLC-1基因表达的影响

肝癌缺失基因-1(deleted in liver cancer-1,DLC-1)在多种肿瘤中呈现表达缺失或表达下调,这种异常表达主要与由DNA甲基转移酶(DNA methyltransferases,DNMTs)参与的启动子区异常甲基化有关。RT-PCR结果显示DLC-1在永生化鼻咽上皮细胞NP69和干扰DNMTs的5-8F细胞中的表达水平较未干扰的鼻咽癌细胞明显升高。甲基化特异性PCR(methylation-specific PCR,MSPCR)结果则表明DLC-1启动子区在表达下调或缺失的鼻咽癌细胞中均存在异常高甲基化,而干扰DNMTs后5-8F细胞中DLC-1启动子区甲基化状态被逆转,其中特异性干扰DNMT1后效果略为显著,提示DNA甲基转移酶活性对于鼻咽癌中DLC-1启动子区甲基化水平具有重要的调控作用,而DNMT1的调控作用更为突出。     

DNA甲基转移酶DNMT3A在人类常见病毒感染中的研究进展

DNA甲基转移酶（DNA methylationtransferases,DNMTs）是哺乳动物建立与维持基因甲基化的酶类家族，参与基因表达和调控等生物学过程。其中DNA甲基转移酶3A(DNA methyltransferase 3 Alpha,DNMT3A)是机体重要DNMTs之一，DNMT3A突变或异常表达所诱导的基因甲基化引起机体相关因子活性失调进而诱发疾病发生，DNMT3A介导的基因甲基化与人类常见病毒感染所致疾病密切相关。本篇综述从人类常见病毒感染宿主的角度出发，对DNMT3A在促进病毒感染与诱发疾病中的作用进行阐述，为进一步探究以DNMT3A为病毒感染性疾病治疗靶点提供参考和思路。     

奶牛乳腺组织RPS6KB1基因启动子甲基化分析

DNA甲基化是目前生命科学领域的研究热点之一,DNA甲基化在维持细胞功能、遗传印记、个体生长发育中起着重要作用．本研究采用亚硫酸氢盐测序(BSP)技术检测了不同发育时期奶牛乳腺组织及不同乳品质泌乳期奶牛乳腺组织RPS6KB1启动子的甲基化特征,实时荧光定量PCR检测RPS6KB1基因mRNA差异表达．实验结果显示,在RPS6KB1基因启动子内存在CpG及非CpG的甲基化模式,其中泌乳期奶牛之间甲基化水平相似,妊娠期奶牛甲基化程度高于泌乳期奶牛．荧光定量结果显示不同发育时期,RPS6KB1基因mRNA水平表达差异显著（P<0.05）,而两组泌乳期奶牛之间差异不显著（P>0.05）.说明RPS6KB1的表达受到其启动子甲基化的调控,非CpG甲基化模式可能具有与CpG甲基化模式相似的生物学功能,参与RPS6KB1的表达调控．     

沉默Dnmt1基因表达诱导大白鼠骨髓间充质干细胞向心肌样细胞分化

骨髓间充质干细胞(MSCs)具有向心肌样细胞分化的潜能.本室前期研究发现,MSCs在体外经DNA甲基转移酶(Dnmt)抑制剂5-氮胞苷诱导可分化为心肌样细胞.本研究证明,沉默DNA甲基化转移酶1（Dnmt1）基因表达,可诱导大鼠MSCs向心肌样细胞分化.本文采用表达Dnmt1 siRNA 慢病毒感染MSCs,沉默Dnmt1表达.DNA甲基化分析显示,随着沉默Dnmt1时间延长（7-28 d）,Gata-4基因上游DNA调控序列的CpG甲基化水平明显降低,而Gata-4 mRNA的转录水平明显上调,说明敲减Dnmt1表达导致Gata-4基因激活.蛋白质印迹和/或免疫细胞化学揭示,与对照组比较,心肌相关基因MHC 和cTnT表达上调, 而骨髓干细胞标志物CD90和CD29随转染时间延长表达下调.同时,实时定量PCR显示,心肌早期发育调控基因Nkx2.5 mRNA水平与Gata-4 mRNA相同,随表达Dnmt1 siRNA的慢病毒感染而上调.上述结果提示,敲减Dnmt1可降低心肌发育调控基因Gata-4启动子CpG岛的甲基化水平,上调Gata-4基因的表达,诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向心肌样分化.     

DNA甲基化与肿瘤

DNA甲基化参与基因的表达调控。DNA甲基化异常与肿瘤等疾病有关,抑癌基因启动子区的异常甲基化和癌基因的去甲基化均影响肿瘤的发生发展过程,肿瘤细胞的总体甲基化水平比正常细胞低,但是伴有某些CpG岛甲基化程度增高。     

腺苷酸环化酶3缺失对小鼠主要嗅觉表皮组织内DNA甲基化的影响

腺苷酸环化酶3 (adenylate cyclaseⅢ,AC3)是嗅觉系统中的重要成分,AC3缺失后小鼠的主要嗅觉表皮组织(main olfactory epidermal,MOE)随年龄增长逐渐变薄,MOE内基因表达谱发生改变. DNA甲基化在动物发育、基因表达调控中具有重要作用.为了探讨AC3缺失后小鼠MOE内基因启动子甲基化水平的改变以及对基因表达的影响,本文采用DNA甲基化免疫共沉淀芯片(methylated DNA immunoprecipitation chip,MeDIP-chip)筛选AC3缺失小鼠MOE内启动子区甲基化差异表达基因,利用甲基化特异PCR (methylation-specific PCR,MSP)、实时荧光定量PCR (qRT-PCR)进一步检测部分甲基化差异基因的DNA甲基化水平改变和表达差异.结果表明,AC3缺失小鼠中有1 978个基因启动子的甲基化水平发生了改变,占总探针数的9%,其中727个基因启动子甲基化水平升高,1 251个甲基化水平降低.功能分析表明,这些启动子甲基化发生改变的基因主要涉及的功能分别与嗅觉受体、神经发育、cAMP信号通路、ATP结合、钙离子调控、乙酰化修饰、转录因子等相关. MSP检测表明,嗅觉受体基因Olfr1153、Olfr231、Olfr378、Olfr651、Olfr691启动子区的甲基化水平升高,Cngb1、Pde4a和Olfr1394基因启动子区的甲基化水平降低. qRT-PCR结果显示,基因Cngb1、Hcn4、Olfm1、Olfr1394、Olfr1153、Olfr231、Olfr378、Olfr691的表达水平显著下降,而Pde4a和Olfr651基因的表达水平显著升高.总之,AC3缺失后MOE内嗅觉受体基因、神经发育相关基因、cAMP信号通路等相关基因启动子甲基化水平发生显著改变,影响核苷酸切除修复、DNA复制、错配修复等信号通路的传导,从而综合调控小鼠MOE内的基因表达数量和水平.     

低剂量顺铂通过p38MAPK介导的DNMT1下调降低p21与p16启动子甲基化上调p21与p16表达

低剂量顺铂可通过诱导p21与p16表达而诱导肿瘤细胞早衰,但其机制不明。本研究探讨了低剂量顺铂诱导的HeLa细胞衰老过程中p21与p16的上调机制。低剂量顺铂（4 μmol/L）处理HeLa细胞后,DNA甲基转移酶DNMT1蛋白水平降低;p21与p16启动子甲基化水平降低,二者mRNA及蛋白质水平升高;顺铂对DNMT1蛋白水平的降低作用与其激活p38MAPK有关,用SB203580抑制p38MAPK可部分逆转顺铂对DNMT1蛋白水平以及p21与p16启动子甲基化的降低作用,从而部分逆转顺铂对p21与p16表达的诱导;抑制p38MAPK 也可部分逆转低剂量顺铂诱导的HeLa细胞早衰。上述结果表明,低剂量顺铂可通过p38MAPK信号通路下调p21与p16启动子甲基化水平,进而上调二者的表达。这些结果为解析低剂量顺铂诱导肿瘤细胞早衰的信号转导机制提供了实验依据。     

腹部脂肪组织APN基因DNA甲基化及mRNA表达与维吾尔族T2DM的相关性

为探讨APN基因启动子区DNA甲基化及mRNA表达与新疆维吾尔族T2DM发生、发展的相关性,文章选择新疆维吾尔族正常个体50例、肥胖个体48例、肥胖伴T2DM个体26例,收集腹部网膜脂肪组织,利用变性高效液相色谱技术检测APN基因启动子区DNA甲基化情况,应用Real-time PCR方法检测APN 基因mRNA表达情况。结果显示,APN基因启动子区DNA甲基化阳性率在正常对照(34%)、肥胖(47.9%)及T2DM组(65.4%)逐渐增加,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。Real-time PCR结果显示,正常对照组APN mRNA相对拷贝数(0.7162)显著高于肥胖(0.4244)及T2DM组(0.4093),差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。非T2DM个体相关性分析提示,APN mRNA相对拷贝数与空腹血清葡萄糖(Fasting plasma glucose, FPG)、糖化血红蛋白(Glycosylated hemoglobin, HbA₁c)、甘油三酯(Triglyceride, TG)水平显著负相关(P<0.05)。APN基因启动子区DNA甲基化与其mRNA表达负相关,甲基化阳性组相对拷贝数(0.2700)显著低于阴性组(0.7870),差异具有统计学意义(P<0.01)。以上结果提示,APN基因启动子区DNA甲基化通过抑制其 mRNA表达导致糖脂代谢紊乱,可能参与了新疆维吾尔族肥胖及T2DM的发生、发展过程。     

奶牛产奶性状与乳房炎相关基因CpG含量及分布特征的比较分析

DNA甲基化是表观遗传学的重要组成部分,基因启动子区及第一外显子区的CpG甲基化通常抑制该基因的表达,而去甲基化则促进基因表达。已有的研究发现荷斯坦牛的乳房炎指标SCC(Somatic cell count)与产奶量呈较强负相关。文章分析并比较了这两类性状的相关基因的启动子区、第一外显子、下游2 000 bp序列中CpG含量及分布特征。结果表明,乳房炎相关基因的启动子、第一外显子中CpG含量显著低于产奶性状相关基因,而两类性状基因下游2 000 bp序列中CpG含量无显著性差异。另外,文中提出了两个量化基因序列中CpG特征的指标,一个是CpG平均距离,用来衡量序列中的CpG分布;另一个是条件概率p(G|C),用以量化序列中二核苷酸CpG随碱基C出现的可能性,并对两类基因的启动子和第一外显子区域的这两个指标做了统计检验。研究结果对产奶性状与乳房炎相关基因的DNA甲基化调控研究奠定了基础。     

DNMT3a通过提升基因内部甲基化介导紫杉醇诱导的LINE-1异常表达

药物诱导的长散在重复序列LINE-1异常激活可促进细胞基因组不稳定,而基因组不稳定是促进肿瘤发生发展和耐药表型形成的重要因素。因此,探索LINE-1异常激活的分子机制具有重要的理论和临床意义。DNA甲基化是调控基因表达的重要方式,已知DNA甲基转移酶家族成员DNMT3a不仅能通过促进基因启动子甲基化抑制基因表达,还可通过增强基因内部甲基化上调基因表达。本实验室前期研究发现,将乳腺癌细胞暴露于化疗药物可诱导LINE-1异常高表达,但LINE-1启动子甲基化水平并无显著改变。本研究进一步探讨了在化疗药物压力下DNMT3a是否可通过增强LINE-1基因内部甲基化水平促进LINE-1在乳腺癌细胞中的异常高表达。ChIP实验和甲基分析结果显示,用化疗药物紫杉醇(PTX)处理乳腺癌细胞,不仅可以诱导DNMT3a表达,而且可以促进DNMT3a与LINE-1基因内部区域的结合,提升其基因内部甲基化水平,进而上调LINE-1的表达水平。利用表达载体增加细胞内DNMT3a的表达水平,可显著上调LINE-1基因内部的甲基化及基因的表达水平,而下调DNMT3a的表达可有效抑制LINE-1表达。上述研究结果表明,DNMT3a介导的基因非启动子区甲基化在药物诱导的LINE-1异常激活中发挥重要作用,为认识LINE-1在乳腺癌化疗耐药性形成过程中异常激活的机制提供了新思路。     

Fetal Alcohol Exposure Reduces Dopamine Receptor D2 and Increases Pituitary Weight and Prolactin Production via Epigenetic Mechanisms

Recent evidence indicated that alcohol exposure during the fetal period increases the susceptibility to tumor development in mammary and prostate tissues. Whether fetal alcohol exposure increases the susceptibility to prolactin-producing tumor (prolactinoma) development in the pituitary was studied by employing the animal model of estradiol-induced prolactinomas in Fischer 344 female rats. We employed an animal model of fetal alcohol exposure that simulates binge alcohol drinking during the first two trimesters of human pregnancy and involves feeding pregnant rats with a liquid diet containing 6.7% alcohol during gestational day 7 to day 21. Control rats were pair-fed with isocaloric liquid diet or fed ad libitum with rat chow diet. Adult alcohol exposed and control female offspring rats were used in this study on the day of estrus or after estrogen treatment. Results show that fetal alcohol-exposed rats had increased levels of pituitary weight, pituitary prolactin (PRL) protein and mRNA, and plasma PRL. However, these rats show decreased pituitary levels of dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) mRNA and protein and increased pituitary levels of D2R promoter methylation. Also, they show elevated pituitary mRNA levels of DNA methylating genes (DNMT1, DNMT3b, MeCP2) and histone modifying genes (HDAC2, HDAC4, G9a). When fetal alcohol exposed rats were treated neonatally with a DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza deoxycytidine and/or a HDAC inhibitor trichostatin-A their pituitary D2R mRNA, pituitary weights and plasma PRL levels were normalized. These data suggest that fetal alcohol exposure programs the pituitary to increase the susceptibility to the development of prolactinomas possibly by enhancing the methylation of the D2R gene promoter and repressing the synthesis and control of D2R on PRL-producing cells.     

Ischemia dysregulates DNA methyltransferases and p16INK4a methylation in human colorectal cancer cells

Epigenetic modifications are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. Expression patterns and activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are strictly controlled in normal cells; however, regulation of these enzymes is lost in cancer cells due to unknown reasons. Cancer therapies which target DNMTs are promising treatments of hematologic cancers, but they lack effectiveness in solid tumors. Solid tumors exhibit areas of hypoxia and hypoglycaemia due to their irregular and dysfunctional vasculature, and we previously showed that hypoxia reduces global DNA methylation. Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells (HCT116 and 379.2; p53^+/+ and p53^-/-, respectively) were subjected to ischemia (hypoxia and hypoglycaemia) in vitro and levels of DNMTs were assessed. We found a significant decrease in mRNA for DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b, and similar reductions in DNMT1 and DNMT3a protein levels were detected by western blotting. In addition, total activity levels of DNMTs (as measured by an ELISA-based DNMT activity assay) were reduced in cells exposed to hypoxic and hypoglycaemic conditions. Immunofluorescence of HCT116 tumor xenografts demonstrated an inverse relationship between ischemia (as revealed by carbonic anhydrase IX staining) and DNMT1 protein. Bisulfite sequencing of the proximal promoter region of p16^INK4a showed a decrease in 5-methylcytosine following in vitro exposure to ischemia. These studies provide evidence for the downregulation of DNMTs and modulation of methylation patterns by hypoxia and hypoglycaemia in human CRC cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that ischemia, either intrinsic or induced through the use of anti-angiogenic drugs, may influence epigenetic patterning and hence tumor progression.Key words: DNA methylation, DNA methyltransferases, colorectal carcinoma, ischemia, p53, hypoxia, hypoglycaemia     

Ischemia dysregulates DNA methyltransferases and p16INK4a methylation in human colorectal cancer cells

Epigenetic modifications are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. Expression patterns and activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are strictly controlled in normal cells, however, regulation of these enzymes is lost in cancer cells due to unknown reasons. Cancer therapies which target DNMTs are promising treatments of hematologic cancers, but they lack effectiveness in solid tumors. Solid tumors exhibit areas of hypoxia and hypoglycaemia due to their irregular and dysfunctional vasculature, and we previously showed that hypoxia reduces global DNA methylation. Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells (HCT116 and 379.2; p53+/+ and p53-/-, respectively) were subjected to ischemia (hypoxia and hypoglycaemia) in vitro, and levels of DNMTs were assessed. We found a significant decrease in mRNA for DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b, and similar reductions in DNMT1 and DNMT3a protein levels were detected by western blotting. In addition, total activity levels of DNMTs (as measured by an ELISA-based DNMT activity assay) were reduced in cells exposed to hypoxic and hypoglycaemic conditions. Immunofluorescence of HCT116 tumor xenografts demonstrated an inverse relationship between ischemia (as revealed by carbonic anhydrase IX staining) and DNMT1 protein. Bisulfite sequencing of the proximal promoter region of p16INK4a showed a decrease in 5-methylcytosine following in vitro exposure to ischemia. These studies provide evidence for the down-regulation of DNMTs and modulation of methylation patterns by hypoxia and hypoglycaemia in human CRC cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that ischemia, either intrinsic or induced through the use of anti-angiogenic drugs, may influence epigenetic patterning and hence tumor progression.     

Deep Enzymology Studies on DNA Methyltransferases Reveal Novel Connections between Flanking Sequences and Enzyme Activity

DNA interacting enzymes recognize their target sequences embedded in variable flanking sequence context. The influence of flanking sequences on enzymatic activities of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) can be systematically studied with “deep enzymology” approaches using pools of double-stranded DNA substrates, which contain target sites in random flanking sequence context. After incubation with DNMTs and bisulfite conversion, the methylation states and flanking sequences of individual DNA molecules are determined by NGS. Deep enzymology studies with different human and mouse DNMTs revealed strong influences of flanking sequences on their CpG and non-CpG methylation activity and the structures of DNMT-DNA complexes. Differences in flanking sequence preferences of DNMT3A and DNMT3B were shown to be related to the prominent role of DNMT3B in the methylation of human SATII repeat elements. Mutational studies in DNMT3B discovered alternative interaction networks between the enzyme and the DNA leading to a partial equalization of the effects of different flanking sequences. Structural studies in DNMT1 revealed striking correlations between enzymatic activities and flanking sequence dependent conformational changes upon DNA binding. Correlation of the biochemical data with cellular methylation patterns demonstrated that flanking sequence preferences are an important parameter that influences genomic DNA methylation patterns together with other mechanisms targeting DNMTs to genomic sites.