Imprinting analysis of the mouse chromosome 7C region in DNMT1-null embryos

The mouse chromosome 7C, orthologous to the human 15q11–q13 has an imprinted domain, where most of the genes are expressed only from the paternal allele. The imprinted domain contains paternally expressed genes, Snurf/Snrpn, Ndn, Magel2, Mkrn3, and Frat3, C/D-box small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and the maternally expressed gene, Ube3a. Imprinted expression in this large (approximately 3–4 Mb) domain is coordinated by a bipartite cis-acting imprinting center (IC), located upstream of the Snurf/Snrpn gene. The molecular mechanism how IC regulates gene expression of the whole domain remains partially understood. Here we analyzed the relationship between imprinted gene expression and DNA methylation in the mouse chromosome 7C using DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)-null mutant embryos carrying Dnmt1^ps alleles, which show global loss of DNA methylation and embryonic lethality. In the DNMT1-null embryos at embryonic day 9.5, the paternally expressed genes were biallelically expressed. Bisulfite DNA methylation analysis revealed loss of methylation on the maternal allele in the promoter regions of the genes. These results demonstrate that DNMT1 is necessary for monoallelic expression of the imprinted genes in the chromosome 7C domain, suggesting that DNA methylation in the secondary differentially methylated regions (DMRs), which are acquired during development serves primarily to control the imprinted expression from the maternal allele in the mouse chromosome 7C.     

Restoration of Dlk1 and Rtl1 Is Necessary but Insufficient to Rescue Lethality in Intergenic Differentially Methylated Region (IG-DMR)-deficient Mice

In the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted domain, an intergenic differentially methylated region (IG-DMR) regulates the parental allele-specific expression of imprinted genes. The maternally inherited deletion of IG-DMR (IG-DMR^(−/+)) results in perinatal lethality because of the overexpression of paternally expressed genes and repression of maternally expressed noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including Gtl2. To better understand the possible contribution of paternally expressed genes to the lethality, we attempted to rescue the lethality of IG-DMR^(−/+) mutants by restoring the paternally expressed genes. Because the paternally inherited Gtl2 deletion (Gtl2^(+/−)) induced a decrease in the expression of paternally expressed genes, we crossed female IG-DMR heterozygous mice and male Gtl2 heterozygous mutant mice. The resultant IG-DMR^(−/+)/Gtl2^(+/−) double mutant mice had normal expression levels of paternally expressed genes, and none of them showed perinatal lethality; however, most mice showed postnatal lethality with decreased expression of the maternally expressed ncRNAs. Thus, we inferred that paternally expressed genes are necessary for perinatal survivability and that maternally expressed ncRNAs are involved in postnatal lethality.     

Maternal inheritance of the Gnas cluster mutation Ex1A-T affects size, implicating NESP55 in growth

Genes subjected to genomic imprinting are often associated with prenatal and postnatal growth. Furthermore, it has been observed that maternally silenced/paternally expressed genes tend to favour offspring growth, whilst paternally silenced/maternally expressed genes will restrict growth. One imprinted cluster in which this has been shown to hold true is the Gnas cluster; of the three proteins expressed from this cluster, two, Gsα and XLαs, have been found to affect postnatal growth in a number of different mouse models. The remaining protein in this cluster, NESP55, has not yet been shown to be involved in growth. We previously described a new mutation, Ex1A-T, which upon paternal transmission resulted in postnatal growth retardation due to loss of imprinting of Gsα and loss of expression of the paternally expressed XLαs. Here we describe maternal inheritance of Ex1A-T which gives rise to a small but highly significant overgrowth phenotype which we attribute to reduction of maternally expressed NESP55.     

Maternally and paternally silenced imprinted genes differ in their intron content

Imprinted genes exhibit silencing of one of the parental alleles during embryonic development. In a previous study imprinted genes were found to have reduced intron content relative to a non-imprinted control set (Hurst et al., 1996). However, due to the small sample size, it was not possible to analyse the source of this effect. Here, we re-investigate this observation using larger datasets of imprinted and control (non-imprinted) genes that allow us to consider mouse and human, and maternally and paternally silenced, imprinted genes separately. We find that, in the human and mouse, there is reduced intron content in the maternally silenced imprinted genes relative to a non-imprinted control set. Among imprinted genes, a strong bias is also observed in the distribution of intronless genes, which are found exclusively in the maternally silenced dataset. The paternally silenced dataset in the human is not different to the control set; however, the mouse paternally silenced dataset has more introns than the control group. A direct comparison of mouse maternally and paternally silenced imprinted gene datasets shows that they differ significantly with respect to a variety of intron-related parameters. We discuss a variety of possible explanations for our observations.     

Identification of the mouse paternally expressed imprinted gene Zdbf2 on chromosome 1 and its imprinted human homolog ZDBF2 on chromosome 2

In mammals, both the maternal and paternal genomes are necessary for normal embryogenesis due to parent-specific epigenetic modification of the genome during gametogenesis, which leads to non-equivalent expression of imprinted genes from the maternal and paternal alleles. In this study, we identified a paternally expressed imprinted gene, Zdbf2, by microarray-based screening using parthenogenetic and normal embryos. Expression analyses showed that Zdbf2 was paternally expressed in various embryonic and adult tissues, except for the placenta and adult testis, which showed biallelic expression of the gene. We also identified a differentially methylated region (DMR) at 10 kb upstream of exon 1 of the Zdbf2 gene and this differential methylation was derived from the germline. Furthermore, we also identified that the human homolog (ZDBF2) of the mouse Zdbf2 gene showed paternal allele-specific expression in human lymphocytes but not in the human placenta. Thus, our findings defined mouse chromosome 1 and human chromosome 2 as the loci for imprinted genes.     

CG dinucleotide periodicities recognized by the Dnmt3a–Dnmt3L complex are distinctive at retroelements and imprinted domains

The Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L genes are critical mediators of cytosine methylation during gametogenesis, with major actions noted at transposable elements and imprinted loci. The Dnmt3a–Dnmt3L complex was recently described to have preferential activity at CG dinucleotides located 8-10 bp apart. Because cytosine methylation is heterogeneously distributed in the genome, we tested whether this relative sequence preference explains the effects of mutation of the Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L genes using bioinformatic analysis. We found that the human and mouse genomes are significantly enriched in a CG dinucleotide periodicity of 2 bp, leading to an increased frequency of CGs spaced 8 bp apart that represent widespread targets for this protein complex. When we broke down the human and mouse genomes by annotation, we found that this significant 2-bp periodicity and increased 8-bp periodicity are maintained in Alu SINEs in both species. The 8-bp periodicity was mapped genome-wide, identifying enrichment at the promoters of both paternally and maternally methylated imprinted genes and at CG dinucleotide-enriched sequences. We conclude that CG dinucleotide periodicity helps to explain some but not all of the relative sequence specificity of mutations of Dnmt3a or Dnmt3L in the establishment of germline cytosine methylation patterns.     

Mest but Not MiR-335 Affects Skeletal Muscle Growth and Regeneration

When skeletal muscle fibers are injured, they regenerate and grow until their sizes are adjusted to surrounding muscle fibers and other relevant organs. In this study, we examined whether Mest, one of paternally expressed imprinted genes that regulates body size during development, and miR-335 located in the second intron of the Mest gene play roles in muscle regeneration. We generated miR-335-deficient mice, and found that miR-335 is a paternally expressed imprinted microRNA. Although both Mest and miR-335 are highly expressed during muscle development and regeneration, only Mest^+/- (maternal/paternal) mice show retardation of body growth. In addition to reduced body weight in Mest^+/-; DMD-null mice, decreased muscle growth was observed in Mest^+/- mice during cardiotoxin-induced regeneration, suggesting roles of Mest in muscle regeneration. Moreover, expressions of H19 and Igf2r, maternally expressed imprinted genes were affected in tibialis anterior muscle of Mest^+/-; DMD-null mice compared to DMD-null mice. Thus, Mest likely mediates muscle regeneration through regulation of imprinted gene networks in skeletal muscle.     

The role and interaction of imprinted genes in human fetal growth

Identifying the genetic input for fetal growth will help to understand common, serious complications of pregnancy such as fetal growth restriction. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process that silences one parental allele, resulting in monoallelic expression. Imprinted genes are important in mammalian fetal growth and development. Evidence has emerged showing that genes that are paternally expressed promote fetal growth, whereas maternally expressed genes suppress growth. We have assessed whether the expression levels of key imprinted genes correlate with fetal growth parameters during pregnancy, either early in gestation, using chorionic villus samples (CVS), or in term placenta. We have found that the expression of paternally expressing insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), its receptor IGF2R, and the IGF2/IGF1R ratio in CVS tissues significantly correlate with crown–rump length and birthweight, whereas term placenta expression shows no correlation. For the maternally expressing pleckstrin homology-like domain family A, member 2 (PHLDA2), there is no correlation early in pregnancy in CVS but a highly significant negative relationship in term placenta. Analysis of the control of imprinted expression of PHLDA2 gave rise to a maternally and compounded grand-maternally controlled genetic effect with a birthweight increase of 93/155 g, respectively, when one copy of the PHLDA2 promoter variant is inherited. Expression of the growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GRB10) in term placenta is significantly negatively correlated with head circumference. Analysis of the paternally expressing delta-like 1 homologue (DLK1) shows that the paternal transmission of type 1 diabetes protective G allele of rs941576 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) results in significantly reduced birth weight (−132 g). In conclusion, we have found that the expression of key imprinted genes show a strong correlation with fetal growth and that for both genetic and genomics data analyses, it is important not to overlook parent-of-origin effects.     

TGFα Reactivates Imprinted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Igf2</Emphasis> in the Parthenogenetic Mice Embryos and Placenta

Imprinted genes play important roles in the mammalian development. In the parthenogenetic embryos (PE), there is only expression of maternally expressed genes. Therefore, PEs are appropriate experimental models to study genomic imprinting controlling mechanisms. The maternally expressed H19 and paternally expressed Igf2 are reciprocally imprinted genes in normal embryos. Here, we studied effect of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) treatment in vitro (10 ng/ml at the morula stage) on the expression of Igf2/H19 locus in mice PE (9.5 days of gestation, 25 somites) and their placentas (PP). Using RT-PCR, we showed that TGFα reactivated maternally imprinted Igf2 gene in parthenogenetic embryos and placentas. In spite of similar Tgfα expression in the preimplantation stages, its expression in the 9.5-day parthenogenetic embryos is significantly less than in normal embryos (NE). In our experiments, it was shown that reactivation of Igf2 gene occurred independently of H19 gene. In vitro TGFα treatment of mouse PE reactivated paternally expressed Igf2 gene in the PE and PP. In the PE and PP, both Igf2 and H19 were expressed. It seems that TGFα can play an important role as modulator of the Igf2/H19 locus.     

High-resolution analysis of parent-of-origin allelic expression in the Arabidopsis Endosperm

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon leading to parent-of-origin specific differential expression of maternally and paternally inherited alleles. In plants, genomic imprinting has mainly been observed in the endosperm, an ephemeral triploid tissue derived after fertilization of the diploid central cell with a haploid sperm cell. In an effort to identify novel imprinted genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, we generated deep sequencing RNA profiles of F1 hybrid seeds derived after reciprocal crosses of Arabidopsis Col-0 and Bur-0 accessions. Using polymorphic sites to quantify allele-specific expression levels, we could identify more than 60 genes with potential parent-of-origin specific expression. By analyzing the distribution of DNA methylation and epigenetic marks established by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins using publicly available datasets, we suggest that for maternally expressed genes (MEGs) repression of the paternally inherited alleles largely depends on DNA methylation or PcG-mediated repression, whereas repression of the maternal alleles of paternally expressed genes (PEGs) predominantly depends on PcG proteins. While maternal alleles of MEGs are also targeted by PcG proteins, such targeting does not cause complete repression. Candidate MEGs and PEGs are enriched for cis-proximal transposons, suggesting that transposons might be a driving force for the evolution of imprinted genes in Arabidopsis. In addition, we find that MEGs and PEGs are significantly faster evolving when compared to other genes in the genome. In contrast to the predominant location of mammalian imprinted genes in clusters, cluster formation was only detected for few MEGs and PEGs, suggesting that clustering is not a major requirement for imprinted gene regulation in Arabidopsis.     

A MODEL FOR GENOMIC IMPRINTING IN THE SOCIAL BRAIN: ADULTS

Genomic imprinting refers to genes that are silenced when inherited via sperm or via egg. The silencing of genes conditional upon their parental origin requires an evolutionary explanation. The most widely accepted theory for the evolution of genomic imprinting—the kinship theory—argues that conflict between maternally inherited and paternally inherited genes over phenotypes with asymmetric effects on matrilineal and patrilineal kin results in self‐imposed silencing of one of the copies. This theory has been applied to imprinting of genes expressed in the placenta, and infant brain determining the allocation of parental resources being the source of conflict parental promiscuity. However, there is growing evidence that imprinted genes are expressed in the postinfant brain where parental promiscuity per se is no longer a source of conflict. Here, we advance the kinship theory by developing an evolutionary model of genomic imprinting in adults, driven by intragenomic conflict over allocation to parental versus communal care. We consider the role of sex differences in dispersal and variance in reproductive success as sources of conflict. We predict that, in hominids and birds, parental care will be expressed by maternally inherited genes. In nonhominid mammals, we predict more diversity, with some mammals showing the same pattern and other showing the reverse. We use the model to interpret experimental data on imprinted genes in the house mouse: specifically, paternally expressed Peg1 and Peg3 genes, underlying maternal care, and maternally expressed Gnas and paternally expressed Gnasxl genes, underlying communal care. We also use the model to relate ancestral demography to contemporary imprinting disorders of adults, in humans and other taxa.     

Divergence of imprinted genes during mammalian evolution

Background  

In contrast to the majority of mammalian genes, imprinted genes are monoallelically expressed with the choice of the active allele depending on its parental origin. Due to their special inheritance patterns, maternally and paternally expressed genes might be under different evolutionary pressure. Here, we aimed at assessing the evolutionary history of imprinted genes.     

Differential regulation of imprinting in the murine embryo and placenta by the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinting control region

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism controlling parental-origin-specific gene expression. Perturbing the parental origin of the distal portion of mouse chromosome 12 causes alterations in the dosage of imprinted genes resulting in embryonic lethality and developmental abnormalities of both embryo and placenta. A 1 Mb imprinted domain identified on distal chromosome 12 contains three paternally expressed protein-coding genes and multiple non-coding RNA genes, including snoRNAs and microRNAs, expressed from the maternally inherited chromosome. An intergenic, parental-origin-specific differentially methylated region, the IG-DMR, which is unmethylated on the maternally inherited chromosome, is necessary for the repression of the paternally expressed protein-coding genes and for activation of the maternally expressed non-coding RNAs: its absence causes the maternal chromosome to behave like the paternally inherited one. Here, we characterise the developmental consequences of this epigenotype switch and compare these with phenotypes associated with paternal uniparental disomy of mouse chromosome 12. The results show that the embryonic defects described for uniparental disomy embryos can be attributed to this one cluster of imprinted genes on distal chromosome 12 and that these defects alone, and not the mutant placenta, can cause prenatal lethality. In the placenta, the absence of the IG-DMR has no phenotypic consequence. Loss of repression of the protein-coding genes occurs but the non-coding RNAs are not repressed on the maternally inherited chromosome. This indicates that the mechanism of action of the IG-DMR is different in the embryo and the placenta and suggests that the epigenetic control of imprinting differs in these two lineages.     

Identification of an Imprinted Gene Cluster in the X-Inactivation Center

Mammalian development is strongly influenced by the epigenetic phenomenon called genomic imprinting, in which either the paternal or the maternal allele of imprinted genes is expressed. Paternally expressed Xist, an imprinted gene, has been considered as a single cis-acting factor to inactivate the paternally inherited X chromosome (Xp) in preimplantation mouse embryos. This means that X-chromosome inactivation also entails gene imprinting at a very early developmental stage. However, the precise mechanism of imprinted X-chromosome inactivation remains unknown and there is little information about imprinted genes on X chromosomes. In this study, we examined whether there are other imprinted genes than Xist expressed from the inactive paternal X chromosome and expressed in female embryos at the preimplantation stage. We focused on small RNAs and compared their expression patterns between sexes by tagging the female X chromosome with green fluorescent protein. As a result, we identified two micro (mi)RNAs–miR-374-5p and miR-421-3p–mapped adjacent to Xist that were predominantly expressed in female blastocysts. Allelic expression analysis revealed that these miRNAs were indeed imprinted and expressed from the Xp. Further analysis of the imprinting status of adjacent locus led to the discovery of a large cluster of imprinted genes expressed from the Xp: Jpx, Ftx and Zcchc13. To our knowledge, this is the first identified cluster of imprinted genes in the cis-acting regulatory region termed the X-inactivation center. This finding may help in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating imprinted X-chromosome inactivation during early mammalian development.