Reversal of H3K9me2 by a small-molecule inhibitor for the G9a histone methyltransferase

Histone lysine methylation has important roles in the organization of chromatin domains and the regulation of gene expression. To analyze its function and modulate its activity, we screened for specific inhibitors against histone lysine methyltransferases (HMTases) using recombinant G9a as the target enzyme. From a chemical library comprising 125,000 preselected compounds, seven hits were identified. Of those, one inhibitor, BIX-01294 (diazepin-quinazolin-amine derivative), does not compete with the cofactor S-adenosyl-methionine, and selectively impairs the G9a HMTase and the generation of H3K9me2 in vitro. In cellular assays, transient incubation of several cell lines with BIX-01294 lowers bulk H3K9me2 levels that are restored upon removal of the inhibitor. Importantly, chromatin immunoprecipitation at several G9a target genes demonstrates reversible reduction of promoter-proximal H3K9me2 in inhibitor-treated mouse ES cells and fibroblasts. Our data identify a biologically active HMTase inhibitor that allows for the transient modulation of H3K9me2 marks in mammalian chromatin.     

Properly Substituted Analogues of BIX-01294 Lose Inhibition of G9a Histone Methyltransferase and Gain Selective Anti-DNA Methyltransferase 3A Activity

Chemical manipulations performed on the histone H3 lysine 9 methyltransferases (G9a/GLP) inhibitor BIX-01294 afforded novel desmethoxyquinazolines able to inhibit the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A at low micromolar levels without any significant inhibition of DNMT1 and G9a. In KG-1 cells such compounds, when tested at sub-toxic doses, induced the luciferase re-expression in a stable construct controlled by a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter silenced by methylation (CMV-luc assay). Finally, in human lymphoma U-937 and RAJI cells, the N-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-2-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)quinazolin-4-amine induced the highest proliferation arrest and cell death induction starting from 10 µM, in agreement with its DNMT3A inhibitory potency.     

BIX-01294对肝癌细胞周期、凋亡及移植瘤的影响

目的:探究组蛋白甲基转移酶G9a抑制剂(BIX-01294)对肝癌细胞周期、凋亡及移植瘤的影响.方法:将SMMC-7721、BEL-7402、HL-7702原始细胞株传代培养后,分为空白对照组和不同浓度(1 μM、5 μM、10 μM、20 μM)BIX-01294处理组.应用Western-blot法检测G9a及肝癌...     

Adding a Lysine Mimic in the Design of Potent Inhibitors of Histone Lysine Methyltransferases

Dynamic histone lysine methylation involves the activities of modifying enzymes (writers), enzymes removing modifications (erasers), and readers of the histone code. One common feature of these activities is the recognition of lysines in methylated and unmethylated states, whether they are substrates, reaction products, or binding partners. We applied the concept of adding a lysine mimic to an established inhibitor (BIX-01294) of histone H3 lysine 9 methyltransferases G9a and G9a-like protein by including a 5-aminopentyloxy moiety, which is inserted into the target lysine-binding channel and becomes methylated by G9a-like protein, albeit slowly. The compound enhances its potency in vitro and reduces cell toxicity in vivo. We suggest that adding a lysine or methyl-lysine mimic should be considered in the design of small-molecule inhibitors for other methyl-lysine writers, erasers, and readers.     

Heterochromatin Controls γH2A Localization in Neurospora crassa

In response to genotoxic stress, ATR and ATM kinases phosphorylate H2A in fungi and H2AX in animals on a C-terminal serine. The resulting modified histone, called γH2A, recruits chromatin-binding proteins that stabilize stalled replication forks or promote DNA double-strand-break repair. To identify genomic loci that might be prone to replication fork stalling or DNA breakage in Neurospora crassa, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) of γH2A followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). γH2A-containing nucleosomes are enriched in Neurospora heterochromatin domains. These domains are comprised of A·T-rich repetitive DNA sequences associated with histone H3 methylated at lysine-9 (H3K9me), the H3K9me-binding protein heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), and DNA cytosine methylation. H3K9 methylation, catalyzed by DIM-5, is required for normal γH2A localization. In contrast, γH2A is not required for H3K9 methylation or DNA methylation. Normal γH2A localization also depends on HP1 and a histone deacetylase, HDA-1, but is independent of the DNA methyltransferase DIM-2. γH2A is globally induced in dim-5 mutants under normal growth conditions, suggesting that the DNA damage response is activated in these mutants in the absence of exogenous DNA damage. Together, these data suggest that heterochromatin formation is essential for normal DNA replication or repair.     

Latrunculin A Treatment Prevents Abnormal Chromosome Segregation for Successful Development of Cloned Embryos

Somatic cell nuclear transfer to an enucleated oocyte is used for reprogramming somatic cells with the aim of achieving totipotency, but most cloned embryos die in the uterus after transfer. While modifying epigenetic states of cloned embryos can improve their development, the production rate of cloned embryos can also be enhanced by changing other factors. It has already been shown that abnormal chromosome segregation (ACS) is a major cause of the developmental failure of cloned embryos and that Latrunculin A (LatA), an actin polymerization inhibitor, improves F-actin formation and birth rate of cloned embryos. Since F-actin is important for chromosome congression in embryos, here we examined the relation between ACS and F-actin in cloned embryos. Using LatA treatment, the occurrence of ACS decreased significantly whereas cloned embryo-specific epigenetic abnormalities such as dimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) could not be corrected. In contrast, when H3K9me2 was normalized using the G9a histone methyltransferase inhibitor BIX-01294, the Magea2 gene—essential for normal development but never before expressed in cloned embryos—was expressed. However, this did not increase the cloning success rate. Thus, non-epigenetic factors also play an important role in determining the efficiency of mouse cloning.     

An analog of BIX-01294 selectively inhibits a family of histone H3 lysine 9 Jumonji demethylases

BIX-01294 and its analogs were originally identified and subsequently designed as potent inhibitors against histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferases G9a and G9a-like protein. Here, we show that BIX-01294 and its analog E67 can also inhibit H3K9 Jumonji demethylase KIAA1718 with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations in low micromolar range. Crystallographic analysis of KIAA1718 Jumonji domain in complex with E67 indicated that the benzylated six-membered piperidine ring was disordered and exposed to solvent. Removing the moiety (generating compound E67-2) has no effect on the potency against KIAA1718 but, unexpectedly, lost inhibition against G9a-like protein by a factor of 1500. Furthermore, E67 and E67-2 have no effect on the activity against histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) demethylase JARID1C. Thus, our study provides a new avenue for designing and improving the potency and selectivity of inhibitors against H3K9 Jumonji demethylases over H3K9 methyltransferases and H3K4 demethylases.     

Histone H3 lysine 27 and 9 hypermethylation within the Bad promoter region mediates 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine-induced Leydig cell apoptosis: implications of 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine toxicity to male reproduction

5-Aza-2′-deoxycitidine (5-Aza), an anticancer agent, results in substantial toxicity to male reproduction, causing a decline in sperm quality associated with reduced testosterone. Here, we report that 5-Aza increased the apoptotic protein Bad epigenetically in the testosterone-producing mouse TM3 Leydig cell line. 5-Aza decreased cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner with concomitant increase in Bad protein. This increase is accompanied by increased cleavages of both poly ADP ribose polymerase and caspase-3. Flow cytometric analysis further supported 5-Aza-derived apoptosis in TM3 cells. Bisulfite sequencing analysis failed to identify putative methylcytosine site(s) in CpG islands of the Bad promoter. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed decreased levels of trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27-3me) and H3K9-3me in the Bad promoter region in response to 5-Aza treatment. Knock-down by siRNA of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase responsible for H3K27-3me, or demethylation of H3K9-3me by BIX-01294 showed significantly increased levels in Bad expression and consequent Leydig cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our results demonstrate for the first time that Bad expression is regulated at least by EZH2-mediated H3K27-3me or G9a-like protein/euchromatic histone methyltransferase 1 (GLP/Eu-HMTase1)-mediated H3K9-3me in mouse TM3 Leydig cells, which may be implicated in 5-Aza-derived toxicity to male reproduction.     

Lysine 27 dimethylation of Drosophila linker histone dH1 contributes to heterochromatin organization independently of H3K9 methylation

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of core histones are important epigenetic determinants that correlate with functional chromatin states. However, despite multiple linker histone H1s PTMs have been identified, little is known about their genomic distribution and contribution to the epigenetic regulation of chromatin. Here, we address this question in Drosophila that encodes a single somatic linker histone, dH1. We previously reported that dH1 is dimethylated at K27 (dH1K27me2). Here, we show that dH1K27me2 is a major PTM of Drosophila heterochromatin. At mitosis, dH1K27me2 accumulates at pericentromeric heterochromatin, while, in interphase, it is also detected at intercalary heterochromatin. ChIPseq experiments show that >98% of dH1K27me2 enriched regions map to heterochromatic repetitive DNA elements, including transposable elements, simple DNA repeats and satellite DNAs. Moreover, expression of a mutated dH1K27A form, which impairs dH1K27me2, alters heterochromatin organization, upregulates expression of heterochromatic transposable elements and results in the accumulation of RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) in heterochromatin, without affecting H3K9 methylation and HP1a binding. The pattern of dH1K27me2 is H3K9 methylation independent, as it is equally detected in flies carrying a H3K9R mutation, and is not affected by depletion of Su(var)3–9, HP1a or Su(var)4–20. Altogether these results suggest that dH1K27me2 contributes to heterochromatin organization independently of H3K9 methylation.     

Identification and Characterization of an Epi-Allele of FIE1 Reveals a Regulatory Linkage between Two Epigenetic Marks in Rice

DNA methylation and histone H3 Lys 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) are important epigenetic repression marks for silencing transposons in heterochromatin and for regulating gene expression. However, the mechanistic relationship to other repressive marks, such as histone H3 Lys 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) is unclear. FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM1 (FIE1) encodes an Esc-like core component of the Polycomb repressive complex 2, which is involved in H3K27me3-mediated gene repression. Here, we identify a gain-of-function epi-allele (Epi-df) of rice (Oryza sativa) FIE1; this allele causes a dwarf stature and various floral defects that are inherited in a dominant fashion. We found that Epi-df has no changes in nucleotide sequence but is hypomethylated in the 5′ region of FIE1 and has reduced H3K9me2 and increased H3K4me3. In Epi-df, FIE1 was ectopically expressed and its imprinting was disrupted. FIE1 interacted with rice Enhancer of Zeste homologs, consistent with its role in H3K27me3 repression. Ectopic expression of FIE1 in Epi-df resulted in alteration of H3K27me3 levels in hundreds of genes. In summary, this work identifies an epi-allele involved in H3K27me3-mediated gene repression that itself is highly regulated by DNA methylation and histone H3K9me2, thereby shedding light on the link between DNA methylation and histone methylation, the two important epigenetic marks regulating rice development.     

Characterising the Binding Specificities of the Subunits Associated with the KMT2/Set1 Histone Lysine Methyltransferase

KMT2/Set1 is the catalytic subunit of the complex of proteins associated with Set1 (COMPASS) that is responsible for the methylation of lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Whereas monomethylated H3K4 (H3K4me1) is found throughout the genome, di- (H3K4me2) and tri- (H3K4me3) methylated H3K4 are enriched at specific loci, which correlates with the promoter and 5′-ends of actively transcribed genes in the case of H3K4me3. The COMPASS subunits contain a number of domains that are conserved in homologous complexes in higher eukaryotes and are reported to interact with modified histones. However, the exact organization of these subunits and their role within the complex have not been elucidated. In this study we showed that: (1) subunits Swd1 and Swd3 form a stable heterodimer that dissociates upon binding to a modified H3K4me2 tail peptide, suggesting a regulatory role in COMPASS; (2) the affinity of the subunit Spp1 for modified histone H3 substrates is much higher than that of Swd1 and Swd3; (3) Spp1 has a preference for H3K4me2/3 methylation state; and (4) Spp1 contains a high-affinity DNA-binding domain in the previously uncharacterised C-terminal region. These data allow us to suggest a mechanism for the regulation of COMPASS activity at an actively transcribed gene.