Article
Parasitology
Ruolin Lin, Xiaopeng Wang, Caiya Ni, Chunxue Fu, Chun Yang, Dan Dong, Xiangwei Wu, Xueling Chen, Lianghai Wang, Jun Hou
Summary: Our study reveals that EgCF inhibits the expression of KDM6B and H3K27me3 demethylation, leading to the transcriptional inhibition of NLRP3 and IL-1 beta. These findings provide new insights into the immune evasion mechanisms of E. granulosus.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hasan Mehraj, Satoshi Takahashi, Naomi Miyaji, Ayasha Akter, Yutaka Suzuki, Motoaki Seki, Elizabeth S. Dennis, Ryo Fujimoto
Summary: Covalent modifications of histone proteins, such as H3K4me3 and H3K36me3, are found to regulate gene expression in Brassica rapa L. Two lines of this species showed enrichment of these histone marks at transcription start sites, with gene expression levels being influenced by them. Genes with both H3K4me3 and H3K36me3 typically showed constitutive high expression levels. Additionally, bivalent active and repressive histone modifications were observed in some genes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Aidan J. Levinsky, Gregor McEdwards, Nasha Sethna, Mark A. Currie
Summary: H3K9 methyltransferases play crucial roles in genome stability, cell type-specific gene expression, and non-histone methylation. They are involved in histone modification and regulate the methylation of various non-histone targets, contributing to genome regulation and cellular functions.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cheenou Her, Tien M. Phan, Nina Jovic, Utkarsh Kapoor, Bryce E. Ackermann, Azamat Rizuan, Young C. Kim, Jeetain Mittal, Galia T. Debelouchina
Summary: This study combines computational and experimental approaches to elucidate the molecular interactions that drive the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of HP1 alpha. Phosphorylation-driven LLPS leads to a structural change from a compacted to an extended conformation of HP1 alpha. Both positively and negatively charged peptide ligands can perturb DNA-driven LLPS. The findings highlight the importance of electrostatic interactions in HP1 alpha LLPS and its regulation.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nora Guidotti, Adam Eoerdoegh, Maxime Mivelaz, Pablo Rivera-Fuentes, Beat Fierz
Summary: Chromatin is organized into functional states defined by specific histone modifications and chromatin-associated reader proteins. Heterochromatin represents a spatially defined chromatin state, possibly driven by LLPS. The use of fluorescent probes reveals that the local organization of heterochromatin is more complex than previously thought.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Vaquero-Sedas, Miguel A. Vega-Palas
Summary: Telomeric regions in Arabidopsis have a bimodal chromatin structure, with telomeres lacking both euchromatic and heterochromatic marks, followed by heterochromatic subtelomeres. The presence of heterochromatic modifications in subtelomeres may play a significant role in telomere biology.
Article
Biology
Madeline M. Keenen, David Brown, Lucy D. Brennan, Roman Renger, Harrison Khoo, Christopher R. Carlson, Bo Huang, Stephan W. Grill, Geeta J. Narlikar, Sy Redding
Summary: Studies have found that HP1 proteins form liquid phase-separated droplets, with HP1α exhibiting dynamic liquid characteristics, while DNA molecules are constrained within local territories. These condensates are resistant but can be dissolved by HP1β, and the differences in properties among HP1 paralogs arise from their respective disordered regions.
Review
Plant Sciences
Huihui Fang, Yuke Shao, Gang Wu
Summary: This review discusses the reprogramming of histone H3 methylation during plant sexual reproduction, highlighting its importance in cell specification and establishment of pluripotency. Despite advancements in understanding this process, challenges remain in this area and future breakthroughs in cell-specific epigenomic profiling are expected to provide a solution.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Lopes Novo, Emily Wong, Colin Hockings, Chetan Poudel, Eleanor Sheekey, Meike Wiese, Hanneke Okkenhaug, Simon J. Boulton, Srinjan Basu, Simon Walker, Gabriele S. Kaminski Schierle, Geeta J. Narlikar, Peter J. Rugg-Gunn
Summary: The authors demonstrate that satellite transcripts in mouse embryonic stem cells play a role in driving the formation of HP1α droplets and modulating the organization of heterochromatin. Depleting these transcripts leads to a less dynamic and more static state of heterochromatin and results in chromosome instability. This study highlights the importance of satellite transcripts in maintaining genome stability.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Amy R. Strom, Ronald J. Biggs, Edward J. Banigan, Xiaotao Wang, Katherine Chiu, Cameron Herman, Jimena Collado, Feng Yue, Joan C. Ritland Politz, Leah J. Tait, David Scalzo, Agnes Telling, Mark Groudine, Clifford P. Brangwynne, John F. Marko, Andrew D. Stephens
Summary: HP1 alpha plays a critical role in chromatin-based mechanics by maintaining chromatin stiffness and nuclear morphology, supporting cellular functions.
Article
Cell Biology
Manon Chadourne, Elodie Poumerol, Luc Jouneau, Bruno Passet, Johan Castille, Eli Sellem, Eric Pailhoux, Beatrice Mandon-Pepin
Summary: Deletion of the Topaz1 gene results in male infertility. Studies have identified three testis-specific long non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles in spermatogenesis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Fortuny, Audrey Chansard, Pierre Caron, Odile Chevallier, Olivier Leroy, Olivier Renaud, Sophie E. Polo
Summary: Heterochromatin is a critical chromatin compartment that plays a key role in genome stability and cell fate transitions. This study reveals how heterochromatin features are preserved following a genotoxic stress challenge by tracking the heterochromatin response to UV damage in real time.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew Keniry, Natasha Jansz, Linden J. Gearing, Iromi Wanigasuriya, Joseph Chen, Christian M. Nefzger, Peter F. Hickey, Quentin Gouil, Joy Liu, Kelsey A. Breslin, Megan Iminitoff, Tamara Beck, Andres Tapia del Fierro, Lachlan Whitehead, Andrew Jarratt, Sarah A. Kinkel, Phillippa C. Taberlay, Tracy Willson, Miha Pakusch, Matthew E. Ritchie, Douglas J. Hilton, Jose M. Polo, Marnie E. Blewitt
Summary: In this study, a replenishable female mouse embryonic stem cell system was developed to study X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Through a targeted genetic screen, the researchers identified the BAF complex as essential for creating nucleosome-depleted regions at promoters on the inactive X chromosome during the early stages of XCI establishment. This model system provides a valuable tool for discovering unknown factors involved in XCI and epigenetic silencing.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Liu, Qian Liu, Handong Su, Kunpeng Liu, Xue Xiao, Wei Li, Qianwen Sun, James A. Birchler, Fangpu Han
Summary: The study identified over 700,000 R-loop peaks in the maize genome, with sense R-loops mainly enriched in promoters and transcription termination sites. At the chromosome scale, maize R-loops were enriched in pericentromeric heterochromatin regions.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Angelique Deleris, Frederic Berger, Sandra Duharcourt
Summary: This article summarizes the experimental evidence of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) targeting and silencing transposable elements across the eukaryotic kingdom, in addition to depositing on silent protein-coding genes, discussing its functional and evolutionary significance. The authors hypothesize that an ancestral role of Polycomb group (PcG) proteins was to silence transposable elements.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Samuele Soraggi, Meritxell Riera, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Mikkel H. Schierup, Kristian Almstrup
Summary: Azoospermia is a condition characterized by the absence of spermatozoa in ejaculate. This article reviews the complex cellular structure of the human testis in different types of azoospermia and outlines how known genetic alterations affect testis pathology. The authors combined single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from the human testis to show expression patterns and network analysis of genes involved in the pathogenesis of azoospermia.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Valentina Mularoni, Valentina Esposito, Sara Di Persio, Elena Vicini, Gustavo Spadetta, Pasquale Berloco, Flaminia Fanelli, Marco Mezzullo, Uberto Pagotto, Carla Pelusi, John E. Nielsen, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Niels Jorgensen, Anne Jorgensen, Carla Boitani
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2020)
Article
Andrology
Anne Kirstine Bang, Kristian Almstrup, Loa Nordkap, Laerke Priskorn, Jorgen Holm Petersen, Martin Blomberg Jensen, Marianna Krause, Stine Agergaard Holmboe, Dorte Louise Egeberg Palme, Sofia Boeg Winge, Ulla Nordstrom Joensen, Inge Ahlmann Olesen, Helene Westring Hvidman, Anders Juul, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Niels Jorgensen
Summary: This study explored the effects of three FSH-related SNPs on testicular function in healthy men, finding that these polymorphisms have minor effects on testicular function but subtle effects on FSH levels, possibly related to altered Leydig cell function.
Editorial Material
Andrology
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Csilla Krausz
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
L. Nagirnaja, N. Morup, J. E. Nielsen, R. Stakaitis, I. Golubickaite, M. S. Oud, S. B. Winge, F. Carvalho, K. I. Aston, F. Khani, G. W. van der Heijden, C. J. Marques, N. E. Skakkebaek, E. Rajpert-De Meyts, P. N. Schlegel, N. Jorgensen, J. A. Veltman, A. M. Lopes, D. F. Conrad, K. Almstrup
Summary: Four men of Middle Eastern descent with nonobstructive azoospermia were found to carry mutations in the PNLDC1 gene, leading to abnormal meiosis and spermatogenesis. Testicular histologic findings showed errors in meiosis and spermatogenic arrest in these men, indicating a direct mechanistic effect of faulty piRNA processing on male infertility.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
John Pluta, Louise C. Pyle, Kevin T. Nead, Rona Wilf, Mingyao Li, Nandita Mitra, Benita Weathers, Kurt D'Andrea, Kristian Almstrup, Lynn Anson-Cartwright, Javier Benitez, Christopher D. Brown, Stephen Chanock, Chu Chen, Victoria K. Cortessis, Alberto Ferlin, Carlo Foresta, Marija Gamulin, Jourik A. Gietema, Chiara Grasso, Mark H. Greene, Tom Grotmol, Robert J. Hamilton, Trine B. Haugen, Russ Hauser, Michelle A. T. Hildebrandt, Matthew E. Johnson, Robert Karlsson, Lambertus A. Kiemeney, Davor Lessel, Ragnhild A. Lothe, Jennifer T. Loud, Chey Loveday, Paloma Martin-Gimeno, Coby Meijer, Jeremie Nsengimana, David I. Quinn, Thorunn Rafnar, Shweta Ramdas, Lorenzo Richiardi, Rolf I. Skotheim, Kari Stefansson, Clare Turnbull, David J. Vaughn, Fredrik Wiklund, Xifeng Wu, Daphne Yang, Tongzhang Zheng, Andrew D. Wells, Struan F. A. Grant, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Stephen M. Schwartz, D. Timothy Bishop, Katherine A. McGlynn, Peter A. Kanetsky, Katherine L. Nathanson
Summary: Testicular germ cell tumors are highly heritable, and a large genome association study identified 22 novel loci, some of which may assist screening and treatment decisions through the study of PRS, reducing the risks in survivors. These findings highlight the interconnected nature of two known pathways that promote TGCT susceptibility, and implicate an additional biological pathway.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Malene Lundgaard Riis, John E. Nielsen, Casper P. Hagen, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Niels Graem, Anne Jorgensen, Anders Juul
Summary: Germ cell development in fetal Turner syndrome (TS) ovaries is severely affected in early second trimester pregnancies, with accelerated oogonia loss and impaired initiation of primordial follicle formation; the phenotype in TS mosaic ovaries is less severe.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Niels Jorgensen, Jorgen Holm Petersen, Kristian Almstrup, Lise Aksglaede, Jakob Lauritsen, Mikael Rorth, Gedske Daugaard, Niels E. Skakkebaek
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of optimized and standardized diagnostic procedures on the detection rate of GCNIS in TGCT patients and found that it effectively reduced the risk of developing metachronous bilateral cancer.
Article
Oncology
Ariana Znaor, Niels Erik Skakkebaek, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Tomislav Kulis, Mathieu Laversanne, Jason Gurney, Diana Sarfati, Katherine A. McGlynn, Freddie Bray
Summary: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men of European ancestry and has been increasing in incidence, although mortality rates have been declining in high-income settings. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 44, with the highest incidence rates in Western, Northern, and Southern Europe and Oceania, and the lowest rates in Asia and Africa. Mortality rates are highest in Central and South America, and lowest in Northern Europe, Northern Africa, and Eastern Asia. There is significant variation in incidence and mortality rates among different countries.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2022)
Editorial Material
Andrology
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Csilla Krausz
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Malene Lundgaard Riis, Gabriele Matilionyte, John E. Nielsen, Cecilie Melau, David Greenald, Kristine Juul Hare, Lea Langhoff Thuesen, Eva Dreisler, Kasper Aaboe, Pia Tutein Brenoe, Anna-Maria Andersson, Jakob Albrethsen, Hanne Frederiksen, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Anders Juul, Rod T. Mitchell, Anne Jorgensen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of reduced androgen action during early human fetal testis development using an ex vivo tissue culture model. It found that manipulating androgen production during gestational weeks 7-14 affected the function and density of various cell types in the human fetal testis, similar to the effects observed in rats. This suggests the presence of a window of androgen sensitivity in the human fetal testis.
Article
Andrology
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Douglas T. Carrell, Manuela Simoni, Aleksander Giwercman, Marie-Claude Hofmann
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
John Pluta, Louisa Pyle, Timothy Bishop, Javier Benitez, Victoria Cortessis, Alberto Ferlin, Jourik Gietema, Mark Greene, Thomas Grotmol, Ramneek Gupta, Robert Hamilton, Michelle Hildebrandt, Lambertus Kiemeney, Davor Lessel, Thorunn Rafnar, Lorenzo Richiardi, Rolf Skotheim, Clare Turnbull, Fredrik Wiklund, Tongzhang Zheng, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Stephen Schwartz, Katherine McGlynn, Peter Kanetsky, Katherine Nathanson
Meeting Abstract
Medicine, General & Internal
Alexandra M. Lopes, Liina Nagirnaja, Filipa Carvalho, Joao Goncalves, Susana Fernandes, Kristian Almstrup, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts, Susana Seixas, Brendan Houston, Alberto Barros, Moira O'Bryan, Kenneth I. Aston, Donald F. Conrad