Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Aled J. Parry, Wolf Reik
Summary: A new study reveals that the disordered N-terminal domain of DNMT3A1 binds to PRC1-catalyzed H2AK119ub, leading to targeted DNA methylation at bivalent promoters in mouse brain cortical cells. Methylation around bivalent genes plays a crucial role in postnatal development of mice and may have equal significance in other cell types and diseases.
Review
Cell Biology
Ruimin Xu, Chong Li, Xiaoyu Liu, Shaorong Gao
Summary: Precise reprogramming progress is crucial for avoiding developmental defects or embryonic lethality during early embryonic development in mammals. In recent years, unprecedented breakthroughs have been made in mapping the regulatory network of dynamic epigenomes using low-input genome-wide chromatin analysis technologies.
Article
Biology
Kei Fukuda, Yoshinori Makino, Satoru Kaneko, Chikako Shimura, Yuki Okada, Kenji Ichiyanagi, Yoichi Shinkai
Summary: The Kruppel-associated box domain zinc finger proteins are associated with DNA methylation of retroelements in human primordial germ cells, and during human spermatogenesis, the hominoid-specific retroelement SINE-VNTR-Alus (SVA) may undergo transcription-directed de novo DNA methylation, leading to significant inter-individual epigenetic variation in sperm.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ui-Hyun Park, HyeSook Youn, Eun-Joo Kim, Soo-Jong Um
Summary: Shikonin, a natural ingredient produced by Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity effects. It modulates adipocyte differentiation by regulating adipogenesis-related genes and histone modification. This finding highlights the potential of shikonin in treating obesity-related disorders.
Article
Immunology
Yanhong Bu, Hong Wu, Ran Deng, Yan Wang
Summary: This study investigated the mechanism of Geniposide (GE) inhibiting angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and found that GE may inhibit angiogenesis by reducing Dnmt1-mediated PTEN gene hypermethylation, thereby reducing synovitis and angiogenesis in AA rats.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Xue Zhang, Xue-feng Xie, Ang Li, Wei Song, Chao Li, Fei Li, Xiao-zhen Li, Xiao-yan Fan, Chang-yin Zhou, Guang Wang, Qing-Yuan Sun, Xiang-Hong Ou
Summary: As a member of Ubiquitin-specific protease subfamily, USP7 participates in a variety of cellular processes. However, its role in preimplantation embryos is unclear. Knockdown of USP7 decreased the development rate and induced DNA damage and apoptosis in early embryos. Furthermore, abnormal H3K27me3 modification was observed in 2-cell embryos with USP7 knockdown. Overall, USP7 plays a crucial role in maintaining genome stability and controlling embryo quality.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zichen Li, Zebin Tong, Qingyue Gong, Huasong Ai, Shuai Peng, Cong Chen, Guo-Chao Chu, Jia-Bin Li
Summary: Site-selective conjugation chemistry using CAET as a bifunctional handle has been developed to synthesize chemically stable ubiquitin chains. This strategy has been extended to the synthesis of ubiquitinated histones, enabling the study of DNMT1 binding to ubiquitinated nucleosomes and mapping the interaction hotspots. Our work highlights the potential of modern chemical protein synthesis for epigenetic studies.
Article
Cell Biology
Meng-Hao Pan, Cheng-Cheng Zhu, Jia-Qian Ju, Yi Xu, Shi-Ming Luo, Shao-Chen Sun, Xiang-Hong Ou
Summary: The study suggests that obesity affects early embryonic development in mice by inducing DNA damage, aberrant histone methylation, and changes in autophagy levels.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yibo Zhang, Liu He, Yiqi Yang, Jieqiong Cao, Zijian Su, Bihui Zhang, Huiying Guo, Zhenyu Wang, Peiguang Zhang, Junye Xie, Jieruo Li, Jinshao Ye, Zhengang Zha, Hengyi Yu, An Hong, Xiaojia Chen
Summary: Triclocarban (TCC), a widely used EDC, has been found to cause osteoarthritis (OA) in zebrafish by stimulating the expression of DNMT1 and initiating DNA hypermethylation. This leads to the suppression of type II collagen and other extracellular matrices, resulting in decreased cartilage tissue and narrowing of the intraarticular space, characteristic of OA pathogenesis. The regulation of OA occurrence by TCC is conserved in both zebrafish cartilage tissue and human chondrocytes. DNMT1 is highlighted as a potential therapeutic target for TCC-induced OA.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xing Wei, Yingxiang Liu, Weijie Hao, Peiwen Feng, Lei Zhang, Hongni Xue, Qunli Zhou, Zekun Guo
Summary: DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification involved in various biological processes. PGC7 is a maternal factor that maintains DNA methylation during early embryonic development. This study identified a mechanism by which PGC7 regulates genome-wide DNA methylation through the phosphorylation of DNMT1 at ser717 by ERK. These findings provide new insights into DNA methylation-related diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iryna Ivasyk, Leonora Olivos-Cisneros, Stephany Valdes-Rodriguez, Marie Droual, Hosung Jang, Robert J. J. Schmitz, Daniel J. C. Kronauer
Summary: While the function of DNA methylation in arthropods is poorly understood, studies in eusocial insects have suggested its role in caste development. However, the findings are inconsistent and controversial. By using CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate DNMT1 in clonal raider ants, the authors demonstrate that ants can undergo normal development without DNMT1 or DNA methylation, contrary to mammals. They also find no evidence of DNA methylation regulating caste development, but show that DNMT1 plays a crucial but unknown role in the insect germline.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Gozde Sukur, Fatma Uysal, Ozgur Cinar
Summary: Obesity can cause epigenetic changes in maternal and paternal genes, negatively affecting offspring development. This study compared ovaries and testes of C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet with a control group to investigate changes in DNA methylation and methyltransferase enzymes. The study found that a high-fat diet increased levels of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a proteins and led to increased global DNA methylation in testes but decreased global DNA methylation in ovaries. These findings provide valuable insights into the effects of obesity on ovarian follicle development and testicular spermatogenesis.
HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, Laura Moody, Xinyu Tang, Zachary J. Goldberg, Alex P. Wang, Hong Chen, Yuan-Xiang Pan
Summary: Chronic caloric restriction (CR) was found to significantly reduce muscle inflammation and TNF levels, while affecting cells' methylation status and regulating transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. This suggests that chronic CR can regulate muscle inflammation through multiple pathways.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoon Jeong Park, Sangseon Lee, Sangsoo Lim, Hahn Nahmgoong, Yul Ji, Jin Young Huh, Assim A. Alfadda, Sun Kim, Jae Bum Kim
Summary: The study highlights the role of adipocyte-specific DNA methylation in regulating white adipose tissue plasticity and metabolic functions. Lack of DNA methylation disrupts adipocyte metabolism, leading to adipocyte hypertrophy and mitochondrial dysfunction, which increases the risk of obesity and metabolic complications.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Junjie Hu, Yan Yang, Xiaomei Lv, Zhilang Lao, Lili Yu
Summary: The study found that DDT metabolites DDA and DDMU induce DNA hypomethylation by inhibiting DNMT1 activity, leading to changes in the expression of sexual development-related genes.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)