Multilineage Differentiation for Formation of Innervated Skeletal Muscle Fibers from Healthy and Diseased Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained by reprogramming primary somatic cells have revolutionized the fields of cell biology and disease modeling. However, the number protocols for generating mature muscle fibers with sarcolemmal organization using iPSCs remain limited, and partly mimic the complexity of mature skeletal muscle. Methods: We used a novel combination of small molecules added in a precise sequence for the simultaneous codifferentiation of human iPSCs into skeletal muscle cells and motor neurons. Results: We show that the presence of both cell types reduces the production time for millimeter-long multinucleated muscle fibers with sarcolemmal organization. Muscle fiber contractions are visible in 19-21 days, and can be maintained over long period thanks to the production of innervated multinucleated mature skeletal muscle fibers with autonomous cell regeneration of PAX7-positive cells and extracellular matrix synthesis. The sequential addition of specific molecules recapitulates key steps of human peripheral neurogenesis and myogenesis. Furthermore, this organoid-like culture can be used for functional evaluation and drug screening. Conclusion: Our protocol, which is applicable to hiPSCs from healthy individuals, was validated in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Myotonic Dystrophy, Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy and type 2A Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, opening new paths for the exploration of muscle differentiation, disease modeling and drug discovery

A systematic CRISPR screen defines mutational mechanisms underpinning signatures caused by replication errors and endogenous DNA damage.

Mutational signatures are imprints of pathophysiological processes arising through tumorigenesis. We generated isogenic CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts (Δ) of 43 genes in human induced pluripotent stem cells, cultured them in the absence of added DNA damage, and performed whole-genome sequencing of 173 subclones. ΔOGG1, ΔUNG, ΔEXO1, ΔRNF168, ΔMLH1, ΔMSH2, ΔMSH6, ΔPMS1, and ΔPMS2 produced marked mutational signatures indicative of being critical mitigators of endogenous DNA modifications. Detailed analyses revealed mutational mechanistic insights, including how 8-oxo-dG elimination is sequence-context-specific while uracil clearance is sequence-context-independent. Mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency signatures are engendered by oxidative damage (C>A transversions), differential misincorporation by replicative polymerases (T>C and C>T transitions), and we propose a 'reverse template slippage' model for T>A transversions. ΔMLH1, ΔMSH6, and ΔMSH2 signatures were similar to each other but distinct from ΔPMS2. Finally, we developed a classifier, MMRDetect, where application to 7,695 WGS cancers showed enhanced detection of MMR-deficient tumors, with implications for responsiveness to immunotherapies

Optimization of neuronal and muscular differentiation of human induced pluripotent cells for rare diseases modeling : Example of DiGeorge syndrome

Le syndrome de DiGeorge ou microdélétion 22q11.2, est la délétion chromosomique la plus fréquente chez les êtres humains. Cette délétion est liée à la recombinaison homologue non-allélique au cours de la méiose induisant la perte d’en moyenne 40 gènes. Les études de corrélation génotype/phénotype chez les patients ont révélé des différences phénotypiques entre individus et cela indépendamment de la taille des microdélétions. L’hypothèse de l’implication des mécanismes épigénétiques dans la variabilité phénotypique observée a été soulevée mais reste encore inexplorée. C’est dans ce contexte que nous nous intéressons à l’étude des mécanismes épigénétiques au cours du développement, dans cette pathologie à travers l’utilisation d’un modèle de cellules souches pluripotentes induites humaines (hiPSs). En particulier, nous avons ciblé nos travaux sur le rôle de la chaperonne d’histone HIRA dont le gène est localisé dans la région délétée. HIRA est impliquée dans la déposition du variant d’histone H3.3, une histone majeure dans le cerveau. Afin de comprendre l’implication de HIRA dans les manifestations neurologique du syndrome de DiGeorge et en particulier dans la schizophrénie, nous avons développé et optimisé un nouveau protocole pour la différenciation de cellules hiPSCs en progéniteurs neuronaux, neurones corticaux et neurones dopaminergiques. L’ensemble de ces travaux ouvre donc de nouvelles perspectives pour la modélisation d’un grand nombre de pathologies, et dans le contexte du laboratoire, pour l’exploration des mécanismes épigénétiques associés à la variabilité phénotypique dans différentes maladies génétiques.The DiGeorge syndrome also known as 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome, is the most common deletion in humans. This deletion is linked to a non-allelic homologous recombination that occurs during meiosis and involves sequences called LCRs for "Low Copy Repeats". Depending on the LCRs involved, different deletions are observed, inducing the loss of approximately 40 genes. The absence of genotype/phenotype correlation in patients and the phenotypical differences regardless of the size of the microdeletion suggests the involvement of additional parameter. The hypothesis of epigenetic changes associated with the onset or variability of symptoms has been suggested but never investigated. In order to tackle this question, we decided to focus our attention of the role of the HIRA histone chaperone encoded by a gene located in the 22q11.2-deleted region. HIRA is involved in the deposition of the H3.3 histone variant, one of the main histone in the brain. In order to determine whether HIRA is implicated in the neurological manifestations in DiGeorge patients and particularly in schizophrenia, we developed and optimized a new protocol for the direct differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs) into neural progenitors, cortical and dopaminergic neurons. In parallel, we developed a new protocol for hiPSCs differentiation toward the skeletal muscle lineage and the production of multinucleated muscle fibers. Altogether, these results open new perspectives for the modeling of a large number of pathologies, and in the context of our laboratory, the exploration of epigenetic mechanisms associated with phenotypic variability in different genetic diseases

DIRECT AND EFFICIENT DERIVATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS FROM HUMAN INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS

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Analysis of the 4q35 chromatin organization reveals distinct long-range interactions in patients affected with Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy.

International audience1 Facio-Scapulo Humeral dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common myopathy, affecting 1 amongst 10,000 individuals (FSHD1, OMIM #158900). This autosomal dominant pathology is associated in 95% of cases with genetic and epigenetic alterations in the subtelomeric region at the extremity of the long arm of chromosome 4 (q arm). A large proportion of the remaining 5% of cases carry a mutation in the SMCHD1 gene (FSHD2, OMIM #158901). Here, we explored the 3D organization of the 4q35 locus by three-dimensions DNA in situ fluorescent hybridization (3D-FISH) in primary fibroblasts isolated from patients and healthy donors. We found that D4Z4 contractions and/or SMCHD1 mutations impact the spatial organization of the 4q35 region and trigger changes in the expression of different genes. Changes in gene expression were corroborated in muscle biopsies suggesting that the modified chromatin landscape impelled a modulation in the level of expression of a number of genes across the 4q35 locus in FSHD. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC), we further examined whether chromatin organization is inherited after reprogramming or acquired during differentiation and showed that folding of the 4q35 region is modified upon differentiation. These results together with previous findings highlight the role of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat in the topological organization of chromatin and further indicate that the D4Z4-dependent 3D structure induces transcriptional changes of 4q35 genes expression

3D nuclear topology dynamics of the 4q35 subtelomeric region linked to Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy in skeletal muscle cells and hiPSC

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The chemotherapeutic drug CX-5461 is a potent mutagen in cultured human cells

Acknowledgements: This work was funded by a Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Advanced Clinician Scientist Award (C60100/A23916) to S.N.-Z., a Dr. Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award 2019 to S.N.-Z., a Basser Gray Prime Award 2020 to S.N.-Z., a CRUK Pioneer Award (C60100/A23433) to S.N.-Z., a CRUK Grand Challenge Award (C60100/A25274) to S.N.-Z., a CRUK Early Detection Project Award (C60100/A27815) to S.N.-Z. and a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Research Professorship (NIHR301627) to S.N.-Z. This work was also supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-20014; S.N.-Z). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.Funder: Dr. Josef Steiner Krebsstiftung (Dr. Josef Steiner Cancer Research Foundation); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100008669Funder: Basser Gray Prime Award 2020 NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-20014)The chemotherapeutic agent CX-5461, or pidnarulex, has been fast-tracked by the United States Food and Drug Administration for early-stage clinical studies of BRCA1-, BRCA2- and PALB2-mutated cancers. It is under investigation in phase I and II trials. Here, we find that, although CX-5461 exhibits synthetic lethality in BRCA1-/BRCA2-deficient cells, it also causes extensive, nonselective, collateral mutagenesis in all three cell lines tested, to magnitudes that exceed known environmental carcinogens

Substantial somatic genomic variation and selection for BCOR mutations in human induced pluripotent stem cells

Funder: Dr Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award 2019, Medical Research Council (MRC) Grant-in-Aid to the MRC Cancer unit, CRUK Pioneer AwardAbstract: We explored human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) derived from different tissues to gain insights into genomic integrity at single-nucleotide resolution. We used genome sequencing data from two large hiPSC repositories involving 696 hiPSCs and daughter subclones. We find ultraviolet light (UV)-related damage in ~72% of skin fibroblast-derived hiPSCs (F-hiPSCs), occasionally resulting in substantial mutagenesis (up to 15 mutations per megabase). We demonstrate remarkable genomic heterogeneity between independent F-hiPSC clones derived during the same round of reprogramming due to oligoclonal fibroblast populations. In contrast, blood-derived hiPSCs (B-hiPSCs) had fewer mutations and no UV damage but a high prevalence of acquired BCOR mutations (26.9% of lines). We reveal strong selection pressure for BCOR mutations in F-hiPSCs and B-hiPSCs and provide evidence that they arise in vitro. Directed differentiation of hiPSCs and RNA sequencing showed that BCOR mutations have functional consequences. Our work strongly suggests that detailed nucleotide-resolution characterization is essential before using hiPSCs

A practical framework and online tool for mutational signature analyses show intertissue variation and driver dependencies

Mutational signatures are patterns of mutations that arise during tumorigenesis. We present an enhanced, practical framework for mutational signature analyses. Applying these methods to 3,107 whole-genome-sequenced (WGS) primary cancers of 21 organs reveals known signatures and nine previously undescribed rearrangement signatures. We highlight interorgan variability of signatures and present a way of visualizing that diversity, reinforcing our findings in an independent analysis of 3,096 WGS metastatic cancers. Signatures with a high level of genomic instability are dependent on TP53 dysregulation. We illustrate how uncertainty in mutational signature identification and assignment to samples affects tumor classification, reinforcing that using multiple orthogonal mutational signature data is not only beneficial, but is also essential for accurate tumor stratification. Finally, we present a reference web-based tool for cancer and experimentally generated mutational signatures, called Signal (https://signal.mutationalsignatures.com), that also supports performing mutational signature analyses

Substitution mutational signatures in whole-genome-sequenced cancers in the UK population.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) permits comprehensive cancer genome analyses, revealing mutational signatures, imprints of DNA damage and repair processes that have arisen in each patient's cancer. We performed mutational signature analyses on 12,222 WGS tumor-normal matched pairs, from patients recruited via the UK National Health Service. We contrasted our results to two independent cancer WGS datasets, the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and Hartwig Foundation, involving 18,640 WGS cancers in total. Our analyses add 40 single and 18 double substitution signatures to the current mutational signature tally. Critically, we show for each organ, that cancers have a limited number of 'common' signatures and a long tail of 'rare' signatures. We provide a practical solution for utilizing this concept of common versus rare signatures in future analyses