Maternal BRG1 regulates zygotic genome activation in the mouse

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is a nuclear reprogramming event that transforms the genome from transcriptional quiescence at fertilization to robust transcriptional activity shortly thereafter. The ensuing gene expression profile in the cleavage-stage embryo establishes totipotency and is required for further development. Although little is known about the molecular basis of ZGA, oocyte-derived mRNAs and proteins that alter chromatin structure are likely crucial. To test this hypothesis, we generated a maternal-effect mutation of Brg1, which encodes a catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF-related complexes, utilizing Cre-loxP gene targeting. In conditional-mutant females, BRG1-depleted oocytes completed meiosis and were fertilized. However, embryos conceived from BRG1-depleted eggs exhibited a ZGA phenotype including two-cell arrest and reduced transcription for ∼30% of expressed genes. Genes involved in transcription, RNA processing, and cell cycle regulation were particularly affected. The early embryonic arrest is not a consequence of a defective oocyte because depleting maternal BRG1 after oocyte development is complete by RNA interference (RNAi) also resulted in two-cell arrest. To our knowledge, Brg1 is the first gene required for ZGA in mammals. Depletion of maternal BRG1 did not affect global levels of histone acetylation, whereas dimethyl-H3K4 levels were reduced. These data provide a framework for understanding the mechanism of ZGA

A Brg1 mutation that uncouples ATPase activity from chromatin remodeling reveals an essential role for SWI/SNF-related complexes in -globin expression and erythroid development

The Brg1 catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF-related complexes has been implicated in many developmental and physiological processes, but null homozygotes die as blastocysts prior to implantation. To circumvent this early embryonic lethality, we performed an ENU mutagenesis screen and generated a Brg1 hypomorph mutation in the ATPase domain. The mutant Brg1 protein is stable, assembles into SWI/SNF-related complexes, and exhibits normal ATPase activity but is unable to establish DNase I hypersensitivity sites characteristic of open chromatin. Mutant embryos develop normally until midgestation but then exhibit a distinct block in the development of the erythroid lineage, leading to anemia and death. The mutant Brg1 protein is recruited to the β-globin locus, but chromatin remodeling and transcription are perturbed. Histone acetylation and DNA methylation are also affected. To our knowledge, Brg1 is the first chromatin-modifying factor shown to be required for β-globin regulation and erythropoiesis in vivo. Not only does this mutation establish a role for Brg1 during organogenesis, it also demonstrates that ATPase activity can be uncoupled from chromatin remodeling

SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes in cardiovascular development and disease

Our understanding of congenital heart defects has been recently advanced by whole exome sequencing projects, which have identified de novo mutations in many genes encoding epigenetic regulators. Notably, multiple subunits of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes have been identified as strong candidates underlying these defects because they physically and functionally interact with cardiogenic transcription factors critical to cardiac development, such as TBX5, GATA-4, and NKX2-5. While these studies indicate a critical role of SWI/SNF complexes in cardiac development and congenital heart disease, many exciting new discoveries have identified their critical role in the adult heart in both physiological and pathological conditions involving multiple cell types in the heart, including cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelial cells, pericytes, and neural crest cells. This review summarizes the role of SWI/SNF chromatinremodeling complexes in cardiac development, congenital heart disease, cardiac hypertrophy, and vascular endothelial cell survival. Although the clinical relevance of SWI/SNF mutations has traditionally been focused primarily on their role in tumor suppression, these recent studies illustrate their critical role in the heart whereby they regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of cardiac derived cell lines

BRG1 co-localizes with DNA replication factors and is required for efficient replication fork progression

For DNA replication to occur, chromatin must be remodeled. Yet, we know very little about which proteins alter nucleosome occupancy at origins and replication forks and for what aspects of replication they are required. Here, we demonstrate that the BRG1 catalytic subunit of mammalian SWI/SNF-related complexes co-localizes with origin recognition complexes, GINS complexes, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen at sites of DNA replication on extended chromatin fibers. The specific pattern of BRG1 occupancy suggests it does not participate in origin selection but is involved in the firing of origins and the process of replication elongation. This latter function is confirmed by the fact that Brg1 mutant mouse embryos and RNAi knockdown cells exhibit a 50% reduction in replication fork progression rates, which is associated with decreased cell proliferation. This novel function of BRG1 is consistent with its requirement during embryogenesis and its role as a tumor suppressor to maintain genome stability and prevent cancer

Distribution of Mahogany/Attractin mRNA in the rat central nervous system

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116967/1/feb2s0014579399014945.pd

Brahma is required for cell cycle arrest and late muscle gene expression during skeletal myogenesis

Although the two catalytic subunits of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex—Brahma (Brm) and Brg1—are almost invariably co-expressed, their mutually exclusive incorporation into distinct SWI/SNF complexes predicts that Brg1- and Brm-based SWI/SNF complexes execute specific functions. Here, we show that Brg1 and Brm have distinct functions at discrete stages of muscle differentiation. While Brg1 is required for the activation of muscle gene transcription at early stages of differentiation, Brm is required for Ccnd1 repression and cell cycle arrest prior to the activation of muscle genes. Ccnd1 knockdown rescues the ability to exit the cell cycle in Brm-deficient myoblasts, but does not recover terminal differentiation, revealing a previously unrecognized role of Brm in the activation of late muscle gene expression independent from the control of cell cycle. Consistently, Brm null mice displayed impaired muscle regeneration after injury, with aberrant proliferation of satellite cells and delayed formation of new myofibers. These data reveal stage-specific roles of Brm during skeletal myogenesis, via formation of repressive and activatory SWI/SNF complexes

Evidence that endogenous formaldehyde produces immunogenic and atherogenic adduct epitopes

Endogenous formaldehyde is abundantly present in our bodies, at around 100 µM under normal conditions. While such high steady state levels of formaldehyde may be derived by enzymatic reactions including oxidative demethylation/deamination and myeloperoxidation, it is unclear whether endogenous formaldehyde can initiate and/or promote diseases in humans. Here, we show that fluorescent malondialdehyde-formaldehyde (M2FA)-lysine adducts are immunogenic without adjuvants in mice. Natural antibody titers against M2FA are elevated in atherosclerosis-prone mice. Staining with an antibody against M2FA demonstrated that M2FA is present in plaque found on the aortic valve of ApoE mice. To mimic inflammation during atherogenesis, human myeloperoxidase was incubated with glycine, H O , malondialdehyde, and a lysine analog in PBS at a physiological temperature, which resulted in M2FA generation. These results strongly suggest that the 1,4-dihydropyridine-type of lysine adducts observed in atherosclerosis lesions are likely produced by endogenous formaldehyde and malondialdehyde with lysine. These highly fluorescent M2FA adducts may play important roles in human inflammatory and degenerative diseases

BRG1 and BRM SWI/SNF ATPases redundantly maintain cardiomyocyte homeostasis by regulating cardiomyocyte mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics in vivo

There has been an increasing recognition that mitochondrial perturbations play a central role in human heart failure. Discovery of mitochondrial networks, whose function is to maintain the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy (‘mitophagy’) and mitochondrial fusion/fission, are new potential therapeutic targets. Yet our understanding of how the molecular underpinning of these processes is just emerging. We recently identified a role of the SWI/SNF ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in the metabolic homeostasis of the adult cardiomyocyte using cardiomyocyte-specific and inducible deletion of the SWI/SNF ATPases BRG1 and BRM in adult mice (Brg1/Brm double mutant mice). To build upon these observations in early alterated metabolism, the present study looks at the subsequent alterations in mitochondrial quality control mechanisms in the impaired adult cardiomyocyte. We identified that Brg1/Brm double-mutant mice exhibited an increased mitochondrial biogenesis, increases in ‘mitophagy’, and alterations in mitochondrial fission and fusion that led to small, fragmented mitochondria. Mechanistically, increases in the autophagy and mitophagy-regulated proteins Beclin1 and Bnip3 were identified, paralleling changes seen in human heart failure. Cardiac mitochondrial dynamics were perturbed including decreased mitochondria size, reduced number, and altered expression of genes regulating fusion (Mfn1, Opa1) and fission (Drp1). We also identified cardiac protein amyloid accumulation (aggregated fibrils) during disease progression along with an increase in pre-amyloid oligomers and an upregulated unfolded protein response including increased GRP78, CHOP, and IRE-1 signaling. Together, these findings described a role for BRG1 and BRM in mitochondrial quality control, by regulating mitochondrial number, mitophagy, and mitochondrial dynamics not previously recognized in the adult cardiomyocyte. As epigenetic mechanisms are critical to the pathogenesis of heart failure, these novel pathways identified indicate that SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling functions are closely linked to mitochondrial quality control mechanisms

Agouti Revisited: Transcript Quantification of the ASIP Gene in Bovine Tissues Related to Protein Expression and Localization

Beside its role in melanogenesis, the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) has been related to obesity. The potentially crucial role in adipocyte development makes it a tempting candidate for economic relevant, fat related traits in farm animals. The objective of our study was to characterize the mRNA expression of different ASIP transcripts and of putative targets in different bovine tissues, as well as to study consequences on protein abundance and localization. ASIP mRNA abundance was determined by RT-qPCR in adipose and further tissues of cattle representing different breeds and crosses. ASIP mRNA was up-regulated more than 9-fold in intramuscular fat of Japanese Black cattle compared to Holstein (p<0.001). Further analyses revealed that a transposon-derived transcript was solely responsible for the increased ASIP mRNA abundance. This transcript was observed in single individuals of different breeds indicating a wide spread occurrence of this insertion at the ASIP locus in cattle. The protein was detected in different adipose tissues, skin, lung and liver, but not in skeletal muscle by Western blot with a bovine-specific ASIP antibody. However, the protein abundance was not related to the observed ASIP mRNA over-expression. Immuno-histochemical analyses revealed a putative nuclear localization of ASIP additionally to the expected cytosolic signal in different cell types. The expression of melanocortin receptors (MCR) 1 to 5 as potential targets for ASIP was analyzed by RT-PCR in subcutaneous fat. Only MC1R and MC4R were detected indicating a similar receptor expression like in human adipose tissue. Our results provide evidence for a widespread expression of ASIP in bovine tissues at mRNA and, for the first time, at protein level. ASIP protein is detectable in adipocytes as well as in further cells of adipose tissue. We generated a basis for a more detailed investigation of ASIP function in peripheral tissues of various mammalian species