Mounting evidence suggests that environmental exposures in one generation may result in changes i... more Mounting evidence suggests that environmental exposures in one generation may result in changes in gene expression that are heritable for multiple generations, yet are unaccompanied by genetic mutations. These phenomena are considered to be the result of epigenetic mechanisms, which can establish metastable states of chromatin-based genome architecture that can be passed through the gametes into subsequent generations. Such heritability requires that normally transient epigenetic changes become stabilized in the germline and become part of the information that is passed from one generation to the next. Work in the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has uncovered a number of mechanisms that influence transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. These include non-coding RNA-based mechanisms that target genomic loci for heritable repression through the recruitment of histone modifiers. Less understood is how heritable gene activation may be established and maintained. In this r...
In screening for embryonic-lethal mutations in Cuenorhubditis eleguns, we defined an essential ge... more In screening for embryonic-lethal mutations in Cuenorhubditis eleguns, we defined an essential gene (let-858) that encodes a nuclear protein rich in acidic and basic residues. We have named this product nucampholin. Closely homologous sequences in yeast, plants, and mammals demonstrate strong evolutionary conservation in eukaryotes. Nucampholin resides in all nuclei of C. eleguns and is essential in early development and in differentiating tissue. Antisense-mediated depletion of LET-858 activity in early embryos causes a lethal phenotype similar to characterized treatments blocking embryonic gene expression. Using transgene-rescue, we demonstrated the additional requirement for let-858 in the larval germline. The broad requirements allowed investigation of soma-germline differences in gene expression. When introduced into standard transgene arrays, let-858 (like many other C. eleguns genes) functions well in soma but poorly in germline. We observed incremental silencing of simple le...
Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involv... more Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involve chromatin organization. During meiosis, the X chromosome in both sexes exhibits a striking reduction of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional activation when compared with the genome as a whole. The histone modification spectrum on the X chromosome corresponds with a lack of transcriptional competence, as measured by reporter transgene arrays. The X chromosome in XO males is structurally analogous to the sex body in mammals, contains a histone modification associated with heterochromatin in other species and is inactivated throughout meiosis. The synapsed X chromosomes in hermaphrodites also appear to be silenced in early meiosis, but genes on the X chromosome are detectably expressed at later stages of oocyte meiosis. Silencing of the sex chromosome during early meiosis is a conserved feature throughout the nematode phylum, and is not limited to hermaphroditic spec...
Epigenetic memory stably maintains and transmits information during genome replication. Recently ... more Epigenetic memory stably maintains and transmits information during genome replication. Recently in Science, Gaydos et al. (2014) show that repressive chromatin marks exhibit transgenerational stability in the absence of chromatin-modifying enzymes in Caenorhabditis elegans, in contrast to work in flies suggesting that such proteins mediate stable inheritance of epigenetic modifications.
Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involv... more Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involve chromatin organization. During meiosis, the X chromosome in both sexes exhibits a striking reduction of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional activation when compared with the genome as a whole. The histone modification spectrum on the X chromosome corresponds with a lack of transcriptional competence, as measured by reporter transgene arrays. The X chromosome in XO males is structurally analogous to the sex body in mammals, contains a histone modification associated with heterochromatin in other species and is inactivated throughout meiosis. The synapsed X chromosomes in hermaphrodites also appear to be silenced in early meiosis, but genes on the X chromosome are detectably expressed at later stages of oocyte meiosis. Silencing of the sex chromosome during early meiosis is a conserved feature throughout the nematode phylum, and is not limited to hermaphroditic spec...
The DNA in eukaryotes is wrapped around a histone octamer core, together comprising the main subu... more The DNA in eukaryotes is wrapped around a histone octamer core, together comprising the main subunit of chromatin, the nucleosome. Modifications of the nucleosomal histones in the genome correlate with the ability or inability of chromatin to form higher order structures, that in turn influence gene activity. The genome in primordial germ cells in early C. elegans germ cells carries a unique pattern of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional repression in these cells, and aspects of this chromatin regulation are conserved in Drosophila. Loss of repression causes sterility in the adults, suggesting that chromatin-based repression is essential for germ line maintenance. The post-embryonic germ line also exhibits unique and dynamic aspects of chromatin regulation, with chromosome-wide regulation particularly evident on the X chromosome. Several properties of X-specific chromatin assembly are also sex-specific. These properties appear to be responding to the meiotic pairing status of the X chromosome, rather than the sex of the germ cells. Finally, gamete-specific chromatin regulation during gametogenesis impacts on X chromatin assembly in the offspring, leading to an apparent sperm-imprinted X inactivation in the early H4acetylK8, K16
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006
S exual reproduction has both potential benefits and potential hazards for the fitness of a genom... more S exual reproduction has both potential benefits and potential hazards for the fitness of a genome. The Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1986
Type I topoisomerases have been purified from nuclei and mitochondria of human acute lymphoblasti... more Type I topoisomerases have been purified from nuclei and mitochondria of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Both of these ATP-independent enzymes are actually found to be inhibited by ATP at physiologically significant concentrations. Other adenine nucleotides showed varying effects: ADP inhibited only at high concentrations; AMP had no effect on either topoisomerase. Both enzymes were also inhibited by dATP. The importance of the adenine ring structure was confirmed by the lack of an inhibitory effect observed with equivalent levels of GTP, UTP, CTP, or.their deoxy counterparts. Assays performed in the presence of nonhydrolyzable analogs of ATP suggest that hydrolysis of ATP does not accompany this enzyme inhibition. This was supported by direct determination of the ATPase activity of the purified enzymes. Type I topoisomerases from calf thymns and HeLa cells were also found to be sensitive to ATP. These results suggest that mtammalanype I topoisomerases in general may possess. a nucleotide-binding site that may be involved in regulation of enzyme activity.
The methylation of lysine 4 of Histone H3 (H3K4me) is an important component of epigenetic regula... more The methylation of lysine 4 of Histone H3 (H3K4me) is an important component of epigenetic regulation. H3K4 methylation is a consequence of transcriptional activity, but also has been shown to contribute to ''epigenetic memory''; i.e., it can provide a heritable landmark of previous transcriptional activity that may help promote or maintain such activity in subsequent cell descendants or lineages. A number of multi-protein complexes that control the addition of H3K4me have been described in several organisms. These Set1/MLL or COMPASS complexes often share a common subset of conserved proteins, with other components potentially contributing to tissue-specific or developmental regulation of the methyltransferase activity. Here we show that the normal maintenance of H3K4 di-and tri-methylation in the germ line of Caenorhabditis elegans is dependent on homologs of the Set1/MLL complex components WDR-5.1 and RBBP-5. Different methylation states that are each dependent on wdr-5.1 and rbbp-5 require different methyltransferases. In addition, different subsets of conserved Set1/MLL-like complex components appear to be required for H3K4 methylation in germ cells and somatic lineages at different developmental stages. In adult germ cells, mutations in wdr-5.1 or rbbp-5 dramatically affect both germ line stem cell (GSC) population size and proper germ cell development. RNAi knockdown of RNA Polymerase II does not significantly affect the wdr-5.1-dependent maintenance of H3K4 methylation in either early embryos or adult GSCs, suggesting that the mechanism is not obligately coupled to transcription in these cells. A separate, wdr-5.1independent mode of H3K4 methylation correlates more directly with transcription in the adult germ line and in embryos. Our results indicate that H3K4 methylation in the germline is regulated by a combination of Set1/MLL componentdependent and-independent modes of epigenetic establishment and maintenance.
In all eukaryotes, histone variants are incorporated into a subset of nucleosomes to create funct... more In all eukaryotes, histone variants are incorporated into a subset of nucleosomes to create functionally specialized regions of chromatin. One such variant, H2A.Z, replaces histone H2A and is required for development and viability in all animals tested to date. However, the function of H2A.Z in development remains unclear. Here, we use ChIP-chip, genetic mutation, RNAi, and immunofluorescence microscopy to interrogate the function of H2A.Z (HTZ-1) during embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, a key model of metazoan development. We find that HTZ-1 is expressed in every cell of the developing embryo and is essential for normal development. The sites of HTZ-1 incorporation during embryogenesis reveal a genome wrought by developmental processes. HTZ-1 is incorporated upstream of 23% of C. elegans genes. While these genes tend to be required for development and occupied by RNA polymerase II, HTZ-1 incorporation does not specify a stereotypic transcription program. The data also provide evidence for unexpectedly widespread independent regulation of genes within operons during development; in 37% of operons, HTZ-1 is incorporated upstream of internally encoded genes. Fewer sites of HTZ-1 incorporation occur on the X chromosome relative to autosomes, which our data suggest is due to a paucity of developmentally important genes on X, rather than a direct function for HTZ-1 in dosage compensation. Our experiments indicate that HTZ-1 functions in establishing or maintaining an essential chromatin state at promoters regulated dynamically during C. elegans embryogenesis.
Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundam... more Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundamental questions remain regarding how much takes place and the impact that this might have on organisms. We asked five leading researchers in this area-working on a range of model organisms and in human disease-for their views on these topics. Their responses highlight the mixture of excitement and caution that surrounds transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the wide gulf between species in terms of our knowledge of the mechanisms that may be involved.
In C. elegans, germline blastomeres are initially kept transcriptionally quiescent by the materna... more In C. elegans, germline blastomeres are initially kept transcriptionally quiescent by the maternally loaded CCCH zinc-finger protein PIE-1. PIE-1 disappears upon the birth of the primordial germ cells Z2 and Z3, yet these cells appear to remain quiescent. We have previously demonstrated that there is a chromatin-based repression that succeeds PIE-1 degradation. The chromatin in Z2/Z3 loses certain histone modifications, including histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2), a conserved marker for transcriptionally competent chromatin. We find that mutations in the maternal-effect gene emb-4 cause defects in both PIE-1 degradation and germline-specific chromatin remodeling. emb-4 encodes a highly conserved protein with orthologs in fly, mouse, and human and has a subtle role in Notch signaling. The embryonic phenotype of emb-4 is consistent with a defect in the efficient and timely activation of developmental programs, including germline chromatin remodeling. We also find that, as in...
Epigenetic mechanisms create variably stable changes in gene expression through the establishment... more Epigenetic mechanisms create variably stable changes in gene expression through the establishment of heritable states of chromatin architecture. While many epigenetic phenomena are, by definition, heritably passed through cell division during animal and plant development, evidence suggests that 'epigenetic states' may also be inherited across multiple generations. Work in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has uncovered a number of mechanisms that participate in regulating the transgenerational passage of epigenetic states. These mechanisms include some that establish and maintain heritable epigenetic information in the form of histone modifications, as well as those that filter the epigenetic information that is stably transmitted. The information appears to influence and help guide or regulate gene activity and repression in subsequent generations. Genome surveillance mechanisms guided by small RNAs appear to be involved in identifying and directing heritable repression of genomic elements, and thus may participate in filtering information that is inappropriate for stable transmission. This review will attempt to summarize recent findings that illustrate this simple nematode to be a truly elegant resource for defining emerging biological paradigms. As the cell lineage that links generations, the germline is the carrier of both genetic and epigenetic information. Like genetic information, information in the epigenome can heritably affect gene regulation and phenotype; yet unlike genetic information, the epigenome of the germ lineage is highly modified within each generation. Despite such alterations, some epigenetic information is highly stable across generations, leading to transgenerationally stable phenotypes that are unlinked to genetic changes. Studies in the nematode C. elegans have uncovered mechanisms that contribute to transgenerational repression as well as to the expression of genes that rely on histone modifying machinery and/or non-coding RNA-based mechanisms. These studies indicate that epigenetic mechanisms operating within the germ cell cycle of this organism filter and maintain an epigenetic memory that is required for germ cell function and can also influence gene expression in somatic lineages.
Background The processes through which the germline maintains its continuity across generations h... more Background The processes through which the germline maintains its continuity across generations has long been the focus of biological research. Recent studies have suggested that germline continuity can involve epigenetic regulation, including regulation of histone modifications. However, it is not clear how histone modifications generated in one generation can influence the transcription program and development of germ cells of the next. Results We show that the histone H3K36 methyltransferase maternal effect sterile (MES)-4 is an epigenetic modifier that prevents aberrant transcription activity in Caenorhabditis elegans primordial germ cells (PGCs). In mes-4 mutant PGCs, RNA Pol II activation is abnormally regulated and the PGCs degenerate. Genetic and genomewide analyses of MES-4-mediated H3K36 methylation suggest that MES-4 activity can operate independently of ongoing transcription, and may be predominantly responsible for maintenance methylation of H3K36 in germline-expressed ...
In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein uniq... more In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein unique to C. elegans germ cells, PIE-1. PIE-1 is degraded upon the birth of the germ cell precursors, Z2 and Z3. We have identified a chromatin-based mechanism that succeeds PIE-1 repression in these cells. A subset of nucleosomal histone modifications, methylated lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3meK4) and acetylated lysine 8 on histone H4 (H4acetylK8), are globally lost and the DNA appears more condensed. This coincides with PIE-1 degradation and requires that germline identity is not disrupted. Drosophila pole cell chromatin also lacks H3meK4, indicating that a unique chromatin architecture is a conserved feature of embryonic germ cells. Regulation of the germline-specific chromatin architecture requires functional nanos activity in both organisms. These results indicate that genome-wide repression via a nanos-regulated, germ cell-specific chromatin organization is a conserved feature of germline maintenance during embryogenesis.
The rde-1 Gene, RNA Interference, and Transposon Silencing in C. elegans as a nuclear transcript ... more The rde-1 Gene, RNA Interference, and Transposon Silencing in C. elegans as a nuclear transcript (Montgomery et al., 1998) are significantly reduced, suggesting that interference may target the nascent mRNA for destruction. Studies of
Mounting evidence suggests that environmental exposures in one generation may result in changes i... more Mounting evidence suggests that environmental exposures in one generation may result in changes in gene expression that are heritable for multiple generations, yet are unaccompanied by genetic mutations. These phenomena are considered to be the result of epigenetic mechanisms, which can establish metastable states of chromatin-based genome architecture that can be passed through the gametes into subsequent generations. Such heritability requires that normally transient epigenetic changes become stabilized in the germline and become part of the information that is passed from one generation to the next. Work in the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has uncovered a number of mechanisms that influence transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. These include non-coding RNA-based mechanisms that target genomic loci for heritable repression through the recruitment of histone modifiers. Less understood is how heritable gene activation may be established and maintained. In this r...
In screening for embryonic-lethal mutations in Cuenorhubditis eleguns, we defined an essential ge... more In screening for embryonic-lethal mutations in Cuenorhubditis eleguns, we defined an essential gene (let-858) that encodes a nuclear protein rich in acidic and basic residues. We have named this product nucampholin. Closely homologous sequences in yeast, plants, and mammals demonstrate strong evolutionary conservation in eukaryotes. Nucampholin resides in all nuclei of C. eleguns and is essential in early development and in differentiating tissue. Antisense-mediated depletion of LET-858 activity in early embryos causes a lethal phenotype similar to characterized treatments blocking embryonic gene expression. Using transgene-rescue, we demonstrated the additional requirement for let-858 in the larval germline. The broad requirements allowed investigation of soma-germline differences in gene expression. When introduced into standard transgene arrays, let-858 (like many other C. eleguns genes) functions well in soma but poorly in germline. We observed incremental silencing of simple le...
Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involv... more Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involve chromatin organization. During meiosis, the X chromosome in both sexes exhibits a striking reduction of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional activation when compared with the genome as a whole. The histone modification spectrum on the X chromosome corresponds with a lack of transcriptional competence, as measured by reporter transgene arrays. The X chromosome in XO males is structurally analogous to the sex body in mammals, contains a histone modification associated with heterochromatin in other species and is inactivated throughout meiosis. The synapsed X chromosomes in hermaphrodites also appear to be silenced in early meiosis, but genes on the X chromosome are detectably expressed at later stages of oocyte meiosis. Silencing of the sex chromosome during early meiosis is a conserved feature throughout the nematode phylum, and is not limited to hermaphroditic spec...
Epigenetic memory stably maintains and transmits information during genome replication. Recently ... more Epigenetic memory stably maintains and transmits information during genome replication. Recently in Science, Gaydos et al. (2014) show that repressive chromatin marks exhibit transgenerational stability in the absence of chromatin-modifying enzymes in Caenorhabditis elegans, in contrast to work in flies suggesting that such proteins mediate stable inheritance of epigenetic modifications.
Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involv... more Germline maintenance in the nematode C. elegans requires global repressive mechanisms that involve chromatin organization. During meiosis, the X chromosome in both sexes exhibits a striking reduction of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional activation when compared with the genome as a whole. The histone modification spectrum on the X chromosome corresponds with a lack of transcriptional competence, as measured by reporter transgene arrays. The X chromosome in XO males is structurally analogous to the sex body in mammals, contains a histone modification associated with heterochromatin in other species and is inactivated throughout meiosis. The synapsed X chromosomes in hermaphrodites also appear to be silenced in early meiosis, but genes on the X chromosome are detectably expressed at later stages of oocyte meiosis. Silencing of the sex chromosome during early meiosis is a conserved feature throughout the nematode phylum, and is not limited to hermaphroditic spec...
The DNA in eukaryotes is wrapped around a histone octamer core, together comprising the main subu... more The DNA in eukaryotes is wrapped around a histone octamer core, together comprising the main subunit of chromatin, the nucleosome. Modifications of the nucleosomal histones in the genome correlate with the ability or inability of chromatin to form higher order structures, that in turn influence gene activity. The genome in primordial germ cells in early C. elegans germ cells carries a unique pattern of histone modifications that correlate with transcriptional repression in these cells, and aspects of this chromatin regulation are conserved in Drosophila. Loss of repression causes sterility in the adults, suggesting that chromatin-based repression is essential for germ line maintenance. The post-embryonic germ line also exhibits unique and dynamic aspects of chromatin regulation, with chromosome-wide regulation particularly evident on the X chromosome. Several properties of X-specific chromatin assembly are also sex-specific. These properties appear to be responding to the meiotic pairing status of the X chromosome, rather than the sex of the germ cells. Finally, gamete-specific chromatin regulation during gametogenesis impacts on X chromatin assembly in the offspring, leading to an apparent sperm-imprinted X inactivation in the early H4acetylK8, K16
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006
S exual reproduction has both potential benefits and potential hazards for the fitness of a genom... more S exual reproduction has both potential benefits and potential hazards for the fitness of a genome. The Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1986
Type I topoisomerases have been purified from nuclei and mitochondria of human acute lymphoblasti... more Type I topoisomerases have been purified from nuclei and mitochondria of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Both of these ATP-independent enzymes are actually found to be inhibited by ATP at physiologically significant concentrations. Other adenine nucleotides showed varying effects: ADP inhibited only at high concentrations; AMP had no effect on either topoisomerase. Both enzymes were also inhibited by dATP. The importance of the adenine ring structure was confirmed by the lack of an inhibitory effect observed with equivalent levels of GTP, UTP, CTP, or.their deoxy counterparts. Assays performed in the presence of nonhydrolyzable analogs of ATP suggest that hydrolysis of ATP does not accompany this enzyme inhibition. This was supported by direct determination of the ATPase activity of the purified enzymes. Type I topoisomerases from calf thymns and HeLa cells were also found to be sensitive to ATP. These results suggest that mtammalanype I topoisomerases in general may possess. a nucleotide-binding site that may be involved in regulation of enzyme activity.
The methylation of lysine 4 of Histone H3 (H3K4me) is an important component of epigenetic regula... more The methylation of lysine 4 of Histone H3 (H3K4me) is an important component of epigenetic regulation. H3K4 methylation is a consequence of transcriptional activity, but also has been shown to contribute to ''epigenetic memory''; i.e., it can provide a heritable landmark of previous transcriptional activity that may help promote or maintain such activity in subsequent cell descendants or lineages. A number of multi-protein complexes that control the addition of H3K4me have been described in several organisms. These Set1/MLL or COMPASS complexes often share a common subset of conserved proteins, with other components potentially contributing to tissue-specific or developmental regulation of the methyltransferase activity. Here we show that the normal maintenance of H3K4 di-and tri-methylation in the germ line of Caenorhabditis elegans is dependent on homologs of the Set1/MLL complex components WDR-5.1 and RBBP-5. Different methylation states that are each dependent on wdr-5.1 and rbbp-5 require different methyltransferases. In addition, different subsets of conserved Set1/MLL-like complex components appear to be required for H3K4 methylation in germ cells and somatic lineages at different developmental stages. In adult germ cells, mutations in wdr-5.1 or rbbp-5 dramatically affect both germ line stem cell (GSC) population size and proper germ cell development. RNAi knockdown of RNA Polymerase II does not significantly affect the wdr-5.1-dependent maintenance of H3K4 methylation in either early embryos or adult GSCs, suggesting that the mechanism is not obligately coupled to transcription in these cells. A separate, wdr-5.1independent mode of H3K4 methylation correlates more directly with transcription in the adult germ line and in embryos. Our results indicate that H3K4 methylation in the germline is regulated by a combination of Set1/MLL componentdependent and-independent modes of epigenetic establishment and maintenance.
In all eukaryotes, histone variants are incorporated into a subset of nucleosomes to create funct... more In all eukaryotes, histone variants are incorporated into a subset of nucleosomes to create functionally specialized regions of chromatin. One such variant, H2A.Z, replaces histone H2A and is required for development and viability in all animals tested to date. However, the function of H2A.Z in development remains unclear. Here, we use ChIP-chip, genetic mutation, RNAi, and immunofluorescence microscopy to interrogate the function of H2A.Z (HTZ-1) during embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, a key model of metazoan development. We find that HTZ-1 is expressed in every cell of the developing embryo and is essential for normal development. The sites of HTZ-1 incorporation during embryogenesis reveal a genome wrought by developmental processes. HTZ-1 is incorporated upstream of 23% of C. elegans genes. While these genes tend to be required for development and occupied by RNA polymerase II, HTZ-1 incorporation does not specify a stereotypic transcription program. The data also provide evidence for unexpectedly widespread independent regulation of genes within operons during development; in 37% of operons, HTZ-1 is incorporated upstream of internally encoded genes. Fewer sites of HTZ-1 incorporation occur on the X chromosome relative to autosomes, which our data suggest is due to a paucity of developmentally important genes on X, rather than a direct function for HTZ-1 in dosage compensation. Our experiments indicate that HTZ-1 functions in establishing or maintaining an essential chromatin state at promoters regulated dynamically during C. elegans embryogenesis.
Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundam... more Much attention has been given to the idea of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but fundamental questions remain regarding how much takes place and the impact that this might have on organisms. We asked five leading researchers in this area-working on a range of model organisms and in human disease-for their views on these topics. Their responses highlight the mixture of excitement and caution that surrounds transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the wide gulf between species in terms of our knowledge of the mechanisms that may be involved.
In C. elegans, germline blastomeres are initially kept transcriptionally quiescent by the materna... more In C. elegans, germline blastomeres are initially kept transcriptionally quiescent by the maternally loaded CCCH zinc-finger protein PIE-1. PIE-1 disappears upon the birth of the primordial germ cells Z2 and Z3, yet these cells appear to remain quiescent. We have previously demonstrated that there is a chromatin-based repression that succeeds PIE-1 degradation. The chromatin in Z2/Z3 loses certain histone modifications, including histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2), a conserved marker for transcriptionally competent chromatin. We find that mutations in the maternal-effect gene emb-4 cause defects in both PIE-1 degradation and germline-specific chromatin remodeling. emb-4 encodes a highly conserved protein with orthologs in fly, mouse, and human and has a subtle role in Notch signaling. The embryonic phenotype of emb-4 is consistent with a defect in the efficient and timely activation of developmental programs, including germline chromatin remodeling. We also find that, as in...
Epigenetic mechanisms create variably stable changes in gene expression through the establishment... more Epigenetic mechanisms create variably stable changes in gene expression through the establishment of heritable states of chromatin architecture. While many epigenetic phenomena are, by definition, heritably passed through cell division during animal and plant development, evidence suggests that 'epigenetic states' may also be inherited across multiple generations. Work in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has uncovered a number of mechanisms that participate in regulating the transgenerational passage of epigenetic states. These mechanisms include some that establish and maintain heritable epigenetic information in the form of histone modifications, as well as those that filter the epigenetic information that is stably transmitted. The information appears to influence and help guide or regulate gene activity and repression in subsequent generations. Genome surveillance mechanisms guided by small RNAs appear to be involved in identifying and directing heritable repression of genomic elements, and thus may participate in filtering information that is inappropriate for stable transmission. This review will attempt to summarize recent findings that illustrate this simple nematode to be a truly elegant resource for defining emerging biological paradigms. As the cell lineage that links generations, the germline is the carrier of both genetic and epigenetic information. Like genetic information, information in the epigenome can heritably affect gene regulation and phenotype; yet unlike genetic information, the epigenome of the germ lineage is highly modified within each generation. Despite such alterations, some epigenetic information is highly stable across generations, leading to transgenerationally stable phenotypes that are unlinked to genetic changes. Studies in the nematode C. elegans have uncovered mechanisms that contribute to transgenerational repression as well as to the expression of genes that rely on histone modifying machinery and/or non-coding RNA-based mechanisms. These studies indicate that epigenetic mechanisms operating within the germ cell cycle of this organism filter and maintain an epigenetic memory that is required for germ cell function and can also influence gene expression in somatic lineages.
Background The processes through which the germline maintains its continuity across generations h... more Background The processes through which the germline maintains its continuity across generations has long been the focus of biological research. Recent studies have suggested that germline continuity can involve epigenetic regulation, including regulation of histone modifications. However, it is not clear how histone modifications generated in one generation can influence the transcription program and development of germ cells of the next. Results We show that the histone H3K36 methyltransferase maternal effect sterile (MES)-4 is an epigenetic modifier that prevents aberrant transcription activity in Caenorhabditis elegans primordial germ cells (PGCs). In mes-4 mutant PGCs, RNA Pol II activation is abnormally regulated and the PGCs degenerate. Genetic and genomewide analyses of MES-4-mediated H3K36 methylation suggest that MES-4 activity can operate independently of ongoing transcription, and may be predominantly responsible for maintenance methylation of H3K36 in germline-expressed ...
In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein uniq... more In C. elegans, mRNA production is initially repressed in the embryonic germline by a protein unique to C. elegans germ cells, PIE-1. PIE-1 is degraded upon the birth of the germ cell precursors, Z2 and Z3. We have identified a chromatin-based mechanism that succeeds PIE-1 repression in these cells. A subset of nucleosomal histone modifications, methylated lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3meK4) and acetylated lysine 8 on histone H4 (H4acetylK8), are globally lost and the DNA appears more condensed. This coincides with PIE-1 degradation and requires that germline identity is not disrupted. Drosophila pole cell chromatin also lacks H3meK4, indicating that a unique chromatin architecture is a conserved feature of embryonic germ cells. Regulation of the germline-specific chromatin architecture requires functional nanos activity in both organisms. These results indicate that genome-wide repression via a nanos-regulated, germ cell-specific chromatin organization is a conserved feature of germline maintenance during embryogenesis.
The rde-1 Gene, RNA Interference, and Transposon Silencing in C. elegans as a nuclear transcript ... more The rde-1 Gene, RNA Interference, and Transposon Silencing in C. elegans as a nuclear transcript (Montgomery et al., 1998) are significantly reduced, suggesting that interference may target the nascent mRNA for destruction. Studies of
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Papers by William Kelly