Noncoding genetic variation is a major driver of phenotypic diversity, but functional interpretation is challenging. To better understand common genetic variation associated with brain diseases, we ...defined noncoding regulatory regions for major cell types of the human brain. Whereas psychiatric disorders were primarily associated with variants in transcriptional enhancers and promoters in neurons, sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) variants were largely confined to microglia enhancers. Interactome maps connecting disease-risk variants in cell-type-specific enhancers to promoters revealed an extended microglia gene network in AD. Deletion of a microglia-specific enhancer harboring AD-risk variants ablated
expression in microglia, but not in neurons or astrocytes. These findings revise and expand the list of genes likely to be influenced by noncoding variants in AD and suggest the probable cell types in which they function.
Mechanisms by which members of the AP-1 family of transcription factors play non-redundant biological roles despite recognizing the same DNA sequence remain poorly understood. To address this ...question, here we investigate the molecular functions and genome-wide DNA binding patterns of AP-1 family members in primary and immortalized mouse macrophages. ChIP-sequencing shows overlapping and distinct binding profiles for each factor that were remodeled following TLR4 ligation. Development of a machine learning approach that jointly weighs hundreds of DNA recognition elements yields dozens of motifs predicted to drive factor-specific binding profiles. Machine learning-based predictions are confirmed by analysis of the effects of mutations in genetically diverse mice and by loss of function experiments. These findings provide evidence that non-redundant genomic locations of different AP-1 family members in macrophages largely result from collaborative interactions with diverse, locus-specific ensembles of transcription factors and suggest a general mechanism for encoding functional specificities of their common recognition motif.
Abstract
Motivation
Genetic variation in regulatory elements can alter transcription factor (TF) binding by mutating a TF binding motif, which in turn may affect the activity of the regulatory ...elements. However, it is unclear which motifs are prone to impact transcriptional regulation if mutated. Current motif analysis tools either prioritize TFs based on motif enrichment without linking to a function or are limited in their applications due to the assumption of linearity between motifs and their functional effects.
Results
We present MAGGIE (Motif Alteration Genome-wide to Globally Investigate Elements), a novel method for identifying motifs mediating TF binding and function. By leveraging measurements from diverse genotypes, MAGGIE uses a statistical approach to link mutations of a motif to changes of an epigenomic feature without assuming a linear relationship. We benchmark MAGGIE across various applications using both simulated and biological datasets and demonstrate its improvement in sensitivity and specificity compared with the state-of-the-art motif analysis approaches. We use MAGGIE to gain novel insights into the divergent functions of distinct NF-κB factors in pro-inflammatory macrophages, revealing the association of p65–p50 co-binding with transcriptional activation and the association of p50 binding lacking p65 with transcriptional repression.
Availability and implementation
The Python package for MAGGIE is freely available at https://github.com/zeyang-shen/maggie. The accession number for the NF-κB ChIP-seq data generated for this study is Gene Expression Omnibus: GSE144070.
Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
CodY is a conserved broad-acting transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes related to amino acid metabolism and virulence in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we performed the first
...determination of CodY target genes using a novel CodY monoclonal antibody in methicillin-resistant
(MRSA) USA300. Our results showed (i) the same 135 CodY promoter binding sites regulating the 165 target genes identified in two closely related virulent
USA300 TCH1516 and LAC strains; (ii) the differential binding intensity for the same target genes under the same conditions was due to sequence differences in the same CodY-binding site in the two strains; (iii) a CodY regulon comprising 72 target genes that are differentially regulated relative to a CodY deletion strain, representing genes that are mainly involved in amino acid transport and metabolism, inorganic ion transport and metabolism, transcription and translation, and virulence, all based on transcriptomic data; and (iv) CodY systematically regulated central metabolic flux to generate branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) by mapping the CodY regulon onto a genome-scale metabolic model of
. Our study performed the first system-level analysis of CodY in two closely related USA300 TCH1516 and LAC strains, revealing new insights into the similarities and differences of CodY regulatory roles between the closely related strains. IMPORTANCE With the increasing availability of whole-genome sequences for many strains within the same pathogenic species, a comparative analysis of key regulators is needed to understand how the different strains uniquely coordinate metabolism and expression of virulence. To successfully infect the human host,
USA300 relies on the transcription factor CodY to reorganize metabolism and express virulence factors. While CodY is a known key transcription factor, its target genes are not characterized on a genome-wide basis. We performed a comparative analysis to describe the transcriptional regulation of CodY between two dominant USA300 strains. This study motivates the characterization of common pathogenic strains and an evaluation of the possibility of developing specialized treatments for major strains circulating in the population.
Mechanisms by which noncoding genetic variation influences gene expression remain only partially understood but are considered to be major determinants of phenotypic diversity and disease risk. Here, ...we evaluated effects of >50 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms and short insertions/deletions provided by five inbred strains of mice on the responses of macrophages to interleukin-4 (IL-4), a cytokine that plays pleiotropic roles in immunity and tissue homeostasis. Of >600 genes induced >2-fold by IL-4 across the five strains, only 26 genes reached this threshold in all strains. By applying deep learning and motif mutation analyses to epigenetic data for macrophages from each strain, we identified the dominant combinations of lineage-determining and signal-dependent transcription factors driving IL-4 enhancer activation. These studies further revealed mechanisms by which noncoding genetic variation influences absolute levels of enhancer activity and their dynamic responses to IL-4, thereby contributing to strain-differential patterns of gene expression and phenotypic diversity.
Cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis and its complications, are a leading cause of death. Inhibition of the noncanonical IκB kinases TANK-binding kinase 1 and IKKε with amlexanox ...restores insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in diabetic mice and human patients. Here we report that amlexanox improves diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in Western diet-fed (WD-fed) Ldlr-/- mice and protects against atherogenesis. Amlexanox ameliorated dyslipidemia, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction through synergistic actions that involve upregulation of bile acid synthesis to increase cholesterol excretion. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated an elevated expression of key bile acid synthesis genes. Furthermore, we found that amlexanox attenuated monocytosis, eosinophilia, and vascular dysfunction during WD-induced atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the potential of amlexanox as a therapy for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
Thousands of genetic variants have been found to increase disease risk based on genome-wide association studies. Many of these variants are located outside of protein-coding regions, suggesting their ...regulatory effects on gene transcription. However, it is not fully understood the effects of non-coding genetic variation on transcriptional regulation. One way of interpreting these variants is to link with the specific DNA sequences recognized by transcription factors (TFs), which are also called motifs. I developed MAGGIE, a bioinformatic approach to identify functional motifs that mediate TF binding and function. Unlike many other motif analysis tools, MAGGIE associates motif mutations caused by non-coding variants with the changes in TF binding or regulatory function to provide more direct insights into the regulatory effects of genetic variation. I showed the outstanding performance of MAGGIE in various applications, including its ability to distinguish the divergent functions of distinct NF-kB factors in pro-inflammatory macrophages. As a detailed case study of the effects of non-coding variants, I applied MAGGIE to identify functional motifs for anti-inflammatory macrophages and discovered dominant TFs driving the anti-inflammatory response, which are also the frequent targets of genetic variation to influence such response. In combination with an integrative analysis of transcriptomic and epigenomic data, I revealed quantitative variations in motif affinity underlying the divergent anti-inflammatory responses observed in genetically different mouse strains. By leveraging deep learning approaches, I pinpointed functional variants altering functional motifs and provided strong evidence supporting the promise of using deep learning to identify functional variants. Finally, I went beyond motifs to systematically analyze the spacing between motifs and investigated its significance in the context of variant interpretation. I found most collaborative TFs do not require a constrained spacing but allow a relaxed range of spacing in between. Based on synthetic genetic variations from mutagenesis experiments and millions of naturally occurring variations, I showed that spacing alterations are generally tolerated by TF binding and regulatory function at TF binding sites. Collectively, these findings advance our understanding of how non-coding genetic variation influences gene transcription and phenotypic diversity.
Prior exposure to microenvironmental signals could fundamentally change the response of macrophages to subsequent stimuli. It is believed that T helper-2 (Th2)-cell-type cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) ...and Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand-activated transcriptional programs mutually antagonize each other, and no remarkable convergence has been identified between them. In contrast, here, we show that IL-4-polarized macrophages established a hyperinflammatory gene expression program upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure. This phenomenon, which we termed extended synergy, was supported by IL-4-directed epigenomic remodeling, LPS-activated NF-κB-p65 cistrome expansion, and increased enhancer activity. The EGR2 transcription factor contributed to the extended synergy in a macrophage-subtype-specific manner. Consequently, the previously alternatively polarized macrophages produced increased amounts of immune-modulatory factors both in vitro and in vivo in a murine Th2 cell-type airway inflammation model upon LPS exposure. Our findings establish that IL-4-induced epigenetic reprogramming is responsible for the development of inflammatory hyperresponsiveness to TLR activation and contributes to lung pathologies.
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•IL-4 priming leads to synergistic gene induction after TLR activation in macrophages•IL-4 pre-treatment results in the expansion of NF-κB-p65 cistrome upon TLR activation•EGR2 is a multi-faceted regulator of synergistic gene and enhancer activation•Extended synergy is observed in a murine lung Th2-type inflammation model upon LPS
The antagonism between IL-4 and TLR ligands is expected and well described in macrophages, but their synergistic interactions are not understood. Czimmerer et al. demonstrate that IL-4-induced epigenetic reprogramming results in vast expansion of TLR-activated NF-κB-p65 cistrome, turning on a distinct hyperinflammatory gene expression program in murine and human macrophages.
Macrophage activation is controlled by a balance between activating and inhibitory receptors
, which protect normal tissues from excessive damage during infection
but promote tumour growth and ...metastasis in cancer
. Here we report that the Kupffer cell lineage-determining factor ID3 controls this balance and selectively endows Kupffer cells with the ability to phagocytose live tumour cells and orchestrate the recruitment, proliferation and activation of natural killer and CD8 T lymphoid effector cells in the liver to restrict the growth of a variety of tumours. ID3 shifts the macrophage inhibitory/activating receptor balance to promote the phagocytic and lymphoid response, at least in part by buffering the binding of the transcription factors ELK1 and E2A at the SIRPA locus. Furthermore, loss- and gain-of-function experiments demonstrate that ID3 is sufficient to confer this potent anti-tumour activity to mouse bone-marrow-derived macrophages and human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived macrophages. Expression of ID3 is therefore necessary and sufficient to endow macrophages with the ability to form an efficient anti-tumour niche, which could be harnessed for cell therapy in cancer.
The nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) forms a complex with histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) that mediates repressive functions of unliganded nuclear receptors and other transcriptional repressors by ...deacetylation of histone substrates. Recent studies provide evidence that NCoR/HDAC3 complexes can also exert coactivator functions in brown adipocytes by deacetylating and activating PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) and that signaling via receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANK) promotes the formation of a stable NCoR/HDAC3/PGC1β complex that coactivates nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB)- and activator protein 1 (AP-1)-dependent genes required for osteoclast differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that activation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, but not TLR3, the interleukin 4 (IL4) receptor nor the Type I interferon receptor, also promotes assembly of an NCoR/HDAC3/PGC1β coactivator complex. Receptor-specific utilization of TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and downstream activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) accounts for the common ability of RANK and TLR4 to drive assembly of an NCoR/HDAC3/PGC1β complex in macrophages. ERK1, the p65 component of NFκB, and the p300 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) are also components of the induced complex and are associated with local histone acetylation and transcriptional activation of TLR4-dependent enhancers and promoters. These observations identify a TLR4/TRAF6-dependent signaling pathway that converts NCoR from a corepressor of nuclear receptors to a coactivator of NFκB and AP-1 that may be relevant to functions of NCoR in other developmental and homeostatic processes.
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