Jumonji Domain-containing Protein 3 Research Articles

Epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of IL4-induced CCL17 production in human monocytes and murine macrophages

Interleukin 4 (IL4) is generally viewed as a Th2 cytokine capable of polarizing macrophages into an anti-inflammatory phenotype, whereas granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is often viewed as a proinflammatory cytokine with part of this function due to its action on monocytes/macrophages. Paradoxically, these two cytokines act additively to enhance the in vitro differentiation of dendritic cells from precursors such as monocytes. One up-regulated marker of an IL4-polarized M2 macrophage is the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17), which we have recently reported to be induced by GM-CSF in monocytes/macrophages in an interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4)-dependent manner. In this study, we report that IL4 also induces CCL17 production by acting through IRF4 in human monocytes and murine macrophages. Furthermore, evidence is presented that IL4 up-regulates IRF4 expression at the epigenetic level by enhancing the expression and activity of jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) demethylase. Intriguingly, silencing the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) gene led to a decrease in not only CCL17 formation, but also in that of its upstream regulators, JMJD3 and IRF4. Moreover, IL4 treatment of human monocytes resulted in an increased association of STAT6 to the promoter regions of the CCL17, IRF4, and JMJD3 genes. Thus, despite their vastly different functions, IL4 and GM-CSF appear to share elements of a common signaling pathway in regulating CCL17 production in human monocytes and murine macrophages.

Cystathionine-γ-lyase ameliorates the histone demethylase JMJD3-mediated autoimmune response in rheumatoid arthritis.

Cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), an enzyme associated with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production, is an important endogenous regulator of inflammation. Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) is implicated in the immune response and inflammation. Here, we investigated the potential contribution of JMJD3 to endogenous CSE-mediated inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Upregulated CSE and JMJD3 were identified in synovial fibroblasts (SFs) from RA patients as well as in the joints of arthritic mice. Knocking down CSE augmented inflammation in IL-1β-induced SFs by increasing JMJD3 expression. In addition, CSE-/- mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) developed severe joint inflammation and bone erosion. Conversely, overexpressing CSE inhibited JMJD3 expression by the transcription factor Sp-1 and was accompanied by reduced inflammation in IL-1β-treated SFs. Furthermore, JMJD3 silencing or the administration of the JMJD3 inhibitor GSK-J4 significantly decreased the inflammatory response in IL-1β-treated SFs, mainly by controlling the methylation status of H3K27me3 at the promoter of its target genes. GSK-J4 markedly attenuated the severity of arthritis in CIA mice. In conclusion, suppressing JMJD3 expression by the transcription factor Sp-1 is likely responsible for the ability of CSE to negatively modulate the inflammatory response and reduce the progression of RA.

Virtual Fragment Screening Identification of a Quinoline-5,8-dicarboxylic Acid Derivative as a Selective JMJD3 Inhibitor.

The quinoline‐5,8 dicarboxylic acid scaffold has been identified by a fragment‐based approach as new potential lead compound for the development of JMJD3 inhibitors. Among them, 3‐(2,4‐dimethoxypyrimidin‐5‐yl)quinoline‐5,8‐dicarboxylic acid (compound 3) shows low micromolar inhibitory activity against Jumonji domain‐containing protein 3 (JMJD3). The experimental evaluation of inhibitory activity against seven related isoforms of JMJD3 highlighted an unprecedented selectivity toward the biological target of interest.

The histone demethylase Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) regulates fibroblast activation in systemic sclerosis

ObjectivesSystemic sclerosis (SSc) fibroblasts remain activated even in the absence of exogenous stimuli. Epigenetic alterations are thought to play a role for this endogenous activation. Trimethylation of histone H3 on...

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide regulates histone demethylase JMJD3-mediated inflammatory response in LPS-stimulated macrophages and in a mouse model of LPS-induced septic shock

Overproduction of inflammatory mediators contributes to uncontrolled inflammation during endotoxin shock. Cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), an enzyme involved in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) biosynthesis, has potential anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3), a histone 3 Lys27 (H3K27) demethylase, has been implicated in macrophage activation, but its function in CSE-mediated anti-inflammatory activities remains unknown. In the present study CSE was found to be upregulated in macrophages and mouse lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge models. LPS stimulation also enhanced the activation of JMJD3 and decreased H3K27me3 levels. JMJD3 knockdown upregulated H3K27me3 levels and attenuated the LPS-mediated inflammatory response. CSE knockout amplified the inflammatory cascade by increasing JMJD3 expression in septic mice. Similarly, enhanced production of inflammatory mediators by macrophages was mitigated by CSE overexpression via inhibition of JMJD3 expression. This is the first report indicating that inflammation enhanced CSE/H2S system biosynthesis, that in turn attenuated the LPS-triggered inflammatory response by regulating JMJD3 expression. Thus, the CSE/H2S system represents an epigenetic-based modification mechanism to prevent uncontrolled inflammation.

The pharmacological role of histone demethylase JMJD3 inhibitor GSK-J4 on glioma cells.

Glioma is regarded as the most prevalent malignant carcinoma of the central nervous system, and lack of effective treatment. Thus, the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting glioma is of significant clinical importance. In the present study, histone H3K27 demethylase jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) was investigated as target for glioma treatment. The mRNA of JMJD3 was overexpressed in glioblastoma tissues compared to normal brain tissues (P<0.05). The content of JMJD3 was also higher in glioma cells than in human brain microvascular endothelial cell (hCMEC), and the corresponding level of H3K27me3 was decreased (P<0.05). The treatment with JMJD3 specific inhibitor GSK-J4 can increase the content of H3K27me3 in glioma cells, which means the activity of JMJD3 was inhibited. GSK-J4 can inhibit glioma cell proliferation in a concentration dependent and time-dependent manner (P<0.05). GSK-J4 also induced glioma cell apoptosis and inhibited cell migration (P<0.05). But there was no obvious effect of GSK-J4 on hCMEC cells. All together, these data suggest that GSK-J4 has important potential in the gliomas treatment.

Decreased expression of JMJD3 predicts poor prognosis of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Previous studies have demonstrated abnormal H3K27 methylation status during clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) carcinogenesis, and have suggested that the histone H3K27 demethylases, jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) and ubiquitously-transcribed TPR gene on the X chromosome, are important regulatory factors that alter H3K27 methylation status. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic value of JMJD3 in patients with ccRCC. A total of 331 ccRCC samples were stained for JMJD3 by immunohistochemistry. Stage, Size, Grade and Necrosis (SSIGN) and University of California Los Angeles Integrated Staging System (UISS) scores were applied to stratify risks. Survival analyses were performed through the Kaplan-Meier estimator method and Cox proportional hazard model. The results revealed that JMJD3 expression in ccRCC was significantly increased compared with that in the peritumoral tissue (P<0.001) and negatively associated with a number of other clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier estimator and multivariate analyses revealed that decreased tumoral JMJD3 expression was associated with OS (hazard ratio, 2.141; P=0.003), and DFS prediction (hazard ratio, 1.737; P=0.033). In addition, following stratification of patients into three risk levels using the SSIGN and UISS scores, decreased tumoral JMJD3 expression was associated with shorter OS (P=0.003 for SSIGN and UISS scores) and DFS (P=0.007 for SSIGN and P=0.041 for UISS score) in the intermediate risk groups. The results from the present study suggest that JMJD3 is a novel prognostic marker for patients with ccRCC and is of particular significance in patients with intermediate-risk disease.

MicroRNA-941 Expression in Polymorphonuclear Granulocytes Is Not Related to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis.

Jumonji Domain-Containing Protein 3 (JMJD3)/lysine demethylase 6B (KDM6B) is an epigenetic modulator that removes repressive histone marks on genes. Expression of KDM6B mRNA is elevated in leukocytes from patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and has been suggested to be the reason for higher proteinase 3 (PR3) mRNA expression in these cells due to derepression of PRTN3 gene transcription. MicroRNA-941 (miR-941) has been shown to target KDM6B mRNA and inhibit JMJD3 production. We therefore investigated whether polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) from patients suffering from granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) have lower expression of miR-941 than healthy control donors as a biological cause for higher JMJD3 levels. We found no significant difference in the degree of maturation of PMNs from GPA patients (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 11) as determined from cell surface expression of the neutrophil maturation marker CD16 and gene expression profile of FCGR3B. The expression of PRTN3 and KDM6B mRNAs and miR-941 was not significantly different in GPA patients and healthy controls. Transfection of pre-miR-941 into the neutrophil promyelocyte cell line PLB-985 cells did not result in reduction of the KDM6B mRNA level as shown previously in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. The amount of PR3 in PMNs from GPA patients and healthy controls was comparable. In conclusion, we found that PRTN3 mRNA, KDM6B mRNA, and miR-941 expression levels in PMNs do not differ between GPA patients and healthy controls, and that miR-941 does not uniformly regulate KDM6B mRNA levels by inducing degradation of the transcript. Thus, decreased miR-941 expression in PMNs cannot be part of the pathogenesis of GPA.

Highlights of This Issue

Epigenetic events like methylation are critically important to normal tissue homeostasis. As such, epigenetic changes often occur during tumorigenesis. Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) demethylates tri- and dimethylated histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27) and is central in controlling the chromatin state as well as numerous biologic programs such as cellular senescence. Here, Perrigue and colleagues assessed the status of JMJD3 in the context of glioma and found intrinsic differences that reflected both phenotypes and variations associated with senescence. Mechanistic study demonstrated that JMJD3 activated the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and, based on RNA-seq analysis, regulated cancer-related and inflammatory-related transcripts. Combined, the epigenetic reprogramming and secretory phenotype induced by JMJD3 may stimulate homing of nearby cells in the tumor microenvironment to the tumor.Little is known about the molecular drivers of phyllodes tumors, which are rare stromal breast tumors with malignant potential. In the current Rapid Impact article, Cani and colleagues report on a study in which they performed next-generation sequencing on routine clinical specimens to shed light on the mutational and copy number alteration landscape of phyllodes tumors. Importantly, MED12, a RNA polymerase II transcriptional machinery component that has been reported in other estrogen-driven stromal tumors, was mutated with high frequency, suggesting a candidate driver. Phyllodes tumors with aggressive behavior were characterized by additional alterations in tumor suppressors and oncogenes, including a high level of EGFR and IGF1R amplifications, presenting opportunities for targeted therapy.To date, there are no effective treatments for metastatic prostate cancer, and a better understanding of the metastatic process is urgently needed. Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF1) modulates epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), promoting invasive ability in cancer cells and metastasis. Liang and colleagues integrated miRNA microarray, luciferase, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses to identify that miR-34a directly and negatively targets LEF1 and its effects on EMT, reducing cell migration and invasion. Consistently, miR-34a is also significantly downregulated in human prostate cancer specimens. Together, these results indicate that the miR-34a/LEF1 axis is a potential molecular target for novel therapeutic strategies in prostate cancer.EGFR is often mutated in various cancers and therefore is an important therapeutic target. Erlotinib and gefitinib are FDA- approved drugs targeting EGFR. Understanding differences in autophosphorylation kinetics and drug sensitivity between wild- type and oncogenic EGFR signaling is important for correlating specific phosphorylation signatures to drug responsiveness. By comparing drug responsiveness in wild-type and oncogenic EGFR expressing cells, Kim and colleagues observed dramatic differences in potency of these drugs for inhibiting downstream effectors, Cbl and STAT5. This study provides a new understanding of the EGFR signaling environment and reveals useful paradigms for predicting patient response to EGFR targeted therapy as well as combination treatments.

The regulatory role of nickel on H3K27 demethylase JMJD3 in kidney cancer cells.

Nickel compounds are an important class of environmental pollutants and carcinogens. Chronic exposure to nickel compounds has been connected with increased risks of numerous cancers, including lung and kidney cancers. But the precise mechanism by which nickel compounds exert their carcinogenic properties is not completely understood. In this study, kidney cancer cells namely human embryonic kidney 293-containing SV40 large T-antigen (HEK293T) and 786-0 were incubated with various concentrations of nickel chloride for 24 h before analysing the expression of three histone H3K27 methylation-modifying enzymes and H3K27me3 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. Our results showed that incubation of nickel chloride upregulated the expression of H3K27me3 demethylase jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3) in kidney cancer cells, which was accompanied by the reduction in the protein level of H3K27me3. Enhanced demethylation of H3K27me3 may represent a novel mechanism underlying the carcinogenicity of nickel compounds.

Histone demethylase Jumonji D3 (JMJD3/KDM6B) at the nexus of epigenetic regulation of inflammation and the aging process.

Histone methylation is involved in the epigenetic control of immune responses and cellular senescence. Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3), also called lysine-specific demethylase 6B (KDM6b), is an inducible histone demethylase which enhances immune responses and can trigger cellular senescence. JMJD3 potentiates gene expression by demethylating repressive H3K27me3 epigenetic marks in promoters and gene bodies. Moreover, JMJD3 also stimulates transcription in a demethylase-independent manner by mediating interactions between chromatin modifiers. JMJD3 can enhance both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses by targeting distinct transcription factors in a context-dependent manner in gene promoters. For instance, JMJD3 can induce macrophage M2 polarization via STAT6 signaling. JMJD3 also interacts with T-bet factor and induces Th1 differentiation of CD4(+) T cells. Moreover, JMJD3 can activate TGF-β signaling through the SMAD3 pathway. Conversely, JMJD3 displaces polycomb complexes from the INK4 box, which induces the expression of INK4a and triggers cellular senescence. JMJD3 can also enhance the nuclear localization of p53 and thus regulate its function. The control of INK4 box and p53 is closely related to the regulation of the aging process. We will briefly review the inducible properties of JMJD3 expression and then focus on the role of JMJD3 in the regulation of inflammation and senescence through different signaling pathways. We emphasize that an inflammatory milieu and cellular stress can enhance immune responses and provoke cellular senescence via epigenetic regulation through JMJD3 activation.

Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 regulates histone 3 lysine 27 methylation during bovine preimplantation development

Understanding the mechanisms of epigenetic remodeling that follow fertilization is a fundamental step toward understanding the bases of early embryonic development and pluripotency. Extensive and dynamic chromatin remodeling is observed after fertilization, including DNA methylation and histone modifications. These changes underlie the transition from gametic to embryonic chromatin and are thought to facilitate embryonic genome activation. In particular, trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) is associated with gene-specific transcription repression. Global levels of this epigenetic mark are high in oocyte chromatin and decrease to minimal levels at the time of embryonic genome activation. We provide evidence that the decrease in H3K27me3 observed during early development is cell-cycle independent, suggesting an active mechanism for removal of this epigenetic mark. Among H3K27me3-specific demethylases, Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3), but not ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat X (UTX), present high transcript levels in oocytes. Soon after fertilization JMJD3 protein levels increase, concurrent with a decrease in mRNA levels. This pattern of expression suggests maternal inheritance of JMJD3. Knockdown of JMJD3 by siRNA injection in parthenogenetically activated metaphase II oocytes resulted in inhibition of the H3K27me3 decrease normally observed in preimplantation embryos. Moreover, knockdown of JMJD3 in oocytes reduced the rate of blastocyst development. Overall, these results indicate that JMJD3 is involved in active demethylation of H3K27me3 during early embryo development and that this mark plays an important role during the progression of embryos to blastocysts.