Regulation Of Gene Expression Patterns Research Articles

Epigenetic modulation of fungal pathogens: a focus on Magnaporthe oryzae.

Epigenetics has emerged as a potent field of study for understanding the factors influencing the effectiveness of human disease treatments and for identifying alternations induced by pathogens in host plants. However, there has been a paucity of research on the epigenetic control of the proliferation and pathogenicity of fungal plant pathogens. Fungal plant pathogens such as Magnaporthe oryzae, a significant threat to global rice production, provide an important model for exploring how epigenetic mechanisms govern fungal proliferation and virulence. In M. oryzae, epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs, regulate gene expression patterns that influence the pathogen's ability to infect its host. These modifications can enhance fungal adaptability, allowing the pathogen to survive in diverse environments and evade host immune responses. Our primary objective is to provide a comprehensive review of the existing epigenetic research on M. oryzae and shed light on how these changes influence the pathogen's lifecycle, its ability to invade host tissues, and the overall severity of the disease. We begin by examining the epigenetic alterations occurring in M. oryzae and their contributions to the virulence and proliferation of the fungus. To advance our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms in M. oryzae and similar plant diseases, we emphasize the need to address unanswered questions and explore future research directions. This information is crucial for developing new antifungal treatments that target epigenetic pathways, which could lead to improved disease management.

Role of Noncoding RNAs in Modulating Microglial Phenotype.

Microglia are immunocompetent cells that are present in the retina and central nervous system, and are involved in the development maintenance and immune functions in these systems. Developing from yolk sac-primitive macrophages, they proliferate in the local tissues during the embryonic period without resorting to the production from the hematopoietic stem cells, and are critical in sustaining homeostasis and performing in disease and injury; they have morphological characteristics and distinct phenotypes according to the microenvironment. Microglia are also present in close association with resident cells in the retina where they engage in synapse formation, support normal functions, as well as immune defense. They are involved in the development of numerous neurodegenerative and ophthalmic diseases and act as diversity shields and triggers. Noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) refer to RNA molecules synthesized from the mammalian genome, and these do not have protein-coding capacity. These ncRNAs play a role in the regulation of gene expression patterns. ncRNAs have only been recently identified as vastly significant molecules that are involved in the posttranscriptional regulation. Microglia are crucial for brain health and functions and current studies have focused on the effects caused by ncRNA on microglial types. Thus, the aim of the review was to provide an overview of the current knowledge about the regulation of microglial phenotypes by ncRNAs.

Multifaceted paternal exposures before conception and their epigenetic impact on offspring.

As scientific research progresses, there is an increasing understanding of the importance of paternal epigenetics in influencing the health and developmental path of offspring. Prior to conception, the environmental exposures and lifestyle choices of fathers can significantly influence the epigenetic state of sperm, including DNA methylation and histone changes, among other factors. These alterations in epigenetic patterns have the potential for transgenerational transmission potential and may exert profound effects on the biological characteristics of descendants. Paternal epigenetic changes not only affect the regulation of gene expression patterns in offspring but also increase the risk to certain diseases. It is crucial to comprehend the conditions that fathers are exposed to before conception and the potential outcomes of these conditions. This understanding is essential for assessing personal reproductive decisions and anticipating health risks for future generations. This review article systematically summarizes and analyzes current research findings regarding how paternal pre-pregnancy exposures influence offspring as well as elucidates underlying mechanisms, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective for an enhanced understanding of the impact that paternal factors have on offspring health.

Exploring the role of epigenetics in periodontal disease progression: A narrative review

Periodontal disease remains a significant global health concern, characterized by chronic inflammation and destruction of the tooth-supporting structures. While microbial dysbiosis is a well-established factor in its pathogenesis, emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. This narrative review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the intricate interplay between epigenetics and periodontal disease progression. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, regulate gene expression patterns without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Dysregulation of these mechanisms can disrupt inflammatory and immune responses, exacerbating periodontal tissue damage. Various studies have highlighted specific epigenetic alterations associated with periodontal disease, such as aberrant DNA methylation patterns in promoter regions of key inflammatory genes and dysregulated microRNA expression profiles implicated in tissue remodeling processes. Moreover, environmental factors, such as smoking, diet, and stress, can modulate epigenetic signatures, further influencing periodontal disease susceptibility and severity. Understanding the epigenetic landscape of periodontal disease offers new avenues for therapeutic interventions and personalized treatment strategies. Targeting epigenetic regulators may provide innovative approaches to mitigate inflammation, promote tissue regeneration, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes in patients with periodontal disease. In conclusion, epigenetics plays a significant role in periodontal disease progression by regulating inflammatory and tissue remodeling pathways. Future research should continue to elucidate the complex epigenetic mechanisms underlying periodontal disease pathogenesis, paving the way for novel therapeutic interventions and personalized management strategies.

Navigating sex and sex roles: deciphering sex-biased gene expression in a species with sex-role reversal (Syngnathus typhle).

Sexual dimorphism, the divergence in morphological traits between males and females of the same species, is often accompanied by sex-biased gene expression. However, the majority of research has focused on species with conventional sex roles, where females have the highest energy burden with both egg production and parental care, neglecting the diversity of reproductive roles found in nature. We investigated sex-biased gene expression in Syngnathus typhle, a sex-role reversed species with male pregnancy, allowing us to separate two female traits: egg production and parental care. Using RNA sequencing, we examined gene expression across organs (brain, head kidney and gonads) at various life stages, encompassing differences in age, sex and reproductive status. While some gene groups were more strongly associated with sex roles, such as stress resistance and immune defence, others were driven by biological sex, such as energy and lipid storage regulation in an organ- and age-specific manner. By investigating how genes regulate and are regulated by changing reproductive roles and resource allocation in a model system with an unconventional life-history strategy, we aim to better understand the importance of sex and sex role in regulating gene expression patterns, broadening the scope of this discussion to encompass a wide range of organisms.

Identification and molecular characterization of genes modulating progression of an oocyte from M-I to M-II in rat ovary.

To achieve oocyte competence for successful fertilization, bidirectional communication between oocyte and granulosa cells is crucial. The acquisition of meiotic competency in oocyte is facilitated by various regulatory genes however, expression pattern of these genes is not well documented during meiotic transition from Metaphase-I to Metaphase-II stage. Therefore, the present research analyzed the expression pattern of regulatory genes that are involved in the transition from M-I to M-II stages in rat oocyte. The analysis of the data was conducted by applying an array of bioinformatic tools. The investigation of gene group interactions was carried out by employing the STRING database, which relies on co-expression information. The gene ontology (GO) analysis was performed utilizing the comparative GO database. Functional annotation forGO and pathway enrichment analysis were performed for genes involved in networking.The GOobtained through computational simulations was subsequently validated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. The findings of our study suggest that there is a distinct gene expression pattern in both the oocyte and granulosa cells. This pattern indicates that oocyte-secreted factors, such as BMP15 and GDF9, play a crucial role in regulating the progression of the meiotic cell cycle from the M-I to M-II stages. We have also examined the level of mRNA expression of genes including CYP11A1, CYP19A1, and STAR, which are crucial for the steroidogenesis. It is fascinating to observe that the oscillatory pattern of specific key genes may hold significance in the process of in vitro oocyte maturation, specifically during the transition from the M-I to M-II stage. It might be useful for determining biomarker genes and potential pathways that play a role in attaining oocyte competency, thereby aiding in the assessment of oocyte quality for the purpose of achieving successful fertilization.

Generation of Cell Lines Stably Expressing a dCas9-Fusion or sgRNA to Address Dynamics of Long-Term Effects of Epigenetic Editing.

Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in regulating gene expression patterns. Through epigenetic editing approaches, the chromatin structure is modified and the activity of the targeted gene can be reprogrammed without altering the DNA sequence. By using the CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic repeats) platform with nuclease-deactivated dCas9 proteins to direct epigenetic effector domains (EDs) to genomic regulatory regions, the expression of the targeted gene can be modulated. However, the long-term stability of these effects, although demonstrated, remains unpredictable. The versatility and flexibility of (co-)targeting different genes with multiple epigenetic effectors has made the CRISPR/dCas9 platform the most widely used gene modulating technology currently available. Efficient delivery of large dCas9-ED fusion constructs into target cells, however, is challenging. An approach to overcome this limitation is to generate cells that stably express sgRNA(s) or dCas9-ED constructs. The sgRNA(s) or dCas9-ED stable cell lines can be used to study the mechanisms underlying sustained gene expression reprogramming by transiently expressing the other of the two constructs. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for the engineering of cells that stably express CRISPR/dCas9 or sgRNA. Creating a system where one component of the CRISPR/dCas9 is stably expressed while the other is transiently expressed offers a versatile platform for investigating the dynamics of epigenetic reprogramming.

Kdm6a Modulates Hematopoiesis and Leukemogenesis Via Demethylase-Dependent Epigenetic Programming

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) maintain their differentiation by precisely regulating gene expression patterns at the transcriptional and epigenetic levels. KDM6A encodes an epigenetic regulator of the repressive chromatin mark histone 3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3). Growing evidence suggested the involvement of KDM6A in hematological malignancies. KDM6A mutations in leukemia frequently occur in males, reflecting that KDM6A escapes X chromosome inactivation. Therefore, female patients with single-allele loss-of-function KDM6A mutations will partially retain KDM6A expression, which is called haploinsufficiency. Furthermore, KDM6A haploinsufficiency was reported to be associated with refractory and/or relapsed leukemia, while the role of KDM6A haploinsufficiency in hematopoiesis remains unexplored. We established kdm6a-null zebrafish using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. We found that kdm6a loss impaired HSPCs formation. kdm6a-null embryos showed reduced expression of the hemogenic endothelial and HSPC markers runx1 at 28 hours post-fertilization (hpf). Using Tg(kdrl:mCherry;cmyb:en-GFP) embryos, we also found that the number of hemogenic endothelium and emerging HSPCs in kdm6a-null was significantly decreased. To study the importance of Kdm6a-mediated demethylase activity, we ectopically expressed kdm6a constructs (wild-type kdm6a, or catalytically-dead kdm6a) in kdm6a-null embryos. The result showed that, unlike restoring effect by wild-type kdm6a, the ectopic expression of catalytically-dead kdm6a constructs ( kdm6a H1134A) showed no rescue effect for decreased HSPC numbers. Then, we aimed to understand the potential role of kdm6a haploinsufficiency in hematopoiesis and leukemogenic mechanisms. We found that zebrafish mutants that are haploinsufficient in kdm6a ( kdm6a +/-) exhibited uncontrolled myeloid differentiation. The expression of myeloid-specific markers substantially increased in kdm6a +/- mutants, compared with WT siblings at 72 hpf. Confocal analysis showed that the ratio of myeloid-primed HSPCs was markedly increased in kdm6a +/- embryos compared to WT siblings. Consistently, a significant upregulation in transcripts encoding key myeloerythorid TFs including cebps, irf8 and gata1a was observed in kdm6a +/- embryonic HSPCs. Furthermore, kdm6a +/- adults exhibited the phenotype of monocytosis, which mimics chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or exhibited the phenotype of increased progenitors, which mimics acute myeloid leukemia. We next sorted HSPCs from WT or kdm6a +/- at 72 hpf for RNA-sequencing and ATAC-sequencing. Enrichment analysis showed transcriptional dysregulation of genes involving “Purine metabolism”, “Cysteine and methionine metabolism”, “TGF-beta signaling pathway”, and “Cell cycle”. GSEA further uncovered positive enrichment of gene sets in kdm6a +/- embryonic HSPCs, including “Oxidative phosphorylation”, “mTORC1 signaling” and “DNA repair”. These dysregulated pathways in kdm6a +/- HSPCs are highly involved in cellular homeostasis and hallmarks of aged hematopoietic system. ATAC analysis also revealed robust changes in chromatin accessibility, especially including genes related to aged hematopoietic system. Integrated RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses showed that the chromatin accessibility at promoters and transcription of 63 genes were decreased in kdm6a +/- HSPCs. And we found that the negative regulator of Jak-Stat signaling- socs3a was on the list. Ectopic expression of socs3a in kdm6a +/- could partially rescue the uncontrolled myeloid differentiation of HSPCs. Consistently, abnormal myeloid differentiation from kdm6a +/- mutations was rescued by Jak or Stat3 inhibitors. We also tested the importance of Kdm6a-mediated demethylase activity. Unlike restoring effect by wild-type kdm6a, the ectopic expression of catalytically-dead kdm6a constructs ( kdm6a H1134A) showed no rescue effect for dysregulated expression of socs3a and key myeloerythorid genes including cebps. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the multiple roles of kdm6a in regulating HSPC homeostasis and provide new insight into the mechanism of kdm6a haploinsufficiency in uncontrolled myeloid differentiation through demethylase-dependent epigenetic programming.

PHD finger proteins function in plant development and abiotic stress responses: an overview.

The plant homeodomain (PHD) finger with a conserved Cys4-His-Cys3 motif is a common zinc-binding domain, which is widely present in all eukaryotic genomes. The PHD finger is the "reader" domain of methylation marks in histone H3 and plays a role in the regulation of gene expression patterns. Numerous proteins containing the PHD finger have been found in plants. In this review, we summarize the functional studies on PHD finger proteins in plant growth and development and responses to abiotic stresses in recent years. Some PHD finger proteins, such as VIN3, VILs, and Ehd3, are involved in the regulation of flowering time, while some PHD finger proteins participate in the pollen development, for example, MS, TIP3, and MMD1. Furthermore, other PHD finger proteins regulate the plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, including Alfin1, ALs, and AtSIZ1. Research suggests that PHD finger proteins, as an essential transcription regulator family, play critical roles in various plant biological processes, which is helpful in understanding the molecular mechanisms of novel PHD finger proteins to perform specific function.

Panoramic on Epigenetics in Coronary Artery Disease and the Approach of Personalized Medicine.

Epigenetic modifications play a fundamental role in the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). This panoramic review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in CAD pathogenesis and highlights the potential implications for personalized medicine approaches. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes that do not influence alterations in the DNA sequence of the genome. It has been shown that epigenetic processes, including DNA/histone methylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation, play an important role. Additionally, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs are also involved in epigenetics, regulating gene expression patterns in response to various environmental factors and lifestyle choices. In the context of CAD, epigenetic alterations contribute to the dysregulation of genes involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and vascular function. These epigenetic changes can occur during early developmental stages and persist throughout life, predisposing individuals to an increased risk of CAD. Furthermore, in recent years, the concept of personalized medicine has gained significant attention. Personalized medicine aims to tailor medical interventions based on an individual's unique genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. In the context of CAD, understanding the interplay between genetic variants and epigenetic modifications holds promise for the development of more precise diagnostic tools, risk stratification models, and targeted therapies. This review summarizes the current knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms in CAD and discusses the fundamental principles of personalized medicine.

CUT homeobox genes: transcriptional regulation of neuronal specification and beyond.

CUT homeobox genes represent a captivating gene class fulfilling critical functions in the development and maintenance of multiple cell types across a wide range of organisms. They belong to the larger group of homeobox genes, which encode transcription factors responsible for regulating gene expression patterns during development. CUT homeobox genes exhibit two distinct and conserved DNA binding domains, a homeodomain accompanied by one or more CUT domains. Numerous studies have shown the involvement of CUT homeobox genes in diverse developmental processes such as body axis formation, organogenesis, tissue patterning and neuronal specification. They govern these processes by exerting control over gene expression through their transcriptional regulatory activities, which they accomplish by a combination of classic and unconventional interactions with the DNA. Intriguingly, apart from their roles as transcriptional regulators, they also serve as accessory factors in DNA repair pathways through protein-protein interactions. They are highly conserved across species, highlighting their fundamental importance in developmental biology. Remarkably, evolutionary analysis has revealed that CUT homeobox genes have experienced an extraordinary degree of rearrangements and diversification compared to other classes of homeobox genes, including the emergence of a novel gene family in vertebrates. Investigating the functions and regulatory networks of CUT homeobox genes provides significant understanding into the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Furthermore, aberrant expression or mutations in CUT homeobox genes have been associated with various human diseases, highlighting their relevance beyond developmental processes. This review will overview the well known roles of CUT homeobox genes in nervous system development, as well as their functions in other tissues across phylogeny.

Newt A1 cell-derived extracellular vesicles promote mammalian nerve growth

Newts have the extraordinary ability to fully regenerate lost or damaged cardiac, neural and retinal tissues, and even amputated limbs. In contrast, mammals lack these broad regenerative capabilities. While the molecular basis of newts’ regenerative ability is the subject of active study, the underlying paracrine signaling factors involved remain largely uncharacterized. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in cell-to-cell communication via EV cargo-mediated regulation of gene expression patterns within the recipient cells. Here, we report that newt myogenic precursor (A1) cells secrete EVs (A1EVs) that contain messenger RNAs associated with early embryonic development, neuronal differentiation, and cell survival. Exposure of rat primary superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons to A1EVs increased neurite outgrowth, facilitated by increases in mitochondrial respiration. Canonical pathway analysis pinpointed activation of NGF/ERK5 signaling in SCG neurons exposed to A1EV, which was validated experimentally. Thus, newt EVs drive neurite growth and complexity in mammalian primary neurons.

A review on the epigenetics modifications to nanomaterials in humans and animals: Novel epigenetic regulator

Abstract In the nanotechnology era, nanotechnology applications have been intensifying their prospects to embrace all the vigorous sectors persuading human health and animal. The safety and concerns regarding the widespread use of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) and their potential effect on human health still require further clarification. Literature elucidated that NMs exhibited significant adverse effects on various molecular and cellular alterations. Epigenetics is a complex process resulting in the interactions between an organism’s environment and genome. The epigenetic modifications, including histone modification and DNA methylation, chromatin structure and DNA accessibility alteration, regulate gene expression patterns. Disturbances of epigenetic markers induced by NMs might promote the sensitivity of humans and animals to several diseases. Also, this paper focuses on the epigenetic regulators of some dietary nutrients that have been confirmed to stimulate the epigenome and, more exactly, DNA histone modifications and non-histone proteins modulation by acetylation, and phosphorylation inhibition, which counteracts oxidative stress generations. The present review epitomizes the recent evidence of the potential effects of NMs on histone modifications, in addition to in vivo and in vitro cytosine DNA methylation and its toxicity. Furthermore, the part of epigenetic fluctuations as possible translational biomarkers for uncovering untoward properties of NMs is deliberated.

Abstract 2110: Reprogramming of DNA methylation in NAFLD progression

Abstract NAFLD has several stages in its progression that can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whereas NAFL is a simple steatosis, NASH is characterized by cell injury, inflammation, and hepatocyte ballooning that may further progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC. DNA methylation is a relatively stable epigenetic mechanism that can regulate gene expression patterns to establish cell identity. Here we investigated liver DNA methylation in individuals with simple steatosis and NASH, and further tested if these alterations were associated with clinical phenotypes. NAFLD is associated with abnormal DNA methylation, Advanced NAFLD is associated with hypomethylation of genes involved in TNF receptor signaling and apoptosis, and hypermethylation of genes associated with lipid metabolism, digestion and transport. We suggest that reprogramming of DNA methylation contributes to NAFLD progression and aberrant DNA methylation could be a predictive biomarker of NASH associated HCC. Citation Format: Hanyong Go, Seon-Kyu Kim, Mirang Kim. Reprogramming of DNA methylation in NAFLD progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2110.

Genomic diversity of aquaporins across genus Oryza provides a rich genetic resource for development of climate resilient rice cultivars

BackgroundPlant aquaporins are critical genetic players performing multiple biological functions, especially climate resilience and water-use efficiency. Their genomic diversity across genus Oryza is yet to be explored.ResultsThis study identified 369 aquaporin-encoding genes from 11 cultivated and wild rice species and further categorized these into four major subfamilies, among which small basic intrinsic proteins are speculated to be ancestral to all land plant aquaporins. Evolutionarily conserved motifs in peptides of aquaporins participate in transmembrane transport of materials and their relatively complex gene structures provide an evolutionary playground for regulation of genome structure and transcription. Duplication and evolution analyses revealed higher genetic conservation among Oryza aquaporins and strong purifying selections are assisting in conserving the climate resilience associated functions. Promoter analysis highlighted enrichment of gene upstream regions with cis-acting regulatory elements involved in diverse biological processes, whereas miRNA target site prediction analysis unveiled substantial involvement of osa-miR2102-3p, osa-miR2927 and osa-miR5075 in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression patterns. Moreover, expression patterns of japonica aquaporins were significantly perturbed in response to different treatment levels of six phytohormones and four abiotic stresses, suggesting their multifarious roles in plants survival under stressed environments. Furthermore, superior haplotypes of seven conserved orthologous aquaporins for higher thousand-grain weight are reported from a gold mine of 3,010 sequenced rice pangenomes.ConclusionsThis study unveils the complete genomic atlas of aquaporins across genus Oryza and provides a comprehensive genetic resource for genomics-assisted development of climate-resilient rice cultivars.

Gut Microbiome Composition and Its Metabolites Are a Key Regulating Factor for Malignant Transformation, Metastasis and Antitumor Immunity.

The genetic and metabolomic abundance of the microbiome exemplifies that the microbiome comprises a more extensive set of genes than the entire human genome, which justifies the numerous metabolic and immunological interactions between the gut microbiota, macroorganisms and immune processes. These interactions have local and systemic impacts that can influence the pathological process of carcinogenesis. The latter can be promoted, enhanced or inhibited by the interactions between the microbiota and the host. This review aimed to present evidence that interactions between the host and the gut microbiota might be a significant exogenic factor for cancer predisposition. It is beyond doubt that the cross-talk between microbiota and the host cells in terms of epigenetic modifications can regulate gene expression patterns and influence cell fate in both beneficial and adverse directions for the host's health. Furthermore, bacterial metabolites could shift pro- and anti-tumor processes in one direction or another. However, the exact mechanisms behind these interactions are elusive and require large-scale omics studies to better understand and possibly discover new therapeutic approaches for cancer.

The novel GATA1-interacting protein HES6 is an essential transcriptional cofactor for human erythropoiesis.

Normal erythropoiesis requires the precise regulation of gene expression patterns, and transcription cofactors play a vital role in this process. Deregulation of cofactors has emerged as a key mechanism contributing to erythroid disorders. Through gene expression profiling, we found HES6 as an abundant cofactor expressed at gene level during human erythropoiesis. HES6 physically interacted with GATA1 and influenced the interaction of GATA1 with FOG1. Knockdown of HES6 impaired human erythropoiesis by decreasing GATA1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing revealed a rich set of HES6- and GATA1-co-regulated genes involved in erythroid-related pathways. We also discovered a positive feedback loop composed of HES6, GATA1 and STAT1 in the regulation of erythropoiesis. Notably, erythropoietin (EPO) stimulation led to up-regulation of these loop components. Increased expression levels of loop components were observed in CD34+ cells of polycythemia vera patients. Interference by either HES6 knockdown or inhibition of STAT1 activity suppressed proliferation of erythroid cells with the JAK2V617F mutation. We further explored the impact of HES6 on polycythemia vera phenotypes in mice. The identification of the HES6-GATA1 regulatory loop and its regulation by EPO provides novel insights into human erythropoiesis regulated by EPO/EPOR and a potential therapeutic target for the management of polycythemia vera.

Advances in Plant Epigenome Editing Research and Its Application in Plants

Plant epistatic regulation is the DNA methylation, non-coding RNA regulation, and histone modification of gene sequences without altering the genome sequence, thus regulating gene expression patterns and the growth process of plants to produce heritable changes. Epistatic regulation in plants can regulate plant responses to different environmental stresses, regulate fruit growth and development, etc. Genome editing can effectively improve plant genetic efficiency by targeting the design and efficient editing of genome-specific loci with specific nucleases, such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9). As research progresses, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been widely used in crop breeding, gene expression, and epistatic modification due to its high editing efficiency and rapid translation of results. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of CRISPR/Cas9 in epigenome editing and look forward to the future development direction of this system in plant epigenetic modification to provide a reference for the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in genome editing.

Recent allopolyploidy alters Spartina microRNA expression in response to xenobiotic-induced stress.

Environmental contamination by xenobiotics represents a major threat for natural ecosystems and public health. In response, xenobiotic detoxification is a fundamental trait of organisms for developmental plasticity and stress tolerance, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood in plants. To decipher this process, we explored the consequences of allopolyploidy on xenobiotic tolerance in the genus Spartina Schreb. Specifically, we focused on microRNAs (miRNAs) owing to their central function in the regulation of gene expression patterns, including responses to stress. Small RNA-Seq was conducted on the parents S. alterniflora and S. maritima, their F1 hybrid S. x townsendii and the allopolyploid S. anglica under phenanthrene-induced stress (phe), a model Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) compound. Differentially expressed miRNAs in response to phe were specifically identified within species. In complement, the respective impacts of hybridization and genome doubling were detected, through changes in miRNA expression patterns between S. x townsendii, S. anglica and the parents. The results support the impact of allopolyploidy in miRNA-guided regulation of plant response to phe. In total, we identified 17 phe-responsive miRNAs in Spartina among up-regulated MIR156 and down-regulated MIR159. We also describe novel phe-responsive miRNAs as putative Spartina-specific gene expression regulators in response to stress. Functional validation using Arabidopsis (L.) Heynh. T-DNA lines inserted in homologous MIR genes was performed, and the divergence of phe-responsive miRNA regulatory networks between Arabidopsis and Spartina was discussed.

A review on the epigenetics modifications to nanomaterials in humans and animals: novel epigenetic regulator

Abstract In the nanotechnology era, nanotechnology applications have been intensifying their prospects to embrace all the vigorous sectors persuading human health and animal. The safety and concerns regarding the widespread use of engineered nanomaterials (NMA) and their potential effect on human health still require further clarification. Literature elucidated that NMA exhibited significant adverse effects on various molecular and cellular alterations. Epigenetics is a complex process resulting in the interactions between an organism’s environment and genome. The epigenetic modifications, including histone modification and DNA methylation, chromatin structure and DNA accessibility alteration, regulate gene expression patterns. Disturbances of epigenetic markers induced by NMA might promote the sensitivity of humans and animals to several diseases. Also, this paper focus on the epigenetic regulators of some dietary nutrients that have been confirmed to stimulate the epigenome and, more exactly, DNA histone modifications and non-histone proteins modulation by acetylation, and phosphorylation inhibition, which counteracts oxidative stress generations. The present review epitomizes the recent evidence of the potential effects of NMA on histone modifications, in addition to in vivo and in vitro cytosine DNA methylation and its toxicity. Furthermore, the part of epigenetic fluctuations as possible translational biomarkers for uncovering untoward properties of NMA is deliberated.