Biology subjects

Drouin, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Drouin, J..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Genomic imprinting of the metabolic regulator gene Klf14 is regulated by a paternal sub-TAD anchored at Mest and a shared enhancer in mice.

KLF14 acts as a master regulator of gene expression in adipose tissue and variants at the human KLF14 gene show strong and reproducible association with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Risk alleles are only pathologic when maternally inherited, consistent with the observation that KLF14/Klf14 is a maternally-expressed imprinted gene in human and mouse. However, how genomic imprinting is regulated at this important locus is currently unknown. In both species, KLF14/Klf14 is located [~]200 kb away from the paternally imprinted gene MEST/Mest, which is regulated by a maternal gametic differentially methylated region (gDMR) at its CpG island (CGI) promoter. Although the Klf14 CGI is kept unmethylated in most tissues, maternally-inherited DNA methylation (DNAme) marks are paradoxically required for Klf14 expression in mouse. Here, we show that Mest and Klf14 reside within the same topologically associating domain (TAD) in both mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and differentiated cells, defined by sites of biallelic CTCF binding at the boundaries. Using allele-specific 4C-seq in F1 hybrid ESCs, we show that CTCF binding specifically to the unmethylated Mest gDMR generates a paternal allele-specific sub-TAD encompassing Klf14. We further show through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutagenesis, that deletions of the paternal Mest promoter region in ESCs as well as in vivo in mutant mice, results in both loss of Mest expression and acquisition of biallelic expression at Klf14. By analyzing epigenetic marks and chromatin looping in the Klf14-expressing pituitary cell line AtT-20, we identify a putative enhancer element shared by Mest and Klf14, providing a mechanistic model for the regulation of Klf14 imprinting. This work defines a new role for the Mest maternally methylated gDMR, revealing that it exerts long-range effects via allele-specific modulation of TAD structures and consequently act as an imprinting control region (ICR) in the regulation of Klf14 imprinting. Conservation of this TAD organisation at the human locus suggests that a similar regulatory mechanism operates at KLF14.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2024

O-GlcNAcylation of FOXK1 orchestrates the E2F pathway and promotes oncogenesis

Gene transcription is a highly regulated process, and deregulation of transcription factors activity underlies numerous pathologies including cancer. Albeit near four decades of studies have established that the E2F pathway is a core transcriptional network that govern cell division in multi-cellular organisms1,2, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the functions of E2F transcription factors remain incompletely understood. FOXK1 and FOXK2 transcription factors have recently emerged as important regulators of cell metabolism, autophagy and cell differentiation3-6. While both FOXK1 and FOXK2 interact with the histone H2AK119ub deubiquitinase BAP1 and possess many overlapping functions in normal biology, their specific functions as well as deregulation of their transcriptional activity in cancer is less clear and sometimes contradictory7-13. Here, we show that elevated expression of FOXK1, but not FOXK2, in primary normal cells promotes transcription of E2F target genes associated with increased proliferation and delayed entry into cellular senescence. FOXK1 expressing cells are highly prone to cellular transformation revealing important oncogenic properties of FOXK1 in tumor initiation. High expression of FOXK1 in patient tumors is also highly correlated with E2F gene expression. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that FOXK1, but not FOXK2, is specifically modified by O-GlcNAcylation. FOXK1 O-GlcNAcylation is modulated during the cell cycle with the highest levels occurring during the time of E2F pathway activation at G1/S. Moreover, loss of FOXK1 O-GlcNAcylation impairs FOXK1 ability to promote cell proliferation, cellular transformation and tumor growth. Mechanistically, expression of FOXK1 O-GlcNAcylation-defective mutants results in reduced recruitment of BAP1 to gene regulatory regions. This event is associated with a concomitant increase in the levels of histone H2AK119ub and a decrease in the levels of H3K4me1, resulting in a transcriptional repressive chromatin environment. Our results define an essential role of O-GlcNAcylation in modulating the functions of FOXK1 in controlling the cell cycle of normal and cancer cells through orchestration of the E2F pathway.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Pax7 pioneer factor action requires both paired and homeo DNA binding domains

The pioneer transcription factor Pax7 contains two DNA binding domains (DBD), a paired and a homeo domain. Previous work on Pax7 and the related Pax3 had shown that each DBD can bind a cognate DNA sequence, thus defining two targets of binding and possibly modalities of action. Genomic targets of Pax7 pioneer action leading to chromatin opening are enriched for composite DNA target sites containing juxtaposed binding sites for both paired and homeo domains. The present work investigated the implication of both DBDs in pioneer action. We now show that the composite sequence is a higher affinity Pax7 binding site compared to either paired or homeo binding sites and that efficient binding to this site involves both DBDs. We also show that a Pax7 monomer binds composite sites and that methylation of cytosines within the binding site does not affect binding, which is consistent with pioneer action exerted at methylated DNA sites within nucleosomal heterochromatin. Finally, introduction of single amino acid mutations in either the paired or homeo domain that impair binding to cognate DNA sequences showed that both DBDs must be intact for pioneer action. In contrast, only the paired domain is required for low affinity binding of heterochromatin sites. Thus, Pax7 pioneer action on heterochromatin requires unique protein:DNA interactions that are more complex compared to its simpler DNA binding modalities at accessible enhancer target sites. Significance StatementPioneer transcription factors have the unique ability to recognize DNA target sites within closed heterochromatin and to trigger chromatin opening. Only a fraction of the heterochromatin recruitment sites of pioneers are subject to chromatin opening. The molecular basis for this selectivity is unknown and the present work addressed the importance of DNA sequence affinity for selection of sites to open. The pioneering ability of the pioneer factor Pax7 is not strictly determined by affinity or DNA sequence of binding sites, nor by number or methylation status of DNA sites. Mutation analyses showed that recruitment to heterochromatin is primarily dependent on the Pax7 paired domain whereas the ability to open chromatin requires both paired and homeo DNA binding domains.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

HOX13-dependent chromatin accessibility modulates the target repertoires of the HOX factors

Hox genes encode essential transcription factors that control patterning during embryonic development. Distinct combinations of nested Hox expression domains establish cell and tissue identities1-3. Consequently, spatial or temporal de-regulation of Hox genes can cause severe alterations of the body plan3. While HOX factors have very similar DNA binding motifs, their binding specificity is, in part, mediated by co-factors4-6. Yet, the interplay between HOX binding specificities and the cellular context remains largely elusive. To gain insight into this question, we took advantage of developing limbs for which the differential expression of Hox genes is well-characterized7. We show that the transcription factors HOXA13 and HOXD13 (hereafter referred as HOX13) allow another HOX factor, HOXA11, to bind loci initially assumed to be HOX13-specific. Importantly, HOXA11 is unable to bind these loci in distal limbs lacking HOX13 function indicating that HOX13 modulates HOXA11 target repertoire. In addition, we find that the HOX13 factors implement the distal limb developmental program by triggering chromatin opening, a defining property of pioneer factors8,9. Finally, single cell analysis of chromatin accessibility reveals that HOX13 factors pioneer chromatin opening in a lineage specific manner. Together, our data uncover a new mechanism underlying HOX binding specificity, whereby tissue-specific variations in the target repertoire of HOX factors rely, at least in part, on HOX13-dependent chromatin accessibility.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Pioneer and nonpioneer cooperation drives lineage specific chromatin opening

Pioneer transcription factors are coined as having the unique property of "opening closed chromatin sites" for implementation of cell fates. We previously showed that the pioneer Pax7 specifies melanotrope cells through deployment of an enhancer repertoire: this allows binding of Tpit, a nonpioneer factor that determines the related lineages of melanotropes and corticotropes. Here, we investigated the relation between these two factors in the pioneer mechanism. Cell-specific gene expression and chromatin landscapes were defined by scRNAseq and chromatin accessibility profiling. We found that in vivo deployment of the melanotrope enhancer repertoire and chromatin opening requires both Pax7 and Tpit. In cells, binding of heterochromatin targets by Pax7 is independent of Tpit but Pax7-dependent chromatin opening requires Tpit. The present work shows that pioneer core properties are limited to the ability to recognize heterochromatin targets and facilitate nonpioneer binding. Chromatin opening per se may be provided through cooperation with nonpioneer factors.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2018

Cell-autonomous transcriptional mechanism for enhancement of translation capacity in secretory cells

Translation is a basic cellular process and its capacity is adapted to cell function. In particular, secretory cells achieve high protein synthesis levels without triggering the protein stress response. It is unknown how and when translation capacity is increased during differentiation. Here, we show that the transcription factor Creb3l2 is a scaling factor for translation capacity in secretory cells and that it directly binds ~75% of regulatory and effector genes for translation. In parallel with this cell-autonomous mechanism, implementation of the physiological UPR pathway prevents triggering the protein stress response. The pituitary differentiation factor Tpit activates Creb3l2 expression, the Creb3l2-dependent regulatory network as well as the physiological UPR pathway. Thus, Creb3l2 implements high basal translation levels through direct targeting of translation effector genes acting downstream of signaling pathways that otherwise regulate protein synthesis. Expression of Creb3l2 may be a useful means to enhance production of therapeutic proteins.

cell biology↗