Biology subjects

Fine, R. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Fine, R. D..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

BxbI-mediated insertion of a 77kb human RET sensitive haplotype into the mouse genome to generate a humanized model of Hirschsprung disease

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a complex developmental disorder of the enteric nervous system, primarily driven by regulatory variants within enhancer elements of the RET gene. To investigate how these variants lead to aganglionosis, we developed a humanized mouse model by inserting an intact 77kb human RET genomic locus into the Rosa26 safe-harbor locus. Utilizing "big DNA" synthetic biology and Bxb1-mediated recombination, we integrated the complete human locus including all exons, introns, and upstream regulatory elements which we validated via nanopore and short-read sequencing. Functional analysis confirmed in vivo human RET expression; however, our initial HSCR-associated "sensitive" haplotype expressed at only 21% of wild-type levels. This significant reduction proved insufficient to rescue the viability when endogenous mouse Ret was deleted. We identified that this deficiency is partially driven by five risk SNPs within established enhancers. Specifically, using CRISPR/Cas9 to restore a conserved Sox10 binding site (converting a sensitive SNP to a protective one) increased RET expression by 1.9-fold and restored transcription factor binding. This study provides a robust framework for modeling human-specific regulatory disorders and demonstrates the critical impact of non-coding variation on disease pathogenesis.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Joint disruption of Ret and Ednrb transcription drives cell fate reversal in the Enteric Nervous System in Hirschsprung disease

Despite extensive genetic heterogeneity, 72% of pathogenic alleles for Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) arise from coding and regulatory variants in genes of the RET and EDNRB gene regulatory network (GRN) in the enteric nervous system (ENS). Reduced signaling of these two receptors below a threshold in enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCDCs) leads to a molecular tipping point at which otherwise lesser cellular defects result in aganglionosis. To elucidate the mechanisms leading to enteric neuronal loss from these genetic defects, we generated four strains of mice carrying reduced function alleles at Ret or Ednrb or both, along with their wildtype alleles. ENS tissue- and single-cell gene expression profiling of the developing and postnatal gastrointestinal tract in five mouse models, with various combinations of mutant alleles, revealed 3 major insights: (i) Ret and Ednrb deficiency, rather than complete loss, is sufficient to induce HSCR, (ii) Ret and Ednrb demonstrate strong trans interactions, and (3) disruption of this interaction leads to cellular fate changes to compensate for neuronal loss. This study of targeted mouse models of a multifactorial disorder reveals how increasing dosage of genetic defects within a GRN leads to quantifiably increasing dysregulation from genotype to gene expression to cellular identity to function. Importantly, our studies establish that aganglionosis results only with severely reduced gene expression at both receptor genes and their consequent disruption of normal and compensatory cell fate trajectories.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2022

Fob1-dependent condensin recruitment and loop extrusion on yeast chromosome III

Despite recent advances in single-molecule and structural analysis of condensin activity in vitro, mechanisms of functional condensin loading and loop extrusion that lead to specific chromosomal organization remain unclear. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the most prominent condensin loading site is the rDNA locus on chromosome XII, but its repetitiveness deters rigorous analysis of individual genes. An equally prominent non-rDNA condensin site is located on chromosome III (chrIII). It lies in the promoter of a putative non-coding RNA gene called RDT1, which is in a segment of the recombination enhancer (RE) that dictates MATa-specific chrIII organization. Here, we unexpectedly find that condensin is recruited to RDT1 through interactions with Fob1, Tof2, and cohibin (Lrs4/Csm1), a set of nucleolar factors that also recruit condensin to the rDNA. Using Micro-C XL, we uncover evidence for condensin-driven loop extrusion anchored by Fob1 and cohibin at RDT1 that extends toward MATa on the right arm of chrIII, supporting donor preference during mating-type switching. S. cerevisiae chrIII therefore provides a new platform for the study of programmed condensin-mediated chromosome conformation.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2020

A cell non-autonomous mechanism of yeast chronological aging regulated by caloric restriction and one-carbon metabolism

Caloric restriction (CR) improves healthspan and lifespan of organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. Understanding the mechanisms involved will uncover future interventions for aging associated diseases. In budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, CR is commonly defined by reduced glucose in the growth medium, which extends both replicative and chronological lifespan (CLS). We found that conditioned media collected from stationary phase CR cultures extended CLS when supplemented into non-restricted (NR) cultures, suggesting a potential cell non-autonomous mechanism of CR-induced lifespan regulation. Chromatography and untargeted metabolomics of the conditioned media, as well as transcriptional responses associated with the longevity effect, pointed to specific amino acids enriched in the CR conditioned media (CRCM) as functional molecules, with L-serine being a particularly strong candidate. Indeed, supplementing L-serine into NR cultures extended CLS through a mechanism dependent on the one-carbon metabolism pathway, thus implicating this conserved and central metabolic hub in lifespan regulation.

cell biology↗