不同组蛋白修饰以及修饰与修饰酶之间的关系

核小体是染色质的基本结构单位,核小体组蛋白尾部可以发生甲基化、乙酰化等多种共价修饰.以含有组蛋白修饰酶的修饰数据库为基础,借助网络研究了一些修饰之间以及与修饰酶之间的关联关系,同时从相关修饰酶及其复合物的角度分析了这些关联.结果显示部分修饰之间或与相关修饰酶之间存在直接的关联关系.包含修饰酶的酶复合物可以通过自身的蛋白结构域与甲基化或者乙酰化修饰结合,进一步利用自身的修饰酶亚基催化其它组蛋白修饰,从而使得两种组蛋白修饰之间建立关联.     

盐透析体外组装核小体及检测方法

核小体是构成真核生物染色质的基本结构单位,体内研究核小体及染色质结构受到诸多因素限制,体外重构核小体结构是研究与核小体及染色质结构相关课题的一种重要的方法手段.实验将ES1,CS1以及601DNA序列克隆到载体中,通过PCR大量扩增回收得到目的DNA条带,表达纯化了4种组蛋白且装配成组蛋白八聚体,在盐透析的条件下组装形成核小体结构,利用EB染色以及Biotin标记的方法分析检测了形成核小体的效率.结果显示,在盐透析的条件下,可以有效的组装形成核小体结构,而且随着组蛋白八聚体与DNA的比例增加,核小体的形成效率显著提高.本实验为核小体定位、染色质重塑及组蛋白变体等表观遗传学以及结构生物学领域的研究奠定一定的基础.     

盐透析体外组装核小体及检测方法

核小体是构成真核生物染色质的基本结构单位,体内研究核小体及染色质结构受到诸多因素限制,体外重构核小体结构是研究与核小体及染色质结构相关课题的一种重要的方法手段.实验将ES1,CS1以及601DNA序列克隆到载体中,通过PCR大量扩增回收得到目的DNA条带,表达纯化了4种组蛋白且装配成组蛋白八聚体,在盐透析的条件下组装形成核小体结构,利用EB染色以及Biotin标记的方法分析检测了形成核小体的效率.结果显示,在盐透析的条件下,可以有效的组装形成核小体结构,而且随着组蛋白八聚体与DNA的比例增加,核小体的形成效率显著提高.本实验为核小体定位、染色质重塑及组蛋白变体等表观遗传学以及结构生物学领域的研究奠定一定的基础.     

果蝇基因组功能区域组蛋白修饰的协同模式

基于"组蛋白密码"假设,以黑腹果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)为研究对象,应用CoSBI(coherent and shifted bicluster identification)算法对黑腹果蝇Oregon-R细胞株培养14-16h的胚胎细胞,在全基因组范围、RNA聚合酶Ⅱ结合区域、绝缘子结合蛋白的结合区域的22种组蛋白修饰的分布情况进行CoSBI聚类分析,发现了果蝇基因组的功能区域所具有的一些"核心组蛋白修饰",说明果蝇基因组的组蛋白修饰具有成簇出现、相互协同的调控模式.另外,将黑腹果蝇处于14-16h胚胎细胞的基因分为表达与不表达两类,分析了两类基因所在区域组蛋白修饰的组合模式.     

植物组蛋白分子伴侣研究进展

染色质作为真核生物遗传信息的载体,其基本结构与功能单位是核小体．细胞核内与DNA相关的生理反应如DNA复制,需要核小体的去组装以利于各类细胞因子与DNA结合,再进行核小体的重新组装以重建有功能的染色质结构,这些过程需要组蛋白分子伴侣的介导．目前的研究结果显示,组蛋白分子伴侣对于染色质结构稳定和基因表达调控非常重要．文中对植物组蛋白分子伴侣的研究进展,及其在植物生长发育过程中所发挥的作用进行综述．     

NSD家族组蛋白赖氨酸转移酶分子机制研究的新进展

人源NSD家族蛋白由NSD1、NSD2和NSD3等3个成员组成,都是组蛋白H3第36位赖氨酸(H3K36)的二甲基转移酶.NSD家族蛋白在真核生物中非常保守,参与多种重要的生理功能,例如NSD3调控神经嵴细胞的基因表达[1].NSD家族蛋白被人们关注的另一个重要原因是该家族蛋白与人类的多种癌症密切相关,例如NSD2又被称为MMSET,与多发性骨髓瘤相关[1].但是,目前尚未研发出靶向NSD家族蛋白的特效药.NSD家族蛋白的催化结构域在没有底物的时候形成一种自抑制的构象[2],即自身的一段序列结合在底物相应结合的位置而抑制了酶的催化活性.此外,合成的小肽底物并不能激活NSD家族蛋白的催化活性,只有核小体底物存在时,NSD蛋白才能被激活,并特异催化核小体H3K36位点的二甲基化修饰[3].但是NSD蛋白对核小体底物的倾向性以及激活的分子机制并不清楚.     

组蛋白H3K36位点甲基转移酶识别组蛋白底物的分子机制研究进展

组蛋白H3第36位赖氨酸的甲基化修饰在染色质上含量丰富,与活跃转录以及DNA损伤修复等重要生理过程相关．H3K36位点可以被一甲基化、二甲基化和三甲基化3种形式修饰,目前已知的负责组蛋白H3K36三甲基化修饰的人源蛋白是SETD2,负责组蛋白H3K36二甲基化修饰的酶包含NSD1、NSD2和NSD3和ASH1L共4名成员．这些H3K36甲基转移酶都具有非常特异的H3K36位点选择性,因此,对调控体内H3K36甲基化修饰的水平和分布十分重要．此外,它们的表达异常与人类的多种疾病相关．因此,解析组蛋白H3K36甲基转移酶识别并修饰组蛋白底物的分子机制,对揭示这些酶参与的表观遗传调控机制及其在体内的生理功能都具有十分重要的意义．早期的研究使得人们对组蛋白H3K36甲基转移酶催化底物的机制有了较深入的认识,但是由于解析的修饰酶与底物复合物的结构较少,对这些酶特异识别组蛋白底物分子机制的认识尚有很多不足．近年来,随着冷冻电镜技术的应用,H3K36甲基转移酶与核小体底物的复合物结构相继取得了突破,极大地推进了人们对这些酶识别并催化组蛋白底物分子机制的认识．本文以这几个组蛋白H3K36甲基转移酶为主要目标,对其分子机制的最新进展进行介绍总结．      

染色质结构及功能的变化与衰老关系的研究

有机体的所有信息全都贮存于DNA中,DNA与组蛋白及非组蛋白相复合而构成称为染色质的遗传装置。不论是组蛋白还是非组蛋白,都经历着多种合成后的共价修饰作用,一磷酸化、工酰化、ADP—核糖基化和甲基化。这些修饰作用可改变染色质的结构组织,也可改变它的模板活性。     

肿瘤发生的表观遗传机制和表观治疗方法

表观遗传包括通过DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰、染色质重塑和RNA干扰等,通过这些机制干扰了正常基因的功能。越来越多的研究表明,DNA甲基化和组蛋白修饰异常,在多种肿瘤的发生中起重要作用。本文对表观遗传的分子机制,和同肿瘤发生的关系,以及肿瘤的表观治疗策略作了详细的综述。     

对于核小体定位检测方法的比较研究

在真核细胞中,核小体是组成染色质的基本结构单位,是由DNA紧密缠绕在组蛋白八聚体上所形成的一个复合体结构。而DNA与组蛋白的结合并不是固定不变的,没有核小体结合的DNA区域易于各种调节蛋白的接近与结合。因此人们怀疑核小体的定位与基因的转录调节之间存在某种内在联系。对现行的核小体定位的检测方法进行了归类,并对其优缺点进行了分析整理。对更深入的探索核小体定位检测方法的应用有一定意义。     

Comprehensive analysis of the chromatin landscape in Drosophila melanogaster

Chromatin is composed of DNA and a variety of modified histones and non-histone proteins, which have an impact on cell differentiation, gene regulation and other key cellular processes. Here we present a genome-wide chromatin landscape for Drosophila melanogaster based on eighteen histone modifications, summarized by nine prevalent combinatorial patterns. Integrative analysis with other data (non-histone chromatin proteins, DNase I hypersensitivity, GRO-Seq reads produced by engaged polymerase, short/long RNA products) reveals discrete characteristics of chromosomes, genes, regulatory elements and other functional domains. We find that active genes display distinct chromatin signatures that are correlated with disparate gene lengths, exon patterns, regulatory functions and genomic contexts. We also demonstrate a diversity of signatures among Polycomb targets that include a subset with paused polymerase. This systematic profiling and integrative analysis of chromatin signatures provides insights into how genomic elements are regulated, and will serve as a resource for future experimental investigations of genome structure and function.     

Global histone modification patterns predict risk of prostate cancer recurrence

Aberrations in post-translational modifications of histones have been shown to occur in cancer cells but only at individual promoters; they have not been related to clinical outcome. Other than being targeted to promoters, modifications of histones, such as acetylation and methylation of lysine and arginine residues, also occur over large regions of chromatin including coding regions and non-promoter sequences, which are referred to as global histone modifications. Here we show that changes in global levels of individual histone modifications are also associated with cancer and that these changes are predictive of clinical outcome. Through immunohistochemical staining of primary prostatectomy tissue samples, we determined the percentage of cells that stained for the histone acetylation and dimethylation of five residues in histones H3 and H4. Grouping of samples with similar patterns of modifications identified two disease subtypes with distinct risks of tumour recurrence in patients with low-grade prostate cancer. These histone modification patterns were predictors of outcome independently of tumour stage, preoperative prostate-specific antigen levels, and capsule invasion. Thus, widespread changes in specific histone modifications indicate previously undescribed molecular heterogeneity in prostate cancer and might underlie the broad range of clinical behaviour in cancer patients.     

Binary switches and modification cassettes in histone biology and beyond

An immense number of post-translational modifications on histone proteins have been described and additional sites of modification are still being uncovered. Whereas many direct and indirect connections between certain histone modifications and distinct biological phenomena have now been established, concepts for comprehending the extreme density and variety of these covalent modifications are lacking. Here, we formally introduce localized 'binary switches' and 'modification cassettes' as new concepts in histone biology, elucidating mechanisms that might govern the biological readout of distinct modification patterns. Specifically, our hypotheses provide missing models for the dynamic readout of stable histone modifications and offer explanations for several long-standing questions embedded in the literature. Our ideas might also apply to non-histone proteins and are open to direct experimental examination.     

染色质免疫共沉淀-测序(ChIP-Seq)技术及数据分析方法介绍

对ChIP-Seq技术的实验原理进行了介绍,而且对ChIP-Seq数据分析过程的每一个步骤都进行了详细的说明,对用到的程序给出了如何使用的例子.对ChIP-Seq数据分析时每一步使用到的不同软件进行了介绍和比较.     

Regulation of HP1-chromatin binding by histone H3 methylation and phosphorylation

Tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 is important for recruiting heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) to discrete regions of the genome, thereby regulating gene expression, chromatin packaging and heterochromatin formation. Here we show that HP1alpha, -beta, and -gamma are released from chromatin during the M phase of the cell cycle, even though tri-methylation levels of histone H3 lysine 9 remain unchanged. However, the additional, transient modification of histone H3 by phosphorylation of serine 10 next to the more stable methyl-lysine 9 mark is sufficient to eject HP1 proteins from their binding sites. Inhibition or depletion of the mitotic kinase Aurora B, which phosphorylates serine 10 on histone H3, causes retention of HP1 proteins on mitotic chromosomes, suggesting that H3 serine 10 phosphorylation is necessary for the dissociation of HP1 from chromatin in M phase. These findings establish a regulatory mechanism of protein-protein interactions, through a combinatorial readout of two adjacent post-translational modifications: a stable methylation and a dynamic phosphorylation mark.     

TRIM24 links a non-canonical histone signature to breast cancer

Recognition of modified histone species by distinct structural domains within 'reader' proteins plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression. Readers that simultaneously recognize histones with multiple marks allow transduction of complex chromatin modification patterns into specific biological outcomes. Here we report that chromatin regulator tripartite motif-containing 24 (TRIM24) functions in humans as a reader of dual histone marks by means of tandem plant homeodomain (PHD) and bromodomain (Bromo) regions. The three-dimensional structure of the PHD-Bromo region of TRIM24 revealed a single functional unit for combinatorial recognition of unmodified H3K4 (that is, histone H3 unmodified at lysine 4, H3K4me0) and acetylated H3K23 (histone H3 acetylated at lysine 23, H3K23ac) within the same histone tail. TRIM24 binds chromatin and oestrogen receptor to activate oestrogen-dependent genes associated with cellular proliferation and tumour development. Aberrant expression of TRIM24 negatively correlates with survival of breast cancer patients. The PHD-Bromo of TRIM24 provides a structural rationale for chromatin activation through a non-canonical histone signature, establishing a new route by which chromatin readers may influence cancer pathogenesis.     

Chemically ubiquitylated histone H2B stimulates hDot1L-mediated intranucleosomal methylation

Numerous post-translational modifications of histones have been described in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. Growing evidence for dynamic regulation of these modifications, position- and modification-specific protein interactions, and biochemical crosstalk between modifications has strengthened the 'histone code' hypothesis, in which histone modifications are integral to choreographing the expression of the genome. One such modification, ubiquitylation of histone H2B (uH2B) on lysine 120 (K120) in humans, and lysine 123 in yeast, has been correlated with enhanced methylation of lysine 79 (K79) of histone H3 (refs 5-8), by K79-specific methyltransferase Dot1 (KMT4). However, the specific function of uH2B in this crosstalk pathway is not understood. Here we demonstrate, using chemically ubiquitylated H2B, a direct stimulation of hDot1L-mediated intranucleosomal methylation of H3 K79. Two traceless orthogonal expressed protein ligation (EPL) reactions were used to ubiquitylate H2B site-specifically. This strategy, using a photolytic ligation auxiliary and a desulphurization reaction, should be generally applicable to the chemical ubiquitylation of other proteins. Reconstitution of our uH2B into chemically defined nucleosomes, followed by biochemical analysis, revealed that uH2B directly activates methylation of H3 K79 by hDot1L. This effect is mediated through the catalytic domain of hDot1L, most likely through allosteric mechanisms. Furthermore, asymmetric incorporation of uH2B into dinucleosomes showed that the enhancement of methylation was limited to nucleosomes bearing uH2B. This work demonstrates a direct biochemical crosstalk between two modifications on separate histone proteins within a nucleosome.