Epigenomes最新文献

While the use of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) is an established practice, the use of luteinizing hormone (LH) remains debatable. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous, non-coding transcripts that control a variety of cellular functions, such as gonadotrophin production and follicular development. The goal of this pilot study was to investigate whether the employment of recombinant LH (rLH) in ovarian stimulation protocols results in changes in the miRNA profiles in human oocytes. Patients were divided into two groups: seven received recombinant FSH (rFSH, 225 IU), and six received rFSH (150 IU) plus rLH (75 IU). MiRNA predesigned panels and real-time PCR technology were used to analyze the oocytes retrieved from the follicular ovarian retrieval. Among the miRNAs evaluated, a series of them evidenced upregulation or downregulation in their expression in the FSH plus LH group compared to the FSH group. Considering the results obtained from the functional and network analysis, the different maternal miRNA profiles in the two groups revealed a differential modulation of pathways involved in numerous biological functions. Overall, based on the pathways associated with most of these maternal miRNAs, the presence of LH may result in a different modulation of pathways regulating survival under the control of a Tp53-related mechanism. Interestingly, among the miRNAs differentially expressed in oocytes of the two groups, we have found miRNAs already investigated at ovarian, follicular, oocyte, and embryonic levels: hsa-miR-484, hsa-miR-222, hsa-miR-520d-5p, hsa-miRNA-17, hsa-miR-548, and hsa-miR-140. Thus, investigation into the role of these miRNAs in oocyte molecular pathways may help determine how LH affects oocyte competence and eventually leads to the clinical improvement of IVF.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the second most common malignancy of the female reproductive system worldwide. The updated EC classification emphasizes the significant role of various signaling pathways such as PIK3CA-PIK3R1-PTEN and RTK/RAS/β-catenin in EC pathogenesis. Some of these pathways are part of the EGF system signaling network, which becomes hyperactivated by various mechanisms and participates in cancer pathogenesis. In EC, the expression of ErbB receptors is significantly different, compared with the premenopausal and postmenopausal endometrium, mainly because of the increased transcriptional activity of ErbB encoding genes in EC cells. Moreover, there are some differences in ErbB-2 receptor profile among EC subgroups that could be explained by the alterations in pathophysiology and clinical behavior of various EC histologic subtypes. The fact that ErbB-2 receptor expression is more common in aggressive EC histologic subtypes (papillary serous and clear cell) could indicate a future role of ErbB-targeted therapies in well-defined EC subgroups with overexpression of ErbB receptors.

Epigenetic therapy is a promising tool for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Several fundamental epigenetic approaches have been proposed. Firstly, the use of small molecules as epigenetic effectors, as the most developed pharmacological method, has contributed to the introduction of a number of drugs into clinical practice. Secondly, various innovative epigenetic approaches based on dCas9 and the use of small non-coding RNAs as therapeutic agents are also under extensive research. In this review, we present the current state of research in the field of epigenetic therapy, considering the prospects for its application and possible limitations.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), comprising a significant portion of the human transcriptome, serve as vital regulators of cellular processes and potential disease biomarkers. However, the function of most lncRNAs remains unknown, and furthermore, existing approaches have focused on gene-level investigation. Our work emphasizes the importance of transcript-level annotation to uncover the roles of specific transcript isoforms. We propose that understanding the mechanisms of lncRNA in pathological processes requires solving their structural motifs and interactomes. A complete lncRNA annotation first involves discriminating them from their coding counterparts and then predicting their functional motifs and target bio-molecules. Current in silico methods mainly perform primary-sequence-based discrimination using a reference model, limiting their comprehensiveness and generalizability. We demonstrate that integrating secondary structure and interactome information, in addition to using transcript sequence, enables a comprehensive functional annotation. Annotating lncRNA for newly sequenced species is challenging due to inconsistencies in functional annotations, specialized computational techniques, limited accessibility to source code, and the shortcomings of reference-based methods for cross-species predictions. To address these challenges, we developed a pipeline for identifying and annotating transcript sequences at the isoform level. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the pipeline by comprehensively annotating the lncRNA associated with two specific disease groups. The source code of our pipeline is available under the MIT licensefor local use by researchers to make new predictions using the pre-trained models or to re-train models on new sequence datasets. Non-technical users can access the pipeline through a web server setup.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, are caused by a combination of multiple events that damage neuronal function. A well-characterized biomarker of neurodegeneration is the accumulation of proteinaceous aggregates in the brain. However, the gradually worsening symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases are unlikely to be solely due to the result of a mutation in a single gene, but rather a multi-step process involving epigenetic changes. Recently, it has been suggested that a fraction of epigenetic alternations may be correlated to neurodegeneration in the brain. Unlike DNA mutations, epigenetic alterations are reversible, and therefore raise the possibilities for therapeutic intervention, including dietary modifications. Additionally, reactive oxygen species may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease through epigenetic alternation. Given that the antioxidant properties of plant-derived phytochemicals are likely to exhibit pleiotropic effects against ROS-mediated epigenetic alternation, dietary intervention may be promising for the management of neurodegeneration in these diseases. In this review, the state-of-the-art applications using single-cell multimodal omics approaches, including epigenetics, and dietary approaches for the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases are discussed.

Understanding the epigenome paths through which smoking contributes to cardiometabolic traits is important for downstream applications. In this study, an SNP-based analytical pipeline was used to integrate several publicly available datasets in order to identify CpG sites that mediate the impact of smoking on cardiometabolic traits and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. After applying stringent statistical criteria, 11 CpG sites were detected that showed significant association (p < 5 × 10^-8) with cardiometabolic traits at both the discovery and replication stages. By integrating eQTL data, I found genes behind a number of these associations. cg05228408 was hypomethylated in smokers and contributed to higher blood pressure by lowering the expression of the CLCN6 gene. cg08639339 was hypermethylated in smokers and lowered the metabolic rate by increasing the expression of RAB29; furthermore, I noted TMEM120A mediated the impact of smoking-cg17325771 on LDL, and LTBP3 mediated the smoking-cg07029024 effect on heart rate. The pathway analysis identified processes through which the identified genes impact their traits. This study provides a list of CpG sites that mediates the impact of smoking on cardiometabolic traits and a framework to investigate the underlying molecular paths using publicly available data.

Background: Changes in body weight are associated with the regulation of DNA methylation (DNAm). In this study, we investigated the associations between maternal gestational weight gain-related DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition.

Methods: Brazilian pregnant women from the Araraquara Cohort Study were followed up during pregnancy, delivery, and after hospital discharge. Women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI were allocated into two groups: adequate gestational weight gain (AGWG, n = 45) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG, n = 30). Foetal and neonatal body composition was evaluated via ultrasound and plethysmography, respectively. DNAm was assessed in maternal blood using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition.

Results: Maternal weight, GWG, neonatal weight, and fat mass were higher in the EGWG group. Analysis of DNAm identified 46 differentially methylated positions and 11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the EGWG and AGWG groups. Nine human phenotypes were enriched for these 11 DMRs located in 13 genes (EMILIN1, HOXA5, CPT1B, CLDN9, ZFP57, BRCA1, POU5F1, ANKRD33, HLA-B, RANBP17, ZMYND11, DIP2C, TMEM232), highlighting the terms insulin resistance, and hyperglycaemia. Maternal DNAm was associated with foetal total thigh and arm tissues and subcutaneous thigh and arm fat, as well as with neonatal fat mass percentage and fat mass.

Conclusion: The methylation pattern in the EGWG group indicated a risk for developing chronic diseases and involvement of maternal DNAm in foetal lean and fat mass and in neonatal fat mass.

Although reported in the literature, ribosome heterogeneity is a phenomenon whose extent and implications in cell and organismal biology is not fully appreciated. This has been the case due to the lack of the appropriate techniques and approaches. Heterogeneity can arise from alternative use and differential content of protein and RNA constituents, as well as from post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. In the few examples we have, it is apparent that ribosomal heterogeneity offers an additional level and potential for gene expression regulation and might be a way towards tuning metabolism, stress, and growth programs to external and internal stimuli and needs. Here, we introduce ribosome biogenesis and discuss ribosomal heterogeneity in various reported occasions. We conclude that a systematic approach in multiple organisms will be needed to delineate this biological phenomenon and its contributions to growth, aging, and disease. Finally, we discuss ribosome mutations and their roles in disease.