Increased diagnostic yield from negative whole genome-slice panels using automated reanalysis.

We evaluated the diagnostic yield using genome-slice panel reanalysis in the clinical setting using an automated phenotype/gene ranking system. We analyzed whole genome sequencing (WGS) data produced from clinically ordered panels built as bioinformatic slices for 16 clinically diverse, undiagnosed cases referred to the Pediatric Mendelian Genomics Research Center, an NHGRI-funded GREGoR Consortium site. Genome-wide reanalysis was performed using Moon™, a machine-learning-based tool for variant prioritization. In five out of 16 cases, we discovered a potentially clinically significant variant. In four of these cases, the variant was found in a gene not included in the original panel due to phenotypic expansion of a disorder or incomplete initial phenotyping of the patient. In the fifth case, the gene containing the variant was included in the original panel, but being a complex structural rearrangement with intronic breakpoints outside the clinically analyzed regions, it was not initially identified. Automated genome-wide reanalysis of clinical WGS data generated during targeted panels testing yielded a 25% increase in diagnostic findings and a possibly clinically relevant finding in one additional case, underscoring the added value of analyses versus those routinely performed in the clinical setting.

"Development and Implementation of Novel Chatbot-based Genomic Research Consent".

Objective: To conduct a retrospective analysis comparing traditional human-based consenting to an automated chat-based consenting process. Materials and Methods: We developed a new chat-based consent using our IRB-approved consent forms. We leveraged a previously developed platform (GiaⓇ, or "Genetic Information Assistant") to deliver the chat content to candidate participants. The content included information about the study, educational information, and a quiz to assess understanding. We analyzed 144 families referred to our study during a 6-month time period. A total of 37 families completed consent using the traditional process, while 35 families completed consent using Gia. Results: Engagement rates were similar between both consenting methods. The median length of the consent conversation was shorter for Gia users compared to traditional (44 vs. 76 minutes). Additionally, the total time from referral to consent completion was faster with Gia (5 vs. 16 days). Within Gia, understanding was assessed with a 10-question quiz that most participants (96%) passed. Feedback about the chat consent indicated that 86% of participants had a positive experience. Discussion: Using Gia resulted in time savings for both the participant and study staff. The chatbot enables studies to reach more potential candidates. We identified five key features related to human-centered design for developing a consent chat. Conclusion: This analysis suggests that it is feasible to use an automated chatbot to scale obtaining informed consent for a genomics research study. We further identify a number of advantages when using a chatbot.

Epigenetic and Transcriptional Regulation of Innate Immunity in Cancer.

Innate immune cells participate in the detection of tumor cells via complex signaling pathways mediated by pattern-recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors and nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptors. These pathways are finely tuned via multiple mechanisms, including epigenetic regulation. It is well established that hematopoietic progenitors generate innate immune cells that can regulate cancer cell behavior, and the disruption of normal hematopoiesis in pathologic states may lead to altered immunity and the development of cancer. In this review, we discuss the epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms that underlie the initiation and amplification of innate immune signaling in cancer. We also discuss new targeting possibilities for cancer control that exploit innate immune cells and signaling molecules, potentially heralding the next generation of immunotherapy.

TAF1 plays a critical role in AML1-ETO driven leukemogenesis.

AML1-ETO (AE) is a fusion transcription factor, generated by the t(8;21) translocation, that functions as a leukemia promoting oncogene. Here, we demonstrate that TATA-Box Binding Protein Associated Factor 1 (TAF1) associates with K43 acetylated AE and this association plays a pivotal role in the proliferation of AE-expressing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. ChIP-sequencing indicates significant overlap of the TAF1 and AE binding sites. Knockdown of TAF1 alters the association of AE with chromatin, affecting of the expression of genes that are activated or repressed by AE. Furthermore, TAF1 is required for leukemic cell self-renewal and its reduction promotes the differentiation and apoptosis of AE+ AML cells, thereby impairing AE driven leukemogenesis. Together, our findings reveal a role of TAF1 in leukemogenesis and identify TAF1 as a potential therapeutic target for AE-expressing leukemia.

ASH1L Links Histone H3 Lysine 36 Dimethylation to MLL Leukemia.

UNLABELLED: Numerous studies in multiple systems support that histone H3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2) is associated with transcriptional activation; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. Here, we show that the H3K36me2 chromatin mark written by the ASH1L histone methyltransferase is preferentially bound in vivo by LEDGF, a mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL)-associated protein that colocalizes with MLL, ASH1L, and H3K36me2 on chromatin genome wide. Furthermore, ASH1L facilitates recruitment of LEDGF and wild-type MLL proteins to chromatin at key leukemia target genes and is a crucial regulator of MLL-dependent transcription and leukemic transformation. Conversely, KDM2A, an H3K36me2 demethylase and Polycomb group silencing protein, antagonizes MLL-associated leukemogenesis. Our studies are the first to provide a basic mechanistic insight into epigenetic interactions wherein placement, interpretation, and removal of H3K36me2 contribute to the regulation of gene expression and MLL leukemia, and suggest ASH1L as a novel target for therapeutic intervention. SIGNIFICANCE: Epigenetic regulators play vital roles in cancer pathogenesis and represent a new frontier in therapeutic targeting. Our studies provide basic mechanistic insight into the role of H3K36me2 in transcription activation and MLL leukemia pathogenesis and implicate ASH1L histone methyltransferase as a promising target for novel molecular therapy. Cancer Discov; 6(7); 770-83. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Balbach and Orkin, p. 700This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 681.

Association of Taf14 with acetylated histone H3 directs gene transcription and the DNA damage response.

The YEATS domain, found in a number of chromatin-associated proteins, has recently been shown to have the capacity to bind histone lysine acetylation. Here, we show that the YEATS domain of Taf14, a member of key transcriptional and chromatin-modifying complexes in yeast, is a selective reader of histone H3 Lys9 acetylation (H3K9ac). Structural analysis reveals that acetylated Lys9 is sandwiched in an aromatic cage formed by F62 and W81. Disruption of this binding in cells impairs gene transcription and the DNA damage response. Our findings establish a highly conserved acetyllysine reader function for the YEATS domain protein family and highlight the significance of this interaction for Taf14.

Transcriptome profiling of Set5 and Set1 methyltransferases: Tools for visualization of gene expression.

Cells regulate transcription by coordinating the activities of multiple histone modifying complexes. We recently identified the yeast histone H4 methyltransferase Set5 and discovered functional overlap with the histone H3 methyltransferase Set1 in gene expression. Specifically, using next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), we found that Set5 and Set1 function synergistically to regulate specific transcriptional programs at subtelomeres and transposable elements [1]. Here we provide a comprehensive description of the methodology and analysis tools corresponding to the data deposited in NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under the accession number GSE52086. This data complements the experimental methods described in Mas Martín G et al., 2014, and provides the means to explore the cooperative functions of histone H3 and H4 methyltransferases in the regulation of transcription. Furthermore, a fully annotated R code is included to enable researchers to use the following computational tools: comparison of significant differential expression (SDE) profiles; gene ontology enrichment of SDE; and enrichment of SDE relative to chromosomal features, such as centromeres, telomeres, and transposable elements. Overall, we present a bioinformatics platform that can be generally implemented for similar analyses with different datasets and in different organisms.

Set5 and Set1 cooperate to repress gene expression at telomeres and retrotransposons.

A complex interplay between multiple chromatin modifiers is critical for cells to regulate chromatin structure and accessibility during essential DNA-templated processes such as transcription. However, the coordinated activities of these chromatin modifiers in the regulation of gene expression are not fully understood. We previously determined that the budding yeast histone H4 methyltransferase Set5 functions together with Set1, the H3K4 methyltransferase, in specific cellular contexts. Here, we sought to understand the relationship between these evolutionarily conserved enzymes in the regulation of gene expression. We generated a comprehensive genetic interaction map of the functionally uncharacterized Set5 methyltransferase and expanded the existing genetic interactome of the global chromatin modifier Set1, revealing functional overlap of the two enzymes in chromatin-related networks, such as transcription. Furthermore, gene expression profiling via RNA-Seq revealed an unexpected synergistic role of Set1 and Set5 in repressing transcription of Ty transposable elements and genes located in subtelomeric regions. This study uncovers novel pathways in which the methyltransferase Set5 participates and, more importantly, reveals a partnership between Set1 and Set5 in transcriptional repression near repetitive DNA elements in budding yeast. Together, our results define a new functional relationship between histone H3 and H4 methyltransferases, whose combined activity may be implicated in preserving genomic integrity.

Proteome-wide enrichment of proteins modified by lysine methylation.

We present a protocol for using the triple malignant brain tumor domains of L3MBTL1 (3xMBT), which bind to mono- and di-methylated lysine with minimal sequence specificity, in order to enrich for such methylated lysine from cell lysates. Cells in culture are grown with amino acids containing light or heavy stable isotopic labels. Methylated proteins are enriched by incubating cell lysates with 3xMBT, or with the binding-null D355N mutant as a negative control. Quantitative liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are then used to identify proteins that are specifically enriched by 3xMBT pull-down. The addition of a third isotopic label allows the comparison of protein lysine methylation between different biological conditions. Unlike most approaches, our strategy does not require a prior hypothesis of candidate methylated proteins, and it recognizes a wider range of methylated proteins than any available method using antibodies. Cells are prepared by growing in isotopic labeling medium for about 7 d; the process of enriching methylated proteins takes 3 d and analysis by LC-MS/MS takes another 1-2 d.

Nuclear phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate regulates ING2 stability at discrete chromatin targets in response to DNA damage.

ING2 (inhibitor of growth family member 2) is a component of a chromatin-regulatory complex that represses gene expression and is implicated in cellular processes that promote tumor suppression. However, few direct genomic targets of ING2 have been identified and the mechanism(s) by which ING2 selectively regulates genes remains unknown. Here we provide evidence that direct association of ING2 with the nuclear phosphoinositide phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate (PtdIns(5)P) regulates a subset of ING2 targets in response to DNA damage. At these target genes, the binding event between ING2 and PtdIns(5)P is required for ING2 promoter occupancy and ING2-associated gene repression. Moreover, depletion of PtdIns(5)P attenuates ING2-mediated regulation of these targets in the presence of DNA damage. Taken together, these findings support a model in which PtdIns(5)P functions as a sub-nuclear trafficking factor that stabilizes ING2 at discrete genomic sites.

Phf19 links methylated Lys36 of histone H3 to regulation of Polycomb activity.

Polycomb-group proteins are transcriptional repressors with essential roles in embryonic development. Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) contains the methyltransferase activity for Lys27. However, the role of other histone modifications in regulating PRC2 activity is just beginning to be understood. Here we show that direct recognition of methylated histone H3 Lys36 (H3K36me), a mark associated with activation, by the PRC2 subunit Phf19 is required for the full enzymatic activity of the PRC2 complex. Using NMR spectroscopy, we provide structural evidence for this interaction. Furthermore, we show that Phf19 binds to a subset of PRC2 targets in mouse embryonic stem cells and that this is required for their repression and for H3K27me3 deposition. These findings show that the interaction of Phf19 with H3K36me2 and H3K36me3 is essential for PRC2 complex activity and for proper regulation of gene repression in embryonic stem cells.