DNA damage repair (DDR) is a safeguard for genome integrity maintenance. Increasing DDR efficiency could increase the yield of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) upon reprogramming from somatic cells. The epigenetic mechanisms governing DDR during iPSC reprogramming are not completely understood. Our goal was to evaluate the splicing isoforms of histone variant macroH2A1, macroH2A1.1, and macroH2A1.2, as potential regulators of DDR during iPSC reprogramming. GFP-Trap one-step isolation of mtagGFP-macroH2A1.1 or mtagGFP-macroH2A1.2 fusion proteins from overexpressing human cell lines, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, uncovered macroH2A1.1 exclusive interaction with Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase 1 (PARP1) and X-ray cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1). MacroH2A1.1 overexpression in U2OS-GFP reporter cells enhanced specifically nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, while macroH2A1.1 knock-out (KO) mice showed an impaired DDR capacity. The exclusive interaction of macroH2A1.1, but not macroH2A1.2, with PARP1/XRCC1, was confirmed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) undergoing reprogramming into iPSC through episomal vectors. In HUVEC, macroH2A1.1 overexpression activated transcriptional programs that enhanced DDR and reprogramming. Consistently, macroH2A1.1 but not macroH2A1.2 overexpression improved iPSC reprogramming. We propose the macroH2A1 splicing isoform macroH2A1.1 as a promising epigenetic target to improve iPSC genome stability and therapeutic potential.

• Klíčová slova
• DNA damage, cell reprogramming, induced pluripotent stem cells, macroH2A1.1,
• MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• endoteliální buňky metabolismus   MeSH
• histony * metabolismus   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky * metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oprava DNA MeSH
• protein XRCC1 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA MeSH
• histony * MeSH
• MACROH2A1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein XRCC1 MeSH
• XRCC1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč

Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) contain a sub-population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are responsible for tumor relapse, metastasis, and chemoresistance. We recently showed that loss of macroH2A1, a variant of the histone H2A and an epigenetic regulator of stem-cell function, in HCC leads to CSC-like features such as resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and growth of large and relatively undifferentiated tumors in xenograft models. These HCC cells silenced for macroH2A1 also exhibited stem-like metabolic changes consistent with enhanced glycolysis. However, there is no consensus as to the metabolic characteristics of CSCs that render them adaptable to microenvironmental changes by conveniently shifting energy production source or by acquiring intermediate metabolic phenotypes. Here, we assessed long-term proliferation, energy metabolism, and central carbon metabolism in human hepatoma HepG2 cells depleted in macroH2A1. MacroH2A1-depleted HepG2 cells were insensitive to serum exhaustion and showed two distinct, but interdependent changes in glucose and lipid metabolism in CSCs: (1) massive upregulation of acetyl-coA that is transformed into enhanced lipid content and (2) increased activation of the pentose phosphate pathway, diverting glycolytic intermediates to provide precursors for nucleotide synthesis. Integration of metabolomic analyses with RNA-Seq data revealed a critical role for the Liver X Receptor pathway, whose inhibition resulted in attenuated CSCs-like features. These findings shed light on the metabolic phenotype of epigenetically modified CSC-like hepatic cells, and highlight a potential approach for selective therapeutic targeting.

• Klíčová slova
• Histone variants, cancer stem cells, hepatocellular carcinoma,
• MeSH
• buňky Hep G2 MeSH
• epigeneze genetická * MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• hepatocelulární karcinom genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• histonový kód * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metabolismus lipidů * MeSH
• metabolismus sacharidů * MeSH
• nádorové kmenové buňky metabolismus   MeSH
• nádory jater metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Histone variants confer chromatin unique properties. They have specific genomic distribution, regulated by specific deposition and removal machineries. Histone variants, mostly of canonical histones H2A, H2B and H3, have important roles in early embryonic development, in lineage commitment of stem cells, in the converse process of somatic cell reprogramming to pluripotency and, in some cases, in the modulation of animal aging and life span. MacroH2A1 is a variant of histone H2A, present in two alternatively exon-spliced isoforms macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2, regulating cell plasticity and proliferation, during pluripotency and tumorigenesis. Furthermore, macroH2A1 participates in the formation of senescence-associated heterochromatic foci (SAHF) in senescent cells, and multiple lines of evidence in genetically modified mice suggest that macroH2A1 integrates nutritional cues from the extracellular environment to transcriptional programs. Here, we review current molecular evidence based on next generation sequencing data, cell assays and in vivo models supporting different mechanisms that could mediate the function of macroH2A1 in health span and life span. We will further discuss context-dependent and isoform-specific functions. The aim of this review is to provide guidance to assess histone variant macroH2A1 potential as a therapeutic intervention point.

• Klíčová slova
• fasting, histone variant macroH2A1, regeneration, senescence,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Obesity has tremendous impact on the health systems. Its epigenetic bases are unclear. MacroH2A1 is a variant of histone H2A, present in two alternatively exon-spliced isoforms macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2, regulating cell plasticity and proliferation, during pluripotency and tumorigenesis. Their role in adipose tissue plasticity is unknown. RESULTS: Here, we show evidence that macroH2A1.1 protein levels in the visceral adipose tissue of obese humans positively correlate with BMI, while macroH2A1.2 is nearly absent. We thus introduced a constitutive GFP-tagged transgene for macroH2A1.2 in mice, and we characterized their metabolic health upon being fed a standard chow diet or a high fat diet. Despite unchanged food intake, these mice exhibit lower adipose mass and improved glucose metabolism both under a chow and an obesogenic diet. In the latter regimen, transgenic mice display smaller pancreatic islets and significantly less inflammation. MacroH2A1.2 overexpression in the mouse adipose tissue induced dramatic changes in the transcript levels of key adipogenic genes; genomic analyses comparing pre-adipocytes to mature adipocytes uncovered only minor changes in macroH2A1.2 genomic distribution upon adipogenic differentiation and suggested differential cooperation with transcription factors. MacroH2A1.2 overexpression markedly inhibited adipogenesis, while overexpression of macroH2A1.1 had opposite effects. CONCLUSIONS: MacroH2A1.2 is an unprecedented chromatin component powerfully promoting metabolic health by modulating anti-adipogenic transcriptional networks in the differentiating adipose tissue. Strategies aiming at enhancing macroH2A1.2 expression might counteract excessive adiposity in humans.

• Klíčová slova
• Adipose tissue, Histone variants, Obesity, macroh2a1.2,
• MeSH
• adipogeneze MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• dieta s vysokým obsahem tuků MeSH
• fenotyp MeSH
• glukózový toleranční test MeSH
• histony genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• index tělesné hmotnosti MeSH
• inhibitor p21 cyklin-dependentní kinasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• inzulin metabolismus   MeSH
• játra patologie   MeSH
• kůže patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metabolické inženýrství MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši transgenní MeSH
• myši MeSH
• pankreas patologie   MeSH
• tuková tkáň cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• uncoupling protein 1 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• histony MeSH
• inhibitor p21 cyklin-dependentní kinasy MeSH
• inzulin MeSH
• macroH2A histone MeSH Prohlížeč
• uncoupling protein 1 MeSH