Obesity has a major socio-economic health impact. There are profound sex differences in adipose tissue deposition and obesity-related conditions. The underlying mechanisms driving sexual dimorphism in obesity and its associated metabolic disorders remain unclear. Histone variant macroH2A1.1 is a candidate epigenetic mechanism linking environmental and dietary factors to obesity. Here, we used a mouse model genetically depleted of macroH2A1.1 to investigate its potential epigenetic role in sex dimorphic obesity, metabolic disturbances and gut dysbiosis. Whole body macroH2A1 knockout (KO) mice, generated with the Cre/loxP technology, and their control littermates were fed a high fat diet containing 60% of energy derived from fat. The diet was administered for three months starting from 10 to 12 weeks of age. We evaluated the progression in body weight, the food intake, and the tolerance to glucose by means of a glucose tolerance test. Gut microbiota composition, visceral adipose and liver tissue morphology were assessed. In addition, adipogenic gene expression patterns were evaluated in the visceral adipose tissue. Female KO mice for macroH2A1.1 had a more pronounced weight gain induced by high fat diet compared to their littermates, while the increase in body weight in male mice was similar in the two genotypes. Food intake was generally increased upon KO and decreased by high fat diet in both sexes, with the exception of KO females fed a high fat diet that displayed the same food intake of their littermates. In glucose tolerance tests, glucose levels were significantly elevated upon high fat diet in female KO compared to a standard diet, while this effect was absent in male KO. There were no differences in hepatic histology. Upon a high fat diet, in female adipocyte cross-sectional area was larger in KO compared to littermates: activation of proadipogenic genes (ACACB, AGT, ANGPT2, FASN, RETN, SLC2A4) and downregulation of antiadipogenic genes (AXIN1, E2F1, EGR2, JUN, SIRT1, SIRT2, UCP1, CCND1, CDKN1A, CDKN1B, EGR2) was detected. Gut microbiota profiling showed increase in Firmicutes and a decrease in Bacteroidetes in females, but not males, macroH2A1.1 KO mice. MacroH2A1.1 KO mice display sexual dimorphism in high fat diet-induced obesity and in gut dysbiosis, and may represent a useful model to investigate epigenetic and metabolic differences associated to the development of obesity-associated pathological conditions in males and females.

• MeSH
• dieta s vysokým obsahem tuků škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• dysbióza * MeSH
• glukosa metabolismus   MeSH
• histony * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• obezita genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• tělesná hmotnost MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• glukosa MeSH
• histony * MeSH
• Macroh2a1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč

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

Rationale: Loss of histone macroH2A1 induces appearance of cancer stem cells (CSCs)-like cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). How CSCs interact with the tumor microenvironment and the adaptive immune system is unclear. Methods: We screened aggressive human HCC for macroH2A1 and CD44 CSC marker expression. We also knocked down (KD) macroH2A1 in HCC cells, and performed integrated transcriptomic and secretomic analyses. Results: Human HCC showed low macroH2A1 and high CD44 expression compared to control tissues. MacroH2A1 KD CSC-like cells transferred paracrinally their chemoresistant properties to parental HCC cells. MacroH2A1 KD conditioned media transcriptionally reprogrammed parental HCC cells activated regulatory CD4+/CD25+/FoxP3+ T cells (Tregs). Conclusions: Loss of macroH2A1 in HCC cells drives cancer stem-cell propagation and evasion from immune surveillance.

• Klíčová slova
• adaptive immune system, chemoresistance., hepatocellular carcinoma, histone macroH2A1,
• MeSH
• antigeny CD44 metabolismus   MeSH
• chemorezistence * MeSH
• forkhead transkripční faktory metabolismus   MeSH
• genový knockdown MeSH
• glykolýza MeSH
• hepatocelulární karcinom farmakoterapie   imunologie   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metabolomika metody   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádorové kmenové buňky účinky léků   imunologie   patologie   MeSH
• nádorové mikroprostředí imunologie   MeSH
• nádory jater farmakoterapie   imunologie   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• parakrinní signalizace * MeSH
• receptor interleukinu-2 - alfa-podjednotka metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u nádorů MeSH
• regulační T-lymfocyty imunologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny CD44 MeSH
• CD44 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• forkhead transkripční faktory MeSH
• FOXP3 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• histony MeSH
• macroH2A histone MeSH Prohlížeč
• receptor interleukinu-2 - alfa-podjednotka MeSH

Maternal obesity predisposes offspring to metabolic dysfunction and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Melanocortin-4 receptor (Mc4r)-deficient mouse models exhibit obesity during adulthood. Here, we aim to determine the influence of the Mc4r gene on the liver of mice subjected to perinatal diet-induced obesity. Female mice heterozygous for Mc4r fed an obesogenic or a control diet for 5 weeks were mated with heterozygous males, with the same diet continued throughout pregnancy and lactation, generating four offspring groups: control wild type (C_wt), control knockout (C_KO), obese wild type (Ob_wt), and obese knockout (Ob_KO). At 21 days, offspring were genotyped, weaned onto a control diet, and sacrificed at 6 months old. Offspring phenotypic characteristics, plasma biochemical profile, liver histology, and hepatic gene expression were analyzed. Mc4r_ko offspring showed higher body, liver and adipose tissue weights respect to the wild type animals. Histological examination showed mild hepatic steatosis in offspring group C_KO. The expression of hepatic genes involved in regulating inflammation, fibrosis, and immune cell infiltration were upregulated by the absence of the Mc4r gene. These results demonstrate that maternal obesogenic feeding during the perinatal period programs offspring obesity development with involvement of the Mc4r system.

• Klíčová slova
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, developmental programming, intra-abdominal fat, maternal nutrition, obesity,
• MeSH
• alanintransaminasa krev   MeSH
• aspartátaminotransferasy krev   MeSH
• fyziologie výživy v mateřství * MeSH
• játra metabolismus   MeSH
• krevní glukóza metabolismus   MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši obézní MeSH
• myši MeSH
• obezita genetika   MeSH
• perinatální péče MeSH
• receptor melanokortinový typ 4 nedostatek   genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• triglyceridy krev   MeSH
• zpožděný efekt prenatální expozice genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• alanintransaminasa MeSH
• aspartátaminotransferasy MeSH
• krevní glukóza MeSH
• MC4R protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• receptor melanokortinový typ 4 MeSH
• triglyceridy MeSH