Epigenetics Podcast

Multiple challenges of CUT&Tag (Cassidee McDonough, Kyle Tanguay)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Active Motif scientists Casidee McDonough from Epigenetic Services and Kyle Tanguay from R&D to talk about technical details of the CUT&Tag protocol and current developments around this method in our R&D Team. 
CUT&Tag, which is short for Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation, is a molecular biology method that is used to investigate interactions between proteins and DNA and to identify DNA binding sites for their protein of interest. Although CUT&Tag is similar in some ways to ChIP assays, the starting material for CUT&Tag is live, permeabilized cells or isolated cell nuclei, rather than cells or tissue that have been crosslinked with formaldehyde as is the case when performing ChIP. The CUT&Tag method is very sensitive and has been reported to work with as few as 60 cells for some histone modifications. The ability to work with such small numbers of cells is an advantage for researchers working on specific cell types, such as rare neuronal populations, pancreatic islets, or stem cells that are difficult to obtain in large numbers. 
In this Episode we discuss the CUT&Tag workflow in detail, talk about the challenges and pitfalls, give guidelines on how to do a good CUT&Tag experiment and offer a glimpse into the future of CUT&Tag product development at Active Motif. 
 
References
Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Using CUT&Tag Assays
Library QC for ATAC-Seq and CUT&Tag | AKA “Does My Library Look Okay?”
Kaya-Okur, H.S., Wu, S.J., Codomo, C.A. et al. CUT&Tag for efficient epigenomic profiling of small samples and single cells. Nat Commun 10, 1930 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09982-5
Podcast: Chromatin Profiling: From ChIP to CUT&RUN, CUT&Tag and CUTAC (Steven Henikoff)
CUT&Tag-validated antibodies
 
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The Role of Histone Dopaminylation and Serotinylation in Neuronal Plasticity (Ian Maze)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Ian Maze from Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator to talk about his work on the role of histone dopaminylation and serotinylation in neuronal plasticity.
The Maze group focuses on understanding the complex interplay between chromatin regulatory mechanisms in brain and neuronal plasticity. The lab places an emphasis on psychiatric disorders associated with monoaminergic (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, etc.) dysfunction, such as major depressive disorder and drug addiction. In particular the Maze team has investigated cocaine addiction and its effect on chromatin by serotonylation and dopaminylation of Histone H3 Tails.
 
References
Maze, I., Covington, H. E., Dietz, D. M., LaPlant, Q., Renthal, W., Russo, S. J., Mechanic, M., Mouzon, E., Neve, R. L., Haggarty, S. J., Ren, Y., Sampath, S. C., Hurd, Y. L., Greengard, P., Tarakhovsky, A., Schaefer, A., & Nestler, E. J. (2010). Essential Role of the Histone Methyltransferase G9a in Cocaine-Induced Plasticity. Science, 327(5962), 213–216. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1179438
Farrelly, L. A., Thompson, R. E., Zhao, S., Lepack, A. E., Lyu, Y., Bhanu, N. V., Zhang, B., Loh, Y.-H. E., Ramakrishnan, A., Vadodaria, K. C., Heard, K. J., Erikson, G., Nakadai, T., Bastle, R. M., Lukasak, B. J., Zebroski, H., Alenina, N., Bader, M., Berton, O., … Maze, I. (2019). Histone serotonylation is a permissive modification that enhances TFIID binding to H3K4me3. Nature, 567(7749), 535–539. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1024-7
Lepack, A. E., Werner, C. T., Stewart, A. F., Fulton, S. L., Zhong, P., Farrelly, L. A., Smith, A. C. W., Ramakrishnan, A., Lyu, Y., Bastle, R. M., Martin, J. A., Mitra, S., O’Connor, R. M., Wang, Z.-J., Molina, H., Turecki, G., Shen, L., Yan, Z., Calipari, E. S., … Maze, I. (2020). Dopaminylation of histone H3 in ventral tegmental area regulates cocaine seeking. Science, 368(6487), 197–201. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw8806
 
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The Role of Blimp-1 in Immune-Cell Differentiation (Erna Magnúsdóttir)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Erna Magnúsdóttir from the University of Iceland to talk about her work on the role of Blimp-1 in immune-cell differentiation.
The Magnúsdóttir Lab is interested in how the mammalian genome is interpreted in a context dependent manner, leading to different cellular states, by using mouse primordial germ cells as well as mouse and human B-cells as model systems. More specifically, the team is interested in the Transcription Factor Blimp-1 and its effect on immune cell differentiation. Next to its function in immune cells, Blimp-1 also plays a role in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. The lab hopes to reveal the intricacies in disease progression and alteration in cellular states to increasingly aggressive tumor behavior.
 
References
Magnúsdóttir, E., Dietmann, S., Murakami, K. et al. A tripartite transcription factor network regulates primordial germ cell specification in mice. Nat Cell Biol 15, 905–915 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2798
Anderson, K.J., Ósvaldsdóttir, Á.B., Atzinger, B. et al. The BLIMP1—EZH2 nexus in a non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Oncogene 39, 5138–5151 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-020-1347-8
 
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Multimodal Characterization of Cellular Identity | CITE-Seq and Beyond (Peter Smibert, VP of 10X Genomics)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we speak with Peter Smibert, Vice President of Biology at 10X Genomics to talk about an exciting new method in Multimodal Characterization of Cellular Identity using Barcoding.
During his time at the New York Genome Center, Peter Smibert was instrumental in the development of a new method called "Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing" short CITE-Seq. This method enables the characterization of a cell's transcriptome, while at the same time, also allows the characterization of the cell's protein surface markers - at the single cell level. In CITE-Seq, sequencing adapters are coupled to antibodies that recognize surface proteins, which can then be detected by sequencing.
Further advancements of the CITE-Seq method led to the launch of BioLegend’s TOTAL-Seq and the integration of scATAC-Seq into the workflow. With the integration of scATAC-Seq in the CITE-Seq protocol, it is now possible to characterize single-cells along the path of the central dogma of biology, this is why the method called DOGMA-Seq.
 
References
https://cite-seq.com
Baron, M., Yanai, I. New skin for the old RNA-Seq ceremony: the age of single-cell multi-omics. Genome Biol 18, 159 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-017-1300-5
Stoeckius, M., Zheng, S., Houck-Loomis, B. et al. Cell Hashing with barcoded antibodies enables multiplexing and doublet detection for single cell genomics. Genome Biol 19, 224 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-018-1603-1
Stoeckius, M., Hafemeister, C., Stephenson, W. et al. Simultaneous epitope and transcriptome measurement in single cells. Nat Methods 14, 865–868 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.4380
Mimitou, E.P., Cheng, A., Montalbano, A. et al. Multiplexed detection of proteins, transcriptomes, clonotypes and CRISPR perturbations in single cells. Nat Methods 16, 409–412 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-019-0392-0
 
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The Effect of Mechanotransduction on Chromatin Structure and Transcription in Stem Cells (Sara Wickström)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Sara Wickström, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, to talk about her work on the effect of mechanotransduction on chromatin structure and transcription in stem cells.
Sara Wickström and her team focus on the stem cell niche and how that niche affects stem cell function. In order to study the native niche and to even be able to manipulate it, the Wickström Lab was able to develop a ex vivo culture system, allowing systematic identification of factors driving stem cell dynamics and plasticity.
Stem cells in the stem cell niche are exposed to external stimuli such as physical forces which control their growth, fate and self renewal. Recent work in the Wickström lab showed how mechanical signals influence transcriptional regulation, chromatin organization, and nuclear architecture and how this affects aging or lineage commitment. In this Episode we also discuss how chromatin can act as a sensor of mechanical signals taking advantage of the different physical properties of eu- and heterochromatin.
 
References
Le, H. Q., Ghatak, S., Yeung, C. Y., Tellkamp, F., Günschmann, C., Dieterich, C., Yeroslaviz, A., Habermann, B., Pombo, A., Niessen, C. M., & Wickström, S. A. (2016). Mechanical regulation of transcription controls Polycomb-mediated gene silencing during lineage commitment. Nature cell biology, 18(8), 864–875. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3387
Nava, M. M., Miroshnikova, Y. A., Biggs, L. C., Whitefield, D. B., Metge, F., Boucas, J., Vihinen, H., Jokitalo, E., Li, X., García Arcos, J. M., Hoffmann, B., Merkel, R., Niessen, C. M., Dahl, K. N., & Wickström, S. A. (2020). Heterochromatin-Driven Nuclear Softening Protects the Genome against Mechanical Stress-Induced Damage. Cell, 181(4), 800–817.e22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.052
Koester, J., Miroshnikova, Y. A., Ghatak, S., Chacón-Martínez, C. A., Morgner, J., Li, X., Atanassov, I., Altmüller, J., Birk, D. E., Koch, M., Bloch, W., Bartusel, M., Niessen, C. M., Rada-Iglesias, A., & Wickström, S. A. (2021). Niche stiffening compromises hair follicle stem cell potential during ageing by reducing bivalent promoter accessibility. Nature cell biology, 23(7), 771–781. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-021-00705-x
Maki, K., Nava, M. M., Villeneuve, C., Chang, M., Furukawa, K. S., Ushida, T., & Wickström, S. A. (2021). Hydrostatic pressure prevents chondrocyte differentiation through heterochromatin remodeling. Journal of cell science, 134(2), jcs247643. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.247643
 
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Single-Cell Technologies using Microfluidics (Ben Hindson, CSO of 10x Genomics)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Ben Hindson, Chief Scientific Officer at 10X Genomics, to talk about single-cell technologies using microfluidics.
Epigenetics has moved well past a simple understanding of a single epigenetic layer of control at genomic regions of interest, thanks to advances in many techniques and the application of “multiomics”. We can now analyze genome-wide histone modification patterns, transcription factor binding profiles, chromatin accessibility profiles, three-dimensional chromosomal conformation, and DNA methylation dynamics combined with transcriptomic analyses and associated analytical platforms.
Bulk Assays, like ATAC-Seq or ChIP, despite all their advantages, do not provide information about the chromatin states of individual subpopulations of cells within a sample. To identify chromatin features in heterogeneous populations, such as blood, pancreas, and brain, those analysis need to be performed at a single-cell level. 10X Genomics has been at the forefront of the movement into the single cell space and in this Episode we discuss this work with Ben Hindson, CSO of 10X genomics.
 
References
https://www.10xgenomics.com/products/single-cell-multiome-atac-plus-gene-expression
Spectrum of Innovation
Multiomic Epigenetic Analysis Turns Short Stories into Epic Tales
Single-Cell Multiome Service
 
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Epigenome-based Precision Medicine (Eleni Tomazou)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Eleni Tomazou from St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute in Vienna to talk about her work on Epigenome-based precision medicine.
The Tomazou lab studies Ewing sarcoma and the effects of Epigenetic factors on this disease. Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that affects bone and soft tissue of children and young adults, with a peak incidence at the age of 15. Ewing sarcoma is among the pediatric cancer types with the lowest survival rates and the development of novel therapies was obstructed by the limited understanding of the mechanisms behind the disease.
Work done in Eleni Tomazou's group identified an epigenetic signature of Ewing sarcoma which, ultimately, lead to the possibility to diagnose Ewing sarcoma from liquid biopsies. The team is now looking to find actionable targets like enhancers to develop therapies, finding biomarkers to enable disease monitoring, and to further characterize these tumors to decipher intra-tumor epigenetic heterogeneity and characterize the developmental stage of the cell of origin.
 
References
Tomazou, E. M., Sheffield, N. C., Schmidl, C., Schuster, M., Schönegger, A., Datlinger, P., Kubicek, S., Bock, C., & Kovar, H. (2015). Epigenome Mapping Reveals Distinct Modes of Gene Regulation and Widespread Enhancer Reprogramming by the Oncogenic Fusion Protein EWS-FLI1. Cell Reports, 10(7), 1082–1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.01.042
Sheffield, N. C., Pierron, G., Klughammer, J., Datlinger, P., Schönegger, A., Schuster, M., Hadler, J., Surdez, D., Guillemot, D., Lapouble, E., Freneaux, P., Champigneulle, J., Bouvier, R., Walder, D., Ambros, I. M., Hutter, C., Sorz, E., Amaral, A. T., de Álava, E., … Tomazou, E. M. (2017). DNA methylation heterogeneity defines a disease spectrum in Ewing sarcoma. Nature Medicine, 23(3), 386–395. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4273
Terlecki-Zaniewicz, S., Humer, T., Eder, T., Schmoellerl, J., Heyes, E., Manhart, G., Kuchynka, N., Parapatics, K., Liberante, F. G., Müller, A. C., Tomazou, E. M., & Grebien, F. (2021). Biomolecular condensation of NUP98 fusion proteins drives leukemogenic gene expression. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 28(2), 190–201. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-020-00550-w
Peneder, P., Stütz, A. M., Surdez, D., Krumbholz, M., Semper, S., Chicard, M., Sheffield, N. C., Pierron, G., Lapouble, E., Tötzl, M., Ergüner, B., Barreca, D., Rendeiro, A. F., Agaimy, A., Boztug, H., Engstler, G., Dworzak, M., Bernkopf, M., Taschner-Mandl, S., … Tomazou, E. M. (2021). Multimodal analysis of cell-free DNA whole-genome sequencing for pediatric cancers with low mutational burden. Nature Communications, 12(1), 3230. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23445-w
 
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Epigenetics and Epitranscriptomics in Cancer (Manel Esteller)

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we caught up with Manel Esteller, Director of the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute to talk about his work on Epigenetics and Epitranscriptomics in Cancer.
The focus of Manel Esteller's research career and the focus of his current team is to characterize the epigenome and epitranscriptome of cancer cells in comparison to healthy cells, and their interplay. Ultimately, their goal is to use this knowledge to develop new therapies for cancer. Key achievements from the Esteller lab began with the discovery of the first miRNA that undergoes specific cancer-methylation associated silencing. The team further identified many more miRNAs that also play a role in cancer. Next to miRNAs, Manel Esteller studied the influence of lncRNAs, enhancers and DNA methylation on cancer development and progression, insights that may be used to develop cancer biomarkers and potential treatments.  
 
References
Guil, S., Soler, M., Portela, A., Carrère, J., Fonalleras, E., Gómez, A., Villanueva, A., & Esteller, M. (2012). Intronic RNAs mediate EZH2 regulation of epigenetic targets. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 19(7), 664–670. https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2315
Vizoso, M., Ferreira, H. J., Lopez-Serra, P., Carmona, F. J., Martínez-Cardús, A., Girotti, M. R., Villanueva, A., Guil, S., Moutinho, C., Liz, J., Portela, A., Heyn, H., Moran, S., Vidal, A., Martinez-Iniesta, M., Manzano, J. L., Fernandez-Figueras, M. T., Elez, E., Muñoz-Couselo, E., … Esteller, M. (2015). Epigenetic activation of a cryptic TBC1D16 transcript enhances melanoma progression by targeting EGFR. Nature Medicine, 21(7), 741–750. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3863
Agrelo, R., Cheng, W.-H., Setien, F., Ropero, S., Espada, J., Fraga, M. F., Herranz, M., Paz, M. F., Sanchez-Cespedes, M., Artiga, M. J., Guerrero, D., Castells, A., von Kobbe, C., Bohr, V. A., & Esteller, M. (2006). Epigenetic inactivation of the premature aging Werner syndrome gene in human cancer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 103(23), 8822–8827. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0600645103
Lopez-Serra, P., Marcilla, M., Villanueva, A., Ramos-Fernandez, A., Palau, A., Leal, L., Wahi, J. E., Setien-Baranda, F., Szczesna, K., Moutinho, C., Martinez-Cardus, A., Heyn, H., Sandoval, J., Puertas, S., Vidal, A., Sanjuan, X., Martinez-Balibrea, E., Viñals, F., Perales, J. C., … Esteller, M. (2014). A DERL3-associated defect in the degradation of SLC2A1 mediates the Warburg effect. Nature Communications, 5, 3608. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4608
Rosselló-Tortella, M., Llinàs-Arias, P., Sakaguchi, Y., Miyauchi, K., Davalos, V., Setien, F., Calleja-Cervantes, M. E., Piñeyro, D., Martínez-Gómez, J., Guil, S., Joshi, R., Villanueva, A., Suzuki, T., & Esteller, M. (2020). Epigenetic loss of the transfer RNA-modifying enzyme TYW2 induces ribosome frameshifts in colon cancer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(34), 20785–20793. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003358117
Castro de Moura, M., Davalos, V., Planas-Serra, L., Alvarez-Errico, D., Arribas, C., Ruiz, M., Aguilera-Albesa, S., Troya, J., Valencia-Ramos, J., Vélez-Santamaria, V., Rodríguez-Palmero, A., Villar-Garcia, J., Horcajada, J. P., Albu, S., Casasnovas, C., Rull, A., Reverte, L., Dietl, B., Dalmau, D., … Esteller, M. (2021). Epigenome-wide association study of COVID-19 severity with respiratory failure. EBioMedicine, 66, 103339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103339
 
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