Following replication of parental DNA template strands, sister chromatids are expected to have exactly the same DNA sequence except for mutations resulting from DNA replication itself. How epigenetic marks are transmitted to the next cell generation during cell division is less clear. Epigenetic marks that are not lost prior to mitosis are either distributed randomly between sister chromatids or assigned to a specific sister chromatid e.g. depending on whether the parental DNA template strand was replicated by either leading or the lagging strand DNA replication. Alternatively, sister chromatids could be imprinted in a strand-specific manner. Chromatin differences between sister chromatids could be functionally insignificant or lead to """"""""stochastic"""""""" differences in the expression of genes between daughter cells. Epigenetic differences between sister chromatids could also be involved in cell fate regulation if microtubules originating from """"""""mother'centrosomes were to prefer kinetochores present on just one of the two sister chromatids of specific chromosomes. Until recently it was not possible to reliably identify and distinguish sister chromatids. However, we recently found that DNA template strand sequences can be reliably used to identify sister chromatids. These novel techniques will be used to study the possibility of epigenetic differences between sister chromatids and their functional implications. The proposed studies have three specific aims: 1. Study gene expression in relation to specific sister chromatids that were inherited in single cells. 2. Study chromatin marks on sorted sister chromatids containing either """"""""Watson"""""""" or """"""""Crick"""""""" DNA template strand sequences. 3. Follow the segregation of sister chromatids from specific chromosomes into specific cell types in vitro and in vivo. The proposed studies towards these complementary specific aims will clarify whether chromatin differences between sister chromatids exist and if so, whether such differences are relevant to stochastic variation in gene expression between daughter cells and cell fate decisions and the development in multicellular organisms. Importantly, the proposed studies will answer a question which has not been addressed before: does it matter which sister chromatids are inherited by a given daughter cell? If the answer is affirmative, the proposed studies and experimental approaches will pave the way for further studies of an entirely novel field of research: chromatin replication and sister chromatid differentiation. The implications of this type of research are hard to predict but range from the identification of novel targets for therapy and the development of more effective cell therapies starting from (induced) pluripotent stem cells to more effective strategies that target self-renewal in normal and malignant stem cells.

Public Health Relevance

Following DNA replication, every chromosome has two sister chromatids which will each end up in the two daughter cells. The proposed studies will answer a fundamental question that could not be addressed before: does it matter which sister chromatid is inherited by a given daughter cell? If the answer is yes, ideas about how disease is caused in a wide spectrum of disorders ranging from cancer to developmental abnormalities will have to be adjusted.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM094146-02
Application #
8134998
Study Section
Development - 2 Study Section (DEV2)
Program Officer
Janes, Daniel E
Project Start
2010-09-01
Project End
2014-08-31
Budget Start
2011-09-01
Budget End
2012-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$234,495
Indirect Cost
Name
British Columbia Cancer Agency
Department
Type
DUNS #
209137736
City
Vancouver
State
BC
Country
Canada
Zip Code
V5 1-L3
Sanders, Ashley D; Hills, Mark; Porubský, David et al. (2016) Characterizing polymorphic inversions in human genomes by single-cell sequencing. Genome Res 26:1575-1587
Tutelman, Perri R; Aubert, Geraldine; Milner, Ruth A et al. (2014) Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria phenotype cells and leucocyte subset telomere length in childhood acquired aplastic anaemia. Br J Haematol 164:717-21
Aubert, Geraldine (2014) Telomere dynamics and aging. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci 125:89-111
Falconer, Ester; Lansdorp, Peter M (2013) Strand-seq: a unifying tool for studies of chromosome segregation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 24:643-52
Lansdorp, Peter M; Falconer, Ester; Tao, Jiang et al. (2012) Epigenetic differences between sister chromatids? Ann N Y Acad Sci 1266:1-6
Falconer, Ester; Hills, Mark; Naumann, Ulrike et al. (2012) DNA template strand sequencing of single-cells maps genomic rearrangements at high resolution. Nat Methods 9:1107-12
Aubert, Geraldine; Hills, Mark; Lansdorp, Peter M (2012) Telomere length measurement-caveats and a critical assessment of the available technologies and tools. Mutat Res 730:59-67
Aubert, Geraldine; Baerlocher, Gabriela M; Vulto, Irma et al. (2012) Collapse of telomere homeostasis in hematopoietic cells caused by heterozygous mutations in telomerase genes. PLoS Genet 8:e1002696
Alter, Blanche P; Rosenberg, Philip S; Giri, Neelam et al. (2012) Telomere length is associated with disease severity and declines with age in dyskeratosis congenita. Haematologica 97:353-9
Brind'Amour, Julie; Lansdorp, Peter M (2011) Analysis of repetitive DNA in chromosomes by flow cytometry. Nat Methods 8:484-6

Showing the most recent 10 out of 12 publications