Chromatin contains information beyond the DNA sequence that is needed to regulate the genome and allow the proper development of multi-cellular organisms. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histones modulate the organization of chromatin for replication, repair and transcription of genetic information, and are hypothesized to be the carriers of information that is inherited 'epigenetically' over multiple cel generations. Importantly, investigations into histone PTM function in multicellular eukaryotes have been limited by pleiotropic effects resulting from pharmacological and genetic manipulation of epigenetic regulatory proteins that create, remove, or respond to histone PTMs. Because of this limitation, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the role of individual histone residues as carriers of information. The objective of this proposal is to generate a comprehensive experimental platform in Drosophila melanogaster for spatial and temporal manipulation of post-translationally modified histone residues during animal development. To study the biological function of a specific histone PTM, the acceptor residue must be changed to an amino acid that cannot be appropriately modified. Then, all wild-type copies of that histone gene must be replaced with the mutant copy. We will use a transgenic strategy for replacement of the entire Drosophila histone multigene family with engineered gene clusters that express specific histone mutants, and create experimental tools for the temporal and spatial restriction of these mutations. These studies will directly test the roles of post- translationally modified histone residues during animal development, and will create a sustainable and expandable resource for the study of epigenetic phenomena in metazoans. Because disruption of evolutionarily conserved histone PTMs is thought to underlie many human diseases, including cancer, this research will directly impact human health.

Public Health Relevance

The term 'epigenetic' describes heritable phenotypes resulting from molecular information that is not directly encoded in the DNA sequence. We will develop an experimental platform using a genetically tractable animal model system to directly test the roles of histones, the major protein component of chromosomes, in epigenetic inheritance during development. The proposed studies will establish new tools that biologists can use for the general study of histone-mediated epigenetic phenomena, which are known to play a role in human disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01DA036897-04
Application #
9064108
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Satterlee, John S
Project Start
2013-09-15
Project End
2018-05-31
Budget Start
2016-06-01
Budget End
2017-05-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
608195277
City
Chapel Hill
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27599
Meserve, Joy H; Duronio, Robert J (2018) Fate mapping during regeneration: Cells that undergo compensatory proliferation in damaged Drosophila eye imaginal discs differentiate into multiple retinal accessory cell types. Dev Biol 444:43-49
Meers, Michael P; Adelman, Karen; Duronio, Robert J et al. (2018) Transcription start site profiling uncovers divergent transcription and enhancer-associated RNAs in Drosophila melanogaster. BMC Genomics 19:157
Meers, Michael P; Leatham-Jensen, Mary; Penke, Taylor J R et al. (2018) An Animal Model for Genetic Analysis of Multi-Gene Families: Cloning and Transgenesis of Large Tandemly Repeated Histone Gene Clusters. Methods Mol Biol 1832:309-325
Penke, Taylor J R; McKay, Daniel J; Strahl, Brian D et al. (2018) Functional Redundancy of Variant and Canonical Histone H3 Lysine 9 Modification in Drosophila. Genetics 208:229-244
Meers, Michael P; Henriques, Telmo; Lavender, Christopher A et al. (2017) Histone gene replacement reveals a post-transcriptional role for H3K36 in maintaining metazoan transcriptome fidelity. Elife 6:
Duronio, Robert J; O'Farrell, Patrick H; Sluder, Greenfield et al. (2017) Sophisticated lessons from simple organisms: appreciating the value of curiosity-driven research. Dis Model Mech 10:1381-1389
Penke, Taylor J R; McKay, Daniel J; Strahl, Brian D et al. (2016) Direct interrogation of the role of H3K9 in metazoan heterochromatin function. Genes Dev 30:1866-80
Li, Yulong; Armstrong, Robin L; Duronio, Robert J et al. (2016) Methylation of histone H4 lysine 20 by PR-Set7 ensures the integrity of late replicating sequence domains in Drosophila. Nucleic Acids Res 44:7204-18
McKay, Daniel J; Klusza, Stephen; Penke, Taylor J R et al. (2015) Interrogating the function of metazoan histones using engineered gene clusters. Dev Cell 32:373-86
Rothbart, Scott B; Strahl, Brian D (2014) Interpreting the language of histone and DNA modifications. Biochim Biophys Acta 1839:627-43

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