DNA sequence and chromatin modifiers cooperate to confer epigenetic bistability at imprinting control regions

Stefan Butz, Nina Schmolka, Ino Karemaker, Rodrigo Villaseñor, Isabel Schwarz, Silvia Domcke, Esther C. H. Uijttewaal, Julian Jude, Florian Lienert, Arnaud Krebs, Nathalie P. de Wagenaar, Xue Bao, Johannes Zuber, Ulrich Elling, Dirk Schübeler, Tuncay Baubec

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Genomic imprinting is regulated by parental-specific DNA methylation of imprinting control regions (ICRs). Despite an identical DNA sequence, ICRs can exist in two distinct epigenetic states that are memorized throughout unlimited cell divisions and reset during germline formation. Here, we systematically study the genetic and epigenetic determinants of this epigenetic bistability. By iterative integration of ICRs and related DNA sequences to an ectopic location in the mouse genome, we first identify the DNA sequence features required for maintenance of epigenetic states in embryonic stem cells. The autonomous regulatory properties of ICRs further enabled us to create DNA-methylation-sensitive reporters and to screen for key components involved in regulating their epigenetic memory. Besides DNMT1, UHRF1 and ZFP57, we identify factors that prevent switching from methylated to unmethylated states and show that two of these candidates, ATF7IP and ZMYM2, are important for the stability of DNA and H3K9 methylation at ICRs in embryonic stem cells.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1702-1710
Number of pages9
JournalNature Genetics
Volume54
Issue number11
Early online date4 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2022

Keywords

  • Demethylation
  • Embryonic stem-cells
  • Expression
  • Gene
  • Ground-state
  • Heterochromatin formation
  • Identification
  • Methylation
  • Transcription
  • Zfp57

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