Yudong Xia

An atlas of DNA methylomes in porcine adipose and muscle tissues

It is evident that epigenetic factors, especially DNA methylation, have essential roles in obesity development. Here, using pig as a model, we investigate the systematic association between DNA methylation and obesity. We sample eight variant adipose and two distinct skeletal muscle tissues from three pig breeds living within comparable environments but displaying distinct fat level. We generate 1,381 Gb of sequence data from 180 methylated DNA immunoprecipitation libraries, and provide a genome-wide DNA methylation map as well as a gene expression map for adipose and muscle studies. The analysis shows global similarity and difference among breeds, sexes and anatomic locations, and identifies the differentially methylated regions. The differentially methylated regions in promoters are highly associated with obesity development via expression repression of both known obesity-related genes and novel genes. This comprehensive map provides a solid basis for exploring epigenetic mechanisms of adipose deposition and muscle growth.

DNA methylation and mRNA and microRNA expression of SLE CD4+ T cells correlate with disease phenotype

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease well known for its clinical heterogeneity, and its etiology secondary to a cross-talk involving genetic predisposition and environmental stimuli. Although genome-wide analysis has contributed greatly to our understanding of the genetic basis of SLE, there is increasing evidence for a role of epigenetics. Indeed, recent data have demonstrated that in patients with SLE, there are striking alterations of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and deregulated microRNA expression, the sum of which contribute to over-expression of select autoimmune-related genes and loss of tolerance. To address this issue at the level of clinical phenotype, we performed DNA methylation, mRNA and microRNA expression screening using high-throughput sequencing of purified CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE, compared to age and sex matched controls. In particular, we studied 42 patients with SLE and divided this group into three clinical phenotypes: a) the presence of skin lesions without signs of systemic pathology; b) skin lesions but also chronic renal pathology; and c) skin lesions, chronic renal pathology and polyarticular disease. Interestingly, and as expected, sequencing data revealed changes in DNA methylation in SLE compared to controls. However, and more importantly, although there were common methylation changes found in all groups of SLE compared to controls, there was specific DNA methylation changes that correlated with clinical phenotype. These included changes in the novel key target genes NLRP2, CD300LB and S1PR3, as well as changes in the critical pathways, including the adherens junction and leukocyte transendothelial migration. We also noted that a significant proportion of genes undergoing DNA methylation changes were inversely correlated with gene expression and that miRNA screening revealed the existence of subsets with changes in expression. Integrated analysis of this data highlights specific sets of miRNAs controlled by DNA methylation, and genes that are altered by methylation and targeted by miRNAs. In conclusion, our findings suggest select epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to clinical phenotypes and further shed light on a new venue for basic SLE research.

An integrated epigenomic analysis for type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci in monozygotic twins

DNA methylation has a great potential for understanding the aetiology of common complex traits such as Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here we perform genome-wide methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq) in whole-blood-derived DNA from 27 monozygotic twin pairs and follow up results with replication and integrated omics analyses. We identify predominately hypermethylated T2D-related differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and replicate the top signals in 42 unrelated T2D cases and 221 controls. The strongest signal is in the promoter of the MALT1 gene, involved in insulin and glycaemic pathways, and related to taurocholate levels in blood. Integrating the DNA methylome findings with T2D GWAS meta-analysis results reveals a strong enrichment for DMRs in T2D-susceptibility loci. We also detect signals specific to T2D-discordant twins in the GPR61 and PRKCB genes. These replicated T2D associations reflect both likely causal and consequential pathways of the disease. The analysis indicates how an integrated genomics and epigenomics approach, utilizing an MZ twin design, can provide pathogenic insights as well as potential drug targets and biomarkers for T2D and other complex traits.

Differential DNA methylation in discrete developmental stages of the parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis

BackgroundDNA methylation plays an essential role in regulating gene expression under a variety of conditions and it has therefore been hypothesized to underlie the transitions between life cycle stages in parasitic nematodes. So far, however, 5-cytosine methylation has not been detected during any developmental stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Given the new availability of high-resolution methylation detection methods, an investigation of life cycle methylation in a parasitic nematode can now be carried out.ResultsHere, using MethylC-seq, we present the first study to confirm the existence of DNA methylation in the parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis, and we characterize the methylomes of the three life-cycle stages of this food-borne infectious human pathogen. We observe a drastic increase in DNA methylation during the transition from the new born to mature stage, and we further identify parasitism-related genes that show changes in DNA methylation status between life cycle stages.ConclusionsOur data contribute to the understanding of the developmental changes that occur in an important human parasite, and raises the possibility that targeting DNA methylation processes may be a useful strategy in developing therapeutics to impede infection. In addition, our conclusion that DNA methylation is a mechanism for life cycle transition in T. spiralis prompts the question of whether this may also be the case in any other metazoans. Finally, our work constitutes the first report, to our knowledge, of DNA methylation in a nematode, prompting a re-evaluation of phyla in which this epigenetic mark was thought to be absent.

Double restriction-enzyme digestion improves the coverage and accuracy of genome-wide CpG methylation profiling by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing

BackgroundReduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) was developed to measure DNA methylation of high-CG regions at single base-pair resolution, and has been widely used because of its minimal DNA requirements and cost efficacy; however, the CpG coverage of genomic regions is restricted and important regions with low-CG will be ignored in DNA methylation profiling. This method could be improved to generate a more comprehensive representation.ResultsBased on in silico simulation of enzyme digestion of human and mouse genomes, we have optimized the current single-enzyme RRBS by applying double enzyme digestion in the library construction to interrogate more representative regions. CpG coverage of genomic regions was considerably increased in both high-CG and low-CG regions using the double-enzyme RRBS method, leading to more accurate detection of their average methylation levels and identification of differential methylation regions between samples. We also applied this double-enzyme RRBS method to comprehensively analyze the CpG methylation profiles of two colorectal cancer cell lines.ConclusionThe double-enzyme RRBS increases the CpG coverage of genomic regions considerably over the previous single-enzyme RRBS method, leading to more accurate detection of their average methylation levels. It will facilitate genome-wide DNA methylation studies in multiple and complex clinical samples.

Integrated detection of both 5-mC and 5-hmC by high-throughput tag sequencing technology highlights methylation reprogramming of bivalent genes during cellular differentiation.

5-methylcytosine (5-mC) can be oxidized to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC). Genome-wide profiling of 5-hmC thus far indicates 5-hmC may not only be an intermediate form of DNA demethylation but could also constitute an epigenetic mark per se. Here we describe a cost-effective and selective method to detect both the hydroxymethylation and methylation status of cytosines in a subset of cytosines in the human genome. This method involves the selective glucosylation of 5-hmC residues, short-Sequence tag generation and high-throughput sequencing. We tested this method by screening H9 human embryonic stem cells and their differentiated embroid body cells, and found that differential hydroxymethylation preferentially occurs in bivalent genes during cellular differentiation. Especially, our results support hydroxymethylation can regulate key transcription regulators with bivalent marks through demethylation and affect cellular decision on choosing active or inactive state of these genes upon cellular differentiation. Future application of this technology would enable us to uncover the status of methylation and hydroxymethylation in dynamic biological processes and disease development in multiple biological samples.

Marked methylation changes in intestinal genes during the perinatal period of preterm neonates

BackgroundThe serious feeding- and microbiota-associated intestinal disease, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), occurs mainly in infants born prematurely (5-10% of all newborns) and most frequently after formula-feeding. We hypothesized that changes in gene methylation is involved in the prenatal maturation of the intestine and its response to the first days of formula feeding, potentially leading to NEC in preterm pigs used as models for preterm infants.ResultsReduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) was used to assess if changes in intestinal DNA methylation are associated with formula-induced NEC outbreak and advancing age from 10xa0days before birth to 4xa0days after birth. Selected key genes with differentially methylated gene regions (DMRs) between groups were further validated by HiSeq-based bisulfite sequencing PCR and RT-qPCR to assess methylation and expression levels. Consistent with the maturation of many intestinal functions in the perinatal period, methylation level of most genes decreased with advancing pre- and postnatal age. The highest number of DMRs was identified between the newborn and 4 d-old preterm pigs. There were few intestinal DMR differences between unaffected pigs and pigs with initial evidence of NEC. In the 4 d-old formula-fed preterm pigs, four genes associated with intestinal metabolism (CYP2W1, GPR146, TOP1MT, CEND1) showed significant hyper-methylation in their promoter CGIs, and thus, down-regulated transcription. Methylation-driven down-regulation of such genes may predispose the immature intestine to later metabolic dysfunctions and severe NEC lesions.ConclusionsPre- and postnatal changes in intestinal DNA methylation may contribute to high NEC sensitivity in preterm neonates. Optimizing gene methylation changes via environmental stimuli (e.g. diet, nutrition, gut microbiota), may help to make immature newborn infants more resistant to gut dysfunctions, both short and long term.

Integrated analyses of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation reveal tumor suppressive roles of ECM1, ATF5, and EOMES in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundDifferences in 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5hmC, distributions may complicate previous observations of abnormal cytosine methylation statuses that are used for the identification of new tumor suppressor gene candidates that are relevant to human hepatocarcinogenesis. The simultaneous detection of 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is likely to stimulate the discovery of aberrantly methylated genes with increased accuracy in human hepatocellular carcinoma.ResultsHere, we performed ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and single-base high-throughput sequencing, Hydroxymethylation and Methylation Sensitive Tag sequencing, HMST-seq, to synchronously measure these two modifications in human hepatocellular carcinoma samples. After identification of differentially methylated and hydroxymethylated genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma, we integrate DNA copy-number alterations, as determined using array-based comparative genomic hybridization data, with gene expression to identify genes that are potentially silenced by promoter hypermethylation.ConclusionsWe report a high enrichment of genes with epigenetic aberrations in cancer signaling pathways. Six genes were selected as tumor suppressor gene candidates, among which, ECM1, ATF5 and EOMES are confirmed via siRNA experiments to have potential anti-cancer functions.

Novel regional age-associated DNA methylation changes within human common disease-associated loci

BackgroundAdvancing age progressively impacts on risk and severity of chronic disease. It also modifies the epigenome, with changes in DNA methylation, due to both random drift and variation within specific functional loci.ResultsIn a discovery set of 2238 peripheral-blood genome-wide DNA methylomes aged 19–82 years, we identify 71 age-associated differentially methylated regions within the linkage disequilibrium blocks of the single nucleotide polymorphisms from the NIH genome-wide association study catalogue. This included 52 novel regions, 29 within loci not covered by 450xa0k or 27xa0k Illumina array, and with enrichment for DNase-I Hypersensitivity sites across the full range of tissues. These age-associated differentially methylated regions also show marked enrichment for enhancers and poised promoters across multiple cell types. In a replication set of 2084 DNA methylomes, 95.7xa0% of the age-associated differentially methylated regions showed the same direction of ageing effect, with 80.3xa0% and 53.5xa0% replicated to pu2009<u20090.05 and pu2009<u20091.85u2009×u200910–8, respectively.ConclusionBy analysing the functionally enriched disease and trait-associated regions of the human genome, we identify novel epigenetic ageing changes, which could be useful biomarkers or provide mechanistic insights into age-related common diseases.

Contribution of Heritability and Epigenetic Factors to Skeletal Muscle Mass Variation in United Kingdom Twins

Context: Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is one of the major components of human body composition, with deviations from normal values often leading to sarcopenia. Objective: Our major aim was to conduct a genome-wide DNA methylation study in an attempt to identify potential genomic regions associated with SMM. Design: This was a mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Setting: Community-based study. Participants: A total of 1550 middle-aged United Kingdom twins (monozygotic [MZ] and dizygotic [DZ]), 297 of which were repeatedly measured participated in the study. Main Outcome Measure: Appendicular lean mass assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry technology, and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing DNA methylation profiling genome-wide were obtained from each individual. Results: Heritability estimate of SMM, with simultaneous adjustment for covariates obtained using variance decomposition analysis, was h2 = 0.809 ± 0.050. After quality control and analysis of longitudinal stability, the DNA methylation data comprised of 723 029 genomic sites, with positive correlations between repeated measurements (Rrepeated = 0.114–0.905). Correlations between MZ and DZ twins were 0.51 and 0.38 at a genome-wide average, respectively, and clearly increased with Rrepeated. Testing for DNA methylation association with SMM in 50 discordant MZ twins revealed 36 081 nominally significant results, of which the top-ranked 134 signals (P < .01 and Rrepeated > 0.40) were subjected to replication in the sample of 1196 individuals. Seven SMM methylation association signals replicated at a false discovery rate less than 0.1, and these were located in or near genes DNAH12, CAND1, CYP4F29P, and ZFP64, which have previously been highlighted in muscle-related studies. Adjusting for age, smoking, and blood cell heterogeneity did not alter significance of these associations. Conclusion: This epigenome-wide study, testing longitudinally stable methylation sites, discovered and replicated a number of associations between DNA methylation at CpG loci and SMM. Four replicated signals were related to genes with potential muscle functions, suggesting that the methylome of whole blood may be informative of SMM variation.