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Abstract

Bioengineering

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers

Published: September 20th, 2018

DOI:

10.3791/58222

1Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, 2College of Arts and Sciences, Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, University of North Carolina, 3Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 4Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina

Abstract

Regulation of chromatin compaction is an important process that governs gene expression in higher eukaryotes. Although chromatin compaction and gene expression regulation are commonly disrupted in many diseases, a locus-specific, endogenous, and reversible method to study and control these mechanisms of action has been lacking. To address this issue, we have developed and characterized novel gene-regulating bifunctional molecules. One component of the bifunctional molecule binds to a DNA-protein anchor so that it will be recruited to an allele-specific locus. The other component engages endogenous cellular chromatin-modifying machinery, recruiting these proteins to a gene of interest. These small molecules, called chemical epigenetic modifiers (CEMs), are capable of controlling gene expression and the chromatin environment in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Here, we detail a CEM approach and its application to decrease gene expression and histone tail acetylation at a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) reporter located at the Oct4 locus in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We characterize the lead CEM (CEM23) using fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), followed by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). While the power of this system is demonstrated at the Oct4 locus, conceptually, the CEM technology is modular and can be applied in other cell types and at other genomic loci.

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Keywords Epigenetics

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