Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE147590: The histone variant macroH2A1 regulates key genes for myogenic cell fusion in a splice-isoform dependent manner [RNA-Seq]

Bulk RNA sequencing

MacroH2A histone variants have functions in differentiation, somatic cell reprogramming and cancer. However, at the present it is not clear how macroH2As affect gene regulation to exert these functions. Here, we have addressed the question of whether the two splice isoforms of macroH2A1 differentially regulate genes in a physiological context. We have focused on myotube formation that is a key process in embryonic myogenesis and highly relevant for muscle regeneration after acute or chronic injury. We have parted from the initial observation that loss of total macroH2A1 led to a change in the morphology of myotubes differentiated ex vivo that was indicative of reduced fusion. Individual perturbation of the two isoforms in myotubes forming in vitro from myogenic C2C12 cells showed an opposing phenotype with macroH2A1.1 enhancing and macroH2A1.2 reducing fusion. Transcriptomic analysis allowed us to associate this phenotype with the differential regulation of a subset of fusion-related genes encoding components of the extracellular matrix and cell surface receptors for adhesion. In conclusion, we describe for the first time splice isoform-specific phenotypes for the histone variant macroH2A1 in a physiologic process and provide evidence for a novel, yet unknown underlying molecular mechanism of gene regulation independent of PARP1. SOURCE: Roberto Malinverni (rmalinverni@carrerasresearch.org) - Chromatin Metabolism and Cell Fate IJC -Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute