Background: Histones organize DNA into chromatin through a variety of processes. Among them, a vast diversity of histone variants can be incorporated into chromatin and finely modulate its organization and functionality. Classically, the study of histone variants has largely relied on antibody-based assays. However, antibodies have a limited efficiency to discriminate between highly similar histone variants.

Results: In this study, we established a mass spectrometry-based analysis to address this challenge. We developed a targeted proteomics method, using selected reaction monitoring or parallel reaction monitoring, to quantify a maximum number of histone variants in a single multiplexed assay, even when histones are present in a crude extract. This strategy was developed on H2A and H2B variants, using 55 peptides corresponding to 25 different histone sequences, among which a few differ by a single amino acid. The methodology was then applied to mouse testis extracts in which almost all histone variants are expressed. It confirmed the abundance profiles of several testis-specific histones during successive stages of spermatogenesis and the existence of predicted H2A.L.1 isoforms. This methodology was also used to explore the over-expression pattern of H2A.L.1 isoforms in a mouse model of male infertility.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that targeted proteomics is a powerful method to quantify highly similar histone variants and isoforms. The developed method can be easily transposed to the study of human histone variants, whose abundance can be deregulated in various diseases.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5767011PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13072-017-0172-yDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

histone variants
24
targeted proteomics
12
h2a h2b
8
variants
8
h2b variants
8
histone
8
highly histone
8
reaction monitoring
8
h2al1 isoforms
8
systematic quantitative
4

Similar Publications

Lactylation modulation identifies key biomarkers and therapeutic targets in KMT2A-rearranged AML.

Sci Rep

January 2025

National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2Ar), found on chromosome 11q23, is often called KMT2A-rearranged AML (KMT2Ar-AML). This variant is highly aggressive, characterized by rapid disease progression and poor outcomes. Growing knowledge of epigenetic changes, especially lactylation, has opened new avenues for investigation and management of this subtype.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The regulator of the canonical Wnt pathway, leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), is expressed in the stem cell compartment of several tissues and overexpressed in different human carcinomas. The isoform of the stem cell marker LGR5, named LGR5Δ5 and first described by our group, is associated with prognosis and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In a proof-of-principle analysis, the function of LGR5Δ5 was investigated in HEK293T cells, a model cell line of the Wnt pathway, compared to full-length LGR5 (FL) expression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent advances in genetics and epigenetics have provided critical insights into the pathogenesis of both idiopathic and non-idiopathic interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Mutations in telomere-related genes and surfactant proteins have been linked to familial pulmonary fibrosis, while variants in MUC5B and TOLLIP increase the risk of ILD, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs such as miR-21 and miR-29, regulate fibrotic pathways, influencing disease onset and progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SETD1B variants associated with absence seizures.

Eur J Paediatr Neurol

December 2024

Department of Pediatrics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China; Epilepsy Center, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Aim: Exploring the association between SETD1B variants and absence seizures (ASs).

Methods: We engaged a small cohort of four pediatric epilepsy patients with identified SETD1B variants and conducted a comprehensive review of 50 documented instances. Clinical profiles were meticulously compiled, and genetic screening was executed via trio-based whole-exome sequencing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Post-transcriptional regulation of the transcriptional apparatus in neuronal development.

Front Mol Neurosci

December 2024

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

Post-transcriptional mechanisms, such as alternative splicing and polyadenylation, are recognized as critical regulatory processes that increase transcriptomic and proteomic diversity. The advent of next-generation sequencing and whole-genome analyses has revealed that numerous transcription and epigenetic regulators, including transcription factors and histone-modifying enzymes, undergo alternative splicing, most notably in the nervous system. Given the complexity of regulatory processes in the brain, it is conceivable that many of these splice variants control different aspects of neuronal development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!