Explore FOXP3's role in the 3D organization of the genome

探索 FOXP3 在基因组 3D 组织中的作用

• 批准号: 9197263
• 负责人: LIN CHEN
• 金额: $ 41.25万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9197263
• 关键词: Address; Alanine; Architecture; Attention; Autoimmune Diseases; Autoimmune Process; Autoimmunity; Binding; Binding Sites; Biochemical; Biological Assay; Candidate Disease Gene; Cell Lineage; Cells; ChIP-on-chip; ChIP-seq; Chromatin; Chromosomes; Complement; Complex; Coupled; Crystallization; DNA; DNA Binding; DNA analysis; Data; Development; Dimensions; Dimerization; Disease; Distal; Epigenetic Process; FOXP1 gene; FOXP3 gene; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Targeting; Genes; Genetic Transcription; Genome; Goals; Homeostasis; Immune; Immunity; Immunosuppression; Immunotherapy; Inflammatory; Knowledge; Leucine Zippers; Link; Malignant Neoplasms; Mediating; Molecular; Molecular Profiling; Mutagenesis; N-terminal; Other Genetics; Play; Proline; Protein Family; Regulatory T-Lymphocyte; Research; Role; Self Tolerance; Site; Structure; System; T-Lymphocyte; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Technology; Testing; Therapeutic; Transcriptional Regulation; Zinc Fingers; autoreactive T cell; base; cancer immunotherapy; chromosome conformation capture; dimer; gene interaction; genome-wide analysis; immune self tolerance; immune system function; in vivo; insight; loss of function; loss of function mutation; programs; public health relevance; transcription factor; whole genome

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Explore FOXP3's role in the 3D organization of the genome. FOXP3 is a transcription factor expressed in regulatory T cells (Tregs) that are essential for the balanced function of the immune system. Tregs suppress the activity of autoreactive T cells; loss-of-function mutations in FOXP3 are casually liked to autoimmune diseases. The critical role of FOXP3 in the development and function of Tregs and the potential to harness Treg-based therapies have attracted much attention to the basic functional mechanism of FOXP3. Genome-wide analyses of FOXP3 binding sites (ChIP-on-chip and ChIP-seq) coupled with expression profiling revealed thousands of potential FOXP3- activated or repressed genes. Although some of these genes have subsequently been shown to be important to Treg, a mechanistic understanding between FOXP3-mediated gene expression and Treg function is still lacking. The proposed research intends to address this question by exploring FOXP3's role in the 3D organization of the genome. Previous structure/function studies of FOXP3 reveal an unexpected domain-swapping mechanism that is required for the suppression function of Tregs. Preliminary evidence suggests that the domain-swapped FOXP3 dimer may have evolved to bridge DNA, thereby mediating long-range chromatin interactions. This mode of transcription regulation has long been recognized and has gained considerable attention in recent years, but the molecular basis underlying the long-distance chromatin interactions has not been characterized. FOXP3 provides an ideal system to address this question, which in turn can yield insights into the mechanistic roles of FOXP3 in Tregs. The proposed research has the following three specific aims. Aim 1 is to characterize the structural bases and molecular details of DNA bridging by FOXP3 by determining the structures of FOXP3 bound to DNA and its higher-order oligomer complex. Aim 2 is to analyze DNA bridging by FOXP3 in solution at the biochemical level and test if DNA bridging by FOXP3 correlates with long distance gene-gene interactions in cells. Aim 3 is to explore the effects of FOXP3 on the global architecture of the T cell genome using a newly developed chromosome conformation capture technology. The proposed studies seek to advance basic knowledge on how FOXP3 regulates specific gene expression via global reorganization of the 3D architecture of the genome. These studies will provide a new angle to study the mechanism by which FOXP3 confers the suppression function in Tregs and aid the development of Treg-based therapies in autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and immunotherapy of cancer.

 描述（由申请人提供）：探索FOXP 3在基因组3D组织中的作用。FOXP 3是一种在调节性T细胞（Tcells）中表达的转录因子，对免疫系统的平衡功能至关重要。甲状腺素抑制自身反应性T细胞的活性; FOXP 3中的功能丧失突变与自身免疫性疾病偶然相似。FOXP 3在Treg发育和功能中的关键作用以及利用基于Treg的疗法的潜力引起了人们对FOXP 3基本功能机制的广泛关注。FOXP 3结合位点的全基因组分析（ChIP-on-chip和ChIP-seq）结合表达谱分析揭示了数千个潜在的FOXP 3激活或抑制基因。尽管这些基因中的一些随后被证明对Treg是重要的，但仍然缺乏对FOXP 3介导的基因表达和Treg功能之间的机制理解。这项研究旨在通过探索FOXP 3在基因组3D组织中的作用来解决这个问题。FOXP 3的先前结构/功能研究揭示了TcR抑制功能所需的意想不到的结构域交换机制。初步证据表明，结构域交换的FOXP 3二聚体可能已经进化为桥接DNA，从而介导长距离染色质相互作用。这种转录调控模式早已被认识到，并在近年来获得了相当大的关注，但远距离染色质相互作用的分子基础还没有得到表征。FOXP 3提供了一个理想的系统来解决这个问题，这反过来又可以深入了解FOXP 3在Tumor中的机制作用。拟议的研究有以下三个具体目标。目的1：通过测定FOXP 3与DNA结合的结构及其高级寡聚体复合物的结构，来表征FOXP 3与DNA桥连的结构基础和分子细节。目的2是在生化水平上分析溶液中FOXP 3的DNA桥接，并测试FOXP 3的DNA桥接是否与细胞中的长距离基因-基因相互作用相关。目的3是利用新开发的染色体构象捕获技术，探索FOXP 3对T细胞基因组整体结构的影响。拟议的研究旨在推进FOXP 3如何通过基因组3D结构的全局重组来调节特定基因表达的基本知识。这些研究将为研究FOXP 3在TcB中的抑制作用机制提供新的视角，并有助于开发基于Treg的自身免疫性/炎症性疾病治疗和癌症免疫治疗。