Biology subjects

Do, T. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Do, T. J..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

SUZ12-Nucleic Acid Interactions Constrain PRC2 Activity to Maintain Targeted Gene Silencing Essential to Diffuse Midline Glioma

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) mediates transcriptional silencing through trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), an epigenetic modification critical for development and frequently altered in cancer. Pediatric diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) bearing the histone H3 K27M mutation exhibit global loss of H3K27me3 due to dominant inhibition of PRC2 by the mutant histone. Despite widespread hypomethylation, focal retention of H3K27me3 persists, and tumor cells maintain dependency on residual PRC2 activity for proliferation. The molecular basis underlying this residual enzymatic function and its regulation remain poorly defined. To address this mechanism, we investigated the role of SUZ12, the architectural core of PRC2 that facilitates interactions with accessory subunits. We identified the SUZ12 N-terminal region as a regulatory domain that constrains PRC2 catalytic activity through transient interactions with nucleic acids, thereby limiting non-specific chromatin engagement. Expression of a truncated SUZ12 variant retaining the catalytic VEFS domain, but lacking the nucleic acid-binding regulatory elements, led to widespread H3K27 hypermethylation, displacement of canonical PRC1 complexes, disruption of chromatin architecture, and impaired H3 K27M glioma cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Biochemical analyses revealed a SUZ12 N-terminal domain that modulates PRC2 activity by promoting non-productive binding to nucleic acids, thus establishing a kinetic equilibrium essential for precise chromatin targeting. These findings redefine Polycomb specificity as a dynamic equilibrium between productive nucleosomal engagement and non-productive nucleic acid interactions, providing critical insights into PRC2 regulation and highlighting potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in PRC2-dependent cancers.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Investigating oncoprotein-mediated chromatin dysregulation in Drosophila melanogaster uncovers novel modifiers of the developmental impact of H3 K27M and EZHIP

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) maintains epigenetic repression through the catalysis of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), which restricts gene expression and preserves developmental gene-regulatory networks. The integrity of PRC2-mediated gene silencing depends critically on the ability of PRC2 to establish and propagate H3K27me3 beyond initial recruitment sites. The oncoproteins EZHIP and histone H3 K27M specifically inhibit this propagation by blocking the allosterically activated state of PRC2, leading to global disruption of H3K27me3 patterns and developmental abnormalities. To uncover chromatin-related pathways intersecting with PRC2 repression, we developed a Drosophila melanogaster model with tissue-specific expression of EZHIP and H3 K27M. A targeted RNAi screen of conserved chromatin regulators identified genetic modifiers that when knocked down either enhanced or suppressed developmental phenotypes driven by these PRC2 inhibitors. Strong suppressors, including the Trithorax-group proteins Ash1 and Trx, the PR-DUB complex member Asx, and the nucleoporin Nup153, restored normal development despite persistent depletion of global H3K27me3. Gene expression analyses revealed that suppression reflected reduced expression of genes aberrantly activated following PRC2 inhibition. Together, these findings highlight conserved chromatin-regulatory pathways that intersect with Polycomb to maintain transcriptional balance and support developmental homeostasis.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

H3 K27M and EZHIP impede H3K27-methylation spreading by inhibiting allosterically stimulated PRC2

Diffuse midline gliomas and posterior fossa type-A ependymomas contain the highly recurrent histone H3 K27M mutation and the H3 K27M-mimic EZHIP, respectively. In vitro, H3 K27M and EZHIP are competitive inhibitors of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) lysine methyltransferase activity. In vivo, these proteins reduce overall H3K27me3 levels, however residual peaks of H3K27me3 remain at CpG islands through an unknown mechanism. Here, we report that EZHIP and H3 K27M preferentially interact with an allosterically activated form of PRC2 in vivo. The formation of H3 K27M- and EZHIP-PRC2 complexes occurs at CpG islands containing H3K27me3 and impedes PRC2 and H3K27me3 spreading. While EZHIP is not found outside of placental mammals, we find that expression of human EZHIP reduces H3K27me3 in Drosophila melanogaster through a conserved molecular mechanism. Our results highlight the mechanistic similarities between EZHIP and H3 K27M in vivo and provide mechanistic insight for the retention of residual H3K27me3 in tumors driven by these oncogenes.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2019

PFA ependymoma-associated protein EZHIP inhibits PRC2 activity through a H3 K27M-like mechanism

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are essential for development and are frequently misregulated in human cancers. Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRC1, PRC2) function in a collaborative epigenetic cross-talk with H3K27me3 to initiate and maintain transcriptional silencing. Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) have extremely low H3K27me3 levels mediated by H3 K27M oncohistone. Posterior fossa type A (PFA) ependymomas also exhibit very low H3K27 methylation but lack the K27M oncohistone. Instead, PFA tumors express high levels of EZHIP (Enhancer of Zeste Homologs Inhibitory Protein, also termed CXORF67). We find that a highly conserved sequence within the C-terminus of EZHIP is necessary and sufficient to inhibit the catalytic activity of PRC2 in vitro and in vivo. Our biochemical experiments indicate that EZHIP directly interacts with the active site of the EZH2 subunit in a mechanism that is remarkably similar to the K27M oncohistone. Furthermore, expression of H3 K27M or EZHIP in cells promote similar chromatin profiles: loss of broad H3K27me3 domains, but retention of H3K27me3 at the sites of PRC2 recruitment. Importantly, we find that H3K27me3-mediated allosteric activation of PRC2 substantially increases the inhibition potential of EZHIP and H3 K27M, providing a potential mechanism for loss of H3K27me3 spreading from CpG islands in vivo. Our data indicate that PFA ependymoma and DIPG are driven in part by the action of peptidyl PRC2 inhibitors- the K27M oncohistone and the EZHIP oncohistone-mimic- that dysregulate gene silencing to promote tumorigenesis.

cancer biology↗