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Regulation of gene expression changes during chondrogenic differentiation by DNA methylation and demethylation is little understood. Methylated cytosines (5mC) are oxidized by the ten-eleven-translocation (TET) proteins to 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC), 5-formylcytosines (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosines (5caC), eventually leading to a replacement by unmethylated cytosines (C), ie, DNA demethylation. Additionally, 5hmC is stable and acts as an epigenetic mark by itself. Here, we report that global changes in 5hmC mark chondrogenic differentiation in vivo and in vitro. Tibia anlagen and growth plate analyses during limb development at mouse embryonic days E 11.5, 13.5, and 17.5 showed dynamic changes in 5hmC levels in the differentiating chondrocytes. A similar increase in 5hmC levels was observed in the ATDC5 chondroprogenitor cell line accompanied by increased expression of the TET proteins during in vitro differentiation. Loss of TET1 in ATDC5 decreased 5hmC levels and impaired differentiation, demonstrating a functional role for TET1-mediated 5hmC dynamics in chondrogenic differentiation. Global analyses of the 5hmC-enriched sequences during early and late chondrogenic differentiation identified 5hmC distribution to be enriched in the regulatory regions of genes preceding the transcription start site (TSS), as well as in the gene bodies. Stable gains in 5hmC were observed in specific subsets of genes, including genes associated with cartilage development and in chondrogenic lineage-specific genes. 5hmC gains in regulatory promoter and enhancer regions as well as in gene bodies were strongly associated with activated but not repressed genes, indicating a potential regulatory role for DNA hydroxymethylation in chondrogenic gene expression., (© 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)

Objective: To examine the genome-wide distribution of hydroxymethylated cytosine (5hmC) in osteoarthritic (OA) and normal chondrocytes in order to investigate the effect on OA-specific gene expression., Methods: Cartilage was obtained from OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty or from control patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Genome-wide sequencing of 5hmC-enriched DNA was performed in a small cohort of normal and OA chondrocytes to identify differentially hydroxymethylated regions (DhMRs) in OA chondrocytes. Data from the genome-wide sequencing of 5hmC-enriched DNA were intersected with global OA gene expression data to define subsets of genes and pathways potentially affected by increased 5hmC levels in OA chondrocytes., Results: A total of 70,591 DhMRs were identified in OA chondrocytes as compared to normal chondrocytes, 44,288 (63%) of which were increased in OA chondrocytes. The majority of DhMRs (66%) were gained in gene bodies. Increased DhMRs were observed in ∼50% of genes previously implicated in OA pathology including MMP3, LRP5, GDF5, and COL11A1. Furthermore, analyses of gene expression data revealed gene body gain of 5hmC appears to be preferentially associated with activated, but not repressed, genes in OA chondrocytes., Conclusion: This study provides the first genome-wide profiling of 5hmC distribution in OA chondrocytes. We had previously reported a global increase in 5hmC levels in OA chondrocytes. Gain of 5hmC in the gene body is found to be characteristic of activated genes in OA chondrocytes, highlighting the influence of 5hmC as an epigenetic mark in OA. In addition, this study identifies multiple OA-associated genes that are potentially regulated either singularly by gain of DNA hydroxymethylation or in combination with loss of DNA methylation., (© 2015, American College of Rheumatology.)

Objective: To investigate the role of the newly discovered epigenetic mark 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and its regulators in altered gene expression in osteoarthritis (OA)., Methods: Cartilage was obtained from OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty and from control patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Global levels of 5hmC and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) were investigated using immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and cellular staining. Gene expression changes were monitored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Levels of locus-specific 5hmC and 5mC at CpG sites in the matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-3, ADAMTS-5, and hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT-1) promoters were quantified using a glucosylation and enzyme digestion-based method followed by quantitative PCR analysis. Global and locus-specific 5hmC levels and gene expression changes were monitored in normal chondrocytes stimulated with inflammatory cytokines to identify the effect of joint inflammation., Results: A global 5-6-fold increase in 5hmC concomitant with a loss of TET1 was observed in human OA chondrocytes compared to normal chondrocytes. Enrichment of 5hmC was observed in promoters of enzymes critical to OA pathology, MMP-1 and MMP-3. Short-term treatment of normal chondrocytes with inflammatory cytokines induced a rapid decrease in TET1 expression but no global or locus-specific 5hmC enrichment., Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence of an epigenetic imbalance of the 5hmC homeostasis in OA leading to TET1 down-regulation and 5hmC accumulation. Our experiments identify 5hmC and its regulators as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in OA., (Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.)