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To improve the poor survival rate of lung cancer patients, we investigated the role of HDGF‐related protein 3 (HRP‐3) as a potential biomarker for lung cancer. The expression of endogenous HRP‐3 in human lung cancer tissues and xenograft tumor models is indicative of its clinical relevance in lung cancer. Additionally, we demonstrated that HRP‐3 directly binds to the E2F1 promoter on chromatin. Interestingly, HRP‐3 depletion in A549 cells impedes the binding of HRP‐3 to the E2F1 promoter; this in turn hampers the interaction between Histone H3/H4 and HDAC1/2 on the E2F1 promoter, while concomitantly inducing Histone H3/H4 acetylation around the E2F1 promoter. The enhanced Histone H3/H4 acetylation on the E2F1 promoter through HRP‐3 depletion increases the transcription level of E2F1. Furthermore, the increased E2F1 transcription levels lead to the enhanced transcription of Cyclin E, known as the E2F1‐responsive gene, thus inducing S‐phase accumulation. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the utility of HRP‐3 as a biomarker for the prognosis and treatment of lung cancer. Furthermore, we delineated the capacity of HRP‐3 to regulate the E2F1 transcription level via histone deacetylation., HRP‐3 depletion–mediated S‐phase accumulation augments E2F1 transcription. HRP‐3 depletion induces H3/H4 acetylation and obstructs HRP‐3 binding to the E2F1 promoter. The reduction of HDAC 1/2 recruitment in the E2F1 promoter by HRP‐3 depletion increases H3/H4 acetylation in the E2F1 promoter.

The adverse effects of radiation are proportional to the total dose and dose rate. We aimed to investigate the effects of radiation dose rate on different organs in mice. The mice were subjected to low dose rate (LDR, ~3.4 mGy/h) and high dose rate (HDR, ~51 Gy/h) radiation. LDR radiation caused severe tissue toxicity, as observed in the histological analysis of testis. It adversely influenced sperm production, including sperm count and motility, and induced greater sperm abnormalities. The expression of markers of early stage spermatogonial stem cells, such as Plzf, c-Kit, and Oct4, decreased significantly after LDR irradiation, compared to that following exposure of HDR radiation, in qPCR analysis. The compositional ratios of all stages of spermatogonia and meiotic cells, except round spermatid, were considerably reduced by LDR in FACS analysis. Therefore, LDR radiation caused more adverse testicular damage than that by HDR radiation, contrary to the response observed in other organs. Therefore, the dose rate of radiation may have differential effects, depending on the organ; it is necessary to evaluate the effect of radiation in terms of radiation dose, dose rate, organ type, and other conditions.

Skeletal muscle cell differentiation requires a family of proteins called myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) to which MyoD belongs. The activity of MyoD is under epigenetic regulation, however, the molecular mechanism by which histone KMTs and KDMs regulate MyoD transcriptional activity through methylation remains to be determined. Here we provide evidence for a unique regulatory mechanism of MyoD transcriptional activity through demethylation by Jmjd2C demethylase whose level increases during muscle differentiation. G9a decreases MyoD stability via methylation-dependent MyoD ubiquitination. Jmjd2C directly associates with MyoD in vitro and in vivo to demethylate and stabilize MyoD. The hypo-methylated MyoD due to Jmjd2C is significantly more stable than hyper-methylated MyoD by G9a. Cul4/Ddb1/Dcaf1 pathway is essential for the G9a-mediated MyoD degradation in myoblasts. By the stabilization of MyoD, Jmjd2C increases myogenic conversion of mouse embryonic fibroblasts and MyoD transcriptional activity with erasing repressive H3K9me3 level at the promoter of MyoD target genes. Collectively, Jmjd2C increases MyoD transcriptional activity to facilitate skeletal muscle differentiation by increasing MyoD stability through inhibiting G9a-dependent MyoD degradation.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays an important role in protein quality control, cellular signalings, and cell differentiation through the regulated turnover of key transcription factors in cardiac tissue. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Fbxo25-mediated ubiquitination of cardiac transcription factors remains elusive. We report that an Fbxo25-mediated SCF ubiquitination pathway regulates the protein levels and activities of Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 based on our studies using MG132, proteasome inhibitor, and the temperature sensitive ubiquitin system in ts20 cells. Our data indicate that Fbxo25 directly interacts with Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 in vitro and in vivo. In support of our findings, a dominant-negative mutant of Fbxo25, Fbxo251-236, prevents Tbx5 degradation and increases Tbx5 transcriptional activity in a Tbx5 responsive luciferase assay. Therefore, Fbxo25 facilitates Tbx5 degradation in an SCF-dependent manner. In addition, the silencing of endogenous Fbxo25 increases Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 mRNA levels and suppresses mESC-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation. Likewise, the exogenous expression of FBXO25 downregulates NKX2-5 level in human ESC-derived cardiomyocytes. In myocardial infarction model, Fbxo25 mRNA decreases, whereas the mRNA and protein levels of Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 increase. The protein levels of Tbx5 and Nkx2-5 are regulated negatively by Fbxo25-mediated SCF ubiquitination pathway. Thus, our findings reveal a novel mechanism for regulation of SCFFbox25-dependent Nkx2-5 and Tbx5 ubiquitination in cardiac development and provide a new insight into the regulatory mechanism of Nkx2-5 and Tbx5 transcriptional activity.

Summary Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are maintained in serum with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) to maintain self-renewal and pluripotency. Recently, a 2i culture method was reported using a combination of MEK inhibition (MEKi) and GSK3 inhibition (GSK3i) with LIF to maintain ESCs in a naive ground state. How 2i maintains a ground state of ESCs remains elusive. Here we show that MEKi and GSK3i maintain the ESC ground state by downregulating global DNA methylation through two distinct mechanisms. MEK1 phosphorylates JMJD2C for ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. Therefore, MEKi increased JMJD2C protein levels but decreased DNMT3 expression. JMJD2C promotes TET1 activity to increase 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels. GSK3i suppressed DNMT3 expression, thereby decreasing DNA methylation without affecting 5hmC levels. Furthermore, 2i increased PRDM14 expression to inhibit DNMT3A/B protein expression by promoting G9a-mediated DNMT3A/B protein degradation. Collectively, 2i allows ESCs to maintain a naive ground state through JMJD2C-dependent TET1 activation and PRDM14/G9a-mediated DNMT3A/B protein degradation., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • MEKi increases JMJD2C protein levels and decreases DNMT3 expression in ESCs • JMJD2C promotes TET1 hydroxylase activity to increase global 5hmC levels • GSK3i decreases global DNA methylation without affecting 5hmC levels • 2i-induced PRDM14 expression promotes G9a-mediated DNMT3A/B protein degradation, In this article, Kim and colleagues show that MEKi and GSK3i maintain the ESC ground state by downregulating global DNA methylation through two distinct mechanisms. MEKi increased JMJD2C protein levels, thereby enhancing TET1 activity, whereas GSK3i decreased DNMT3 family expression. Therefore, they uncover that DNA demethylation pathways under 2i conditions are governed by the JMJD2C/TET1 and PRDM14/G9a/DNMT3 complexes.