DNA methylation and SETDB1/H3K9me3 regulate predominantly distinct sets of genes, retroelements and chimaeric transcripts in mouse ES cells

DNA methylation and histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) play important roles in silencing of genes and retroelements. However, a comprehensive comparison of genes and repetitive elements repressed by these pathways has not been reported. Here we show that in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), the genes up-regulated following deletion of the H3K9 methyltransferase Setdb1 are distinct from those de-repressed in mESC deficient in the DNA methyltransferases Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b, with the exception of a small number of primarily germline-specific genes. Numerous endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) lose H3K9me3 and are concomitantly de-repressed exclusively in SETDB1 knockout mESCs. Strikingly, ~15% of up-regulated genes are induced in association with de-repression of promoter proximal ERVs, half in the context of "chimaeric" transcripts that initiate within these retroelements and splice to genic exons. Thus, SETDB1 plays a previously unappreciated yet critical role in inhibiting aberrant gene transcription by suppressing the expression of proximal ERVs. Overall design: NChIP-seq and mRNA-seq of WT, SETDB1 KO and DMNT1 TKO mESCs

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Karimi MM, Goyal P, Maksakova IA, Bilenky M, Leung D, Tang JX, Shinkai Y, Mager DL, Jones S, Hirst M, Lorincz MC