[HTML][HTML] Dysfunctional polycomb transcriptional repression contributes to lamin A/C–dependent muscular dystrophy

A Bianchi, C Mozzetta, G Pegoli… - The Journal of …, 2020 - Am Soc Clin Investig
A Bianchi, C Mozzetta, G Pegoli, F Lucini, S Valsoni, V Rosti, C Petrini, A Cortesi
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2020Am Soc Clin Investig
Lamin A is a component of the inner nuclear membrane that, together with epigenetic
factors, organizes the genome in higher order structures required for transcriptional control.
Mutations in the lamin A/C gene cause several diseases belonging to the class of
laminopathies, including muscular dystrophies. Nevertheless, molecular mechanisms
involved in the pathogenesis of lamin A–dependent dystrophies are still largely unknown.
The polycomb group (PcG) of proteins are epigenetic repressors and lamin A interactors …
Lamin A is a component of the inner nuclear membrane that, together with epigenetic factors, organizes the genome in higher order structures required for transcriptional control. Mutations in the lamin A/C gene cause several diseases belonging to the class of laminopathies, including muscular dystrophies. Nevertheless, molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of lamin A–dependent dystrophies are still largely unknown. The polycomb group (PcG) of proteins are epigenetic repressors and lamin A interactors, primarily involved in the maintenance of cell identity. Using a murine model of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), we show here that lamin A loss deregulated PcG positioning in muscle satellite stem cells, leading to derepression of non–muscle-specific genes and p16INK4a, a senescence driver encoded in the Cdkn2a locus. This aberrant transcriptional program caused impairment in self-renewal, loss of cell identity, and premature exhaustion of the quiescent satellite cell pool. Genetic ablation of the Cdkn2a locus restored muscle stem cell properties in lamin A/C–null dystrophic mice. Our findings establish a direct link between lamin A and PcG epigenetic silencing and indicate that lamin A–dependent muscular dystrophy can be ascribed to intrinsic epigenetic dysfunctions of muscle stem cells.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation