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Arsenic alters global histone modifications in lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo

Pournara, Angeliki ; Kippler, Maria ; Holmlund, Teresa ; Ceder, Rebecca ; Grafström, Roland ; Vahter, Marie ; Broberg, Karin LU orcid and Wallberg, Annika E (2016) In Cell Biology and Toxicology 32(4). p.84-275
Abstract

Arsenic, an established carcinogen and toxicant, occurs in drinking water and food and affects millions of people worldwide. Arsenic appears to interfere with gene expression through epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications. We investigated the effects of arsenic on histone residues in vivo as well as in vitro. Analysis of H3K9Ac and H3K9me3 in CD4+ and CD8+ sorted blood cells from individuals exposed to arsenic through drinking water in the Argentinean Andes showed a significant decrease in global H3K9me3 in CD4+ cells, but not CD8+ cells, with increasing arsenic exposure. In vitro studies of inorganic arsenic-treated T lymphocytes (Jurkat and CCRF-CEM, 0.1, 1, and 100 μg/L) showed... (More)

Arsenic, an established carcinogen and toxicant, occurs in drinking water and food and affects millions of people worldwide. Arsenic appears to interfere with gene expression through epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications. We investigated the effects of arsenic on histone residues in vivo as well as in vitro. Analysis of H3K9Ac and H3K9me3 in CD4+ and CD8+ sorted blood cells from individuals exposed to arsenic through drinking water in the Argentinean Andes showed a significant decrease in global H3K9me3 in CD4+ cells, but not CD8+ cells, with increasing arsenic exposure. In vitro studies of inorganic arsenic-treated T lymphocytes (Jurkat and CCRF-CEM, 0.1, 1, and 100 μg/L) showed arsenic-related modifications of H3K9Ac and changes in the levels of the histone deacetylating enzyme HDAC2 at very low arsenic concentrations. Further, in vitro exposure of kidney HEK293 cells to arsenic (1 and 5 μM) altered the protein levels of PCNA and DNMT1, parts of a gene expression repressor complex, as well as MAML1. MAML1 co-localized and interacted with components of this complex in HEK293 cells, and in silico studies indicated that MAML1 expression correlate with HDAC2 and DNMT1 expression in kidney cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that arsenic exposure may lead to changes in the global levels of H3K9me3 and H3K9Ac in lymphocytes. Also, we show that arsenic exposure affects the expression of PCNA and DNMT1-proteins that are part of a gene expression silencing complex.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adult, Arsenic/adverse effects, DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1, DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics, DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics, Drinking Water, Epigenesis, Genetic, Female, Gene Silencing/drug effects, HEK293 Cells, Histone Code/drug effects, Histone Deacetylase 2/genetics, Histones/genetics, Humans, Jurkat Cells, Lymphocytes/drug effects, Middle Aged, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/genetics, Protein Processing, Post-Translational/drug effects, Transcription Factors/genetics, Young Adult
in
Cell Biology and Toxicology
volume
32
issue
4
pages
10 pages
publisher
Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
external identifiers
  • scopus:84966560502
  • pmid:27165195
ISSN
0742-2091
DOI
10.1007/s10565-016-9334-0
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
f63fb677-04db-41aa-ba6d-784e77840390
date added to LUP
2019-02-12 15:51:23
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:29:54
@article{f63fb677-04db-41aa-ba6d-784e77840390,
  abstract     = {{<p>Arsenic, an established carcinogen and toxicant, occurs in drinking water and food and affects millions of people worldwide. Arsenic appears to interfere with gene expression through epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and post-translational histone modifications. We investigated the effects of arsenic on histone residues in vivo as well as in vitro. Analysis of H3K9Ac and H3K9me3 in CD4+ and CD8+ sorted blood cells from individuals exposed to arsenic through drinking water in the Argentinean Andes showed a significant decrease in global H3K9me3 in CD4+ cells, but not CD8+ cells, with increasing arsenic exposure. In vitro studies of inorganic arsenic-treated T lymphocytes (Jurkat and CCRF-CEM, 0.1, 1, and 100 μg/L) showed arsenic-related modifications of H3K9Ac and changes in the levels of the histone deacetylating enzyme HDAC2 at very low arsenic concentrations. Further, in vitro exposure of kidney HEK293 cells to arsenic (1 and 5 μM) altered the protein levels of PCNA and DNMT1, parts of a gene expression repressor complex, as well as MAML1. MAML1 co-localized and interacted with components of this complex in HEK293 cells, and in silico studies indicated that MAML1 expression correlate with HDAC2 and DNMT1 expression in kidney cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that arsenic exposure may lead to changes in the global levels of H3K9me3 and H3K9Ac in lymphocytes. Also, we show that arsenic exposure affects the expression of PCNA and DNMT1-proteins that are part of a gene expression silencing complex.</p>}},
  author       = {{Pournara, Angeliki and Kippler, Maria and Holmlund, Teresa and Ceder, Rebecca and Grafström, Roland and Vahter, Marie and Broberg, Karin and Wallberg, Annika E}},
  issn         = {{0742-2091}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Arsenic/adverse effects; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics; Drinking Water; Epigenesis, Genetic; Female; Gene Silencing/drug effects; HEK293 Cells; Histone Code/drug effects; Histone Deacetylase 2/genetics; Histones/genetics; Humans; Jurkat Cells; Lymphocytes/drug effects; Middle Aged; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/genetics; Protein Processing, Post-Translational/drug effects; Transcription Factors/genetics; Young Adult}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{84--275}},
  publisher    = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
  series       = {{Cell Biology and Toxicology}},
  title        = {{Arsenic alters global histone modifications in lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10565-016-9334-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10565-016-9334-0}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}