Cited by 387Genomics and Chromatin DynamicsEpigenetics and DNA MethylationChromatin Remodeling and Cancer

Broad H3K4me3 is associated with increased transcription elongation and enhancer activity at tumor-suppressor genes

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Chen, Kaifu, Chen, Zhong, Wu, Dayong, Zhang, Lili, Lin, Xueqiu, Su, Jianzhong, Rodriguez, Benjamin, Xi, Yuanxin +5 more·2015·Nature Genetics

Abstract

Tumor suppressors are mostly defined by inactivating mutations in tumors, yet little is known about their epigenetic features in normal cells. Through integrative analysis of 1,134 genome-wide epigenetic profiles, mutations from >8,200 tumor-normal pairs and our experimental data from clinical samples, we discovered broad peaks for trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3; wider than 4 kb) as the first epigenetic signature for tumor suppressors in normal cells. Broad H3K4me3 is associated with increased transcription elongation and enhancer activity, which together lead to exceptionally high gene expression, and is distinct from other broad epigenetic features, such as super-enhancers. Genes with broad H3K4me3 peaks conserved across normal cells may represent pan-cancer tumor suppressors, such as TP53 and PTEN, whereas genes with cell type-specific broad H3K4me3 peaks may represent cell identity genes and cell type-specific tumor suppressors. Furthermore, widespread shortening of broad H3K4me3 peaks in cancers is associated with repression of tumor suppressors. Thus, the broad H3K4me3 epigenetic signature provides mutation-independent information for the discovery and characterization of new tumor suppressors.

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  • H3K4me3 domains vary in breadth in locus- and cell-type-specific manner.

    “Interestingly, H3K4me3 domains vary in breadth in a locus- and cell-type-specific manner (Benayoun et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2015), and these differences could provide clues about the context-dependent roles of this mark during aging.”

    From The Aging Epigenome (2016) · cites this paper as Chen et al., 2015

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  1. [22]Barski A High-resolution profiling of histone methylations in the human genome Cell 129 823 837 2007 17512414
  2. [48]Davoli T Cumulative haploinsufficiency and triplosensitivity drive aneuploidy patterns and shape the cancer genome Cell 155 948 962 2013 24183448 PMC3891052

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Authors
Chen, K., Chen, Z., Wu, D., Zhang, L., Lin, X., Su, J., Rodriguez, B., Xi, Y., Xia, Z., Chen, X., Shi, X., Wang, Q., & Li, W.
Affiliations
  • Houston Methodist (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • Tongji University (CN)
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Wang, Qianben
  • Li, Wei
Venue
Nature Genetics
Published
2015-08-24
Volume
47
Issue
10
Pages
1149-1157
ISSN
  • 1061-4036 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1718
OpenAlex
W2214664963
Cited by
373
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 3
FWCI
12.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Genetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Human Genome Research Institute (R01HG007538)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA151979, U54CA113001, R01CA193466, P30CA016672)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Chromatin Remodeling and Cancer
Keywords
H3K4me3, histone trimethylation, tumor suppressor, transcription elongation, enhancer activity, epigenetic signatures, super-enhancers, TP53, PTEN, gene expression, cancer epigenetics
MeSH terms
Enhancer Elements, Genetic, Histones, Humans, Transcription, Genetic, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Epigenesis, Genetic, Cell Line, Tumor

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