Bittner, N. ; Shi, C.* ; Zhao, D.* ; Ding, J.* ; Southam, L. ; Swift, D.* ; Kreitmaier, P. ; Tutino, M. ; Stergiou, O. ; Cheung, J.T.S.* ; Katsoula, G. ; Hankinson, J. ; Wilkinson, J.M.* ; Orozco, G.* ; Zeggini, E.
Primary osteoarthritis chondrocyte map of chromatin conformation reveals novel candidate effector genes.
Ann. Rheum. Dis., DOI: 10.1136/ard-2023-224945 (2024)
OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis is a complex disease with a huge public health burden. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of osteoarthritis-associated sequence variants, but the effector genes underpinning these signals remain largely elusive. Understanding chromosome organisation in three-dimensional (3D) space is essential for identifying long-range contacts between distant genomic features (e.g., between genes and regulatory elements), in a tissue-specific manner. Here, we generate the first whole genome chromosome conformation analysis (Hi-C) map of primary osteoarthritis chondrocytes and identify novel candidate effector genes for the disease. METHODS: Primary chondrocytes collected from 8 patients with knee osteoarthritis underwent Hi-C analysis to link chromosomal structure to genomic sequence. The identified loops were then combined with osteoarthritis GWAS results and epigenomic data from primary knee osteoarthritis chondrocytes to identify variants involved in gene regulation via enhancer-promoter interactions. RESULTS: We identified 345 genetic variants residing within chromatin loop anchors that are associated with 77 osteoarthritis GWAS signals. Ten of these variants reside directly in enhancer regions of 10 newly described active enhancer-promoter loops, identified with multiomics analysis of publicly available chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) data from primary knee chondrocyte cells, pointing to two new candidate effector genes SPRY4 and PAPPA (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A) as well as further support for the gene SLC44A2 known to be involved in osteoarthritis. For example, PAPPA is directly associated with the turnover of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) proteins, and IGF-1 is an important factor in the repair of damaged chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed the first Hi-C map of primary human chondrocytes and have made it available as a resource for the scientific community. By integrating 3D genomics with large-scale genetic association and epigenetic data, we identify novel candidate effector genes for osteoarthritis, which enhance our understanding of disease and can serve as putative high-value novel drug targets.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
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Keywords
Chondrocytes ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Pharmacogenetics; Human Genome; Cell-types; In-vitro; Papp-a; Association; Variants; Visualization; Architecture; Proteolysis; Expression
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Language
english
Publication Year
2024
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0
HGF-reported in Year
2024
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0003-4967
e-ISSN
1468-2060
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BMJ Publishing Group
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British Med Assoc House, Tavistock Square, London Wc1h 9jr, England
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Peer reviewed
Institute(s)
Institute of Translational Genomics (ITG)
POF-Topic(s)
30205 - Bioengineering and Digital Health
Research field(s)
Genetics and Epidemiology
Enabling and Novel Technologies
PSP Element(s)
G-506700-001
G-506701-001
Grants
NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
Versus Arthritis
Wellcome Trust
Copyright
Erfassungsdatum
2024-05-07