PUBLICATION

The DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A contributes to autophagy long-term memory

Authors
González-Rodríguez, P., Cheray, M., Füllgrabe, J., Salli, M., Engskog-Vlachos, P., Keane, L., Cunha, V., Lupa, A., Li, W., Ma, Q., Dreij, K., Rosenfeld, M.G., Joseph, B.
ID
ZDB-PUB-200904-6
Date
2020
Source
Autophagy   17(5): 1259-1277 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Autophagy, DNA methylation, MAP1LC3, epigenetics, transcription
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/metabolism
  • Autophagy/physiology*
  • DNA/metabolism*
  • DNA Methyltransferase 3A/metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lysosomes/metabolism
  • Memory, Long-Term/physiology*
  • Methyltransferases/metabolism
  • Mice
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
32876528 Full text @ Autophagy
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy is a conserved catabolic pathway that targets cytoplasmic components for their degradation and recycling in an autophagosome-dependent lysosomal manner. Under physiological conditions, this process maintains cellular homeostasis. However, autophagy can be stimulated upon different forms of cellular stress, ranging from nutrient starvation to exposure to drugs. Thus, this pathway can be seen as a central component of the integrated and adaptive stress response. Here, we report that even brief induction of autophagy is coupled in vitro to a persistent downregulation of the expression of MAP1LC3 isoforms, which are key components of the autophagy core machinery. In fact, DNA-methylation mediated by de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A of MAP1LC3 loci upon autophagy stimulation leads to the observed long-term decrease of MAP1LC3 isoforms at transcriptional level. Finally, we report that the downregulation of MAP1LC3 expression can be observed in vivo in zebrafish larvae and mice exposed to a transient autophagy stimulus. This epigenetic memory of autophagy provides some understanding of the long-term effect of autophagy induction and offers a possible mechanism for its decline upon aging, pathological conditions, or in response to treatment interventions.
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