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Sjögren's syndrome X‐chromosome dose effect: An epigenetic perspective
Author(s) -
Mougeot JLC,
Noll BD,
Bahrani Mougeot FK
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
oral diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.953
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1601-0825
pISSN - 1354-523X
DOI - 10.1111/odi.12825
Subject(s) - epigenetics , xist , dna methylation , x inactivation , biology , gene , x chromosome , genetics , methylation , regulation of gene expression , transcription (linguistics) , gene expression , linguistics , philosophy
Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting exocrine glands leading to mouth and eyes dryness. The extent to which epigenetic DNA methylation changes are responsible for an X‐chromosome dose effect has yet to be determined. Our objectives were to (i) describe how epigenetic DNA methylation changes could explain an X‐chromosome dose effect in SS for women with normal 46,XX genotype and (ii) determine the relevant relationships to this dose effect, between X‐linked genes, genes controlling X‐chromosome inactivation (XCI) and genes encoding associated transcription factors, all of which are differentially expressed and/or differentially methylated in the salivary glands of patients with SS. We identified 58 upregulated X‐chromosome genes, including 22 genes previously shown to escape XCI, based on the analysis of SS patient salivary gland GEO2R gene expression datasets. Moreover, we found XIST and its cis regulators RLIM, FTX, and CHIC1, and polycomb repressor genes of the PRC1/2 complexes to be upregulated. Many of the X‐chromosome genes implicated in SS pathogenesis can be regulated by transcription factors which we found to be overexpressed and/or differentially methylated in patients with SS. Determination of the mechanisms underlying methylation‐dependent gene expression and impaired XCI is needed to further elucidate the etiopathogenesis of SS.