Renal transcriptome profiling by RNAseq in Bicc1 WT and KO mice.

Mutations in Bicaudaul C 1 (BICC1), evolutionary conserved RNA-binding protein, cause renal cysts in mice and humans. These renal cysts are reminiscent of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). How BICC1 is involved in the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease is still unknown. Recent studies highlighted that HNF4A plays a role in the regulation of metabolic pathways deregulated in this renal disease. Moreover, Menezes et al. [2012, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003053] showed that combined kidney inactivation of Hnf4a and Pkd1 in mice significantly worsened the cystic phenotype. Here we investigated whether the DNA binding and transcriptional activity of HNF4A might be deregulated in kidneys from Bicc1 mouse model of polycystic kidney disease. HNF4A, H3K27ac, H3K4me1 ChIPseq experiments were performed in kidneys from male and female Bicc1 WT and KO mice. From the contralateral kidneys of the same animals used for the ChIPseq experiments, the total RNA was extracted for gene expression profiling by RNAseq. The RNAseq data was used to support the ChIP-seq analysis and to reveal deregulated pathways in BICC1 mutants.