Deconstruction of DNA methylation patterns during myogenesis reveals specific epigenetic events in the establishment of the skeletal muscle lineage

Cellular differentiation involves widespread epigenetic reprogramming, including modulation of DNA methylation patterns. We have investigated DNA genome-wide methylation dynamics in embryonic stem cells, primary myoblasts, terminal differentiated myotubes and mature myofibers. About 1.000 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) have been indentified during muscle-lineage determination and terminal differentiation. As a whole, muscle lineage commitment was characterized by a major gain of DNA methylation, while muscle differentiation was accompanied by loss of DNA methylation in CpG-poor regions. Notably, hypomethylated regions in muscle cells were neighboured by enhancer-type chromatin, suggesting the involvement of DNA methylation in the regulation of cell-type specific enhancers. Indeed, one of the hypomethylations detected in muscle cells affected the super-enhancer of the master transcription factor Myf5. Super-enhancers have been defined as large clusters of transcriptional enhancers driving cell-identity and gene expression, but how these lineage-specific super-enhancers are specifically activated or repressed in different tissues is not well understood. We demonstrated that the binding of the transcription factor USF1 to Myf5 locus occurs upon DNA demethylation of the super-enhancer region in myogenic committed cells. Taken all together, we have characterized the unique DNA methylation signatures of muscle-committed cells and highlighted the importance of DNA methylation mediated regulation of cell identity super-enhancers.