scholarly journals Impact of a hypomorphic Artemis disease allele on lymphocyte development, DNA end processing, and genome stability

2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Huang ◽  
William Giblin ◽  
Martina Kubec ◽  
Gerwin Westfield ◽  
Jordan St. Charles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Translation Termination ◽  
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Hypomorphic Mutation ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
B And T Lymphocytes

Artemis was initially discovered as the gene inactivated in human radiosensitive T−B− severe combined immunodeficiency, a syndrome characterized by the absence of B and T lymphocytes and cellular hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. Hypomorphic Artemis alleles have also been identified in patients and are associated with combined immunodeficiencies of varying severity. We examine the molecular mechanisms underlying a syndrome of partial immunodeficiency caused by a hypomorphic Artemis allele using the mouse as a model system. This mutation, P70, leads to premature translation termination that deletes a large portion of a nonconserved C terminus. We find that homozygous Artemis-P70 mice exhibit reduced numbers of B and T lymphocytes, thereby recapitulating the patient phenotypes. The hypomorphic mutation results in impaired end processing during the lymphoid-specific DNA rearrangement known as V(D)J recombination, defective double-strand break repair, and increased chromosomal instability. Biochemical analyses reveal that the Artemis-P70 mutant protein interacts with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and retains significant, albeit reduced, exo- and endonuclease activities but does not undergo phosphorylation. Together, our findings indicate that the Artemis C terminus has critical in vivo functions in ensuring efficient V(D)J rearrangements and maintaining genome integrity.

scholarly journals A novel adoptive transfer model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia suggests a key role for T lymphocytes in the disease

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (20) ◽  
pp. 5463-5472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Bagnara ◽  
Matthew S. Kaufman ◽  
Carlo Calissano ◽  
Sonia Marsilio ◽  
Piers E. M. Patten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Adoptive Transfer ◽  
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Lymphoid Tissues ◽  
Transfer Model

AbstractChronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an incurable adult disease of unknown etiology. Understanding the biology of CLL cells, particularly cell maturation and growth in vivo, has been impeded by lack of a reproducible adoptive transfer model. We report a simple, reproducible system in which primary CLL cells proliferate in nonobese diabetes/severe combined immunodeficiency/γcnull mice under the influence of activated CLL-derived T lymphocytes. By cotransferring autologous T lymphocytes, activated in vivo by alloantigens, the survival and growth of primary CFSE-labeled CLL cells in vivo is achieved and quantified. Using this approach, we have identified key roles for CD4+ T cells in CLL expansion, a direct link between CD38 expression by leukemic B cells and their activation, and support for CLL cells preferentially proliferating in secondary lymphoid tissues. The model should simplify analyzing kinetics of CLL cells in vivo, deciphering involvement of nonleukemic elements and nongenetic factors promoting CLL cell growth, identifying and characterizing potential leukemic stem cells, and permitting preclinical studies of novel therapeutics. Because autologous activated T lymphocytes are 2-edged swords, generating unwanted graph-versus-host and possibly autologous antitumor reactions, the model may also facilitate analyses of T-cell populations involved in immune surveillance relevant to hematopoietic transplantation and tumor cytoxicity.

scholarly journals uS3/Rps3 controls fidelity of translation termination and programmed stop codon readthrough in co-operation with eIF3

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (21) ◽  
pp. 11326-11343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristýna Poncová ◽  
Susan Wagner ◽  
Myrte Esmeralda Jansen ◽  
Petra Beznosková ◽  
Stanislava Gunišová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Translational Control ◽  
Stop Codon ◽  
Translation Termination ◽  
Translation Initiation Factor ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Eukaryotic Translation ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Stop Codon Readthrough

Abstract Ribosome was long considered as a critical yet passive player in protein synthesis. Only recently the role of its basic components, ribosomal RNAs and proteins, in translational control has begun to emerge. Here we examined function of the small ribosomal protein uS3/Rps3, earlier shown to interact with eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF3, in termination. We identified two residues in consecutive helices occurring in the mRNA entry pore, whose mutations to the opposite charge either reduced (K108E) or increased (R116D) stop codon readthrough. Whereas the latter increased overall levels of eIF3-containing terminating ribosomes in heavy polysomes in vivo indicating slower termination rates, the former specifically reduced eIF3 amounts in termination complexes. Combining these two mutations with the readthrough-reducing mutations at the extreme C-terminus of the a/Tif32 subunit of eIF3 either suppressed (R116D) or exacerbated (K108E) the readthrough phenotypes, and partially corrected or exacerbated the defects in the composition of termination complexes. In addition, we found that K108 affects efficiency of termination in the termination context-specific manner by promoting incorporation of readthrough-inducing tRNAs. Together with the multiple binding sites that we identified between these two proteins, we suggest that Rps3 and eIF3 closely co-operate to control translation termination and stop codon readthrough.

Control of genome stability by Slx protein complexes

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Alkylating Agents ◽  
Strand Break

The six Saccharomyces cerevisiae SLX genes were identified in a screen for factors required for the viability of cells lacking Sgs1, a member of the RecQ helicase family involved in processing stalled replisomes and in the maintenance of genome stability. The six SLX gene products form three distinct heterodimeric complexes, and all three have catalytic activity. Slx3–Slx2 (also known as Mus81–Mms4) and Slx1–Slx4 are both heterodimeric endonucleases with a marked specificity for branched replication fork-like DNA species, whereas Slx5–Slx8 is a SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier)-targeted E3 ubiquitin ligase. All three complexes play important, but distinct, roles in different aspects of the cellular response to DNA damage and perturbed DNA replication. Slx4 interacts physically not only with Slx1, but also with Rad1–Rad10 [XPF (xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F)–ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementing 1) in humans], another structure-specific endonuclease that participates in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage and in a subpathway of recombinational DNA DSB (double-strand break) repair. Curiously, Slx4 is essential for repair of DSBs by Rad1–Rad10, but is not required for repair of UV damage. Slx4 also promotes cellular resistance to DNA-alkylating agents that block the progression of replisomes during DNA replication, by facilitating the error-free mode of lesion bypass. This does not require Slx1 or Rad1–Rad10, and so Slx4 has several distinct roles in protecting genome stability. In the present article, I provide an overview of our current understanding of the cellular roles of the Slx proteins, paying particular attention to the advances that have been made in understanding the cellular roles of Slx4. In particular, protein–protein interactions and underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed and I draw attention to the many questions that have yet to be answered.

scholarly journals The C-terminus of cytochrome b5 confers endoplasmic reticulum specificity by preventing spontaneous insertion into membranes

2007 ◽  
Vol 401 (3) ◽  
pp. 701-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. A. Henderson ◽  
Yeen Ting Hwang ◽  
John M. Dyer ◽  
Robert T. Mullen ◽  
David W. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Subcellular Localization ◽  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cytochrome B5 ◽  
Terminal Sequence ◽  
C Terminus

The molecular mechanisms that determine the correct subcellular localization of proteins targeted to membranes by tail-anchor sequences are poorly defined. Previously, we showed that two isoforms of the tung oil tree [Vernicia (Aleurites) fordii] tail-anchored Cb5 (cytochrome b5) target specifically to ER (endoplasmic reticulum) membranes both in vivo and in vitro [Hwang, Pelitire, Henderson, Andrews, Dyer and Mullen (2004) Plant Cell 16, 3002–3019]. In the present study, we examine the targeting of various tung Cb5 fusion proteins and truncation mutants to purified intracellular membranes in vitro in order to assess the importance of the charged CTS (C-terminal sequence) in targeting to specific membranes. Removal of the CTS from tung Cb5 proteins resulted in efficient binding to both ER and mitochondria. Results from organelle competition, liposome-binding and membrane proteolysis experiments demonstrated that removal of the CTS results in spontaneous insertion of tung Cb5 proteins into lipid bilayers. Our results indicate that the CTSs from plant Cb5 proteins provide ER specificity by preventing spontaneous insertion into incorrect subcellular membranes.

scholarly journals Yeast Nucleolin Nsr1 Impedes Replication and Elevates Genome Instability at an Actively Transcribed Guanine-Rich G4 DNA-Forming Sequence

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 216 (4) ◽  
pp. 1023-1037
Author(s):  
Shivani Singh ◽  
Alexandra Berroyer ◽  
Minseon Kim ◽  
Nayun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Genome Instability ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Yeast Genome ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
G4 Dna ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Dna Strand

A significant increase in genome instability is associated with the conformational shift of a guanine-run-containing DNA strand into the four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. The mechanism underlying the recombination and genome rearrangements following the formation of G4 DNA in vivo has been difficult to elucidate but has become better clarified by the identification and functional characterization of several key G4 DNA-binding proteins. Mammalian nucleolin (NCL) is a highly specific G4 DNA-binding protein with a well-defined role in the transcriptional regulation of genes with associated G4 DNA-forming sequence motifs at their promoters. The consequence of the in vivo interaction between G4 DNA and nucleolin in respect to the genome instability has not been previously investigated. We show here that the yeast nucleolin Nsr1 is enriched at a G4 DNA-forming sequence in vivo and is a major factor in inducing the genome instability associated with the cotranscriptionally formed G4 DNA in the yeast genome. We also show that Nsr1 results in impeding replication past such a G4 DNA-forming sequence. The G4-associated genome instability and the G4 DNA-binding in vivo require the arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) repeats located at the C-terminus of the Nsr1 protein. Nsr1 with the deletion of RGG domain supports normal cell growth and is sufficient for its pre-rRNA processing function. However, the truncation of the RGG domain of Nsr1 significantly weakens its interaction with G4 DNA in vivo and restores unhindered replication, overall resulting in a sharp reduction in the genome instability associated with a guanine-rich G4 DNA-forming sequence. Our data suggest that the interaction between Nsr1 with the intact RGG repeats and G4 DNA impairs genome stability by precluding the access of G4-resolving proteins and impeding replication.

scholarly journals A Glycine-Arginine Domain in Control of the Human MRE11 DNA Repair Protein

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 3058-3069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugo Déry ◽  
Yan Coulombe ◽  
Amélie Rodrigue ◽  
Andrzej Stasiak ◽  
Stéphane Richard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Stability ◽  
Nuclease Activity ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Arginine Methylation ◽  
Double Strand Break ◽  
Double Strand Break Repair ◽  
Focus Formation ◽  
Dna Double Strand Break ◽  
Break Repair

ABSTRACT Human MRE11 is a key enzyme in DNA double-strand break repair and genome stability. Human MRE11 bears a glycine-arginine-rich (GAR) motif that is conserved among multicellular eukaryotic species. We investigated how this motif influences MRE11 function. Human MRE11 alone or a complex of MRE11, RAD50, and NBS1 (MRN) was methylated in insect cells, suggesting that this modification is conserved during evolution. We demonstrate that PRMT1 interacts with MRE11 but not with the MRN complex, suggesting that MRE11 arginine methylation occurs prior to the binding of NBS1 and RAD50. Moreover, the first six methylated arginines are essential for the regulation of MRE11 DNA binding and nuclease activity. The inhibition of arginine methylation leads to a reduction in MRE11 and RAD51 focus formation on a unique double-strand break in vivo. Furthermore, the MRE11-methylated GAR domain is sufficient for its targeting to DNA damage foci and colocalization with γ-H2AX. These studies highlight an important role for the GAR domain in regulating MRE11 function at the biochemical and cellular levels during DNA double-strand break repair.

scholarly journals Co-expression of cytokine and suicide genes to enhance the activity and safety of tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (8) ◽  
pp. 2793-2802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Concetta Quintarelli ◽  
Juan F. Vera ◽  
Barbara Savoldo ◽  
Greta M. P. Giordano Attianese ◽  
Martin Pule ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes ◽  
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Suicide Gene ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
Transgenic Expression ◽  
Barr Virus

Abstract The antitumor effect of adoptively transferred tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is impaired by the limited capacity of these cells to expand within the tumor microenvironment. Administration of interleukin 2 (IL-2) has been used to overcome this limitation, but the systemic toxicity and the expansion of unwanted cells, including regulatory T cells, limit the clinical value of this strategy. To discover whether transgenic expression of lymphokines by the CTLs themselves might overcome these limitations, we evaluated the effects of transgenic expression of IL-2 and IL-15 in our model of Epstein Barr Virus–specific CTLs (EBV-CTLs). We found that transgenic expression of IL-2 or IL-15 increased the expansion of EBV-CTLs both in vitro and in vivo in a severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) mouse model and enhanced antitumor activity. Although the proliferation of these cytokine genes transduced CTLs remained strictly antigen dependent, clinical application of this approach likely requires the inclusion of a suicide gene to deal with the potential development of T-cell mutants with autonomous growth. We found that the incorporation of an inducible caspase-9 suicide gene allowed efficient elimination of transgenic CTLs after exposure to a chemical inducer of dimerization, thereby increasing the safety and feasibility of the approach.

scholarly journals Cytoplasmic Interactions between the Glucocorticoid Receptor and HDAC2 Regulate Osteocalcin Expression in VPA-Treated MSCs

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcella La Noce ◽  
Luigi Mele ◽  
Luigi Laino ◽  
Giovanni Iolascon ◽  
Gorizio Pieretti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽  
Hdac Inhibitor ◽  
Histone Deacetylases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ◽  
Hdac Inhibitors ◽  
Stem Cell Differentiation ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Nonobese Diabetic

Epigenetic regulation has been considered an important mechanism for influencing stem cell differentiation. In particular, histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been shown to play a role in the osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, the effect of the HDAC inhibitor, valproic acid (VPA), on bone formation in vivo by MSCs was determined. Surprisingly, VPA treatment, unlike other HDAC inhibitors, produced a well-organized lamellar bone tissue when MSCs–collagen sponge constructs were implanted subcutaneously into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice, although a decrease of osteocalcin (OC) expression was observed. Consequently, we decided to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which VPA exerts such effects on MSCs. We identified the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as being responsible for that downregulation, and suggested a correlation between GR and HDAC2 inhibition after VPA treatment, as evidenced by HDAC2 knockdown. Furthermore, using co-immunoprecipitation analysis, we showed for the first time in the cytoplasm, binding between GR and HDAC2. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed the role of GR in OC downregulation, showing recruitment of GR to the nGRE element in the OC promoter. In conclusion, our results highlight the existence of a cross-talk between GR and HDAC2, providing a mechanistic explanation for the influence of the HDAC inhibitor (namely VPA) on osteogenic differentiation in MSCs. Our findings open new directions in targeted therapies, and offer new insights into the regulation of MSC fate determination.

scholarly journals Replication Restart in Bacteria

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Michel ◽  
Steven J. Sandler
Keyword(s):  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Replication Restart

ABSTRACT In bacteria, replication forks assembled at a replication origin travel to the terminus, often a few megabases away. They may encounter obstacles that trigger replisome disassembly, rendering replication restart from abandoned forks crucial for cell viability. During the past 25 years, the genes that encode replication restart proteins have been identified and genetically characterized. In parallel, the enzymes were purified and analyzed in vitro, where they can catalyze replication initiation in a sequence-independent manner from fork-like DNA structures. This work also revealed a close link between replication and homologous recombination, as replication restart from recombination intermediates is an essential step of DNA double-strand break repair in bacteria and, conversely, arrested replication forks can be acted upon by recombination proteins and converted into various recombination substrates. In this review, we summarize this intense period of research that led to the characterization of the ubiquitous replication restart protein PriA and its partners, to the definition of several replication restart pathways in vivo, and to the description of tight links between replication and homologous recombination, responsible for the importance of replication restart in the maintenance of genome stability.

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