scholarly journals WRN Helicase and FEN-1 Form a Complex upon Replication Arrest and Together Process Branchmigrating DNA Structures Associated with the Replication Fork

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 734-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudha Sharma ◽  
Marit Otterlei ◽  
Joshua A. Sommers ◽  
Henry C. Driscoll ◽  
Grigory L. Dianov ◽  
...  

Werner Syndrome is a premature aging disorder characterized by genomic instability, elevated recombination, and replication defects. It has been hypothesized that defective processing of certain replication fork structures by WRN may contribute to genomic instability. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analyses show that WRN and Flap Endonuclease-1 (FEN-1) form a complex in vivo that colocalizes in foci associated with arrested replication forks. WRN effectively stimulates FEN-1 cleavage of branch-migrating double-flap structures that are the physiological substrates of FEN-1 during replication. Biochemical analyses demonstrate that WRN helicase unwinds the chicken-foot HJ intermediate associated with a regressed replication fork and stimulates FEN-1 to cleave the unwound product in a structure-dependent manner. These results provide evidence for an interaction between WRN and FEN-1 in vivo and suggest that these proteins function together to process DNA structures associated with the replication fork.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 773-773
Author(s):  
Marvin T Nieman

Abstract Abstract 773 Thrombin activates platelets by binding and cleaving protease activated receptors 1 and 4 (PAR1 and PAR4). PAR1 and PAR4 communicate with each other to lower the concentration of thrombin required for PAR4 activation (Nieman Biochemistry, 2008). In addition, PAR1 and PAR4 form homo and heterodimers. However, where these receptors interact has not been defined and it is not known if dimerization influences receptor activation, downstream signaling, or both. Since PAR4 activation is important on human and mouse platelets, we sought to characterize the interaction site between PAR4 homodimers. Using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), we mapped the PAR4 homodimer interface. The PAR4 homodimers show a specific interaction as indicated by a hyperbolic BRET signal in response to increasing PAR4-GFP expression with a fixed concentration of PAR4-Rluc. The threshold maximum BRET signal was disrupted in a concentration-dependent manner by unlabeled PAR4. In contrast, the unrelated G-protein coupled receptor, rhodopsin, was unable to disrupt the BRET signal indicating that the disruption of the PAR4 homodimer is a specific interaction. We have mapped the region required for PAR4 homodimer formation using chimeras between rhodopsin and PAR4. PAR4 does not interact with rhodopsin in BRET assays. Using a library of rho-PAR4 chimeras that have the junction at the beginning of transmembrane (TM) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, we determined where dimer formation is restored. When the junction is placed at the beginning of TM4 or TM5, the chimera does not interact with PAR4-WT. In contrast, when the junction is moved to the end of TM2, the BRET signal is restored. These results indicate that the region on PAR4 required for homodimer formation encompasses a 63 amino acid region that includes the first extracellular loop, TM3 and the second intracellular loop. These studies establish techniques that may be used to define the interactions between other GPCRs found on the platelet surface. These receptor-receptor interactions may be another level of regulation of agonist activity and platelet function in vivo and may provide novel targets for anti-platelet therapies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. Brown ◽  
Alison B. Claybon ◽  
Alexander J. R. Bishop

Werner syndrome is a rare disorder that manifests as premature aging and age-related diseases.WRNis the gene mutated in WS, and is one of five human RecQ helicase family members. WS cells exhibit genomic instability and altered proliferation, andin vitrostudies suggest that WRN has a role in suppressing homologous recombination. However, more recent studies propose that other RecQ helicases (including WRN) promote early events of homologous recombination. To study the role of WRN helicase on spontaneous homologous recombination, we obtained a mouse with a deleted WRN helicase domain and combined it with thein vivopink-eyed unstable homologous recombination system. In this paper, we demonstrate that WRN helicase is not necessary for suppressing homologous recombinationin vivocontrary to previous reports using a similar mouse model.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor H. Dashti ◽  
Rufika S. Abidin ◽  
Frank Sainsbury

Bioinspired self-sorting and self-assembling systems using engineered versions of natural protein cages have been developed for biocatalysis and therapeutic delivery. The packaging and intracellular delivery of guest proteins is of particular interest for both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> cell engineering. However, there is a lack of platforms in bionanotechnology that combine programmable guest protein encapsidation with efficient intracellular uptake. We report a minimal peptide anchor for <i>in vivo</i> self-sorting of cargo-linked capsomeres of the Murine polyomavirus (MPyV) major coat protein that enables controlled encapsidation of guest proteins by <i>in vitro</i> self-assembly. Using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) we demonstrate the flexibility in this system to support co-encapsidation of multiple proteins. Complementing these ensemble measurements with single particle analysis by super-resolution microscopy shows that the stochastic nature of co-encapsidation is an overriding principle. This has implications for the design and deployment of both native and engineered self-sorting encapsulation systems and for the assembly of infectious virions. Taking advantage of the encoded affinity for sialic acids ubiquitously displayed on the surface of mammalian cells, we demonstrate the ability of self-assembled MPyV virus-like particles to mediate efficient delivery of guest proteins to the cytosol of primary human cells. This platform for programmable co-encapsidation and efficient cytosolic delivery of complementary biomolecules therefore has enormous potential in cell engineering.


Author(s):  
Nelson Ferreira ◽  
Hjalte Gram ◽  
Zachary A. Sorrentino ◽  
Emil Gregersen ◽  
Sissel Ida Schmidt ◽  
...  

AbstractPathology consisting of intracellular aggregates of alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn) spread through the nervous system in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. The discovery of structurally distinct α-Syn polymorphs, so-called strains, supports a hypothesis where strain-specific structures are templated into aggregates formed by native α-Syn. These distinct strains are hypothesised to dictate the spreading of pathology in the tissue and the cellular impact of the aggregates, thereby contributing to the variety of clinical phenotypes. Here, we present evidence of a novel α-Syn strain induced by the multiple system atrophy-associated oligodendroglial protein p25α. Using an array of biophysical, biochemical, cellular, and in vivo analyses, we demonstrate that compared to α-Syn alone, a substoichiometric concentration of p25α redirects α-Syn aggregation into a unique α-Syn/p25α strain with a different structure and enhanced in vivo prodegenerative properties. The α-Syn/p25α strain induced larger inclusions in human dopaminergic neurons. In vivo, intramuscular injection of preformed fibrils (PFF) of the α-Syn/p25α strain compared to α-Syn PFF resulted in a shortened life span and a distinct anatomical distribution of inclusion pathology in the brain of a human A53T transgenic (line M83) mouse. Investigation of α-Syn aggregates in brain stem extracts of end-stage mice demonstrated that the more aggressive phenotype of the α-Syn/p25α strain was associated with an increased load of α-Syn aggregates based on a Förster resonance energy transfer immunoassay and a reduced α-Syn aggregate seeding activity based on a protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay. When injected unilaterally into the striata of wild-type mice, the α-Syn/p25α strain resulted in a more-pronounced motoric phenotype than α-Syn PFF and exhibited a “tropism” for nigro-striatal neurons compared to α-Syn PFF. Overall, our data support a hypothesis whereby oligodendroglial p25α is responsible for generating a highly prodegenerative α-Syn strain in multiple system atrophy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1596
Author(s):  
Elsa Ronzier ◽  
Claire Corratgé-Faillie ◽  
Frédéric Sanchez ◽  
Christian Brière ◽  
Tou Cheu Xiong

Post-translational regulations of Shaker-like voltage-gated K+ channels were reported to be essential for rapid responses to environmental stresses in plants. In particular, it has been shown that calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) regulate Shaker channels in plants. Here, the focus was on KAT2, a Shaker channel cloned in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, where is it expressed namely in the vascular tissues of leaves. After co-expression of KAT2 with AtCPK6 in Xenopuslaevis oocytes, voltage-clamp recordings demonstrated that AtCPK6 stimulates the activity of KAT2 in a calcium-dependent manner. A physical interaction between these two proteins has also been shown by Förster resonance energy transfer by fluorescence lifetime imaging (FRET-FLIM). Peptide array assays support that AtCPK6 phosphorylates KAT2 at several positions, also in a calcium-dependent manner. Finally, K+ fluorescence imaging in planta suggests that K+ distribution is impaired in kat2 knock-out mutant leaves. We propose that the AtCPK6/KAT2 couple plays a role in the homeostasis of K+ distribution in leaves.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-221
Author(s):  
Jiafeng Wan ◽  
Xiaoyuan Zhang ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Zhiqiang Su

Abstract In recent years, nanomaterials have attracted lots of attention from researchers due to their unique properties. Nanometer fluorescent materials, such as organic dyes, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), metal nano-clusters (MNCs), carbon dots (CDs), etc., are widely used in biological imaging due to their high sensitivity, short response time, and excellent accuracy. Nanometer fluorescent probes can not only perform in vitro imaging of organisms but also achieve in vivo imaging. This provides medical staff with great convenience in cancer treatment. Combined with contemporary medical methods, faster and more effective treatment of cancer is achievable. This article explains the response mechanism of three-nanometer fluorescent probes: the principle of induced electron transfer (PET), the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and the principle of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), showing the semiconductor QDs, precious MNCs, and CDs. The excellent performance of the three kinds of nano fluorescent materials in biological imaging is highlighted, and the application of these three kinds of nano fluorescent probes in targeted biological imaging is also introduced. Nanometer fluorescent materials will show their significance in the field of biomedicine.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. nrs.04021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen L. Koterba ◽  
Brian G. Rowan

Bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET2) is a recently developed technology for the measurement of protein-protein interactions in a live, cell-based system. BRET2 is characterized by the efficient transfer of excited energy between a bioluminescent donor molecule (Renilla luciferase) and a fluorescent acceptor molecule (a mutant of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP2)). The BRET2 assay offers advantages over fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) because it does not require an external light source thereby eliminating problems of photobleaching and autoflourescence. The absence of contamination by light results in low background that permits detection of very small changes in the BRET2 signal. BRET2 is dependent on the orientation and distance between two fusion proteins and therefore requires extensive preliminary standardization experiments to conclude a positive BRET2 signal independent of variations in protein titrations and arrangement in tertiary structures. Estrogen receptor (ER) signaling is modulated by steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1). To establish BRET2 in a ligand inducible system we used SRC-1 as the donor moiety and ER as the acceptor moiety. Expression and functionality of the fusion proteins were assessed by transient transfection in HEK-293 cells followed by Western blot analysis and measurement of ER-dependent reporter gene activity. These preliminary determinations are required prior to measuring nuclear receptor protein-protein interactions by BRET2. This article describes in detail the BRET2 methodology for measuring interaction between full-length ER and coregulator proteins in real-time, in an in vivo environment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (21) ◽  
pp. 6718-6723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Goto ◽  
Ichiro Nakahara ◽  
Takashi Yamaguchi ◽  
Yuji Kamioka ◽  
Kenta Sumiyama ◽  
...  

The selection of reward-seeking and aversive behaviors is controlled by two distinct D1 and D2 receptor-expressing striatal medium spiny neurons, namely the direct pathway MSNs (dMSNs) and the indirect pathway MSNs (iMSNs), but the dynamic modulation of signaling cascades of dMSNs and iMSNs in behaving animals remains largely elusive. We developed an in vivo methodology to monitor Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) of the activities of PKA and ERK in either dMSNs or iMSNs by microendoscopy in freely moving mice. PKA and ERK were coordinately but oppositely regulated between dMSNs and iMSNs by rewarding cocaine administration and aversive electric shocks. Notably, the activities of PKA and ERK rapidly shifted when male mice became active or indifferent toward female mice during mating behavior. Importantly, manipulation of PKA cascades by the Designer Receptor recapitulated active and indifferent mating behaviors, indicating a causal linkage of a dynamic activity shift of PKA and ERK between dMSNs and iMSNs in action selection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (46) ◽  
pp. E10859-E10868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuwei Li ◽  
Jason A. Junge ◽  
Cosimo Arnesano ◽  
Garrett G. Gross ◽  
Jeffrey H. Miner ◽  
...  

Vertebrate embryogenesis and organogenesis are driven by cell biological processes, ranging from mitosis and migration to changes in cell size and polarity, but their control and causal relationships are not fully defined. Here, we use the developing limb skeleton to better define the relationships between mitosis and cell polarity. We combine protein-tagging and -perturbation reagents with advanced in vivo imaging to assess the role of Discs large 1 (Dlg1), a membrane-associated scaffolding protein, in mediating the spatiotemporal relationship between cytokinesis and cell polarity. Our results reveal that Dlg1 is enriched at the midbody during cytokinesis and that its multimerization is essential for the normal polarity of daughter cells. Defects in this process alter tissue dimensions without impacting other cellular processes. Our results extend the conventional view that division orientation is established at metaphase and anaphase and suggest that multiple mechanisms act at distinct phases of the cell cycle to transmit cell polarity. The approach employed can be used in other systems, as it offers a robust means to follow and to eliminate protein function and extends the Phasor approach for studying in vivo protein interactions by frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of Förster resonance energy transfer (FLIM-FRET) to organotypic explant culture.


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