scholarly journals Intestinal differentiation involves cleavage of histone H3 N-terminal tails by multiple proteases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Johanna Ferrari ◽  
Simona Amato ◽  
Roberta Noberini ◽  
Cecilia Toscani ◽  
Daniel Fernández-Pérez ◽  
...  

Abstract The proteolytic cleavage of histone tails, also termed histone clipping, has been described as a mechanism for permanent removal of post-translational modifications (PTMs) from histone proteins. Such activity has been ascribed to ensure regulatory function in key cellular processes such as differentiation, senescence and transcriptional control, for which different histone-specific proteases have been described. However, all these studies were exclusively performed using cell lines cultured in vitro and no clear evidence that histone clipping is regulated in vivo has been reported. Here we show that histone H3 N-terminal tails undergo extensive cleavage in the differentiated cells of the villi in mouse intestinal epithelium. Combining biochemical methods, 3D organoid cultures and in vivo approaches, we demonstrate that intestinal H3 clipping is the result of multiple proteolytic activities. We identified Trypsins and Cathepsin L as specific H3 tail proteases active in small intestinal differentiated cells and showed that their proteolytic activity is differentially affected by the PTM pattern of histone H3 tails. Together, our findings provide in vivo evidence of H3 tail proteolysis in mammalian tissues, directly linking H3 clipping to cell differentiation.

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (9) ◽  
pp. 2595-2603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Ballut ◽  
Martin Drucker ◽  
Martine Pugnière ◽  
Florence Cambon ◽  
Stéphane Blanc ◽  
...  

The proteasome is a multicatalytic complex involved in many cellular processes in eukaryotes, such as protein and RNA turnover, cell division, signal transduction, transcription and translation. Intracellular pathogens are targets of its enzymic activities, and a number of animal viruses are known to interfere with these activities. The first evidence that a plant virus protein, the helper component-proteinase (HcPro) of Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV; genus Potyvirus), interferes with the 20S proteasome ribonuclease is reported here. LMV infection caused an aggregation of the 20S proteasome to high-molecular mass structures in vivo, and specific binding of HcPro to the proteasome was confirmed in vitro using two different approaches. HcPro inhibited the 20S endonuclease activity in vitro, while its proteolytic activities were unchanged or slightly stimulated. This ability of HcPro, a pathogenicity regulator of potyviruses, to interfere with some of the catalytic functions of the 20S proteasome suggests the existence of a novel type of defence and counter-defence interplay in the course of interaction between potyviruses and their hosts.


2009 ◽  
Vol 284 (24) ◽  
pp. 16575-16583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Hurd ◽  
Andrew J. Bannister ◽  
Karen Halls ◽  
Mark A. Dawson ◽  
Michiel Vermeulen ◽  
...  

Numerous post-translational modifications have been identified in histones. Most of these occur within the histone tails, but a few have been identified within the histone core sequences. Histone core post-translational modifications have the potential to directly modulate nucleosome structure and consequently DNA accessibility. Here, we identify threonine 45 of histone H3 (H3T45) as a site of phosphorylation in vivo. We find that phosphorylation of H3T45 (H3T45ph) increases dramatically in apoptotic cells, around the time of DNA nicking. To further explore this connection, we analyzed human neutrophil cells because they are short-lived cells that undergo apoptosis in vivo. Freshly isolated neutrophils contain very little H3T45ph, whereas cells cultured for 20 h possess significant amounts; the kinetics of H3T45ph induction closely parallel those of caspase-3 activation. Cytokine inhibition of neutrophil apoptosis leads to reduced levels of H3T45ph. We identify protein kinase C-δ as the kinase responsible for H3T45ph in vitro and in vivo. Given the nucleosomal position of H3T45, we postulate that H3T45ph induces structural change within the nucleosome to facilitate DNA nicking and/or fragmentation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao-Miao Zhao ◽  
Wei-Li Yang ◽  
Fang-Yuan Yang ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Wei-Jin Huang ◽  
...  

AbstractTo discover new drugs to combat COVID-19, an understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Here, for the first time, we report the crucial role of cathepsin L (CTSL) in patients with COVID-19. The circulating level of CTSL was elevated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and was positively correlated with disease course and severity. Correspondingly, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection increased CTSL expression in human cells in vitro and human ACE2 transgenic mice in vivo, while CTSL overexpression, in turn, enhanced pseudovirus infection in human cells. CTSL functionally cleaved the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and enhanced virus entry, as evidenced by CTSL overexpression and knockdown in vitro and application of CTSL inhibitor drugs in vivo. Furthermore, amantadine, a licensed anti-influenza drug, significantly inhibited CTSL activity after SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection and prevented infection both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, CTSL is a promising target for new anti-COVID-19 drug development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii233-ii233
Author(s):  
April Bell ◽  
Lijie Zhai ◽  
Erik Ladomersky ◽  
Kristen Lauing ◽  
Lakshmi Bollu ◽  
...  

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary central nervous system tumor in adults with a median survival of 14.6 months. GBM is a potently immunosuppressive cancer due in-part to the prolific expression of immunosuppressive indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO). Tumor cell IDO facilitates the intratumoral accumulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs; CD4+CD25+FoxP3+). Although immunosuppressive IDO activity is canonically characterized by the conversion of tryptophan into kynurenine, we have utilized transgenic and syngeneic mouse models and mutant glioma lines to demonstrate that tumor cell IDO increases Treg accumulation independent of tryptophan metabolism. Here, we address the gap in our understanding of IDO signaling activity in vivo. Subcutaneously-engrafted human GBM expressing human IDO-GFP cDNA was isolated from immunodeficient humanized NSG-SGM3 mice. The tumor was immunoprecipitated for the GFP tag using GFP-TRAP followed by mass spectrometry which revealed a novel methylation site on a lysine residue at amino acid 373 in the IDO C-terminus region. Western blot analysis of IDO protein also revealed the presence of tyrosine phosphorylation. Additionally, we recently created a new transgenic IDO reporter mouse model whereby endogenous IDO is fused to GFP via a T2A linker (IDO→GFP). This model allows for the isolation of IDO+ cells in real-time and without causing cell death, thereby creating the opportunity for downstream molecular analysis of in situ-isolated GFP+ cells. Collectively, our work suggests that IDO non-enzyme activity may involve the post-translational modifications we recently identified. As IDO activity may differ between in vitro and in vivo modeling systems, we will use the new IDO→GFP reporter mouse model for an improved mechanistic understanding of how immunosuppressive IDO facilitates Treg accumulation in vivo.


2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (10) ◽  
pp. F1443-F1453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung-Hsi Hsing ◽  
Chiou-Feng Lin ◽  
Edmund So ◽  
Ding-Ping Sun ◽  
Tai-Chi Chen ◽  
...  

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 protects sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Dexmedetomidine (DEX), an α2-adrenoceptor (α2-AR) agonist, has anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the protective effects of DEX on sepsis-induced AKI and the expression of BMP-7 and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In vitro , the effects of DEX or trichostatin A (TSA, an HDAC inhibitor) on TNF-α, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), BMP-7, and HDAC mRNA expression in LPS-stimulated rat renal tubular epithelial NRK52E cells, was determined using real-time PCR. In vivo, mice were intraperitoneally injected with DEX (25 μg/kg) or saline immediately and 12 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. Twenty-four hours after CLP, we examined kidney injury and renal TNF-α, MCP-1, BMP-7, and HDAC expression. Survival was monitored for 120 h. LPS increased HDAC2, HDAC5, TNF-α, and MCP-1 expression, but decreased BMP-7 expression in NRK52E cells. DEX treatment decreased the HDAC2, HDAC5, TNF-α, and MCP-1 expression, but increased BMP-7 and acetyl histone H3 expression, whose effects were blocked by yohimbine, an α2-AR antagonist. With DEX treatment, the LPS-induced TNF-α expression and cell death were attenuated in scRNAi-NRK52E but not BMP-7 RNAi-NRK52E cells. In CLP mice, DEX treatment increased survival and attenuated AKI. The expression of HDAC2, HDAC5, TNF-α, and MCP-1 mRNA in the kidneys of CLP mice was increased, but BMP-7 was decreased. However, DEX treatment reduced those changes. DEX reduces sepsis-induced AKI by decreasing TNF-α and MCP-1 and increasing BMP-7, which is associated with decreasing HDAC2 and HDAC5, as well as increasing acetyl histone H3.


mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher McDonald ◽  
Goran Jovanovic ◽  
Oscar Ces ◽  
Martin Buck

ABSTRACTPhage shock protein A (PspA), which is responsible for maintaining inner membrane integrity under stress in enterobacteria, and vesicle-inducting protein in plastids 1 (Vipp1), which functions for membrane maintenance and thylakoid biogenesis in cyanobacteria and plants, are similar peripheral membrane-binding proteins. Their homologous N-terminal amphipathic helices are required for membrane binding; however, the membrane features recognized and required for expressing their functionalities have remained largely uncharacterized. Rigorously controlled,in vitromethodologies with lipid vesicles and purified proteins were used in this study and provided the first biochemical and biophysical characterizations of membrane binding by PspA and Vipp1. Both proteins are found to sense stored curvature elastic (SCE) stress and anionic lipids within the membrane. PspA has an enhanced sensitivity for SCE stress and a higher affinity for the membrane than Vipp1. These variations in binding may be crucial for some of the proteins’ differing rolesin vivo. Assays probing the transcriptional regulatory function of PspA in the presence of vesicles showed that a relief of transcription inhibition occurs in an SCE stress-specific manner. Thisin vitrorecapitulation of membrane stress-dependent transcription control suggests that the Psp response may be mountedin vivowhen a cell's inner membrane experiences increased SCE stress.IMPORTANCEAll cell types maintain the integrity of their membrane systems. One widely distributed membrane stress response system in bacteria is the phage shock protein (Psp) system. The central component, peripheral membrane protein PspA, which mitigates inner membrane stress in bacteria, has a counterpart, Vipp1, which functions for membrane maintenance and thylakoid biogenesis in plants and photosynthetic bacteria. Membrane association of both these proteins is accepted as playing a pivotal role in their functions. Here we show that direct membrane binding by PspA and Vipp1 is driven by two physio-chemical signals, one of which is membrane stress specific. Our work points to alleviation of membrane stored curvature elastic stress by amphipathic helix insertions as an attractive mechanism for membrane maintenance by PspA and Vipp1. Furthermore, the identification of a physical, stress-related membrane signal suggests a unilateral mechanism that promotes both binding of PspA and induction of the Psp response.


eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R Bassett ◽  
Asifa Akhtar ◽  
Denise P Barlow ◽  
Adrian P Bird ◽  
Neil Brockdorff ◽  
...  

Although a small number of the vast array of animal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have known effects on cellular processes examined in vitro, the extent of their contributions to normal cell processes throughout development, differentiation and disease for the most part remains less clear. Phenotypes arising from deletion of an entire genomic locus cannot be unequivocally attributed either to the loss of the lncRNA per se or to the associated loss of other overlapping DNA regulatory elements. The distinction between cis- or trans-effects is also often problematic. We discuss the advantages and challenges associated with the current techniques for studying the in vivo function of lncRNAs in the light of different models of lncRNA molecular mechanism, and reflect on the design of experiments to mutate lncRNA loci. These considerations should assist in the further investigation of these transcriptional products of the genome.


2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (1) ◽  
pp. C65-C74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zheng ◽  
Fei Chu ◽  
Pauline M. Chou ◽  
Christine Gallati ◽  
Usawadee Dier ◽  
...  

Cathepsin L is a lysosomal enzyme thought to play a key role in malignant transformation. Recent work from our laboratory has demonstrated that this enzyme may also regulate cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy. The present study was undertaken to define the relevance of targeting cathepsin L in the suppression of drug resistance in vitro and in vivo and also to understand the mechanism(s) of its action. In vitro experiments indicated that cancer cell adaptation to increased amounts of doxorubicin over time was prevented in the presence of a cathepsin L inhibitor, suggesting that inhibition of this enzyme not only reverses but also prevents the development of drug resistance. The combination of the cathepsin L inhibitor with doxorubicin also strongly suppressed the proliferation of drug-resistant tumors in nude mice. An investigation of the underlying mechanism(s) led to the finding that the active form of this enzyme shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus. As a result, its inhibition stabilizes and enhances the availability of cytoplasmic and nuclear protein drug targets including estrogen receptor-α, Bcr-Abl, topoisomerase-IIα, histone deacetylase 1, and the androgen receptor. In support of this, the cellular response to doxorubicin, tamoxifen, imatinib, trichostatin A, and flutamide increased in the presence of the cathepsin L inhibitor. Together, these findings provided evidence for the potential role of cathepsin L as a target to suppress cancer resistance to chemotherapy and uncovered a novel mechanism by which protease inhibition-mediated drug target stabilization may enhance cellular visibility and, thus, susceptibility to anticancer agents.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (23) ◽  
pp. 10533-10542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-Werner Dobenecker ◽  
Christian Schmedt ◽  
Masato Okada ◽  
Alexander Tarakhovsky

ABSTRACT Regulation of Src family kinase (SFK) activity is indispensable for a functional immune system and embryogenesis. The activity of SFKs is inhibited by the presence of the carboxy-terminal Src kinase (Csk) at the cell membrane. Thus, recruitment of cytosolic Csk to the membrane-associated SFKs is crucial for its regulatory function. Previous studies utilizing in vitro and transgenic models suggested that the Csk-binding protein (Cbp), also known as phosphoprotein associated with glycosphingolipid microdomains (PAG), is the membrane adaptor for Csk. However, loss-of-function genetic evidence to support this notion was lacking. Herein, we demonstrate that the targeted disruption of the cbp gene in mice has no effect on embryogenesis, thymic development, or T-cell functions in vivo. Moreover, recruitment of Csk to the specialized membrane compartment of “lipid rafts” is not impaired by Cbp deficiency. Our results indicate that Cbp is dispensable for the recruitment of Csk to the membrane and that another Csk adaptor, yet to be discovered, compensates for the loss of Cbp.


2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 410-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulf R. Klein ◽  
Markus Haindl ◽  
Erich A. Nigg ◽  
Stefan Muller

The ubiquitin-like SUMO system controls cellular key functions, and several lines of evidence point to a critical role of SUMO for mitotic progression. However, in mammalian cells mitotic substrates of sumoylation and the regulatory components involved are not well defined. Here, we identify Borealin, a component of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), as a mitotic target of SUMO. The CPC, which additionally comprises INCENP, Survivin, and Aurora B, regulates key mitotic events, including chromosome congression, the spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. We show that Borealin is preferentially modified by SUMO2/3 and demonstrate that the modification is dynamically regulated during mitotic progression, peaking in early mitosis. Intriguingly, the SUMO ligase RanBP2 interacts with the CPC, stimulates SUMO modification of Borealin in vitro, and is required for its modification in vivo. Moreover, the SUMO isopeptidase SENP3 is a specific interaction partner of Borealin and catalyzes the removal of SUMO2/3 from Borealin. These data thus delineate a mitotic SUMO2/3 conjugation–deconjugation cycle of Borealin and further assign a regulatory function of RanBP2 and SENP3 in the mitotic SUMO pathway.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document