scholarly journals Biochemical and structural basis for YTH domain of human YTHDC1 binding to methylated adenine in DNA

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (18) ◽  
pp. 10329-10341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clayton B Woodcock ◽  
John R Horton ◽  
Jujun Zhou ◽  
Mark T Bedford ◽  
Robert M Blumenthal ◽  
...  

Abstract The recently characterized mammalian writer (methyltransferase) and eraser (demethylase) of the DNA N6-methyladenine (N6mA) methyl mark act on single-stranded (ss) and transiently-unpaired DNA. As YTH domain-containing proteins bind N6mA-containing RNA in mammalian cells, we investigated whether mammalian YTH domains are also methyl mark readers of N6mA DNA. Here, we show that the YTH domain of YTHDC1 (known to localize in the nucleus) binds ssDNA containing N6mA, with a 10 nM dissociation constant. This binding is stronger by a factor of 5 than in an RNA context, tested under the same conditions. However, the YTH domains of YTHDF2 and YTHDF1 (predominantly cytoplasmic) exhibited the opposite effect with ∼1.5–2× stronger binding to ssRNA containing N6mA than to the corresponding DNA. We determined two structures of the YTH domain of YTHDC1 in complex with N6mA-containing ssDNA, which illustrated that YTHDC1 binds the methylated adenine in a single-stranded region flanked by duplexed DNA. We discuss the hypothesis that the writer-reader-eraser of N6mA-containining ssDNA is associated with maintaining genome stability. Structural comparison of YTH and SRA domains (the latter a DNA 5-methylcytosine reader) revealed them to be diverse members of a larger family of DNA/RNA modification readers, apparently having originated from bacterial modification-dependent restriction enzymes.

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Marlo K. Thompson ◽  
Robert W. Sobol ◽  
Aishwarya Prakash

The earliest methods of genome editing, such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), utilize customizable DNA-binding motifs to target the genome at specific loci. While these approaches provided sequence-specific gene-editing capacity, the laborious process of designing and synthesizing recombinant nucleases to recognize a specific target sequence, combined with limited target choices and poor editing efficiency, ultimately minimized the broad utility of these systems. The discovery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat sequences (CRISPR) in Escherichia coli dates to 1987, yet it was another 20 years before CRISPR and the CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins were identified as part of the microbial adaptive immune system, by targeting phage DNA, to fight bacteriophage reinfection. By 2013, CRISPR/Cas9 systems had been engineered to allow gene editing in mammalian cells. The ease of design, low cytotoxicity, and increased efficiency have made CRISPR/Cas9 and its related systems the designer nucleases of choice for many. In this review, we discuss the various CRISPR systems and their broad utility in genome manipulation. We will explore how CRISPR-controlled modifications have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms of genome stability, using the modulation of DNA repair genes as examples.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joonas A. Jamsen ◽  
Akira Sassa ◽  
Lalith Perera ◽  
David D. Shock ◽  
William A. Beard ◽  
...  

AbstractReactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidize cellular nucleotide pools and cause double strand breaks (DSBs). Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) attaches broken chromosomal ends together in mammalian cells. Ribonucleotide insertion by DNA polymerase (pol) μ prepares breaks for end-joining and this is required for successful NHEJ in vivo. We previously showed that pol μ lacks discrimination against oxidized dGTP (8-oxo-dGTP), that can lead to mutagenesis, cancer, aging and human disease. Here we reveal the structural basis for proficient oxidized ribonucleotide (8-oxo-rGTP) incorporation during DSB repair by pol μ. Time-lapse crystallography snapshots of structural intermediates during nucleotide insertion along with computational simulations reveal substrate, metal and side chain dynamics, that allow oxidized ribonucleotides to escape polymerase discrimination checkpoints. Abundant nucleotide pools, combined with inefficient sanitization and repair, implicate pol μ mediated oxidized ribonucleotide insertion as an emerging source of widespread persistent mutagenesis and genomic instability.


1983 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 1123-1132
Author(s):  
Archibald S. Perkins ◽  
Paul T. Kirschmeier ◽  
Sebastiano Gattoni-Celli ◽  
I. Bernard Weinstein

We have developed a transfection vector for animal cells that contains long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences to promote expression. Plasmid p101/101, a derivative of plasmid pBR322 containing the complete Moloney murine sarcoma virus genome, was cut with restriction enzymes and religated so that both the 5′ and 3′ LTRs were retained and all but about 700 base pairs of the intervening viral sequences were removed. To test this vector, the Escherichia coli gene gpt was cloned into a unique Pst I site, between the two LTRs, with guanine and cytosine tailing, a method that can be generalized for insertion of any DNA segment into this vector. When DNA from recombinant plasmids in which the gpt gene was inserted in the same transcriptional polarity as the LTR sequences was transfected onto murine or rat fibroblast cultures, we obtained a high yield of Gpt + colonies. However, plasmid constructs with the gpt gene in the opposite polarity were virtually devoid of activity. With gpt in the proper orientation, restriction enzyme cuts within the LTRs or between the 5′ LTR and the gpt gene reduced transfection by more than 98%, whereas a cut between the gpt gene and the 3′ LTR gave an 80% reduction in activity. Thus, both 5′ and 3′ LTR sequences are essential for optimal gpt expression, although the 5′ LTR appears to play a more important role. When the LTR- gpt plasmid was transfected onto murine leukemia virus-infected mouse fibroblasts, we obtained evidence that RNA copies became pseudotyped into viral particles which could transfer the Gpt + phenotype into rodent cells with extremely high efficiency. This vector should prove useful for high-efficiency transduction of a variety of genes in mammalian cells.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 4295-4304
Author(s):  
D B Roth ◽  
J H Wilson

Although DNA breakage and reunion in nonhomologous recombination are poorly understood, previous work suggests that short sequence homologies may play a role in the end-joining step in mammalian cells. To study the mechanism of end joining in more detail, we inserted a polylinker into the simian virus 40 T-antigen intron, cleaved the polylinker with different pairs of restriction enzymes, and transfected the resulting linear molecules into monkey cells. Analysis of 199 independent junctional sequences from seven constructs with different mismatched ends indicates that single-stranded extensions are relatively stable in monkey cells and that the terminal few nucleotides are critical for cell-mediated end joining. Furthermore, these studies define three mechanisms for end joining: single-strand, template-directed, and postrepair ligations. The latter two mechanisms depend on homologous pairing of one to six complementary bases to position the junction. All three mechanisms operate with similar overall efficiencies. The relevance of this work to targeted integration in mammalian cells is discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilas Courtot ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Hoffmann ◽  
Valérie Bergoglio

Genome stability requires tight regulation of DNA replication to ensure that the entire genome of the cell is duplicated once and only once per cell cycle. In mammalian cells, origin activation is controlled in space and time by a cell-specific and robust program called replication timing. About 100,000 potential replication origins form on the chromatin in the gap 1 (G1) phase but only 20–30% of them are active during the DNA replication of a given cell in the synthesis (S) phase. When the progress of replication forks is slowed by exogenous or endogenous impediments, the cell must activate some of the inactive or “dormant” origins to complete replication on time. Thus, the many origins that may be activated are probably key to protect the genome against replication stress. This review aims to discuss the role of these dormant origins as safeguards of the human genome during replicative stress.


Elements ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zackary Tajin Park

A phage display library was previously constructed from an SIV-infected rhesus macaque. Several single chain Fv (scFv), including SU24, SU343 and LL25X, were selected using phage display technology. Sequences corresponding to SU24, SU343 and LL25X were optimized for expression in a mammalian system and commercially synthesized. SU24 and SU343 had previously been cloned into a mammalian expression vector. In this study, we aimed to characterize the specificity of SU24, SU343, and LL25X.. The codon-optimized version of the scFv LL25X gene sequence was cloned into a mammalian expression vector (pCEP4).  LL25X DNA was amplified by PCR, and the PCR product and mammalian expression vector were both digested with KpnI/SapI restriction enzymes. Digested fragments were purified, and the fragments were ligated using T4DNA ligase. E. coli cells were transformed with the ligation reaction. Single colonies were selected on LB agar plates containing the selective antibiotic (ampicillin). Positive colonies were identified after DNA mini-preparation and test-digestion with KpnI and SapI. Sanger sequencing confirmed cloning results and DNA sequence accuracy. Following transfection of mammalian cells (293T), LL25X-Fc cells, and purifying our protein, the binding of LL25X-Fc to the SIV gp140 envelope protein was confirmed via ELISA and Western Blotting.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten M. Knecht ◽  
Olga Buzovetsky ◽  
Constanze Schneider ◽  
Dominique Thomas ◽  
Vishok Srikanth ◽  
...  

AbstractSAMHD1 is a deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) that depletes cellular dNTPs in non-cycling cells to promote genome stability and to inhibit retroviral and herpes viral replication. In addition to being substrates, cellular nucleotides also allosterically regulate SAMHD1 activity. Recently, it was shown that high expression levels of SAMHD1 are also correlated with significantly worse patient responses to nucleotide analogue drugs important for treating a variety of cancers, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In this study, we used biochemical, structural, and cellular methods to examine the interactions of various cancer drugs with SAMHD1. We found that both the catalytic and the allosteric sites of SAMHD1 are sensitive to sugar modifications of the nucleotide analogs, with the allosteric site being significantly more restrictive. We crystallized cladribine-TP, clofarabine-TP, fludarabine-TP, vidarabine-TP, cytarabine-TP, and gemcitabine-TP in the catalytic pocket of SAMHD1. We find that all of these drugs are substrates of SAMHD1 and that the efficacy of most of these drugs is affected by SAMHD1 activity. Of the nucleotide analogues tested, only cladribine-TP with a deoxyribose sugar efficiently induced the catalytically active SAMHD1 tetramer. Together, these results establish a detailed framework for understanding the substrate specificity and allosteric activation of SAMHD1 with regards to nucleotide analogues, which can be used to improve current cancer and antiviral therapies.SignificanceNucleoside analogue drugs are widely used to treat a variety of cancers and viral infections. With an essential role in regulating the nucleotide pool in the cell by degrading cellular nucleotides, SAMHD1 has the potential to decrease the cellular concentration of frequently prescribed nucleotide analogues and thereby decrease their clinical efficacy in cancer therapy. To improve future nucleotide analogue treatments, it is important to understand SAMHD1 interactions with these drugs. Our work thoroughly examines the extent to which nucleotide analogues interact with the catalytic and allosteric sites of SAMHD1. This work contributes to the assessment of SAMHD1 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy and the future design of SAMHD1 modulators that might improve the efficacy of existing therapies.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (19) ◽  
pp. 7224-7235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choon Ping Tan ◽  
Sara Nakielny

ABSTRACT DNA methylation is vital for proper chromatin structure and function in mammalian cells. Genetic removal of the enzymes that catalyze DNA methylation results in defective imprinting, transposon silencing, X chromosome dosage compensation, and genome stability. This epigenetic modification is interpreted by methyl-DNA binding domain (MBD) proteins. MBD proteins respond to methylated DNA by recruiting histone deacetylases (HDAC) and other transcription repression factors to the chromatin. The MBD2 protein is dispensable for animal viability, but it is implicated in the genesis of colon tumors. Here we report that the MBD2 protein is controlled by arginine methylation. We identify the protein arginine methyltransferase enzymes that catalyze this modification and show that arginine methylation inhibits the function of MBD2. Arginine methylation of MBD2 reduces MBD2-methyl-DNA complex formation, reduces MBD2-HDAC repression complex formation, and impairs the transcription repression function of MBD2 in cells. Our report provides a molecular description of a potential regulatory mechanism for an MBD protein family member. It is the first to demonstrate that protein arginine methyltransferases participate in the DNA methylation system of chromatin control.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (43) ◽  
pp. E10022-E10031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten M. Knecht ◽  
Olga Buzovetsky ◽  
Constanze Schneider ◽  
Dominique Thomas ◽  
Vishok Srikanth ◽  
...  

SAMHD1 is a deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) that depletes cellular dNTPs in noncycling cells to promote genome stability and to inhibit retroviral and herpes viral replication. In addition to being substrates, cellular nucleotides also allosterically regulate SAMHD1 activity. Recently, it was shown that high expression levels of SAMHD1 are also correlated with significantly worse patient responses to nucleotide analog drugs important for treating a variety of cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we used biochemical, structural, and cellular methods to examine the interactions of various cancer drugs with SAMHD1. We found that both the catalytic and the allosteric sites of SAMHD1 are sensitive to sugar modifications of the nucleotide analogs, with the allosteric site being significantly more restrictive. We crystallized cladribine-TP, clofarabine-TP, fludarabine-TP, vidarabine-TP, cytarabine-TP, and gemcitabine-TP in the catalytic pocket of SAMHD1. We found that all of these drugs are substrates of SAMHD1 and that the efficacy of most of these drugs is affected by SAMHD1 activity. Of the nucleotide analogs tested, only cladribine-TP with a deoxyribose sugar efficiently induced the catalytically active SAMHD1 tetramer. Together, these results establish a detailed framework for understanding the substrate specificity and allosteric activation of SAMHD1 with regard to nucleotide analogs, which can be used to improve current cancer and antiviral therapies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6278
Author(s):  
Keiji Fushimi ◽  
Hiroki Hoshino ◽  
Naeko Shinozaki-Narikawa ◽  
Yuto Kuwasaki ◽  
Keita Miyake ◽  
...  

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs), which are known as linear tetrapyrrole-binding photoreceptors, to date can only be detected from cyanobacteria. They can perceive light only in a small unit, which is categorized into various lineages in correlation with their spectral and structural characteristics. Recently, we have succeeded in identifying specific molecules, which can incorporate mammalian intrinsic biliverdin (BV), from the expanded red/green (XRG) CBCR lineage and in converting BV-rejective molecules into BV-acceptable ones with the elucidation of the structural basis. Among the BV-acceptable molecules, AM1_1870g3_BV4 shows a spectral red-shift in comparison with other molecules, while NpF2164g5_BV4 does not show photoconversion but stably shows a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence. In this study, we found that AM1_1870g3_BV4 had a specific Tyr residue near the d-ring of the chromophore, while others had a highly conserved Leu residue. The replacement of this Tyr residue with Leu in AM1_1870g3_BV4 resulted in a blue-shift of absorption peak. In contrast, reverse replacement in NpF2164g5_BV4 resulted in a red-shift of absorption and fluorescence peaks, which applies to fluorescence bio-imaging in mammalian cells. Notably, the same Tyr/Leu-dependent color-tuning is also observed for the CBCRs belonging to the other lineage, which indicates common molecular mechanisms.


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