scholarly journals A novel SNF2 ATPase complex in Trypanosoma brucei with a role in H2A.Z-mediated chromatin remodelling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Vellmer ◽  
Laura Hartleb ◽  
Albert Fradera Sola ◽  
Susanne Kramer ◽  
Elisabeth Meyer-Natus ◽  
...  

A cascade of histone acetylation events with subsequent incorporation of a histone H2A variant plays an essential part in transcription regulation in various model organisms. A key player in this cascade is the chromatin remodelling complex SWR1, which replaces the canonical histone H2A with its variant H2A.Z. Transcriptional regulation of polycistronic transcription units in the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei has been shown to be highly dependent on acetylation of H2A.Z, which is mediated by the histone-acetyltransferase HAT2. The chromatin remodelling complex which mediates H2A.Z incorporation is not known and an SWR1 orthologue in trypanosomes has not yet been reported. In this study, we identified and characterised an SWR1-like remodeller complex in T. brucei that is responsible for Pol II-dependent transcriptional regulation. Bioinformatic analysis of potential SNF2 DEAD/Box helicases, the key component of SWR1 complexes, identified a 1211 amino acids-long protein that exhibits key structural characteristics of the SWR1 subfamily. Systematic protein-protein interaction analysis revealed the existence of a novel complex exhibiting key features of an SWR1-like chromatin remodeller. RNAi-mediated depletion of the ATPase subunit of this complex resulted in a significant reduction of H2A.Z incorporation at transcription start sites and a subsequent decrease of steady-state mRNA levels. Furthermore, depletion of SWR1 and RNA-polymerase II (Pol II) caused massive chromatin condensation. The potential function of several proteins associated with the SWR1-like complex and with HAT2, the key factor of H2A.Z incorporation, is discussed.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iga Jancewicz ◽  
Janusz A. Siedlecki ◽  
Tomasz J. Sarnowski ◽  
Elzbieta Sarnowska

Abstract BRM (BRAHMA) is a core, SWI2/SNF2-type ATPase subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodelling complex (CRC) involved in various important regulatory processes including development. Mutations in SMARCA2, a BRM-encoding gene as well as overexpression or epigenetic silencing were found in various human diseases including cancer. Missense mutations in SMARCA2 gene were recently connected with occurrence of Nicolaides–Baraitser genetics syndrome. By contrast, SMARCA2 duplication rather than mutations is characteristic for Coffin–Siris syndrome. It is believed that BRM usually acts as a tumour suppressor or a tumour susceptibility gene. However, other studies provided evidence that BRM function may differ depending on the cancer type and the disease stage, where BRM may play a role in the disease progression. The existence of alternative splicing forms of SMARCA2 gene, leading to appearance of truncated functional, loss of function or gain-of-function forms of BRM protein suggest a far more complicated mode of BRM-containing SWI/SNF CRCs actions. Therefore, the summary of recent knowledge regarding BRM alteration in various types of cancer and highlighting of differences and commonalities between BRM and BRG1, another SWI2/SNF2 type ATPase, will lead to better understanding of SWI/SNF CRCs function in cancer development/progression. BRM has been recently proposed as an attractive target for various anticancer therapies including the use of small molecule inhibitors, synthetic lethality induction or proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC). However, such attempts have some limitations and may lead to severe side effects given the homology of BRM ATPase domain to other ATPases, as well as due to the tissue-specific appearance of BRM- and BRG1-containing SWI/SNF CRC classes. Thus, a better insight into BRM-containing SWI/SNF CRCs function in human tissues and cancers is clearly required to provide a solid basis for establishment of new safe anticancer therapies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Jain ◽  
Davide Tamborrini ◽  
Brian Evans ◽  
Shereen Chaudhry ◽  
Bryan J. Wilkins ◽  
...  

AbstractChromatin remodelling complexes are multi-subunit nucleosome translocases that reorganize chromatin in the context of DNA replication, repair and transcription. A key question is how these complexes find their target sites on chromatin. Here, we use genetically encoded photo-crosslinker amino acids to map the footprint of Sth1, the catalytic subunit of the RSC (remodels the structure of chromatin) complex, on the nucleosome in living yeast. We find that the interaction of the Sth1 bromodomain with the H3 tail depends on K14 acetylation by Gcn5. This modification does not recruit RSC to chromatin but mediates its interaction with neighbouring nucleosomes. We observe a preference of RSC for H2B SUMOylated nucleosomes in vivo and show that this modification moderately enhances RSC binding to nucleosomes in vitro. Furthermore, RSC is not ejected from chromatin in mitosis, but its mode of nucleosome binding differs between interphase and mitosis. In sum, our in vivo analyses show that RSC recruitment to specific chromatin targets involves multiple histone modifications most likely in combination with other components such as histone variants and transcription factors.Key PointsIn vivo photo-crosslinking reveals the footprint of the ATPase subunit of RSC on the nucleosome.RSC binds to H3 K14ac nucleosomes via the C-terminal bromodomain of its ATPase-subunit Sth1.RSC preferentially localizes to H2B-SUMOylated nucleosomes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. viii672
Author(s):  
I. Jancewicz ◽  
N. Rusetska ◽  
A. Armatowska ◽  
M. Stachowiak ◽  
K. Pogoda ◽  
...  

Microbiology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Ruiz ◽  
Victoria Escribano ◽  
Eulalia Morgado ◽  
María Molina ◽  
María J. Mazón

2016 ◽  
Vol 397 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Groll ◽  
Ferdinand Kollotzek ◽  
Jens Goepfert ◽  
Thomas O. Joos ◽  
Michael Schwarz ◽  
...  

Abstract The antiepileptic drug phenobarbital (PB) exerts hepatic effects related to cell proliferation and tumorigenesis which are closely linked to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This pathway is, amongst others, regulated by calpain proteases. We now identified PB as an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in mouse hepatoma cells. Further analyses revealed that PB inhibits calpain activity, an effect which is at least in parts mediated by a transcriptional regulation of calpain mRNA levels and which is furthermore independent of the constitutive androstane receptor, the known mediator of most effects of PB in liver cells.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 2154-2160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyubomira Chakalova ◽  
Cameron S. Osborne ◽  
Yan-Feng Dai ◽  
Beatriz Goyenechea ◽  
Anna Metaxotou-Mavromati ◽  
...  

Abstract The 7.2 kilobase (kb) Corfu δβ thalassemia mutation is the smallest known deletion encompassing a region upstream of the human δ gene that has been suggested to account for the vastly different phenotypes in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) versus β thalassemia. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression in Corfu heterozygotes and homozygotes is paradoxically dissimilar, suggesting conflicting theories as to the function of the region on globin gene regulation. Here, we measure γ- and β-globin gene transcription, steady-state mRNA, and hemoglobin expression levels in primary erythroid cells cultured from several patients with Corfu δβ thalassemia. We show through RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization that the Corfu deletion results in high-level transcription of the fetal γ genes in cis with a concomitant reduction in transcription of the downstream β gene. Surprisingly, we find that elevated γ gene transcription does not always result in a corresponding accumulation of γ mRNA or fetal hemoglobin, indicating a post-transcriptional regulation of γ gene expression. The data suggest that efficient γ mRNA accumulation and HbF expression are blocked until β mRNA levels fall below a critical threshold. These results explain the Corfu paradox and show that the deleted region harbors a critical element that functions in the developmentally regulated transcription of the β-globin genes.


mSystems ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Servinsky ◽  
Rebecca L. Renberg ◽  
Matthew A. Perisin ◽  
Elliot S. Gerlach ◽  
Sanchao Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacterial fermentation of carbohydrates from sustainable lignocellulosic biomass into commodity chemicals by the anaerobic bacteriumClostridium acetobutylicumis a promising alternative source to fossil fuel-derived chemicals. Recently, it was demonstrated that xylose is not appreciably fermented in the presence of arabinose, revealing a hierarchy of pentose utilization in this organism (L. Aristilde, I. A. Lewis, J. O. Park, and J. D. Rabinowitz, Appl Environ Microbiol 81:1452–1462, 2015,https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.03199-14). The goal of the current study is to characterize the transcriptional regulation that occurs and perhaps drives this pentose hierarchy. Carbohydrate consumption rates showed that arabinose, like glucose, actively represses xylose utilization in cultures fermenting xylose. Further, arabinose addition to xylose cultures led to increased acetate-to-butyrate ratios, which indicated a transition of pentose catabolism from the pentose phosphate pathway to the phosphoketolase pathway. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) confirmed that arabinose addition to cells actively growing on xylose resulted in increased phosphoketolase (CA_C1343) mRNA levels, providing additional evidence that arabinose induces this metabolic switch. A significant overlap in differentially regulated genes after addition of arabinose or glucose suggested a common regulation mechanism. A putative open reading frame (ORF) encoding a potential catabolite repression phosphocarrier histidine protein (Crh) was identified that likely participates in the observed transcriptional regulation. These results substantiate the claim that arabinose is utilized preferentially over xylose inC. acetobutylicumand suggest that arabinose can activate carbon catabolite repression via Crh. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights into potential mechanisms for altering pentose utilization to modulate fermentation products for chemical production.IMPORTANCEClostridium acetobutylicumcan ferment a wide variety of carbohydrates to the commodity chemicals acetone, butanol, and ethanol. Recent advances in genetic engineering have expanded the chemical production repertoire ofC. acetobutylicumusing synthetic biology. Due to its natural properties and genetic engineering potential, this organism is a promising candidate for converting biomass-derived feedstocks containing carbohydrate mixtures to commodity chemicals via natural or engineered pathways. Understanding how this organism regulates its metabolism during growth on carbohydrate mixtures is imperative to enable control of synthetic gene circuits in order to optimize chemical production. The work presented here unveils a novel mechanism via transcriptional regulation by a predicted Crh that controls the hierarchy of carbohydrate utilization and is essential for guiding robust genetic engineering strategies for chemical production.


1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 2693-2701 ◽  
Author(s):  
J N Feder ◽  
C J Guidos ◽  
B Kusler ◽  
C Carswell ◽  
D Lewis ◽  
...  

Fetal liver or bone marrow-derived T lymphocyte precursors undergo extensive, developmentally regulated proliferation in response to inductive signals from the thymic microenvironment. We have used neonatal mouse thymocytes size-separated by centrifugal elutriation to study the cell cycle stage-specific expression of several genes associated with cell proliferation. These include genes involved in the biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleotide precursors, such as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), thymidylate synthase (TS), and the M1 and M2 subunits of ribonucleotide reductase, as well as c-myc, a cellular oncogene of unknown function. Using nuclear run-on assays, we observed that the transcription rates for these genes, with the exception of TS, are essentially invariant not only throughout the cell cycle in proliferating cells, but also in noncycling (G0) cells. The TS gene showed a transient increase in transcription rate in cells which bordered between a proliferating and nonproliferating status. Studies of an elutriated T cell line, S49.1, yielded similar results, indicating that the process of immortalization has not affected the transcriptional regulation of these genes. Analysis of steady-state mRNA levels using an RNase protection assay demonstrated that the levels of DHFR and TS mRNA accumulate as thymocytes progress through the cell cycle. In contrast, only the M2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase showed cyclic regulation. Finally, in contrast to cultured cell models, we observed an abrupt fivefold increase in the steady-state level of c-myc mRNA in the transition from G1 to S-phase. We conclude from these studies that the transcriptional regulation of specific genes necessary for cellular proliferation is a minor component of the developmental modulation of the thymocyte cell cycle.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe-Andrés Piedra ◽  
Xueting Qiu ◽  
Michael N. Teng ◽  
Vasanthi Avadhanula ◽  
Annette A. Machado ◽  
...  

AbstractRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA virus and a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract illness in infants and the elderly. Transcription of the ten RSV genes proceeds sequentially from the 3’ promoter and requires conserved gene start (GS) and gene end (GE) signals. Previous studies using the prototypical GA1 genotype Long and A2 strains have indicated a gradient of gene transcription. However, recent reports show data that appear inconsistent with a gradient. To better understand RSV transcriptional regulation, mRNA abundances from five RSV genes were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in three cell lines and cotton rats infected with virus isolates belonging to four different genotypes (GA1, ON, GB1, BA). Relative mRNA levels reached steady-state between four and 24 hours post-infection. Steady-state patterns were genotype-specific and non-gradient, where mRNA levels from the G (attachment) gene exceeded those from the more promoter-proximal N (nucleocapsid) gene across isolates. Transcript stabilities could not account for the non-gradient patterns observed, indicating that relative mRNA levels more strongly reflect transcription than decay. While the GS signal sequences were highly conserved, their alignment with N protein in the helical ribonucleocapsid, i.e., N-phase, was variable, suggesting polymerase recognition of GS signal conformation affects transcription initiation. The effect of GS N-phase on transcription efficiency was tested using dicistronic minigenomes. Ratios of minigenome gene expression showed a switch-like dependence on N-phase with a period of seven nucleotides. Our results indicate that RSV gene expression is in part sculpted by polymerases that initiate transcription with a probability dependent on GS signal N-phase.Author SummaryRSV is a major viral pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality, especially in young children. Shortly after RSV enters a host cell, transcription from its nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA genome starts at the 3’ promoter and proceeds sequentially. Transcriptional attenuation is thought to occur at each gene junction, resulting in a gradient of gene expression. However, recent studies showing non-gradient levels of RSV mRNA suggest that transcriptional regulation may have additional mechanisms. We show using RSV isolates belonging to four different genotypes that gene expression is genotype-dependent and one gene (the G or attachment gene) is consistently more highly expressed than an upstream neighbor. We hypothesize that variable alignment of highly conserved gene start (GS) signals with nucleoprotein (i.e., variable GS N-phase) can affect transcription and give rise to non-gradient patterns of gene expression. We show using dicistronic RSV minigenomes wherein the reporter genes differ only in the N-phase of one GS signal that GS N-phase affects gene expression. Our results suggest the existence of a novel mechanism of transcriptional regulation that might play a role in other NNS RNA viruses.


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