A KCNC1 mutation in Epilepsy of Infancy with Focal Migrating Seizures produces functional channels that fail to be regulated by phosphorylation

Author(s):  
Yalan Zhang ◽  
Syed R Ali ◽  
Rima Nabbout ◽  
Giulia Barcia ◽  
Leonard K. Kaczmarek

Channelopathies caused by mutations in genes encoding ion channels generally produce a clear change in channel function. Accordingly, mutations in KCNC1, which encodes the voltage-dependent Kv3.1 potassium channel, result in Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy as well as other Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies, and these have been shown to reduce or fully abolish current amplitude. One exception to this is the mutation A513V Kv3.1b, located in the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain of the channel protein. This de novo variant was detected in a patient with Epilepsy of Infancy with Focal Migrating Seizures (EIFMS) but no difference could be detected between A513V Kv3.1 current and that of wild type Kv3.1. Using both biochemical and electrophysiological approaches, we have now confirmed that this variant produces functional channels but find that the A513V mutation renders the channel completely insensitive to regulation by phosphorylation at S503, a nearby regulatory site in the C-terminus. In this respect, the mutation resembles those in another channel, KCNT1, which are the major cause of EIFMS. Because the amplitude of Kv3.1 current is constantly adjusted by phosphorylation in vivo, our findings suggest that loss of such regulation contributes to EIFMS phenotype and emphasize the role of channel modulation for normal neuronal function.

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 8117-8128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Grossi ◽  
Alessandro Bianchi ◽  
Pascal Damay ◽  
David Shore

ABSTRACT Rap1p, the major telomere repeat binding protein in yeast, has been implicated in both de novo telomere formation and telomere length regulation. To characterize the role of Rap1p in these processes in more detail, we studied the generation of telomeres in vivo from linear DNA substrates containing defined arrays of Rap1p binding sites. Consistent with previous work, our results indicate that synthetic Rap1p binding sites within the internal half of a telomeric array are recognized as an integral part of the telomere complex in an orientation-independent manner that is largely insensitive to the precise spacing between adjacent sites. By extending the lengths of these constructs, we found that several different Rap1p site arrays could never be found at the very distal end of a telomere, even when correctly oriented. Instead, these synthetic arrays were always followed by a short (≈100-bp) “cap” of genuine TG repeat sequence, indicating a remarkably strict sequence requirement for an end-specific function(s) of the telomere. Despite this fact, even misoriented Rap1p site arrays promote telomere formation when they are placed at the distal end of a telomere-healing substrate, provided that at least a single correctly oriented site is present within the array. Surprisingly, these heterogeneous arrays of Rap1p binding sites generate telomeres through a RAD52-dependent fusion resolution reaction that results in an inversion of the original array. Our results provide new insights into the nature of telomere end capping and reveal one way by which recombination can resolve a defect in this process.


1963 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Wiseman-Distler ◽  
T. L. Sourkes

The role of riboflavin in the activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO) was investigated by omitting the vitamin from the diet of rats which were further treated with iproniazid, an irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme. The rate of recovery from the inhibition, presumably reflecting de novo synthesis of the enzyme, was estimated by measuring the excretion of the acidic metabolites formed after intraperitoneal administration of serotonin (5 HT) and dopamine. Consumption of the deficient diet did not impair the action of MAO on these amines. After injection of iproniazid, return to control levels of MAO activity was slower when measured by the oxidation of dopamine than of 5 HT; there was a small but significant effect of riboflavin deficiency upon the conversion of 5 HT to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. This was probably due to enhanced inhibition of MAO observed in deficient rats, an effect that was also obtained when inhibitors other than iproniazid were used in vivo. Similarly, disappearance of 5 HT during incubation with a supernatant prepared from liver of deficient rats was also affected to a greater extent by these inhibitors than when the enzymatic system was prepared from control livers. This finding suggests that riboflavin deficiency renders MAO more susceptible to inhibition.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 638-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiko Kamikubo ◽  
R. Katherine Hyde ◽  
Ling Zhao ◽  
Lemlem Alemu ◽  
Cecilia Rivas ◽  
...  

Abstract The C-terminus of CBFβ-SMMHC, the fusion protein produced by a chromosome 16 inversion in acute myeloid leukemia subtype M4Eo, contains domains for self-multimerization and transcriptional repression, both of which have been proposed to be important for leukemogenesis by CBFβ-SMMHC. To test the role of the fusion protein's C-terminus in vivo, we generated knock-in mice expressing a C-terminally truncated CBFβ-SMMHC (CBFβ-SMMHCΔC95). Embryos with a single copy of CBFβ-SMMHCΔC95 were viable and showed no defects in hematopoiesis, whereas embryos homozygous for the CBFβ-SMMHCΔC95 allele had hematopoietic defects and died in mid-gestation, similar to embryos with a single-copy of the full-length CBFβ-SMMHC. Importantly, unlike mice expressing full-length CBFβ-SMMHC, none of the mice expressing CBFβ-SMMHCΔC95 developed leukemia, even after treatment with a mutagen, although some of the older mice developed a nontransplantable myeloproliferative disease. Our data indicate that the CBFβ-SMMHC's C-terminus is essential to induce embryonic hematopoietic defects and leukemogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago E. Charif ◽  
Luciana Luchelli ◽  
Antonella Vila ◽  
Matías Blaustein ◽  
Lionel M. Igaz

TDP-43 is a major component of cytoplasmic inclusions observed in neurodegenerative diseases like frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To further understand the role of TDP-43 in mRNA/protein metabolism and proteostasis, we used a combined approach with cellular and animal models overexpressing a cytoplasmic form of human TDP-43 (TDP-43-ΔNLS), recapitulating ALS/FTD features. We applied in HEK293 cells a method for labeling de novo translation, surface sensing of translation (SUnSET), based on puromycin (PURO) incorporation. While control cells displayed robust puromycilation, TDP-43-ΔNLS transfected cells exhibited reduced ongoing protein synthesis. Next, by using a transgenic mouse overexpressing cytoplasmic TDP-43 in the forebrain (TDP-43-ΔNLS mice) we assessed whether cytoplasmic TDP-43 regulates global translation in vivo. Polysome profiling of brain cortices from transgenic mice showed a shift toward non-polysomal fractions as compared to wild-type littermates, indicating a decrease in global translation. Lastly, cellular level translational assessment by SUNSET was performed in TDP-43-ΔNLS mice brain slices. Control mice slices incubated with PURO exhibited robust cytoplasmic PURO signal in layer 5 neurons from motor cortex, and normal nuclear TDP-43 staining. Neurons in TDP-43-ΔNLS mice slices incubated with PURO exhibited high cytoplasmic expression of TDP-43 and reduced puromycilation respect to control mice. These in vitro and in vivo results indicate that cytoplasmic TDP-43 decreases global translation and potentially cause functional/cytotoxic effects as observed in ALS/FTD. Our study provide in vivo evidence (by two independent and complementary methods) for a role of mislocalized TDP-43 in the regulation of global mRNA translation, with implications for TDP-43 proteinopathies.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (2) ◽  
pp. 791-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Nygaard ◽  
Hans H. Saxild

ABSTRACT In Bacillus subtilis, the expression of genes encoding enzymes and other proteins involved in purine de novo synthesis and salvage is affected by purine bases and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP). The transcription of the genes belonging to the PurR regulon is negatively regulated by the PurR protein and PRPP. The expression of the genes belonging to the G-box (XptR) regulon, including the pbuE gene, is negatively regulated by a riboswitch-controlled transcription termination mechanism. The G-box regulon effector molecules are hypoxanthine and guanine. pbuE encodes a purine base efflux pump and is now recognized as belonging to a third purine regulon. The expression of the pbuE gene is positively regulated by a riboswitch that recognizes adenine. Here we show that the expression of pbuE′-lacZ transcriptional fusions are induced by adenine to the highest extent in mutants which do not express a functional PbuE pump. In a mutant defective in the metabolism of adenine, the ade apt mutant, we found a high intracellular level of adenine and constitutive high levels of PbuE. A growth test using a purine auxotroph provided further evidence for the role of PbuE in lowering the intracellular concentration of purine bases, including adenine. Purine analogs also affect the expression of pbuE, which might be of importance for the protection against toxic analogs. In a mutant that overexpresses PbuE, the expression of genes belonging to the PurR regulon was increased. Our findings provide further evidence for important functions of the PbuE protein, such as acting as a pump that lowers the purine base pool and affects the expression of the G-box and PurR regulons, including pbuE itself, and as a pump involved in protection against toxic purine base analogs.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 95-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Ito ◽  
Paolo Sportoletti ◽  
John G Clohessy ◽  
Grisendi Silvia ◽  
Pier Paolo Pandolfi

Abstract Abstract 95 Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an incurable stem cell disorder characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and an increased risk of leukemia transformation. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is directly implicated in primitive hematopoiesis, the pathogenesis of hematopoietic malignancies and more recently of MDS. However, little is known regarding the molecular role and function of NPM in MDS pathogenesis and in stem cell biology. Here we present data demonstrating that NPM plays a critical role in the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the transformation of MDS into leukemia. NPM is located on chromosome 5q and is frequently lost in therapy-related and de novo MDS. We have previously shown that Npm1 acts as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in the hematopoietic compartment and Npm1+/− mice develop a hematologic syndrome with features of human MDS, including increased susceptibility to leukemogenesis. As HSCs have been demonstrated to be the target of the primary neoplastic event in MDS, a functional analysis of the HSC compartment is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms in MDS pathogenesis. However, the role of NPM in adult hematopoiesis remains largely unknown as Npm1-deficiency leads to embryonic lethality. To investigate NPM function in adult hematopoiesis, we have generated conditional knockout mice of Npm1, using the Cre-loxP system. Analysis of Npm1 conditional mutants crossed with Mx1-Cre transgenic mice reveals that Npm1 plays a crucial role in adult hematopoiesis and ablation of Npm1 in adult HSCs leads to aberrant cycling and followed by apoptosis. Analysis of cell cycle status revealed that HSCs are impaired in their ability to maintain quiescence after Npm1-deletion and are rapidly depleted in vivo as well as in vitro. Competitive reconstitution assay revealed that Npm1 acts cell-autonomously to maintain HSCs. Conditional inactivation of Npm1 leads to an MDS phenotype including a profoundly impaired ability to differentiate into cells of the erythroid lineage, megakaryocyte dyspoiesis and centrosome amplification. Furthermore, Npm1 loss evokes a p53-dependent response and Npm1-deleted HSCs undergo apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Strikingly, transfer of the Npm1 mutation into a p53-null background rescued the apoptosis of Npm1-ablated HSCs and resulted in accelerated transformation to an aggressive and lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia. Our findings highlight the crucial role of NPM in stem cell biology and identify a new mechanism by which MDS can progress to leukemia. This has important therapeutic implications for de novo MDS as well as therapy-related MDS, which is known to rapidly evolve to leukemia with frequent loss or mutation of TRP53. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 907-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Straube ◽  
Gerd Hause ◽  
Gero Fink ◽  
Gero Steinberg

Conventional kinesin is a ubiquitous organelle transporter that moves cargo toward the plus-ends of microtubules. In addition, several in vitro studies indicated a role of conventional kinesin in cross-bridging and sliding microtubules, but in vivo evidence for such a role is missing. In this study, we show that conventional kinesin mediates microtubule-microtubule interactions in the model fungus Ustilago maydis. Live cell imaging and ultrastructural analysis of various mutants in Kin1 revealed that this kinesin-1 motor is required for efficient microtubule bundling and participates in microtubule bending in vivo. High levels of Kin1 led to increased microtubule bending, whereas a rigor-mutation in the motor head suppressed all microtubule motility and promoted strong microtubule bundling, indicating that kinesin can form cross-bridges between microtubules in living cells. This effect required a conserved region in the C terminus of Kin1, which was shown to bind microtubules in vitro. In addition, a fusion protein of yellow fluorescent protein and the Kin1tail localized to microtubule bundles, further supporting the idea that a conserved microtubule binding activity in the tail of conventional kinesins mediates microtubule-microtubule interactions in vivo.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 4946-4959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen S. Gray ◽  
J. Craig Forrest ◽  
Samuel H. Speck

ABSTRACT The role of epigenetic modifications in the regulation of gammaherpesvirus latency has been a subject of active study for more than 20 years. DNA methylation, associated with transcriptional silencing in mammalian genomes, has been shown to be an important mechanism in the transcriptional control of several key gammaherpesvirus genes. In particular, DNA methylation of the functionally conserved immediate-early replication and transcription activator (RTA) has been shown to regulate Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus Rta expression. Here we demonstrate that the murine gammaherpesvirus (MHV68) homolog, encoded by gene 50, is also subject to direct repression by DNA methylation, both in vitro and in vivo. We observed that the treatment of latently MHV68-infected B-cell lines with a methyltransferase inhibitor induced virus reactivation. In addition, we show that the methylation of the recently characterized distal gene 50 promoter represses activity in a murine macrophage cell line. To evaluate the role of de novo methyltransferases (DNMTs) in the establishment of these methylation marks, we infected mice in which conditional DNMT3a and DNMT3b alleles were selectively deleted in B lymphocytes. DNMT3a/DNMT3b-deficient B cells were phenotypically normal, displaying no obvious compromise in cell surface marker expression or antibody production either in naïve mice or in the context of nonviral and viral immunogens. However, mice lacking functional DNMT3a and DNMT3b in B cells exhibited hallmarks of deregulated MHV68 lytic replication, including increased splenomegaly and the presence of infectious virus in the spleen at day 18 following infection. In addition, total gene 50 transcript levels were elevated in the spleens of these mice at day 18, which correlated with the hypomethylation of the distal gene 50 promoter. However, by day 42 postinfection, aberrant virus replication was resolved, and we observed wild-type frequencies of viral genome-positive splenocytes in mice lacking functional DNMT3a and DNMT3b in B lymphocytes. The latter correlated with increased CpG methylation in the distal gene 50 promoter, which was restored to levels similar to those of littermate controls harboring functional DNMT3a and DNMT3b alleles in B lymphocytes, suggesting the existence of an alternative mechanism for the de novo methylation of the MHV68 genome. Importantly, this DNMT3a/DNMT3b-independent methylation appeared to be targeted specifically to the gene 50 promoter, as we observed that the promoters for MHV68 gene 72 (v-cyclin) and M11 (v-bcl2) remained hypomethylated at day 42 postinfection. Taken together, these data provide the first evidence of the importance of DNA methylation in regulating gammaherpesvirus RTA/gene 50 transcription during virus infection in vivo and provide insight into the hierarchy of host machinery required to establish this modification.


Development ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (24) ◽  
pp. dev191494
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Symonds ◽  
Clare E. Buckley ◽  
Charlotte A. Williams ◽  
Jonathan D. W. Clarke

ABSTRACTUsing the zebrafish neural tube as a model, we uncover the in vivo mechanisms allowing the generation of two opposing apical epithelial surfaces within the centre of an initially unpolarised, solid organ. We show that Mpp5a and Rab11a play a dual role in coordinating the generation of ipsilateral junctional belts whilst simultaneously releasing contralateral adhesions across the centre of the tissue. We show that Mpp5a- and Rab11a-mediated resolution of cell-cell adhesions are both necessary for midline lumen opening and contribute to later maintenance of epithelial organisation. We propose that these roles for both Mpp5a and Rab11a operate through the transmembrane protein Crumbs. In light of a recent conflicting publication, we also clarify that the junction-remodelling role of Mpp5a is not specific to dividing cells.


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