scholarly journals The histone chaperone Nrp1 is required for chromatin stability and nuclear division in Tetrahymena thermophila

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinjie Lian ◽  
Huijuan Hao ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Tao Bo ◽  
Aihua Liang ◽  
...  

AbstractHistone chaperones facilitate DNA replication and repair by promoting chromatin assembly, disassembly and histone exchange. Following histones synthesis and nucleosome assembly, the histones undergo posttranslational modification by different enzymes and are deposited onto chromatins by various histone chaperones. In Tetrahymena thermophila, histones from macronucleus (MAC) and micronucleus (MIC) have been comprehensively investigated, but the function of histone chaperones remains unclear. Histone chaperone Nrp1 in Tetrahymena contains four conserved tetratricopepeptide repeat (TPR) domains and one C-terminal nuclear localization signal. TPR2 is typically interrupted by a large acidic motif. Immunofluorescence staining showed that Nrp1 is located in the MAC and MICs, but disappeared in the apoptotic parental MAC and the degraded MICs during the conjugation stage. Nrp1 was also colocalized with α-tubulin around the spindle structure. NRP1 knockdown inhibited cellular proliferation and led to the loss of chromosome, abnormal macronuclear amitosis, and disorganized micronuclear mitosis during the vegetative growth stage. During sexual developmental stage, the gametic nuclei failed to be selected and abnormally degraded in NRP1 knockdown mutants. Affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry analysis indicated that Nrp1 is co-purified with core histones, heat shock proteins, histone chaperones, and DNA damage repair proteins. The physical direct interaction of Nrp1 and Asf1 was also confirmed by pull-down analysis in vitro. The results show that histone chaperone Nrp1 is involved in micronuclear mitosis and macronuclear amitosis in the vegetative growth stage and maintains gametic nuclei formation during the sexual developmental stage. Nrp1 is required for chromatin stability and nuclear division in Tetrahymena thermophila.

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallace H. Liu ◽  
Mair E.A. Churchill

The eukaryotic processes of nucleosome assembly and disassembly govern chromatin dynamics, in which histones exchange in a highly regulated manner to promote genome accessibility for all DNA-dependent processes. This regulation is partly carried out by histone chaperones, which serve multifaceted roles in co-ordinating the interactions of histone proteins with modification enzymes, nucleosome remodellers, other histone chaperones and nucleosomal DNA. The molecular details of the processes by which histone chaperones promote delivery of histones among their many functional partners are still largely undefined, but promise to offer insights into epigenome maintenance. In the present paper, we review recent findings on the histone chaperone interactions that guide the assembly of histones H3 and H4 into chromatin. This evidence supports the concepts of histone post-translational modifications and specific histone chaperone interactions as guiding principles for histone H3/H4 transactions during chromatin assembly.


1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-98
Author(s):  
C F Brunk ◽  
R K Conover

After conjugation in Tetrahymena thermophila, the old macronuclei degenerate, and new macronuclei (anlagen) develop. During anlagen development a number of DNA sequences found in the micronuclear genome (micronuclear limited sequences) are eliminated from the anlagen. A cloned copy of a repetitive micronuclear limited sequence has been used to determine the developmental stage at which micronuclear limited sequences are eliminated. DNAs from anlagen of various developmental stages were examined by Southern analysis. It was found that micronuclear limited sequences are present in 4C anlagen and essentially absent in 8C and 16C anlagen. The precipitous loss of these sequences in the 8C anlagen rules out under-replication as the mechanism for the loss and suggests that these sequences are specifically degraded early during anlagen development.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Saettone Chipana

The thesis aims to identify and initiate functional characterization of the SWI/SNF and ISWI complexes in Tetrahymena thermophila. Through affinity purification of the conserved subunit Snf5 followed by mass spectrometry (AP-MS), I identified the first SWI/SNF complex in protists. One of the subunits I found is a small bromodomain containing protein named Ibd1. Through AP-MS of Ibd1 I found Ibd1 is versatile and interacts with several additional chromatin remodeling complexes. Bromodomains are known to have affinity for acetylated lysine residues within proteins such as histones. A peptide array experiment suggests that Ibd1 also has affinity for acetylated chromatin. Indirect immunofluorescence (IF) of Ibd1 hints at a role in transcription. My analysis of Tetrahymena Iswi1 shows expression during meiosis, vegetative growth and starvation. IF data shows its localization is consistent with Iswi1 function in mitosis/meiosis or maintenance of silent chromatin. AP-MS of ISW1 discovered several interacting proteins of unknown function.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A Tarkington ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Ricardo Azevedo ◽  
Rebecca Zufall

Understanding the mechanisms that generate genetic variation, and thus contribute to the process of adaptation, is a major goal of evolutionary biology. Mutation and genetic exchange have been well studied as mechanisms to generate genetic variation. However, there are additional processes that may also generate substantial genetic variation in some populations and the extent to which these variation generating mechanisms are themselves shaped by natural selection is still an open question. Tetrahymena thermophila is a ciliate with an unusual mechanism of nuclear division, called amitosis, which can generate genetic variation among the asexual descendants of a newly produced sexual progeny. We hypothesize that amitosis thus increases the evolvability of newly produced sexual progeny relative to species that undergo mitosis. To test this hypothesis, we used experimental evolution and simulations to compare the rate of adaptation in T. thermophila populations founded by a single sexual progeny to parental populations that had not had sex in many generations. The populations founded by a sexual progeny adapted more quickly than parental populations in both laboratory populations and simulated populations. This suggests that the additional genetic variation generated by amitosis of a heterozygote can increase the rate of adaptation following sex and may help explain the evolutionary success of the unusual genetic architecture of Tetrahymena and ciliates more generally.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankitha Shetty ◽  
Santosh D. Bhosale ◽  
Subhash Kumar Tripathi ◽  
Tanja Buchacher ◽  
Rahul Biradar ◽  
...  

Dysregulated function of Th17 cells has implications in immunodeficiencies and autoimmune disorders. Th17 cell-differentiation is orchestrated by a complex network of transcription factors, including several members of the activator protein (AP-1) family. Among these, FOSL1 and FOSL2 influence the effector responses of Th17 cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their functions are unclear, owing to the poorly characterized protein interaction networks of these factors. Here, we establish the first interactomes of FOSL1 and FOSL2 in human Th17 cells, using affinity purification–mass spectrometry analysis. In addition to the known JUN proteins, we identified several novel binding partners of FOSL1 and FOSL2. Gene ontology analysis found a major fraction of these interactors to be associated with RNA binding activity, which suggests new mechanistic links. Intriguingly, 29 proteins were found to share interactions with FOSL1 and FOSL2, and these included key regulators of Th17-fate. We further validated the binding partners identified in this study by using parallel reaction monitoring targeted mass spectrometry and other methods. Our study provides key insights into the interaction-based signaling mechanisms of FOSL1 and FOSL2 that potentially govern Th17 cell-differentiation and associated pathologies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed N Shah

Histones H3/H4 are deposited onto DNA in a replication-dependent or independent fashion by the CAF1 and HIRA protein complexes. Despite the identification of these protein complexes, mechanistic details remain unclear. Recently, we showed that in T. thermophila histone chaperones Nrp1, Asf1 and the Impβ6 importin function together to transport newly synthesized H3/H4 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. To characterize chromatin assembly proteins in T.thermophila, I used affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry to identify protein-protein interactions of Nrp1, Cac2 subunit of CAF1, HIRA and histone modifying Hat1-complex in T. thermophila. I found that the three-subunit T.thermophila CAF1 complex interacts with Casein Kinase 2 (CKII), possibly accounting for previously reported human CAF1phosphorylation. I also found that Hat2 subunit of HAT1 complex is also shared by CAF1 complex as its Cac3 subunit. This suggests that Hat2/Cac3 might exist in two separate pools of protein complexes. Remarkably, proteomic analysis of Hat2/Cac3 in turn revealed that it forms several complexes with other proteins including SIN3, RXT3, LIN9 and TESMIN, all of which have known roles in the regulation of gene expression. Finally, I asked how selective forces might have impacted on the function of proteins involved in H3/H4 transport. Focusing on NASP which possesses several TPR motifs, I showed that its protein-protein interactions are conserved in T. thermophila. Using molecular evolutionary methods I show that different TPRs in NASP evolve at different rates possibly accounting for the functional diversity observed among different family members.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wei ◽  
Patrick Willems ◽  
Jingjing Huang ◽  
Caiping Tian ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn proteins, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reacts with redox-sensitive cysteines to form cysteine sulfenic acid, also known as S-sulfenylation. These cysteine oxidation events can steer diverse cellular processes by altering protein interactions, trafficking, conformation, and function. Previously, we had identified S-sulfenylated proteins by using a tagged proteinaceous probe based on the yeast AP-1–like (Yap1) transcription factor that specifically reacts with sulfenic acids and traps them through a mixed disulfide bond. However, the identity of the S-sulfenylated amino acid residues remained enigmatic. Here, we present a technological advancement to identify in situ sulfenylated cysteines directly by means of the transgenic Yap1 probe. In Arabidopsis thaliana cells, after an initial affinity purification and a tryptic digestion, we further enriched the mixed disulfide-linked peptides with an antibody targeting the YAP1C-derived peptide (C598SEIWDR) that entails the redox-active cysteine. Subsequent mass spectrometry analysis with pLink 2 identified 1,745 YAP1C cross-linked peptides, indicating sulfenylated cysteines in over 1,000 proteins. Approximately 55% of these YAP1C-linked cysteines had previously been reported as redox-sensitive cysteines (S-sulfenylation, S-nitrosylation, and reversibly oxidized cysteines). The presented methodology provides a noninvasive approach to identify sulfenylated cysteines in any species that can be genetically modified.


HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 865-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thitipat Weeplian ◽  
Tsair-Bor Yen ◽  
Yunn-Shy Ho

To investigate the effects of light treatments on the growth morphology and chemical constituents of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. plants, red (R), blue (B), far red (Fr), and white (W) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were configured to provide different combinations of light spectra and photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs). In Expt. 1, five light spectra of red/white (RW), red/white/far red (RWFr), red/white/high-intensity far red (RWFrD), red/blue (RB), and red/blue/far red (RBFr) were set up in two 3-layered racks with circulating hydroponic systems. In each light spectrum treatment, the distance between the LED lamps and the transplanting board was regulated to provide low PPFD and high PPFD treatments. In Expt. 2, the effect of Fr was further investigated in plants in the early and late growth stages. RWFr light was modified by covering the Fr lamps to become red/white without far red (RW−Fr) light during the early growth stage, and then removing the covers to provide the Fr spectrum red/white with far red (RW+Fr) during the later growth stage. This study suggested that high PPFD was not beneficial for promoting plant growth in any light spectrum treatment. Among light spectrum treatments at a PPFD of 215 ± 15 μmol·m−2·s−1, RW light produced higher vegetative growth. In the late growth stage, RW and RB combined with Fr light promoted reproductive growth, antioxidant activities, and secondary compounds, such as phenolic compounds, pinitol accumulation, and betacyanins. Therefore, RW (227 μmol·m−2·s−1), RW−Fr (162 μmol·m−2·s−1), and RB (162 μmol·m−2·s−1) are suggested for the early growth stage to promote vegetative growth. Then additional Fr light can be applied in addition to RW for secondary metabolite induction in the late growth stage.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (38) ◽  
pp. 19136-19144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giel P. Göertz ◽  
Joyce W. M. van Bree ◽  
Anwar Hiralal ◽  
Bas M. Fernhout ◽  
Carmen Steffens ◽  
...  

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus predominantly transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and poses a global human health threat. All flaviviruses, including those that exclusively replicate in mosquitoes, produce a highly abundant, noncoding subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) in infected cells, which implies an important function of sfRNA during mosquito infection. Currently, the role of sfRNA in flavivirus transmission by mosquitoes is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that an sfRNA-deficient ZIKV (ZIKVΔSF1) replicates similar to wild-type ZIKV in mosquito cell culture but is severely attenuated in transmission by Ae. aegypti after an infectious blood meal, with 5% saliva-positive mosquitoes for ZIKVΔSF1 vs. 31% for ZIKV. Furthermore, viral titers in the mosquito saliva were lower for ZIKVΔSF1 as compared to ZIKV. Comparison of mosquito infection via infectious blood meals and intrathoracic injections showed that sfRNA is important for ZIKV to overcome the mosquito midgut barrier and to promote virus accumulation in the saliva. Next-generation sequencing of infected mosquitoes showed that viral small-interfering RNAs were elevated upon ZIKVΔSF1 as compared to ZIKV infection. RNA-affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry analysis uncovered that sfRNA specifically interacts with a specific set of Ae. aegypti proteins that are normally associated with RNA turnover and protein translation. The DEAD/H-box helicase ME31B showed the highest affinity for sfRNA and displayed antiviral activity against ZIKV in Ae. aegypti cells. Based on these results, we present a mechanistic model in which sfRNA sequesters ME31B to promote flavivirus replication and virion production to facilitate transmission by mosquitoes.


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