scholarly journals A role for the DP subunit of the E2F transcription factor in axis determination during Drosophila oogenesis

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (15) ◽  
pp. 3249-3261 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.L. Myster ◽  
P.C. Bonnette ◽  
R.J. Duronio

The E2F family of transcription factors contributes to cell cycle control by regulating the transcription of DNA replication factors. Functional ‘E2F’ is a DNA-binding heterodimer composed of E2F and DP proteins. Drosophila contains two E2F genes (dE2F, dE2F2) and one DP gene (dDP). Mutation of either dE2F or dDP eliminates G(1)-S transcription of known replication factors during embryogenesis and compromises DNA replication. However, the analysis of these mutant phenotypes is complicated by the perdurance of maternally supplied gene function. To address this and to further analyze the role of E2F transcription factors in development we have phenotypically characterized mitotic clones of dDP mutant cells in the female germline. Our analysis indicates that dDP is required for several essential processes during oogenesis. In a fraction of the mutant egg chambers the germ cells execute one extra round of mitosis, suggesting that in this tissue dDP is uniquely utilized for cell cycle arrest rather than cell cycle progression. Mutation of dDP in the germline also prevents nurse cell cytoplasm transfer to the oocyte, resulting in a ‘dumpless’ phenotype that blocks oocyte development. This phenotype likely results from both disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and a failure of nurse cell apoptosis, each of which are required for normal cytoplasmic transfer. Lastly, we found that dDP is required for the establishment of the dorsal-ventral axis, as loss of dDP function prevents the localized expression of the EGFR ligand Gurken in the oocyte, which initiates dorsal-ventral polarity in the egg chamber. Thus we have uncovered new functions for E2F transcription factors during development, including an unexpected role in pattern formation.

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabih Roufayel ◽  
Rabih Mezher ◽  
Kenneth B. Storey

: Selected transcription factors have critical roles to play in organism survival by regulating the expression of genes that control the adaptations needed to handle stress conditions. The retinoblastoma (Rb) protein coupled with the E2F transcription factor family was demonstrated to have roles in controlling the cell cycle during freezing and associated environmental stresses (anoxia, dehydration). Rb phosphorylation or acetylation at different sites provide a mechanism for repressing cell proliferation that is under the control of E2F transcription factors in animals facing stresses that disrupt cellular energetics or cell volume controls. Other central regulators of the cell cycle including Cyclins, Cyclin dependent kinases (Cdks), and checkpoint proteins detect DNA damage or any improper replication, blocking further progression of cell cycle and interrupting cell proliferation. This review provides an insight into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of cell cycle control, focusing on Rb-E2F along with Cyclin-Cdk complexes typically involved in development and differentiation that need to be regulated in order to survive extreme cellular stress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6168
Author(s):  
Laura Curti ◽  
Stefano Campaner

MYC is a transcription factor that controls the expression of a large fraction of cellular genes linked to cell cycle progression, metabolism and differentiation. MYC deregulation in tumors leads to its pervasive genome-wide binding of both promoters and distal regulatory regions, associated with selective transcriptional control of a large fraction of cellular genes. This pairs with alterations of cell cycle control which drive anticipated S-phase entry and reshape the DNA-replication landscape. Under these circumstances, the fine tuning of DNA replication and transcription becomes critical and may pose an intrinsic liability in MYC-overexpressing cancer cells. Here, we will review the current understanding of how MYC controls DNA and RNA synthesis, discuss evidence of replicative and transcriptional stress induced by MYC and summarize preclinical data supporting the therapeutic potential of triggering replicative stress in MYC-driven tumors.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 4745-4753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gino Vairo ◽  
Timothy J. Soos ◽  
Todd M. Upton ◽  
Juan Zalvide ◽  
James A. DeCaprio ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Independent of its antiapoptotic function, Bcl-2 can, through an undetermined mechanism, retard entry into the cell cycle. Cell cycle progression requires the phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) of retinoblastoma protein (pRB) family members to free E2F transcription factors. We have explored whether retarded cycle entry is mediated by the Cdk inhibitor p27 or the pRB family. In quiescent fibroblasts, enforced Bcl-2 expression elevated levels of both p27 and the pRB relative p130. Bcl-2 still slowed G1 progression in cells deficient in pRB but not in those lacking p27 or p130. Hence, pRB is not required, but both p27 and p130 are essential mediators. The ability of p130 to form repressive complexes with E2F4 is implicated, because the retardation by Bcl-2 was accentuated by coexpressed E2F4. A plausible relevant target of p130/E2F4 is the E2F1 gene, because Bcl-2 expression delayed E2F1 accumulation during G1 progression and overexpression of E2F1 overrode the Bcl-2 inhibition. Hence, Bcl-2 appears to retard cell cycle entry by increasing p27 and p130 levels and maintaining repressive complexes of p130 with E2F4, perhaps to delay E2F1 expression.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 3875-3885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Yuan Su ◽  
Karin Flick ◽  
Peter Kaiser

ABSTRACT The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ubiquitin ligase SCFMet30 is essential for cell cycle progression. To identify and characterize SCFMet30-dependent cell cycle steps, we used temperature-sensitive met30 mutants in cell cycle synchrony experiments. These experiments revealed a requirement for Met30 during both G1/S transition and M phase, while progression through S phase was unaffected by loss of Met30 function. Expression of the G1-specific transcripts CLN1, CLN2, and CLB5 was very low in met30 mutants, whereas expression of CLN3 was unaffected. However, overexpression of Cln2 could not overcome the G1 arrest. Interestingly, overexpression of Clb5 could induce DNA replication in met30 mutants, albeit very inefficiently. Increased levels of Clb5 could not, however, suppress the cell proliferation defect of met30 mutants. Consistent with the DNA replication defects, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed significantly lower levels of the replication factors Mcm4, Mcm7, and Cdc45 at replication origins in met30 mutants than in wild-type cells. These data suggest that Met30 regulates several aspects of the cell cycle, including G1-specific transcription, initiation of DNA replication, and progression through M phase.


2019 ◽  
Vol 202 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter E. Burby ◽  
Lyle A. Simmons

ABSTRACT All organisms regulate cell cycle progression by coordinating cell division with DNA replication status. In eukaryotes, DNA damage or problems with replication fork progression induce the DNA damage response (DDR), causing cyclin-dependent kinases to remain active, preventing further cell cycle progression until replication and repair are complete. In bacteria, cell division is coordinated with chromosome segregation, preventing cell division ring formation over the nucleoid in a process termed nucleoid occlusion. In addition to nucleoid occlusion, bacteria induce the SOS response after replication forks encounter DNA damage or impediments that slow or block their progression. During SOS induction, Escherichia coli expresses a cytoplasmic protein, SulA, that inhibits cell division by directly binding FtsZ. After the SOS response is turned off, SulA is degraded by Lon protease, allowing for cell division to resume. Recently, it has become clear that SulA is restricted to bacteria closely related to E. coli and that most bacteria enforce the DNA damage checkpoint by expressing a small integral membrane protein. Resumption of cell division is then mediated by membrane-bound proteases that cleave the cell division inhibitor. Further, many bacterial cells have mechanisms to inhibit cell division that are regulated independently from the canonical LexA-mediated SOS response. In this review, we discuss several pathways used by bacteria to prevent cell division from occurring when genome instability is detected or before the chromosome has been fully replicated and segregated.


Genetics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiichi Urushiyama ◽  
Tokio Tani ◽  
Yasumi Ohshima

Abstract The prp (pre-mRNA processing) mutants of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe have a defect in pre-mRNA splicing and accumulate mRNA precursors at a restrictive temperature. One of the prp mutants, prp1-4, also has a defect in poly(A)+ RNA transport. The prp1  + gene encodes a protein of 906 amino acid residues that contains 19 repeats of 34 amino acids termed tetratrico peptide repeat (TPR) motifs, which were proposed to mediate protein-protein interactions. The amino acid sequence of Prplp shares 29.6% identity and 50.6% similarity with that of the PRP6 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a component of the U4/U6 snRNP required for spliceosome assembly. No functional complementation was observed between S. pombe prp1  + and S. cerevisiae PRP6. We examined synthetic lethality of prp1-4 with the other known prp mutations in S. pombe. The results suggest that Prp1p interacts either physically or functionally with Prp4p, Prp6p and Prp13p. Interestingly, the prp1  + gene was found to be identical with the zer1  + gene that functions in cell cycle control. These results suggest that Prp1p/Zer1p is either directly or indirectly involved in cell cycle progression and/or poly(A)+ RNA nuclear export, in addition to pre-mRNA splicing.


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