scholarly journals Yeast Nucleolin Nsr1 Impedes Replication and Elevates Genome Instability at an Actively Transcribed Guanine-Rich G4 DNA-Forming Sequence

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 216 (4) ◽  
pp. 1023-1037
Author(s):  
Shivani Singh ◽  
Alexandra Berroyer ◽  
Minseon Kim ◽  
Nayun Kim

A significant increase in genome instability is associated with the conformational shift of a guanine-run-containing DNA strand into the four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. The mechanism underlying the recombination and genome rearrangements following the formation of G4 DNA in vivo has been difficult to elucidate but has become better clarified by the identification and functional characterization of several key G4 DNA-binding proteins. Mammalian nucleolin (NCL) is a highly specific G4 DNA-binding protein with a well-defined role in the transcriptional regulation of genes with associated G4 DNA-forming sequence motifs at their promoters. The consequence of the in vivo interaction between G4 DNA and nucleolin in respect to the genome instability has not been previously investigated. We show here that the yeast nucleolin Nsr1 is enriched at a G4 DNA-forming sequence in vivo and is a major factor in inducing the genome instability associated with the cotranscriptionally formed G4 DNA in the yeast genome. We also show that Nsr1 results in impeding replication past such a G4 DNA-forming sequence. The G4-associated genome instability and the G4 DNA-binding in vivo require the arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) repeats located at the C-terminus of the Nsr1 protein. Nsr1 with the deletion of RGG domain supports normal cell growth and is sufficient for its pre-rRNA processing function. However, the truncation of the RGG domain of Nsr1 significantly weakens its interaction with G4 DNA in vivo and restores unhindered replication, overall resulting in a sharp reduction in the genome instability associated with a guanine-rich G4 DNA-forming sequence. Our data suggest that the interaction between Nsr1 with the intact RGG repeats and G4 DNA impairs genome stability by precluding the access of G4-resolving proteins and impeding replication.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivani Singh ◽  
Alexandra Berroyer ◽  
Minseon Kim ◽  
Nayun Kim

ABSTRACTA significant increase in genome instability is associated with the conformational shift of a guanine-run-containing DNA strand into the four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. The mechanism underlying the recombination and genome rearrangements following the formation of G4 DNA in vivo has been difficult to elucidate but has become better clarified by the identification and functional characterization of several key G4 DNA-binding proteins. Mammalian nucleolin NCL is a highly specific G4 DNA-binding protein with a well-defined role in the transcriptional regulation of genes with associated G4 DNA-forming sequence motifs at their promoters. The consequence of the in vivo interaction between G4 DNA and nucleolin in respect to the genome instability has not been previously investigated. We show here that G4 DNA-binding is a conserved function in the yeast nucleolin Nsr1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Nsr1-G4 DNA complex formation results in replication obstruction and is a major factor in inducing the genome instability associated with the co-transcriptionally formed G4 DNA in the yeast genome. The G4-associated genome instability and the G4 DNA-binding in vivo requires the arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) repeats located at the C-terminus of the Nsr1 protein. Nsr1 with the deletion of RGG domain supports normal cell growth and is sufficient for its pre-rRNA processing function. However, the truncation of RGG domain of Nsr1 significantly weakens its interaction with G4 DNA in vitro and in vivo and restores unhindered replication, overall resulting in a sharp reduction in the G4-associated genome instability. Our data suggest that the interaction between Nsr1 with the intact RGG repeats and G4 DNA impairs genome stability by precluding the access of G4-resolving proteins and obstructing replication.AUTHOR SUMMARYGenome instability is uniquely elevated at sequences containing multiple runs of guanines, which can fold into the unusual, four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. In this study, we report a novel finding that a highly conserved G4 DNA binding protein Nsr1 can elevate the rate of recombination and chromosomal rearrangement occurring at a G4 DNA-forming sequence in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The elevated genome instability requires the C-terminally located RGG domain of Nsr1, which supports the high-affinity interaction between the protein and G4 DNA. The connection between G4-specific genome instability and the function of Nsr1 to form stable complex with G4 DNA led to the hypothesis that the high-affinity Nsr1-G4 DNA complexes can become a barrier to replication. We demonstrate here that the presence of Nsr1 in fact slows the replication past a G4 DNA-containing genomic site and that the RGG domain is required to facilitate such replication block.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (22) ◽  
pp. 5325-5334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan T. Mitchell ◽  
Jasmine S. Smith ◽  
Mark Mason ◽  
Sandy Harper ◽  
David W. Speicher ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The essential yeast protein Cdc13 facilitates chromosome end replication by recruiting telomerase to telomeres, and together with its interacting partners Stn1 and Ten1, it protects chromosome ends from nucleolytic attack, thus contributing to genome integrity. Although Cdc13 has been studied extensively, the precise role of its N-terminal domain (Cdc13N) in telomere length regulation remains unclear. Here we present a structural, biochemical, and functional characterization of Cdc13N. The structure reveals that this domain comprises an oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding (OB) fold and is involved in Cdc13 dimerization. Biochemical data show that Cdc13N weakly binds long, single-stranded, telomeric DNA in a fashion that is directly dependent on domain oligomerization. When introduced into full-length Cdc13 in vivo, point mutations that prevented Cdc13N dimerization or DNA binding caused telomere shortening or lengthening, respectively. The multiple DNA binding domains and dimeric nature of Cdc13 offer unique insights into how it coordinates the recruitment and regulation of telomerase access to the telomeres.


Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lansdorp ◽  
Niek van Wietmarschen

Guanine quadruplex (G4) structures are among the most stable secondary DNA structures that can form in vitro, and evidence for their existence in vivo has been steadily accumulating. Originally described mainly for their deleterious effects on genome stability, more recent research has focused on (potential) functions of G4 structures in telomere maintenance, gene expression, and other cellular processes. The combined research on G4 structures has revealed that properly regulating G4 DNA structures in cells is important to prevent genome instability and disruption of normal cell function. In this short review we provide some background and historical context of our work resulting in the identification of FANCJ, RTEL1 and BLM as helicases that act on G4 structures in vivo. Taken together these studies highlight important roles of different G4 DNA structures and specific G4 helicases at selected genomic locations and telomeres in regulating gene expression and maintaining genome stability.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Alexandra Berroyer ◽  
Nayun Kim

Topoisomerase I in eukaryotic cells is an important regulator of DNA topology. Its catalytic function is to remove positive or negative superhelical tension by binding to duplex DNA, creating a reversible single-strand break, and finally religating the broken strand. Proper maintenance of DNA topological homeostasis, in turn, is critically important in the regulation of replication, transcription, DNA repair, and other processes of DNA metabolism. One of the cellular processes regulated by the DNA topology and thus by Topoisomerase I is the formation of non-canonical DNA structures. Non-canonical or non-B DNA structures, including the four-stranded G-quadruplex or G4 DNA, are potentially pathological in that they interfere with replication or transcription, forming hotspots of genome instability. In this review, we first describe the role of Topoisomerase I in reducing the formation of non-canonical nucleic acid structures in the genome. We further discuss the interesting recent discovery that Top1 and Top1 mutants bind to G4 DNA structures in vivo and in vitro and speculate on the possible consequences of these interactions.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Valeria Esposito ◽  
Giuseppina Minopoli ◽  
Luciana Esposito ◽  
Valeria D’Argenio ◽  
Federica Di Maggio ◽  
...  

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the genes most frequently associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). They are crucial for the maintenance of genome stability, particularly in the homologous recombination-mediated repair pathway of DNA double-strand breaks (HR-DSBR). Widespread BRCA1/2 next-generation sequencing (NGS) screening has revealed numerous variants of uncertain significance. Assessing the clinical significance of these variants is challenging, particularly regarding the clinical management of patients. Here, we report the functional characterization of the unclassified BRCA2 c.8299C > T variant, identified in a young breast cancer patient during BRCA1/2 NGS screening. This variant causes the change of Proline 2767 to Serine in the DNA binding domain (DBD) of the BRCA2 protein, necessary for the loading of RAD51 on ssDNA during the HR-DSBR. Our in silico analysis and 3D-structure modeling predicted that the p.Pro2767Ser substitution is likely to alter the BRCA2 DBD structure and function. Therefore, to evaluate the functional impact of the p.Pro2767Ser variant, we used a minigene encoding a truncated protein that contains the BRCA2 DBD and the nearby nuclear localization sequence. We found that the ectopically expressed truncated protein carrying the normal DBD, which retains the DNA binding function and lacks the central RAD51 binding domain, interferes with endogenous wild-type BRCA2 mediator functions in the HR-DSBR. We also demonstrated that the BRCA2 Pro2767Ser DBD is unable to compete with endogenous BRCA2 DNA binding, thereby suggesting that the p.Pro2767Ser substitution in the full-length protein causes the functional loss of BRCA2. Consequently, our data suggest that the p.Pro2767Ser variant should be considered pathogenic, thus supporting a revision of the ClinVar interpretation. Moreover, our experimental strategy could be a valid method with which to preliminarily evaluate the pathogenicity of the unclassified BRCA2 germline variants in the DBD and their risk of predisposing to HBOC.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (4) ◽  
pp. C1172-C1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. H. Jiang ◽  
G. L. Semenza ◽  
C. Bauer ◽  
H. H. Marti

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a heterodimeric basic helix-loop-helix protein implicated in the transcriptional activation of genes encoding erythropoietin, glycolytic enzymes, and vascular endothelial growth factor in hypoxic mammalian cells. In this study, we have quantitated HIF-1 DNA-binding activity and protein levels of the HIF-1 alpha and HIF-1 beta subunits in human HeLa cells exposed to O2 concentrations ranging from 0 to 20% in the absence or presence of 1 mM KCN to inhibit oxidative phosphorylation and cellular O2 consumption. HIF-1 DNA-binding activity, HIF-1 alpha protein and HIF-1 beta protein each increased exponentially as cells were subjected to decreasing O2 concentrations, with a half maximal response between 1.5 and 2% O2 and a maximal response at 0.5% O2, both in the presence and absence of KCN. The HIF-1 response was greatest over O2 concentrations associated with ischemic/hypoxic events in vivo. These results provide evidence for the involvement of HIF-1 in O2 homeostasis and represent a functional characterization of the putative O2 sensor that initiates hypoxia signal transduction leading to HIF-1 expression.


2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (4) ◽  
pp. 893-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Huang ◽  
William Giblin ◽  
Martina Kubec ◽  
Gerwin Westfield ◽  
Jordan St. Charles ◽  
...  

Artemis was initially discovered as the gene inactivated in human radiosensitive T−B− severe combined immunodeficiency, a syndrome characterized by the absence of B and T lymphocytes and cellular hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. Hypomorphic Artemis alleles have also been identified in patients and are associated with combined immunodeficiencies of varying severity. We examine the molecular mechanisms underlying a syndrome of partial immunodeficiency caused by a hypomorphic Artemis allele using the mouse as a model system. This mutation, P70, leads to premature translation termination that deletes a large portion of a nonconserved C terminus. We find that homozygous Artemis-P70 mice exhibit reduced numbers of B and T lymphocytes, thereby recapitulating the patient phenotypes. The hypomorphic mutation results in impaired end processing during the lymphoid-specific DNA rearrangement known as V(D)J recombination, defective double-strand break repair, and increased chromosomal instability. Biochemical analyses reveal that the Artemis-P70 mutant protein interacts with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and retains significant, albeit reduced, exo- and endonuclease activities but does not undergo phosphorylation. Together, our findings indicate that the Artemis C terminus has critical in vivo functions in ensuring efficient V(D)J rearrangements and maintaining genome integrity.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 5540-5553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Liu ◽  
April L. Colosimo ◽  
Xiang-Jiao Yang ◽  
Daiqing Liao

ABSTRACT The adenovirus E1B 55-kDa protein binds to cellular tumor suppressor p53 and inactivates its transcriptional transactivation function. p53 transactivation activity is dependent upon its ability to bind to specific DNA sequences near the promoters of its target genes. It was shown recently that p53 is acetylated by transcriptional coactivators p300, CREB bidning protein (CBP), and PCAF and that acetylation of p53 by these proteins enhances p53 sequence-specific DNA binding. Here we show that the E1B 55-kDa protein specifically inhibits p53 acetylation by PCAF in vivo and in vitro, while acetylation of histones and PCAF autoacetylation is not affected. Furthermore, the DNA-binding activity of p53 is diminished in cells expressing the E1B 55-kDa protein. PCAF binds to the E1B 55-kDa protein and to a region near the C terminus of p53 encompassing Lys-320, the specific PCAF acetylation site. We further show that the E1B 55-kDa protein interferes with the physical interaction between PCAF and p53, suggesting that the E1B 55-kDa protein inhibits PCAF acetylase function on p53 by preventing enzyme-substrate interaction. These results underscore the importance of p53 acetylation for its function and suggest that inhibition of p53 acetylation by viral oncoproteins prevent its activation, thereby contributing to viral transformation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2425-2440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cunle Wu ◽  
Ekkehard Leberer ◽  
David Y. Thomas ◽  
Malcolm Whiteway

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ste11p protein kinase is a homologue of mammalian MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs or MEKKs) as well as theSchizosaccharomyces pombe Byr2p kinase. Ste11p functions in several signaling pathways, including those for mating pheromone response and osmotic stress response. The Ste11p kinase has an N-terminal domain that interacts with other signaling molecules to regulate Ste11p function and direct its activity in these pathways. One of the Ste11p regulators is Ste50p, and Ste11p and Ste50p associate through their respective N-terminal domains. This interaction relieves a negative activity of the Ste11p N terminus, and removal of this negative function is required for Ste11p function in the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway. The Ste50p/Ste11p interaction is also important (but not essential) for Ste11p function in the mating pathway; in this pathway binding of the Ste11p N terminus with both Ste50p and Ste5p is required, with the Ste5p association playing the major role in Ste11p function. In vitro, Ste50p disrupts an association between the catalytic C terminus and the regulatory N terminus of Ste11p. In addition, Ste50p appears to modulate Ste11p autophosphorylation and is itself a substrate of the Ste11p kinase. Therefore, both in vivo and in vitro data support a role for Ste50p in the regulation of Ste11p activity.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document