scholarly journals Retrotransposons as a Source of DNA Damage in Neurodegeneration

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenie Peze-Heidsieck ◽  
Tom Bonnifet ◽  
Rania Znaidi ◽  
Camille Ravel-Godreuil ◽  
Olivia Massiani-Beaudoin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Mammalian Genomes ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
Long Interspersed Element ◽  
Coding Potential ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

The etiology of aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), still remains elusive and no curative treatment is available. Age is the major risk factor for PD and AD, but the molecular link between aging and neurodegeneration is not fully understood. Aging is defined by several hallmarks, some of which partially overlap with pathways implicated in NDs. Recent evidence suggests that aging-associated epigenetic alterations can lead to the derepression of the LINE-1 (Long Interspersed Element-1) family of transposable elements (TEs) and that this derepression might have important implications in the pathogenesis of NDs. Almost half of the human DNA is composed of repetitive sequences derived from TEs and TE mobility participated in shaping the mammalian genomes during evolution. Although most TEs are mutated and no longer mobile, more than 100 LINE-1 elements have retained their full coding potential in humans and are thus retrotransposition competent. Uncontrolled activation of TEs has now been reported in various models of neurodegeneration and in diseased human brain tissues. We will discuss in this review the potential contribution of LINE-1 elements in inducing DNA damage and genomic instability, which are emerging pathological features in NDs. TEs might represent an important molecular link between aging and neurodegeneration, and a potential target for urgently needed novel therapeutic disease-modifying interventions.

scholarly journals In Vivo and In Vitro Assays Evaluating the Biological Activity of Taurine, Glucose and Energetic Beverages

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2198
Author(s):  
Marcos Mateo-Fernández ◽  
Fernando Valenzuela-Gómez ◽  
Rafael Font ◽  
Mercedes Del Río-Celestino ◽  
Tania Merinas-Amo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Red Bull

Taurine is one of the main ingredients used in energy drinks which are highly consumed in adolescents for their sugary taste and stimulating effect. With energy drinks becoming a worldwide phenomenon, the biological effects of these beverages must be evaluated in order to fully comprehend the potential impact of these products on the health due to the fact nutrition is closely related to science since the population consumes food to prevent certain diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of taurine, glucose, classic Red Bull® and sugar-free Red Bull® in order to check the food safety and the nutraceutical potential of these compounds, characterising different endpoints: (i) Toxicology, antitoxicology, genotoxicology and life expectancy assays were performed in the Drosophila melanogaster model organism; (ii) The in vitro chemopreventive activity of testing compounds was determined by assessing their cytotoxicity, the proapoptotic DNA-damage capability to induce internucleosomal fragmentation, the strand breaks activity and the modulator role on the methylation status of genomic repetitive sequences of HL-60 promyelocytic cells. Whereas none tested compounds showed toxic or genotoxic effect, all tested compounds exerted antitoxic and antigenotoxic activity in Drosophila. Glucose, classic Red Bull® and sugar-free Red Bull® were cytotoxic in HL-60 cell line. Classic Red Bull® induced DNA internucleosomal fragmentation although none of them exhibited DNA damage on human leukaemia cells. In conclusion, the tested compounds are safe on Drosophila melanogaster and classic Red Bull® could overall possess nutraceutical potential in the in vivo and in vitro model used in this study. Besides, taurine could holistically be one of the bioactive compounds responsible for the biological activity of classic Red Bull®.

scholarly journals Formaldehyde and De/Methylation in Age-Related Cognitive Impairment

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 913
Author(s):  
Ting Li ◽  
Yan Wei ◽  
Meihua Qu ◽  
Lixian Mou ◽  
Junye Miao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Diagnostic Biomarker ◽  
Reactive Substance ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

Formaldehyde (FA) is a highly reactive substance that is ubiquitous in the environment and is usually considered as a pollutant. In the human body, FA is a product of various metabolic pathways and participates in one-carbon cycle, which provides carbon for the synthesis and modification of bio-compounds, such as DNA, RNA, and amino acids. Endogenous FA plays a role in epigenetic regulation, especially in the methylation and demethylation of DNA, histones, and RNA. Recently, epigenetic alterations associated with FA dysmetabolism have been considered as one of the important features in age-related cognitive impairment (ARCI), suggesting the potential of using FA as a diagnostic biomarker of ARCI. Notably, FA plays multifaceted roles, and, at certain concentrations, it promotes cell proliferation, enhances memory formation, and elongates life span, effects that could also be involved in the aetiology of ARCI. Further investigation of and the regulation of the epigenetics landscape may provide new insights about the aetiology of ARCI and provide novel therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Coupling of Human DNA Excision Repair and the DNA Damage Checkpoint in a Definedin VitroSystem

2014 ◽  
Vol 289 (8) ◽  
pp. 5074-5082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Lindsey-Boltz ◽  
Michael G. Kemp ◽  
Joyce T. Reardon ◽  
Vanessa DeRocco ◽  
Ravi R. Iyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Excision Repair ◽  
Dna Damage Checkpoint ◽  
Dna Excision Repair ◽  
Human Dna

scholarly journals MysTR: an Endogenous Retrovirus Family in Mammals That Is Undergoing Recent Amplifications to Unprecedented Copy Numbers

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (23) ◽  
pp. 14698-14707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Cantrell ◽  
Martina M. Ederer ◽  
Issac K. Erickson ◽  
Vicki J. Swier ◽  
Robert J. Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Endogenous Retroviruses ◽  
South American ◽  
Coding Regions ◽  
Copy Numbers ◽  
Species Analysis ◽  
Outgroup Species ◽  
Mammalian Genomes ◽  
Oryzomys Palustris

ABSTRACT A large percentage of the repetitive elements in mammalian genomes are retroelements, which have been moved primarily by LINE-1 retrotransposons and endogenous retroviruses. Although LINE-1 elements have remained active throughout the mammalian radiation, specific groups of endogenous retroviruses generally remain active for comparatively shorter periods of time. Identification of an unusual extinction of LINE-1 activity in a group of South American rodents has opened a window for examination of the interplay in mammalian genomes between these ubiquitous retroelements. In the course of a search for any type of repetitive sequences whose copy numbers have substantially changed in Oryzomys palustris, a species that has lost LINE-1 activity, versus Sigmodon hispidus, a closely related species retaining LINE-1 activity, we have identified an endogenous retrovirus family differentially amplified in these two species. Analysis of three full-length, recently transposed copies, called mysTR elements, revealed gag, pro, and pol coding regions containing stop codons which may have accumulated either before or after retrotransposition. Isolation of related sequences in S. hispidus and the LINE-1 active outgroup species, Peromyscus maniculatus, by PCR of a pro-pol region has allowed determination of copy numbers in each species. Unusually high copy numbers of approximately 10,000 in O. palustris versus 1,000 in S. hispidus and 4,500 in the more distantly related P.maniculatus leave open the question of whether there is a connection between endogenous retrovirus activity and LINE-1 inactivity. Nevertheless, these independent expansions of mysTR represent recent amplifications of this endogenous retrovirus family to unprecedented levels.

scholarly journals Recent advances in the nucleolar responses to DNA double-strand breaks

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (17) ◽  
pp. 9449-9461
Author(s):  
Lea Milling Korsholm ◽  
Zita Gál ◽  
Blanca Nieto ◽  
Oliver Quevedo ◽  
Stavroula Boukoura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Dna Repair ◽  
Dna Damage Response ◽  
Ribosomal Dna ◽  
Repetitive Sequences ◽  
Dna Lesions ◽  
Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Dna Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Damage Response

Abstract DNA damage poses a serious threat to human health and cells therefore continuously monitor and repair DNA lesions across the genome. Ribosomal DNA is a genomic domain that represents a particular challenge due to repetitive sequences, high transcriptional activity and its localization in the nucleolus, where the accessibility of DNA repair factors is limited. Recent discoveries have significantly extended our understanding of how cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the nucleolus, and new kinases and multiple down-stream targets have been identified. Restructuring of the nucleolus can occur as a consequence of DSBs and new data point to an active regulation of this process, challenging previous views. Furthermore, new insights into coordination of cell cycle phases and ribosomal DNA repair argue against existing concepts. In addition, the importance of nucleolar-DNA damage response (n-DDR) mechanisms for maintenance of genome stability and the potential of such factors as anti-cancer targets is becoming apparent. This review will provide a detailed discussion of recent findings and their implications for our understanding of the n-DDR. The n-DDR shares features with the DNA damage response (DDR) elsewhere in the genome but is also emerging as an independent response unique to ribosomal DNA and the nucleolus.

scholarly journals Mammalian Genomes Ease Location of Human DNA Functional Segments but Not Their Description

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee A Newberg ◽  
Charles E Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Human Dna ◽  
Nucleotide Mutation ◽  
Mammalian Genomes ◽  
Functional Dna ◽  
Human And Mouse

Under the assumption that a significant motivation for sequencing the genomes of mammals is the resulting ability to help us locate and characterize functional DNA segments shared with humans, we have developed a statistical analysis to quantify the expected advantage. Examining uncertainty in terms of the width of a confidence interval, we show that uncertainty in the rate of nucleotide mutation can be shrunk by a factor of nearly four when nine mammals; human, chimpanzee, baboon, cat, dog, cow, pig, rat, mouse; are used instead of just two; human and mouse. Contrastingly, we show confidence interval shrinkage by a factor of only 1.5 for measurements of the distribution of nucleotides at an aligned sequence site. These additional genomes should greatly help in identifying conserved DNA sites, but would be much less effective at precisely describing the expected pattern of nucleotides at those sites.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document