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Hardikar S, Ren R, Ying Z, Zhou J, Horton JR, Bramble MD, Liu B, Lu Y, Liu B, Coletta LD, Shen J, Dan J, Zhang X, Cheng X, Chen T. The ICF syndrome protein CDCA7 harbors a unique DNA binding domain that recognizes a CpG dyad in the context of a non-B DNA. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadr0036. [PMID: 39178265 PMCID: PMC11343032 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/25/2024]
Abstract
CDCA7, encoding a protein with a carboxyl-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD), is mutated in immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, a disease related to hypomethylation of juxtacentromeric satellite DNA. How CDCA7 directs DNA methylation to juxtacentromeric regions is unknown. Here, we show that the CDCA7 CRD adopts a unique zinc-binding structure that recognizes a CpG dyad in a non-B DNA formed by two sequence motifs. CDCA7, but not ICF mutants, preferentially binds the non-B DNA with strand-specific CpG hemi-methylation. The unmethylated sequence motif is highly enriched at centromeres of human chromosomes, whereas the methylated motif is distributed throughout the genome. At S phase, CDCA7, but not ICF mutants, is concentrated in constitutive heterochromatin foci, and the formation of such foci can be inhibited by exogenous hemi-methylated non-B DNA bound by the CRD. Binding of the non-B DNA formed in juxtacentromeric regions during DNA replication provides a mechanism by which CDCA7 controls the specificity of DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swanand Hardikar
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ren Ren
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhengzhou Ying
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jujun Zhou
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John R. Horton
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew D. Bramble
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yue Lu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bigang Liu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Luis Della Coletta
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianjun Shen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jiameng Dan
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Taiping Chen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Rivosecchi J, Jurikova K, Cusanelli E. Telomere-specific regulation of TERRA and its impact on telomere stability. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 157:3-23. [PMID: 38088000 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
TERRA is a class of telomeric repeat-containing RNAs that are expressed from telomeres in multiple organisms. TERRA transcripts play key roles in telomere maintenance and their physiological levels are essential to maintain the integrity of telomeric DNA. Indeed, deregulated TERRA expression or its altered localization can impact telomere stability by multiple mechanisms including fueling transcription-replication conflicts, promoting resection of chromosome ends, altering the telomeric chromatin, and supporting homologous recombination. Therefore, a fine-tuned control of TERRA is important to maintain the integrity of the genome. Several studies have reported that different cell lines express substantially different levels of TERRA. Most importantly, TERRA levels markedly vary among telomeres of a given cell type, indicating the existence of telomere-specific regulatory mechanisms which may help coordinate TERRA functions. TERRA molecules contain distinct subtelomeric sequences, depending on their telomere of origin, which may instruct specific post-transcriptional modifications or mediate distinct functions. In addition, all TERRA transcripts share a repetitive G-rich sequence at their 3' end which can form DNA:RNA hybrids and fold into G-quadruplex structures. Both structures are involved in TERRA functions and can critically affect telomere stability. In this review, we examine the mechanisms controlling TERRA levels and the impact of their telomere-specific regulation on telomere stability. We compare evidence obtained in different model organisms, discussing recent advances as well as controversies in the field. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of DNA:RNA hybrids and G-quadruplex structures in the context of TERRA biology and telomere maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Rivosecchi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Katarina Jurikova
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Emilio Cusanelli
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy.
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Huang R, Feng Y, Gao Z, Ahmed A, Zhang W. The Epigenomic Features and Potential Functions of PEG- and PDS-Favorable DNA G-Quadruplexes in Rice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:634. [PMID: 38203805 PMCID: PMC10779103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A G-quadruplex (G4) is a typical non-B DNA structure and involved in various DNA-templated events in eukaryotic genomes. PEG and PDS chemicals have been widely applied for promoting the folding of in vivo or in vitro G4s. However, how PEG and PDS preferentially affect a subset of G4 formation genome-wide is still largely unknown. We here conducted a BG4-based IP-seq in vitro under K++PEG or K++PDS conditions in the rice genome. We found that PEG-favored IP-G4s+ have distinct sequence features, distinct genomic distributions and distinct associations with TEGs, non-TEGs and subtypes of TEs compared to PDS-favored ones. Strikingly, PEG-specific IP-G4s+ are associated with euchromatin with less enrichment levels of DNA methylation but with more enriched active histone marks, while PDS-specific IP-G4s+ are associated with heterochromatin with higher enrichment levels of DNA methylation and repressive marks. Moreover, we found that genes with PEG-specific IP-G4s+ are more expressed than those with PDS-specific IP-G4s+, suggesting that PEG/PDS-specific IP-G4s+ alone or coordinating with epigenetic marks are involved in the regulation of the differential expression of related genes, therefore functioning in distinct biological processes. Thus, our study provides new insights into differential impacts of PEG and PDS on G4 formation, thereby advancing our understanding of G4 biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China; (R.H.); (Y.F.); (Z.G.); (A.A.)
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Hardikar S, Ren R, Ying Z, Horton JR, Bramble MD, Liu B, Lu Y, Liu B, Dan J, Zhang X, Cheng X, Chen T. The ICF syndrome protein CDCA7 harbors a unique DNA-binding domain that recognizes a CpG dyad in the context of a non-B DNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571946. [PMID: 38168392 PMCID: PMC10760177 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
CDCA7 , encoding a protein with a C-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD), is mutated in immunodeficiency, centromeric instability and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, a disease related to hypomethylation of juxtacentromeric satellite DNA. How CDCA7 directs DNA methylation to juxtacentromeric regions is unknown. Here, we show that the CDCA7 CRD adopts a unique zinc-binding structure that recognizes a CpG dyad in a non-B DNA formed by two sequence motifs. CDCA7, but not ICF mutants, preferentially binds the non-B DNA with strand-specific CpG hemi-methylation. The unmethylated sequence motif is highly enriched at centromeres of human chromosomes, whereas the methylated motif is distributed throughout the genome. At S phase, CDCA7, but not ICF mutants, is concentrated in constitutive heterochromatin foci, and the formation of such foci can be inhibited by exogenous hemi-methylated non-B DNA bound by the CRD. Binding of the non-B DNA formed in juxtacentromeric regions during DNA replication provides a mechanism by which CDCA7 controls the specificity of DNA methylation.
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5
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Sharma T, Kundu N, Kaur S, Shankaraswamy J, Saxena S. Why to target G-quadruplexes using peptides: Next-generation G4-interacting ligands. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3491. [PMID: 37009771 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Guanine-rich oligonucleotides existing in both DNA and RNA are able to fold into four-stranded DNA secondary structures via Hoogsteen type hydrogen-bonding, where four guanines self-assemble into a square planar arrangement, which, when stacked upon each other, results in the formation of higher-order structures called G-quadruplexes. Their distribution is not random; they are more frequently present at telomeres, proto-oncogenic promoters, introns, 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions, stem cell markers, ribosome binding sites and so forth and are associated with various biological functions, all of which play a pivotal role in various incurable diseases like cancer and cellular ageing. Several studies have suggested that G-quadruplexes could not regulate biological processes by themselves; instead, various proteins take part in this regulation and can be important therapeutic targets. There are certain limitations in using whole G4-protein for therapeutics purpose because of its high manufacturing cost, laborious structure prediction, dynamic nature, unavailability for oral administration due to its degradation in the gut and inefficient penetration to reach the target site because of the large size. Hence, biologically active peptides can be the potential candidates for therapeutic intervention instead of the whole G4-protein complex. In this review, we aimed to clarify the biological roles of G4s, how we can identify them throughout the genome via bioinformatics, the proteins interacting with G4s and how G4-interacting peptide molecules may be the potential next-generation ligands for targeting the G4 motifs located in biologically important regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taniya Sharma
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Nikita Kundu
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Sarvpreet Kaur
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Jadala Shankaraswamy
- Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Mojerla, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Budwel, Telangana, India
| | - Sarika Saxena
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
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Ulum L, Karikome Y, Yagi R, Kawashima T, Ishihara A, Oyoshi T. DNA G-Quadruplex-Binding Protein Developed Using the RGG Domain of Translocated in Liposarcoma/Fused in Sarcoma Inhibits Transcription of bcl-2. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:10459-10465. [PMID: 36969440 PMCID: PMC10035022 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The G-quadruplexes (G4s) in the genome are important drug targets because they regulate gene expression and the genome structure. Several small molecules that bind the G4 have been developed, but few artificial G4 binding proteins have been reported. We previously reported a novel DNA G4 binding protein (RGGF) engineered using the Arg-Gly-Gly repeat (RGG) domain of TLS (translocated in liposarcoma), also known as FUS (fused in sarcoma) protein (TLS/FUS). Here, we show that RGGF recognizes DNA loops in the G4 and preferentially binds DNA G4 with long loops in vitro. Furthermore, RGGF binds to the DNA G4 of the bcl-2 promoter in vitro. RGGF overexpression in HeLa cells represses bcl-2 transcription. On the basis of these findings, G4 binding protein engineered from the RGG domain will be useful for investigating G4 transcriptional function in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luthfi
Lulul Ulum
- Graduate
School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka
University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Yamato Karikome
- Graduate
School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Ryota Yagi
- Graduate
School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Tomoe Kawashima
- Graduate
School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Akinori Ishihara
- Graduate
School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Takanori Oyoshi
- Graduate
School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka
University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Graduate
School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Research
Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
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7
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Shu H, Zhang R, Xiao K, Yang J, Sun X. G-Quadruplex-Binding Proteins: Promising Targets for Drug Design. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12050648. [PMID: 35625576 PMCID: PMC9138358 DOI: 10.3390/biom12050648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical secondary nucleic acid structures. Sequences with the potential to form G4s are abundant in regulatory regions of the genome including telomeres, promoters and 5′ non-coding regions, indicating they fulfill important genome regulatory functions. Generally, G4s perform various biological functions by interacting with proteins. In recent years, an increasing number of G-quadruplex-binding proteins have been identified with biochemical experiments. G4-binding proteins are involved in vital cellular processes such as telomere maintenance, DNA replication, gene transcription, mRNA processing. Therefore, G4-binding proteins are also associated with various human diseases. An intensive study of G4-protein interactions provides an attractive approach for potential therapeutics and these proteins can be considered as drug targets for novel medical treatment. In this review, we present biological functions and structural properties of G4-binding proteins, and discuss how to exploit G4-protein interactions to develop new therapeutic targets.
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Komůrková D, Svobodová Kovaříková A, Bártová E. G-Quadruplex Structures Colocalize with Transcription Factories and Nuclear Speckles Surrounded by Acetylated and Dimethylated Histones H3. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1995. [PMID: 33671470 PMCID: PMC7922289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are four-stranded helical structures that regulate several nuclear processes, including gene expression and telomere maintenance. We observed that G4s are located in GC-rich (euchromatin) regions and outside the fibrillarin-positive compartment of nucleoli. Genomic regions around G4s were preferentially H3K9 acetylated and H3K9 dimethylated, but H3K9me3 rarely decorated G4 structures. We additionally observed the variability in the number of G4s in selected human and mouse cell lines. We found the highest number of G4s in human embryonic stem cells. We observed the highest degree of colocalization between G4s and transcription factories, positive on the phosphorylated form of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II). Similarly, a high colocalization rate was between G4s and nuclear speckles, enriched in pre-mRNA splicing factor SC-35. PML bodies, the replication protein SMD1, and Cajal bodies colocalized with G4s to a lesser extent. Thus, G4 structures seem to appear mainly in nuclear compartments transcribed via RNAP II, and pre-mRNA is spliced via the SC-35 protein. However, α-amanitin, an inhibitor of RNAP II, did not affect colocalization between G4s and transcription factories as well as G4s and SC-35-positive domains. In addition, irradiation by γ-rays did not change a mutual link between G4s and DNA repair proteins (G4s/γH2AX, G4s/53BP1, and G4s/MDC1), accumulated into DNA damage foci. Described characteristics of G4s seem to be the manifestation of pronounced G4s stability that is likely maintained not only via a high-order organization of these structures but also by a specific histone signature, including H3K9me2, responsible for chromatin compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eva Bártová
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Molecular Cytology and Cytometry, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (D.K.); (A.S.K.)
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Bartas M, Červeň J, Guziurová S, Slychko K, Pečinka P. Amino Acid Composition in Various Types of Nucleic Acid-Binding Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020922. [PMID: 33477647 PMCID: PMC7831508 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid-binding proteins are traditionally divided into two categories: With the ability to bind DNA or RNA. In the light of new knowledge, such categorizing should be overcome because a large proportion of proteins can bind both DNA and RNA. Another even more important features of nucleic acid-binding proteins are so-called sequence or structure specificities. Proteins able to bind nucleic acids in a sequence-specific manner usually contain one or more of the well-defined structural motifs (zinc-fingers, leucine zipper, helix-turn-helix, or helix-loop-helix). In contrast, many proteins do not recognize nucleic acid sequence but rather local DNA or RNA structures (G-quadruplexes, i-motifs, triplexes, cruciforms, left-handed DNA/RNA form, and others). Finally, there are also proteins recognizing both sequence and local structural properties of nucleic acids (e.g., famous tumor suppressor p53). In this mini-review, we aim to summarize current knowledge about the amino acid composition of various types of nucleic acid-binding proteins with a special focus on significant enrichment and/or depletion in each category.
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