1
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Zhang Y, Li X, Ba Z, Lou J, Gaertner KE, Zhu T, Lin X, Ye AY, Alt FW, Hu H. Molecular basis for differential Igk versus Igh V(D)J joining mechanisms. Nature 2024; 630:189-197. [PMID: 38811728 PMCID: PMC11153149 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07477-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
In developing B cells, V(D)J recombination assembles exons encoding IgH and Igκ variable regions from hundreds of gene segments clustered across Igh and Igk loci. V, D and J gene segments are flanked by conserved recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that target RAG endonuclease1. RAG orchestrates Igh V(D)J recombination upon capturing a JH-RSS within the JH-RSS-based recombination centre1-3 (RC). JH-RSS orientation programmes RAG to scan upstream D- and VH-containing chromatin that is presented in a linear manner by cohesin-mediated loop extrusion4-7. During Igh scanning, RAG robustly utilizes only D-RSSs or VH-RSSs in convergent (deletional) orientation with JH-RSSs4-7. However, for Vκ-to-Jκ joining, RAG utilizes Vκ-RSSs from deletional- and inversional-oriented clusters8, inconsistent with linear scanning2. Here we characterize the Vκ-to-Jκ joining mechanism. Igk undergoes robust primary and secondary rearrangements9,10, which confounds scanning assays. We therefore engineered cells to undergo only primary Vκ-to-Jκ rearrangements and found that RAG scanning from the primary Jκ-RC terminates just 8 kb upstream within the CTCF-site-based Sis element11. Whereas Sis and the Jκ-RC barely interacted with the Vκ locus, the CTCF-site-based Cer element12 4 kb upstream of Sis interacted with various loop extrusion impediments across the locus. Similar to VH locus inversion7, DJH inversion abrogated VH-to-DJH joining; yet Vκ locus or Jκ inversion allowed robust Vκ-to-Jκ joining. Together, these experiments implicated loop extrusion in bringing Vκ segments near Cer for short-range diffusion-mediated capture by RC-based RAG. To identify key mechanistic elements for diffusional V(D)J recombination in Igk versus Igh, we assayed Vκ-to-JH and D-to-Jκ rearrangements in hybrid Igh-Igk loci generated by targeted chromosomal translocations, and pinpointed remarkably strong Vκ and Jκ RSSs. Indeed, RSS replacements in hybrid or normal Igk and Igh loci confirmed the ability of Igk-RSSs to promote robust diffusional joining compared with Igh-RSSs. We propose that Igk evolved strong RSSs to mediate diffusional Vκ-to-Jκ joining, whereas Igh evolved weaker RSSs requisite for modulating VH joining by RAG-scanning impediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhaoqing Ba
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangman Lou
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Elyse Gaertner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tammie Zhu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xin Lin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Yongxin Ye
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frederick W Alt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Hongli Hu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Kutnowski N, Ghanim GE, Lee Y, Rio DC. Activity of zebrafish THAP9 transposase and zebrafish P element-like transposons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586318. [PMID: 38562726 PMCID: PMC10983969 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Transposable elements are mobile DNA segments that are found ubiquitously across the three domains of life. One family of transposons, called P elements, were discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Since their discovery, P element transposase-homologous genes (called THAP-domain containing 9 or THAP9) have been discovered in other animal genomes. Here, we show that the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome contains both an active THAP9 transposase (zfTHAP9) and mobile P-like transposable elements (called Pdre). zfTHAP9 transposase can excise one of its own elements (Pdre2) and Drosophila P elements. Drosophila P element transposase (DmTNP) is also able to excise the zebrafish Pdre2 element, even though it's distinct from the Drosophila P element. However, zfTHAP9 cannot transpose Pdre2 or Drosophila P elements, indicating partial transposase activity. Characterization of the N-terminal THAP DNA binding domain of zfTHAP9 shows distinct DNA binding site preferences from DmTNP and mutation of the zfTHAP9, based on known mutations in DmTNP, generated a hyperactive protein,. These results define an active vertebrate THAP9 transposase that can act on the endogenous zebrafish Pdre and Drosophila P elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitzan Kutnowski
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - George E Ghanim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yeon Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Donald C Rio
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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3
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Martin EC, Le Targa L, Tsakou-Ngouafo L, Fan TP, Lin CY, Xiao J, Huang Z, Yuan S, Xu A, Su YH, Petrescu AJ, Pontarotti P, Schatz DG. Insights into RAG Evolution from the Identification of "Missing Link" Family A RAGL Transposons. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad232. [PMID: 37850912 PMCID: PMC10629977 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad232] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of "molecular domestication" events are thought to have converted an invertebrate RAG-like (RAGL) transposase into the RAG1-RAG2 (RAG) recombinase, a critical enzyme for adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates. The timing and order of these events are not well understood, in part because of a dearth of information regarding the invertebrate RAGL-A transposon family. In contrast to the abundant and divergent RAGL-B transposon family, RAGL-A most closely resembles RAG and is represented by a single orphan RAG1-like (RAG1L) gene in the genome of the hemichordate Ptychodera flava (PflRAG1L-A). Here, we provide evidence for the existence of complete RAGL-A transposons in the genomes of P. flava and several echinoderms. The predicted RAG1L-A and RAG2L-A proteins encoded by these transposons intermingle sequence features of jawed vertebrate RAG and RAGL-B transposases, leading to a prediction of DNA binding, catalytic, and transposition activities that are a hybrid of RAG and RAGL-B. Similarly, the terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of the RAGL-A transposons combine features of both RAGL-B transposon TIRs and RAG recombination signal sequences. Unlike all previously described RAG2L proteins, RAG2L-A proteins contain an acidic hinge region, which we demonstrate is capable of efficiently inhibiting RAG-mediated transposition. Our findings provide evidence for a critical intermediate in RAG evolution and argue that certain adaptations thought to be specific to jawed vertebrates (e.g. the RAG2 acidic hinge) actually arose in invertebrates, thereby focusing attention on other adaptations as the pivotal steps in the completion of RAG domestication in jawed vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza C Martin
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8011, USA
| | - Lorlane Le Targa
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Louis Tsakou-Ngouafo
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Tzu-Pei Fan
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Che-Yi Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jianxiong Xiao
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8011, USA
| | - Ziwen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Shaochun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yi-Hsien Su
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Andrei-Jose Petrescu
- Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille 13005, France
- CNRS SNC 5039, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - David G Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8011, USA
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4
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Wang X, Terashi G, Kihara D. CryoREAD: de novo structure modeling for nucleic acids in cryo-EM maps using deep learning. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1739-1747. [PMID: 37783885 PMCID: PMC10841814 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02032-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA and RNA play fundamental roles in various cellular processes, where their three-dimensional structures provide information critical to understanding the molecular mechanisms of their functions. Although an increasing number of nucleic acid structures and their complexes with proteins are determined by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), structure modeling for DNA and RNA remains challenging particularly when the map is determined at a resolution coarser than atomic level. Moreover, computational methods for nucleic acid structure modeling are relatively scarce. Here, we present CryoREAD, a fully automated de novo DNA/RNA atomic structure modeling method using deep learning. CryoREAD identifies phosphate, sugar and base positions in a cryo-EM map using deep learning, which are traced and modeled into a three-dimensional structure. When tested on cryo-EM maps determined at 2.0 to 5.0 Å resolution, CryoREAD built substantially more accurate models than existing methods. We also applied the method to cryo-EM maps of biomolecular complexes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Genki Terashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Daisuke Kihara
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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5
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CryoREAD provides fully automated DNA-RNA structure modeling for cryo-EM maps. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1637-1638. [PMID: 37783887 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
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6
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Haque N, Kawai T, Ratnasinghe BD, Wagenknecht JB, Urrutia R, Notarangelo LD, Zimmermann MT. RAG genomic variation causes autoimmune diseases through specific structure-based mechanisms of enzyme dysregulation. iScience 2023; 26:108040. [PMID: 37854700 PMCID: PMC10579426 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpreting genetic changes observed in individual patients is a critical challenge. The array of immune deficiency syndromes is typically caused by genetic variation unique to individuals. Therefore, new approaches are needed to interpret functional variation and accelerate genomics interpretation. We constructed the first full-length structural model of human RAG recombinase across four functional states of the recombination process. We functionally tested 182 clinically observed RAG missense mutations. These experiments revealed dysfunction due to recombinase dysfunction and altered chromatin interactions. Structural modeling identified mechanical and energetic roles for each mutation. We built regression models for RAG1 (R2 = 0.91) and RAG2 (R2 = 0.97) to predict RAG activity changes. We applied our model to 711 additional RAG variants observed in population studies and identified a subset that may impair RAG function. Thus, we demonstrated a fundamental advance in the mechanistic interpretation of human genetic variations spanning from rare and undiagnosed diseases to population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neshatul Haque
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Tomoki Kawai
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Brian D. Ratnasinghe
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jessica B. Wagenknecht
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Michael T. Zimmermann
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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7
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Hoolehan W, Harris JC, Rodgers KK. Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Sequence Selectivity in V(D)J Recombination. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:34206-34214. [PMID: 37779976 PMCID: PMC10536018 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Antigen receptor (AgR) diversity is central to the ability of adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates to protect against pathogenic agents. The production of highly diverse AgR repertoires is initiated during B and T cell lymphopoiesis by V(D)J recombination, which assembles the receptor genes from component gene segments in a cut-and-paste recombination reaction. Recombination activating proteins, RAG1 and RAG2 (RAG1/2), catalyze V(D)J recombination by cleaving adjacent to recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that flank AgR gene segments. Previous studies defined the consensus RSS as containing conserved heptamer and nonamer sequences separated by a less conserved 12 or 23 base-pair spacer sequence. However, many RSSs deviate from the consensus sequence, and the molecular mechanism for semiselective V(D)J recombination specificity is unknown. The modulation of chromatin structure during V(D)J recombination is essential in the formation of diverse AgRs in adaptive immunity while also reducing the likelihood for off-target recombination events that can result in chromosomal aberrations and genomic instability. Here we review what is presently known regarding mechanisms that facilitate assembly of RAG1/2 with RSSs, the ensuing conformational changes required for DNA cleavage activity, and how the readout of the RSS sequence affects reaction efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walker Hoolehan
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, United States
| | - Justin C. Harris
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, United States
| | - Karla K. Rodgers
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, United States
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8
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Martin EC, Le Targa L, Tsakou-Ngouafo L, Fan TP, Lin CY, Xiao J, Su YH, Petrescu AJ, Pontarotti P, Schatz DG. Insights into RAG evolution from the identification of "missing link" family A RAGL transposons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.20.553239. [PMID: 37645967 PMCID: PMC10462144 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.20.553239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
A series of "molecular domestication" events are thought to have converted an invertebrate RAG-like (RAGL) transposase into the RAG1-RAG2 (RAG) recombinase, a critical enzyme for adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates. The timing and order of these events is not well understood, in part because of a dearth of information regarding the invertebrate RAGL-A transposon family. In contrast to the abundant and divergent RAGL-B transposon family, RAGL-A most closely resembles RAG and is represented by a single orphan RAG1-like (RAG1L) gene in the genome of the hemichordate Ptychodera flava (PflRAG1L-A). Here, we provide evidence for the existence of complete RAGL-A transposons in the genomes of P. flava and several echinoderms. The predicted RAG1L-A and RAG2L-A proteins encoded by these transposons intermingle sequence features of jawed vertebrate RAG and RAGL-B transposases, leading to a prediction of DNA binding, catalytic, and transposition activities that are a hybrid of RAG and RAGL-B. Similarly, the terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of the RAGL-A transposons combine features of both RAGL-B transposon TIRs and RAG recombination signal sequences. Unlike all previously described RAG2L proteins, PflRAG2L-A and echinoderm RAG2L-A contain an acidic hinge region, which we demonstrate is capable of efficiently inhibiting RAG-mediated transposition. Our findings provide evidence for a critical intermediate in RAG evolution and argue that certain adaptations thought to be specific to jawed vertebrates (e.g., the RAG2 acidic hinge) actually arose in invertebrates, thereby focusing attention on other adaptations as the pivotal steps in the completion of RAG domestication in jawed vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza C. Martin
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, Box 208011, New Haven, CT, 06520-8011, United States
| | - Lorlane Le Targa
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille France
| | - Louis Tsakou-Ngouafo
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille France
| | - Tzu-Pei Fan
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Che-Yi Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jianxiong Xiao
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, Box 208011, New Haven, CT, 06520-8011, United States
| | - Yi Hsien Su
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Andrei-Jose Petrescu
- Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- Aix-Marseille Université, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille France
- CNRS SNC 5039, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - David G. Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, Box 208011, New Haven, CT, 06520-8011, United States
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9
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Lannes L, Furman CM, Hickman AB, Dyda F. Zinc-finger BED domains drive the formation of the active Hermes transpososome by asymmetric DNA binding. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4470. [PMID: 37491363 PMCID: PMC10368747 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40210-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hermes DNA transposon is a member of the eukaryotic hAT superfamily, and its transposase forms a ring-shaped tetramer of dimers. Our investigation, combining biochemical, crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, and in-cell assays, shows that the full-length Hermes octamer extensively interacts with its transposon left-end through multiple BED domains of three Hermes protomers contributed by three dimers explaining the role of the unusual higher-order assembly. By contrast, the right-end is bound to no BED domains at all. Thus, this work supports a model in which Hermes multimerizes to gather enough BED domains to find its left-end among the abundant genomic DNA, facilitating the subsequent interaction with the right-end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie Lannes
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher M Furman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alison B Hickman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Fred Dyda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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10
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Watanabe G, Lieber MR. The flexible and iterative steps within the NHEJ pathway. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 180-181:105-119. [PMID: 37150451 PMCID: PMC10205690 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Cellular and biochemical studies of nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) have long established that nuclease and polymerase action are necessary for the repair of a very large fraction of naturally-arising double-strand breaks (DSBs). This conclusion is derived from NHEJ studies ranging from yeast to humans and all genetically-tractable model organisms. Biochemical models derived from recent real-time and structural studies have yet to incorporate physical space or timing for DNA end processing. In real-time single molecule FRET (smFRET) studies, we analyzed NHEJ synapsis of DNA ends in a defined biochemical system. We described a Flexible Synapsis (FS) state in which the DNA ends were in proximity via only Ku and XRCC4:DNA ligase 4 (X4L4), and in an orientation that would not yet permit ligation until base pairing between one or more nucleotides of microhomology (MH) occurred, thereby allowing an in-line Close Synapsis (CS) state. If no MH was achievable, then XLF was critical for ligation. Neither FS or CS required DNA-PKcs, unless Artemis activation was necessary to permit local resection and subsequent base pairing between the two DNA ends being joined. Here we conjecture on possible 3D configurations for this FS state, which would spatially accommodate the nuclease and polymerase processing steps in an iterative manner. The FS model permits repeated attempts at ligation of at least one strand at the DSB after each round of nuclease or polymerase action. In addition to activation of Artemis, other possible roles for DNA-PKcs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go Watanabe
- Departments of Pathology, Biochemistry, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, and Section of Molecular & Computational Biology (Department of Biological Sciences), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9176, USA
| | - Michael R Lieber
- Departments of Pathology, Biochemistry, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, and Section of Molecular & Computational Biology (Department of Biological Sciences), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9176, USA.
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11
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Prinz R. Nothing in evolution makes sense except in the light of code biology. Biosystems 2023; 229:104907. [PMID: 37207840 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.104907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This article highlights the potential contribution of biological codes to the course and dynamics of evolution. The concept of organic codes, developed by Marcello Barbieri, has fundamentally changed our view of how living systems function. The notion that molecular interactions built on adaptors that arbitrarily link molecules from different "worlds" in a conventional, i.e., rule-based way, departs significantly from the law-based constraints imposed on livening things by physical and chemical mechanisms. In other words, living and non-living things behave like rules and laws, respectively, but this important distinction is rarely considered in current evolutionary theory. The many known codes allow quantification of codes that relate to a cell, or comparisons between different biological systems and may pave the way to a quantitative and empirical research agenda in code biology. A starting point for such an endeavour is the introduction of a simple dichotomous classification of structural and regulatory codes. This classification can be used as a tool to analyse and quantify key organising principles of the living world, such as modularity, hierarchy, and robustness, based on organic codes. The implications for evolutionary research are related to the unique dynamics of codes, or ´Eigendynamics´ (self-momentum) and how they determine the behaviour of biological systems from within, whereas physical constraints are imposed mainly from without. A speculation on the drivers of macroevolution in light of codes is followed by the conclusion that a meaningful and comprehensive understanding of evolution depends including codes into the equation of life.
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12
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Hardt U, Corcoran MM, Narang S, Malmström V, Padyukov L, Karlsson Hedestam GB. Analysis of IGH allele content in a sample group of rheumatoid arthritis patients demonstrates unrevealed population heterogeneity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1073414. [PMID: 36798124 PMCID: PMC9927645 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1073414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) germline gene variations influence the B cell receptor repertoire, with resulting biological consequences such as shaping our response to infections and altering disease susceptibilities. However, the lack of information on polymorphism frequencies in the IGH loci at the population level makes association studies challenging. Here, we genotyped a pilot group of 30 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to examine IGH allele content and frequencies in this group. Eight novel IGHV alleles and one novel IGHJ allele were identified in the study. 15 cases were haplotypable using heterozygous IGHJ6 or IGHD anchors. One variant, IGHV4-34*01_S0742, was found in three out of 30 cases and included a single nucleotide change resulting in a non-canonical recombination signal sequence (RSS) heptamer. This variant allele, shown by haplotype analysis to be non-expressed, was also found in three out of 30 healthy controls and matched a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) described in the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP) collection with frequencies that varied between population groups. Our finding of previously unreported alleles in a relatively small group of individuals with RA illustrates the need for baseline information about IG allelic frequencies in targeted study groups in preparation for future analysis of these genes in disease association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Hardt
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin M. Corcoran
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sanjana Narang
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vivianne Malmström
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leonid Padyukov
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Watanabe G, Lieber MR. Dynamics of the Artemis and DNA-PKcs Complex in the Repair of Double-Strand Breaks. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167858. [PMID: 36270581 PMCID: PMC9940633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Pathologic chromosome breaks occur in human dividing cells ∼10 times per day, and physiologic breaks occur in each lymphoid cell many additional times per day. Nonhomologous DNA end joining (NHEJ) is the major pathway for the repair of all of these double-strand breaks (DSBs) during most of the cell cycle. Nearly all broken DNA ends require trimming before they can be suitable for joining by ligation. Artemis is the major nuclease for this purpose. Artemis is tightly regulated by one of the largest protein kinases, which tethers Artemis to its surface. This kinase is called DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (or DNA-PKcs) because it is only active when it encounters a broken DNA end. With this activation, DNA-PKcs permits the Artemis catalytic domain to enter a large cavity in the center of DNA-PKcs. Given this remarkably tight supervision of Artemis by DNA-PKcs, it is an appropriate time to ask what we know about the Artemis:DNA-PKcs complex, as we integrate recent structural information with the biochemistry of the complex and how this relates to other NHEJ proteins and to V(D)J recombination in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go Watanabe
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, and Section of Molecular & Computational Biology, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Rm. 5428, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Michael R Lieber
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, and Section of Molecular & Computational Biology, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Rm. 5428, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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14
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Hoolehan W, Harris JC, Byrum JN, Simpson DA, Rodgers K. An updated definition of V(D)J recombination signal sequences revealed by high-throughput recombination assays. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11696-11711. [PMID: 36370096 PMCID: PMC9723617 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the adaptive immune system, V(D)J recombination initiates the production of a diverse antigen receptor repertoire in developing B and T cells. Recombination activating proteins, RAG1 and RAG2 (RAG1/2), catalyze V(D)J recombination by cleaving adjacent to recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that flank antigen receptor gene segments. Previous studies defined the consensus RSS as containing conserved heptamer and nonamer sequences separated by a less conserved 12 or 23 base-pair spacer sequence. However, many RSSs deviate from the consensus sequence. Here, we developed a cell-based, massively parallel assay to evaluate V(D)J recombination activity on thousands of RSSs where the 12-RSS heptamer and adjoining spacer region contained randomized sequences. While the consensus heptamer sequence (CACAGTG) was marginally preferred, V(D)J recombination was highly active on a wide range of non-consensus sequences. Select purine/pyrimidine motifs that may accommodate heptamer unwinding in the RAG1/2 active site were generally preferred. In addition, while different coding flanks and nonamer sequences affected recombination efficiency, the relative dependency on the purine/pyrimidine motifs in the RSS heptamer remained unchanged. Our results suggest RAG1/2 specificity for RSS heptamers is primarily dictated by DNA structural features dependent on purine/pyrimidine pattern, and to a lesser extent, RAG:RSS base-specific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walker Hoolehan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Justin C Harris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jennifer N Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Destiny A Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Karla K Rodgers
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 405 271 2227 (Ext 61248);
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15
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The role of chromatin loop extrusion in antibody diversification. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:550-566. [PMID: 35169260 PMCID: PMC9376198 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-022-00679-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cohesin mediates chromatin loop formation across the genome by extruding chromatin between convergently oriented CTCF-binding elements. Recent studies indicate that cohesin-mediated loop extrusion in developing B cells presents immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) gene segments to RAG endonuclease through a process referred to as RAG chromatin scanning. RAG initiates V(D)J recombinational joining of these gene segments to generate the large number of different Igh variable region exons that are required for immune responses to diverse pathogens. Antigen-activated mature B cells also use chromatin loop extrusion to mediate the synapsis, breakage and end joining of switch regions flanking Igh constant region exons during class-switch recombination, which allows for the expression of different antibody constant region isotypes that optimize the functions of antigen-specific antibodies to eliminate pathogens. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of chromatin loop extrusion during V(D)J recombination and class-switch recombination at the Igh locus.
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16
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Structural insights into the evolution of the RAG recombinase. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:353-370. [PMID: 34675378 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-021-00628-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates relies on the assembly of antigen receptor genes by the recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1)-RAG2 (collectively RAG) recombinase in a reaction known as V(D)J recombination. Extensive biochemical and structural evidence indicates that RAG and V(D)J recombination evolved from the components of a RAG-like (RAGL) transposable element through a process known as transposon molecular domestication. This Review describes recent advances in our understanding of the functional and structural transitions that occurred during RAG evolution. We use the structures of RAG and RAGL enzymes to trace the evolutionary adaptations that yielded a RAG recombinase with exquisitely regulated cleavage activity and a multilayered array of mechanisms to suppress transposition. We describe how changes in modes of DNA binding, alterations in the dynamics of protein-DNA complexes, single amino acid mutations and a modular design likely enabled RAG family enzymes to survive and spread in the genomes of eukaryotes. These advances highlight the insight that can be gained from viewing evolution of vertebrate immunity through the lens of comparative genome analyses coupled with structural biology and biochemistry.
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17
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Luo S, Qiao R, Zhang X. DNA Damage Response and Repair in Adaptive Immunity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:884873. [PMID: 35663402 PMCID: PMC9157429 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.884873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversification of B-cell receptor (BCR), as well as its secreted product, antibody, is a hallmark of adaptive immunity, which has more specific roles in fighting against pathogens. The antibody diversification is from recombination-activating gene (RAG)-initiated V(D)J recombination, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-initiated class switch recombination (CSR), and V(D)J exon somatic hypermutation (SHM). The proper repair of RAG- and AID-initiated DNA lesions and double-strand breaks (DSBs) is required for promoting antibody diversification, suppressing genomic instability, and oncogenic translocations. DNA damage response (DDR) factors and DSB end-joining factors are recruited to the RAG- and AID-initiated DNA lesions and DSBs to coordinately resolve them for generating productive recombination products during antibody diversification. Recently, cohesin-mediated loop extrusion is proposed to be the underlying mechanism of V(D)J recombination and CSR, which plays essential roles in promoting the orientation-biased deletional end-joining . Here, we will discuss the mechanism of DNA damage repair in antibody diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Luo
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinery Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruolin Qiao
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinery Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefei Zhang
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University, Beijing, China
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18
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Ye Z, Shi Y, Lees-Miller SP, Tainer JA. Function and Molecular Mechanism of the DNA Damage Response in Immunity and Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:797880. [PMID: 34970273 PMCID: PMC8712645 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.797880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) is an organized network of multiple interwoven components evolved to repair damaged DNA and maintain genome fidelity. Conceptually the DDR includes damage sensors, transducer kinases, and effectors to maintain genomic stability and accurate transmission of genetic information. We have recently gained a substantially improved molecular and mechanistic understanding of how DDR components are interconnected to inflammatory and immune responses to stress. DDR shapes both innate and adaptive immune pathways: (i) in the context of innate immunity, DDR components mainly enhance cytosolic DNA sensing and its downstream STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING)-dependent signaling; (ii) in the context of adaptive immunity, the DDR is needed for the assembly and diversification of antigen receptor genes that is requisite for T and B lymphocyte development. Imbalances between DNA damage and repair impair tissue homeostasis and lead to replication and transcription stress, mutation accumulation, and even cell death. These impacts from DDR defects can then drive tumorigenesis, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and aberrant immune responses. Yet, DDR deficiency or inhibition can also directly enhance innate immune responses. Furthermore, DDR defects plus the higher mutation load in tumor cells synergistically produce primarily tumor-specific neoantigens, which are powerfully targeted in cancer immunotherapy by employing immune checkpoint inhibitors to amplify immune responses. Thus, elucidating DDR-immune response interplay may provide critical connections for harnessing immunomodulatory effects plus targeted inhibition to improve efficacy of radiation and chemotherapies, of immune checkpoint blockade, and of combined therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zu Ye
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, and Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yin Shi
- Department of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Susan P. Lees-Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robson DNA Science Centre, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - John A. Tainer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, and Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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19
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Anumukonda K, Francis M, Currie P, Tulenko F, Hsu E. Heavy chain-only antibody genes in fish evolved to generate unique CDR3 repertoire. Eur J Immunol 2021; 52:247-260. [PMID: 34708869 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202149588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In addition to conventional immunoglobulin, camelids and cartilaginous fish express a special class of antibody that consists only of heavy (H) chain (HCAbs). In the holocephalan elephantfish, there are two HCAb classes, one of which has evolved surprising features. The H-chain genes in cartilaginous fish are organized as 20-200 minigenes, or clusters, each consisting of VH, 1-3 DH, JH gene segments with one set of constant region exons. We report that HHC2 (holocephalan H-chain antibody 2) evolved from IgM H-chain clusters, but its DH gene segments have diverged considerably. The three DH in HHC2 clusters are A-rich, so that one to three potential reading frames for each DH encode lysine and arginine. All three are incorporated into the rearranged VDJ, ensuring that the ligand-binding site carries multiple basic residues, as cDNA sequences demonstrate. The electropositive character in HHC2 CDR3 is accompanied by a paucity of aromatic amino acids, the latter feature at variance to the established, interactive role of tyrosine not only in ligand-binding but generally at interfaces of protein complexes. The selection for these divergent HHC2 features challenges currently accepted ideas on what determines antibody reactivity and molecular recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamala Anumukonda
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA
| | - Malcolm Francis
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Peter Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Frank Tulenko
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Ellen Hsu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA
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20
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Balana AT, Mukherjee A, Nagpal H, Moon SP, Fierz B, Vasquez KM, Pratt MR. O-GlcNAcylation of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Alters Its DNA Binding and DNA Damage Processing Activities. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:16030-16040. [PMID: 34546745 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c06192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein O-GlcNAcylation is an essential and dynamic regulator of myriad cellular processes, including DNA replication and repair. Proteomic studies have identified the multifunctional nuclear protein HMGB1 as O-GlcNAcylated, providing a potential link between this modification and DNA damage responses. Here, we verify the protein's endogenous modification at S100 and S107 and found that the major modification site is S100, a residue that can potentially influence HMGB1-DNA interactions. Using synthetic protein chemistry, we generated site-specifically O-GlcNAc-modified HMGB1 at S100 and characterized biochemically the effect of the sugar modification on its DNA binding activity. We found that O-GlcNAc alters HMGB1 binding to linear, nucleosomal, supercoiled, cruciform, and interstrand cross-linked damaged DNA, generally resulting in enhanced oligomerization on these DNA structures. Using cell-free extracts, we also found that O-GlcNAc reduces the ability of HMGB1 to facilitate DNA repair, resulting in error-prone processing of damaged DNA. Our results expand our understanding of the molecular consequences of O-GlcNAc and how it affects protein-DNA interfaces. Importantly, our work may also support a link between upregulated O-GlcNAc levels and increased rates of mutations in certain cancer states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anirban Mukherjee
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78723, United States
| | - Harsh Nagpal
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Beat Fierz
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry of Macromolecules, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Karen M Vasquez
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, 1400 Barbara Jordan Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78723, United States
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21
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Chen X, Gellert M, Yang W. Inner workings of RAG recombinase and its specialization for adaptive immunity. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 71:79-86. [PMID: 34245989 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
RAG1/2 (RAG) is an RNH-type DNA recombinase specially evolved to initiate V(D)J gene rearrangement for generating the adaptive immune response in jawed vertebrates. After decades of frustration with little mechanistic understanding of RAG, the crystal structure of mouse RAG recombinase opened the flood gates in early 2015. Structures of three different chordate RAG recombinases, including protoRAG, and the evolutionarily preceding transib transposase have been determined in complex with various DNA substrates. Biochemical studies along with the abundant structural data have shed light on how RAG has evolved from an ordinary transposase to a specialized recombinase in initiating gene rearrangement. RAG has also become one of the best characterized RNH-type recombinases, illustrating how a single active site can cleave the two antiparallel DNA strands of a double helix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Martin Gellert
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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22
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Lugo-Reyes SO, Pastor N, González-Serrano E, Yamazaki-Nakashimada MA, Scheffler-Mendoza S, Berron-Ruiz L, Wakida G, Nuñez-Nuñez ME, Macias-Robles AP, Staines-Boone AT, Venegas-Montoya E, Alaez-Verson C, Molina-Garay C, Flores-Lagunes LL, Carrillo-Sanchez K, Niemela J, Rosenzweig SD, Gaytan P, Yañez JA, Martinez-Duncker I, Notarangelo LD, Espinosa-Padilla S, Cruz-Munoz ME. Clinical Manifestations, Mutational Analysis, and Immunological Phenotype in Patients with RAG1/2 Mutations: First Cases Series from Mexico and Description of Two Novel Mutations. J Clin Immunol 2021; 41:1291-1302. [PMID: 33954879 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-021-01052-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in recombinase activating genes 1 and 2 (RAG1/2) result in human severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The products of these genes are essential for V(D)J rearrangement of the antigen receptors during lymphocyte development. Mutations resulting in null-recombination activity in RAG1 or RAG2 are associated with the most severe clinical and immunological phenotypes, whereas patients with hypomorphic mutations may develop leaky SCID, including Omenn syndrome (OS). A group of previously unrecognized clinical phenotypes associated with granulomata and/or autoimmunity have been described as a consequence of hypomorphic mutations. Here, we present six patients from unrelated families with missense variants in RAG1 or RAG2. Phenotypes observed in these patients ranged from OS to severe mycobacterial infections and granulomatous disease. Moreover, we report the first evidence of two variants that had not been associated with immunodeficiency. This study represents the first case series of RAG1- or RAG2-deficient patients from Mexico and Latin America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nina Pastor
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Laura Berron-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Inmunodeficiencias, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Wakida
- Laboratorio de Inmunodeficiencias, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Edna Venegas-Montoya
- Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad 25, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Julie Niemela
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio D Rosenzweig
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paul Gaytan
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jorge A Yañez
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ivan Martinez-Duncker
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sara Espinosa-Padilla
- Laboratorio de Inmunodeficiencias, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico.
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23
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Bosticardo M, Pala F, Notarangelo LD. RAG deficiencies: Recent advances in disease pathogenesis and novel therapeutic approaches. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:1028-1038. [PMID: 33682138 PMCID: PMC8325549 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The RAG1 and RAG2 proteins initiate the process of V(D)J recombination and therefore play an essential role in adaptive immunity. While null mutations in the RAG genes cause severe combined immune deficiency with lack of T and B cells (T- B- SCID) and susceptibility to life-threatening, early-onset infections, studies in humans and mice have demonstrated that hypomorphic RAG mutations are associated with defects of central and peripheral tolerance resulting in immune dysregulation. In this review, we provide an overview of the extended spectrum of RAG deficiencies and their associated clinical and immunological phenotypes in humans. We discuss recent advances in the mechanisms that control RAG expression and function, the effects of perturbed RAG activity on lymphoid development and immune homeostasis, and propose novel approaches to correct this group of disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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24
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Wu GS, Yang-Iott KS, Klink MA, Hayer KE, Lee KD, Bassing CH. Poor quality Vβ recombination signal sequences stochastically enforce TCRβ allelic exclusion. J Exp Med 2021; 217:151853. [PMID: 32526772 PMCID: PMC7478721 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The monoallelic expression of antigen receptor (AgR) genes, called allelic exclusion, is fundamental for highly specific immune responses to pathogens. This cardinal feature of adaptive immunity is achieved by the assembly of a functional AgR gene on one allele, with subsequent feedback inhibition of V(D)J recombination on the other allele. A range of epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in sequential recombination of AgR alleles; however, we now demonstrate that a genetic mechanism controls this process for Tcrb. Replacement of V(D)J recombinase targets at two different mouse Vβ gene segments with a higher quality target elevates Vβ rearrangement frequency before feedback inhibition, dramatically increasing the frequency of T cells with TCRβ chains derived from both Tcrb alleles. Thus, TCRβ allelic exclusion is enforced genetically by the low quality of Vβ recombinase targets that stochastically restrict the production of two functional rearrangements before feedback inhibition silences one allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glendon S Wu
- Immunology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Katherine S Yang-Iott
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Morgann A Klink
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Katharina E Hayer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kyutae D Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Craig H Bassing
- Immunology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Ghanim GE, Rio DC, Teixeira FK. Mechanism and regulation of P element transposition. Open Biol 2020; 10:200244. [PMID: 33352068 PMCID: PMC7776569 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
P elements were first discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as the causative agents of a syndrome of aberrant genetic traits called hybrid dysgenesis. This occurs when P element-carrying males mate with females that lack P elements and results in progeny displaying sterility, mutations and chromosomal rearrangements. Since then numerous genetic, developmental, biochemical and structural studies have culminated in a deep understanding of P element transposition: from the cellular regulation and repression of transposition to the mechanistic details of the transposase nucleoprotein complex. Recent studies have revealed how piwi-interacting small RNA pathways can act to control splicing of the P element pre-mRNA to modulate transposase production in the germline. A recent cryo-electron microscopy structure of the P element transpososome reveals an unusual DNA architecture at the transposon termini and shows that the bound GTP cofactor functions to position the transposon ends within the transposase active site. Genome sequencing efforts have shown that there are P element transposase-homologous genes (called THAP9) in other animal genomes, including humans. This review highlights recent and previous studies, which together have led to new insights, and surveys our current understanding of the biology, biochemistry, mechanism and regulation of P element transposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- George E. Ghanim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Donald C. Rio
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Znc2 module of RAG1 contributes towards structure-specific nuclease activity of RAGs. Biochem J 2020; 477:3567-3582. [PMID: 32886094 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recombination activating genes (RAGs), consisting of RAG1 and RAG2 have ability to perform spatially and temporally regulated DNA recombination in a sequence specific manner. Besides, RAGs also cleave at non-B DNA structures and are thought to contribute towards genomic rearrangements and cancer. The nonamer binding domain of RAG1 binds to the nonamer sequence of the signal sequence during V(D)J recombination. However, deletion of NBD did not affect RAG cleavage on non-B DNA structures. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of other RAG domains when RAGs act as a structure-specific nuclease. Studies using purified central domain (CD) and C-terminal domain (CTD) of the RAG1 showed that CD of RAG1 exhibited high affinity and specific binding to heteroduplex DNA, which was irrespective of the sequence of single-stranded DNA, unlike CTD which showed minimal binding. Furthermore, we show that ZnC2 of RAG1 is crucial for its binding to DNA structures as deletion and point mutations abrogated the binding of CD to heteroduplex DNA. Our results also provide evidence that unlike RAG cleavage on RSS, central domain of RAG1 is sufficient to cleave heteroduplex DNA harbouring pyrimidines, but not purines. Finally, we show that a point mutation in the DDE catalytic motif is sufficient to block the cleavage of CD on heteroduplex DNA. Therefore, in the present study we demonstrate that the while ZnC2 module in central domain of RAG1 is required for binding to non-B DNA structures, active site amino acids are important for RAGs to function as a structure-specific nuclease.
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Zhang Y, Corbett E, Wu S, Schatz DG. Structural basis for the activation and suppression of transposition during evolution of the RAG recombinase. EMBO J 2020; 39:e105857. [PMID: 32945578 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Jawed vertebrate adaptive immunity relies on the RAG1/RAG2 (RAG) recombinase, a domesticated transposase, for assembly of antigen receptor genes. Using an integration-activated form of RAG1 with methionine at residue 848 and cryo-electron microscopy, we determined structures that capture RAG engaged with transposon ends and U-shaped target DNA prior to integration (the target capture complex) and two forms of the RAG strand transfer complex that differ based on whether target site DNA is annealed or dynamic. Target site DNA base unstacking, flipping, and melting by RAG1 methionine 848 explain how this residue activates transposition, how RAG can stabilize sharp bends in target DNA, and why replacement of residue 848 by arginine during RAG domestication led to suppression of transposition activity. RAG2 extends a jawed vertebrate-specific loop to interact with target site DNA, and functional assays demonstrate that this loop represents another evolutionary adaptation acquired during RAG domestication to inhibit transposition. Our findings identify mechanistic principles of the final step in cut-and-paste transposition and the molecular and structural logic underlying the transformation of RAG from transposase to recombinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Zhang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elizabeth Corbett
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shenping Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine West Haven, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David G Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Hirokawa S, Chure G, Belliveau NM, Lovely GA, Anaya M, Schatz DG, Baltimore D, Phillips R. Sequence-dependent dynamics of synthetic and endogenous RSSs in V(D)J recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:6726-6739. [PMID: 32449932 PMCID: PMC7337519 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing lymphocytes of jawed vertebrates cleave and combine distinct gene segments to assemble antigen-receptor genes. This process called V(D)J recombination that involves the RAG recombinase binding and cutting recombination signal sequences (RSSs) composed of conserved heptamer and nonamer sequences flanking less well-conserved 12- or 23-bp spacers. Little quantitative information is known about the contributions of individual RSS positions over the course of the RAG-RSS interaction. We employ a single-molecule method known as tethered particle motion to track the formation, lifetime and cleavage of individual RAG-12RSS-23RSS paired complexes (PCs) for numerous synthetic and endogenous 12RSSs. We reveal that single-bp changes, including in the 12RSS spacer, can significantly and selectively alter PC formation or the probability of RAG-mediated cleavage in the PC. We find that some rarely used endogenous gene segments can be mapped directly to poor RAG binding on their adjacent 12RSSs. Finally, we find that while abrogating RSS nicking with Ca2+ leads to substantially shorter PC lifetimes, analysis of the complete lifetime distributions of any 12RSS even on this reduced system reveals that the process of exiting the PC involves unidentified molecular details whose involvement in RAG-RSS dynamics are crucial to quantitatively capture kinetics in V(D)J recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soichi Hirokawa
- Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Griffin Chure
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Nathan M Belliveau
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Geoffrey A Lovely
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Michael Anaya
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David G Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - David Baltimore
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Rob Phillips
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Department of Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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29
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Martin EC, Vicari C, Tsakou-Ngouafo L, Pontarotti P, Petrescu AJ, Schatz DG. Identification of RAG-like transposons in protostomes suggests their ancient bilaterian origin. Mob DNA 2020; 11:17. [PMID: 32399063 PMCID: PMC7204232 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00214-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background V(D) J recombination is essential for adaptive immunity in jawed vertebrates and is initiated by the RAG1-RAG2 endonuclease. The RAG1 and RAG2 genes are thought to have evolved from a RAGL (RAG-like) transposon containing convergently-oriented RAG1-like (RAG1L) and RAG2-like (RAG2L) genes. Elements resembling this presumptive evolutionary precursor have thus far only been detected convincingly in deuterostomes, leading to the model that the RAGL transposon first appeared in an early deuterostome. Results We have identified numerous RAGL transposons in the genomes of protostomes, including oysters and mussels (phylum Mollusca) and a ribbon worm (phylum Nemertea), and in the genomes of several cnidarians. Phylogenetic analyses are consistent with vertical evolution of RAGL transposons within the Bilateria clade and with its presence in the bilaterian ancestor. Many of the RAGL transposons identified in protostomes are intact elements containing convergently oriented RAG1L and RAG2L genes flanked by terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) and target site duplications with striking similarities with the corresponding elements in deuterostomes. In addition, protostome genomes contain numerous intact RAG1L-RAG2L adjacent gene pairs that lack detectable flanking TIRs. Domains and critical active site and structural amino acids needed for endonuclease and transposase activity are present and conserved in many of the predicted RAG1L and RAG2L proteins encoded in protostome genomes. Conclusions Active RAGL transposons were present in multiple protostome lineages and many were likely transmitted vertically during protostome evolution. It appears that RAGL transposons were broadly active during bilaterian evolution, undergoing multiple duplication and loss/fossilization events, with the RAGL genes that persist in present day protostomes perhaps constituting both active RAGL transposons and domesticated RAGL genes. Our findings raise the possibility that the RAGL transposon arose earlier in evolution than previously thought, either in an early bilaterian or prior to the divergence of bilaterians and non-bilaterians, and alter our understanding of the evolutionary history of this important group of transposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza C Martin
- 1Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Célia Vicari
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Louis Tsakou-Ngouafo
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- 2Evolutionary biology team, Aix Marseille Université IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,SNC5039 CNRS, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Andrei J Petrescu
- 1Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - David G Schatz
- 4Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 300 Cedar Street, Box 208011, New Haven, CT 06520-8011 USA
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Cianfrocco MA, Kellogg EH. What Could Go Wrong? A Practical Guide to Single-Particle Cryo-EM: From Biochemistry to Atomic Models. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:2458-2469. [PMID: 32078321 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b01178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enjoyed explosive recent growth due to revolutionary advances in hardware and software, resulting in a steady stream of long-awaited, high-resolution structures with unprecedented atomic detail. With this comes an increased number of microscopes, cryo-EM facilities, and scientists eager to leverage the ability to determine protein structures without crystallization. However, numerous pitfalls and considerations beset the path toward high-resolution structures and are not necessarily obvious from literature surveys. Here, we detail the most common misconceptions when initiating a cryo-EM project and common technical hurdles, as well as their solutions, and we conclude with a vision for the future of this exciting field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Cianfrocco
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Elizabeth H Kellogg
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics,Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
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31
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Mukherjee A, Vasquez KM. Targeting Chromosomal Architectural HMGB Proteins Could Be the Next Frontier in Cancer Therapy. Cancer Res 2020; 80:2075-2082. [PMID: 32152151 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-3066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin-associated architectural proteins are part of a fundamental support system for cellular DNA-dependent processes and can maintain/modulate the efficiency of DNA replication, transcription, and DNA repair. Interestingly, prognostic outcomes of many cancer types have been linked with the expression levels of several of these architectural proteins. The high mobility group box (HMGB) architectural protein family has been well studied in this regard. The differential expression levels of HMGB proteins and/or mRNAs and their implications in cancer etiology and prognosis present the potential of novel targets that can be explored to increase the efficacy of existing cancer therapies. HMGB1, the most studied member of the HMGB protein family, has pleiotropic roles in cells including an association with nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, mismatch repair, and DNA double-strand break repair. Moreover, the HMGB proteins have been identified in regulating DNA damage responses and cell survival following treatment with DNA-damaging agents and, as such, may play roles in modulating the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs by modulating DNA repair pathways. Here, we discuss the functions of HMGB proteins in DNA damage processing and their potential roles in cancer etiology, prognosis, and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Mukherjee
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, Texas
| | - Karen M Vasquez
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Austin, Texas.
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32
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Structure of the P element transpososome reveals new twists on the DD(E/D) theme. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 26:989-990. [PMID: 31659331 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0329-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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33
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Cutting antiparallel DNA strands in a single active site. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:119-126. [PMID: 32015552 PMCID: PMC7015813 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0363-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A single enzyme active site that catalyzes multiple reactions is a well-established biochemical theme, but how one nuclease site cleaves both DNA strands of a double helix has not been well understood. In analyzing site-specific DNA cleavage by the mammalian RAG1-RAG2 recombinase, which initiates V(D)J recombination, we find that the active site is reconfigured for the two consecutive reactions and the DNA double helix adopts drastically different structures. For initial nicking of the DNA, a locally unwound and unpaired DNA duplex forms a zipper via alternating interstrand base stacking, rather than melting as generally thought. The second strand cleavage and formation of a hairpin-DNA product requires a global scissor-like movement of protein and DNA, delivering the scissile phosphate into the rearranged active site.
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34
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How mouse RAG recombinase avoids DNA transposition. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:127-133. [PMID: 32015553 PMCID: PMC8291384 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0366-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The RAG1-RAG2 recombinase (RAG) cleaves DNA to initiate V(D)J recombination. But RAG also belongs to the RNH-type transposase family. To learn how RAG-catalyzed transposition is inhibited in developing lymphocytes, we determined the structure of a DNA strand-transfer complex of mouse RAG at 3.1 Å resolution. The target DNA is a T form (T for transpositional target), which contains two >80° kinks towards the minor groove, only 3 bp apart. RAG2, a late evolutionary addition in V(D)J recombination, appears to enforce the sharp kinks and additional inter-segment twisting in target DNA and thus attenuate unwanted transposition. In contrast to strand-transfer complexes of genuine transposases, where severe kinks occur at the integration sites of target DNA and thus prevent the reverse reaction, the sharp kink with RAG is 1 bp away from the integration site. As a result, RAG efficiently catalyzes the disintegration reaction that restores the RSS (donor) and target DNA.
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35
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Tao X, Yuan S, Chen F, Gao X, Wang X, Yu W, Liu S, Huang Z, Chen S, Xu A. Functional requirement of terminal inverted repeats for efficient ProtoRAG activity reveals the early evolution of V(D)J recombination. Natl Sci Rev 2020; 7:403-417. [PMID: 34692056 PMCID: PMC8289069 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of ProtoRAG in amphioxus indicated that vertebrate RAG recombinases originated from an ancient transposon. However, the sequences of ProtoRAG terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) were obviously dissimilar to the consensus sequence of mouse 12/23RSS and recombination mediated by ProtoRAG or RAG made them incompatible with each other. Thus, it is difficult to determine whether or how 12/23RSS persisted in the vertebrate RAG system that evolved from the TIRs of ancient RAG transposons. Here, we found that the activity of ProtoRAG is highly dependent on its asymmetric 5′TIR and 3′TIR, which are composed of conserved TR1 and TR5 elements and a partially conserved TRsp element of 27/31 bp to separate them. Similar to the requirements for the recombination signal sequences (RSSs) of RAG recombinase, the first CAC in TR1, the three dinucleotides in TR5 and the specific length of the partially conserved TRsp are important for the efficient recombination activity of ProtoRAG. In addition, the homologous sequences flanking the signal sequences facilitate ProtoRAG- but not RAG-mediated recombination. In addition to the diverged TIRs, two differentiated functional domains in BbRAG1L were defined to coordinate with the divergence between TIRs and RSSs. One of these is the CTT* domain, which facilitates the specific TIR recognition of the BbRAGL complex, and the other is NBD*, which is responsible for DNA binding and the protein stabilization of the BbRAGL complex. Thus, our findings reveal that the functional requirement for ProtoRAG TIRs is similar to that for RSS in RAG-mediated recombination, which not only supports the common origin of ProtoRAG TIRs and RSSs from the asymmetric TIRs of ancient RAG transposons, but also reveals the development of RAG and RAG-like machineries during chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Shaochun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xiaoman Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xinli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Wenjuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Song Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Ziwen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Shangwu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Anlong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.,School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
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Abstract
Monoclonal based therapeutics have always been looked at as a futuristic natural way we could take care of pathogens and many diseases. However, in order to develop, establish and realize monoclonal based therapy we need to understand how the immune system contains or kill pathogens. Antibody complexes serve the means to decode this black box. We have discussed examples of antibody complexes both at biochemical and structural levels to understand and appreciate how discoveries in the field of antibody complexes have started to decoded mechanism of viral invasion and create potential vaccine targets against many pathogens. Antibody complexes have made advancement in our knowledge about the molecular interaction between antibody and antigen. It has also led to identification of potent protective monoclonal antibodies. Further use of selective combination of monoclonal antibodies have provided improved protection against deadly diseases. The administration of newly designed and improved immunogen has been used as potential vaccine. Therefore, antibody complexes are important tools to develop new vaccine targets and design an improved combination of monoclonal antibodies for passive immunization or protection with very little or no side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetesh Raj Akhouri
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | | | - Gunnar Wilken
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ulf Skoglund
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan.
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37
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Mușat MG, Nițulescu GM, Surleac M, Tsatsakis A, Spandidos DA, Margină D. HIV‑1 integrase inhibitors targeting various DDE transposases: Retroviral integration versus RAG‑mediated recombination (Review). Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:4749-4762. [PMID: 31702817 PMCID: PMC6854553 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposases are ubiquitous mobile genetic elements responsible for genome development, driving rearrangements, such as insertions, deletions and translocations. Across species evolution, some transposases are tamed by their host and are made part of complex cellular systems. The proliferation of retroviruses is also dependent on transposase related enzymes termed integrases. Recombination‑activating gene protein (RAG)1 and metnase are just two examples of transposase domestication and together with retroviral integrases (INs), they belong to the DDE polynucleotidyl transferases superfamily. They share mechanistic and structural features linked to the RNase H‑like fold, harboring a DDE(D) metal dependent catalytic motif. Recent antiretroviral compounds target the catalytic domain of integrase, but they also have the potential of inhibiting other related enzymes. In this review, we report the activity of different classes of integrase inhibitors on various DDE transposases. Computational simulations are useful to predict the extent of off‑target activity and have been employed to study the interactions between RAG1 recombinase and compounds from three different pharmacologic classes. We demonstrate that strand‑transfer inhibitors display a higher affinity towards the RAG1 RNase H domain, as suggested by experimental data compared to allosteric inhibitors. While interference with RAG1 and 2 recombination is associated with a negative impact on immune function, the inhibition of metnase or HTLV‑1 integrase opens the way for the development of novel therapies for refractory cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Georgiana Mușat
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - George Mihai Nițulescu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marius Surleac
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases ‘Matei Bals’, 021105 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Denisa Margină
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
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Arinkin V, Smyshlyaev G, Barabas O. Jump ahead with a twist: DNA acrobatics drive transposition forward. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 59:168-177. [PMID: 31590109 PMCID: PMC6900584 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transposases move discrete pieces of DNA between genomic locations and had a profound impact on evolution. They drove the emergence of important biological functions and are the most frequent proteins encoded in modern genomes. Yet, the molecular principles of their actions have remained largely unclear. Here we review recent structural studies of transposase-DNA complexes and related cellular machineries, which provided unmatched mechanistic insights. We highlight how transposases introduce major DNA twists and kinks at various stages of their reaction and discuss the functional impact of these astounding DNA acrobatics on several aspects of transposition. By comparison with distantly related DNA recombination systems, we propose that forcing DNA into unnatural shapes may be a general strategy to drive rearrangements forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Arinkin
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georgy Smyshlyaev
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Orsolya Barabas
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Mika J, Kabacik S, Badie C, Polanska J, Candéias SM. Germline DNA Retention in Murine and Human Rearranged T Cell Receptor Gene Coding Joints: Alternative Recombination Signal Sequences and V(D)J Recombinase Errors. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2637. [PMID: 31781122 PMCID: PMC6857471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The genes coding for the antigenic T cell receptor (TR) subunits are assembled in thymocytes from discrete V, D, and J genes by a site-specific recombination process. A tight control of this activity is required to prevent potentially detrimental recombination events. V, D, and J genes are flanked by semi-conserved nucleotide motives called recombination signal sequences (RSSs). V(D)J recombination is initiated by the precise introduction of a DNA double-strand break exactly at the border of the genes and their RSSs by the RAG recombinase. RSSs are therefore physically separated from the coding region of the genes before assembly of a rearranged TR gene. During a high throughput profiling of TRB genes in mice, we identified rearranged TRB genes in which part or all of a flanking RSS was retained in V-D or D-J coding joints. In some instances, this retention of germline DNA resulted from the use of an upstream alternative RSS. However, we also identified TRB sequences where retention of germline DNA occurred in the absence of alternative RSS, suggesting that RAG activity was mis-targeted during recombination. Similar events were also identified in human rearranged TRB and TRG genes. The use of alternative RSSs during V(D)J recombination illustrates the complexity of RAG-RSSs interactions during V(D)J recombination. While the frequency of errors resulting from mis-targeted RAG activity is very low, we believe that these RAG errors may be at the origin of oncogenic translocations and are a threat for genetic stability in developing lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Mika
- Data Mining Division, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Sylwia Kabacik
- Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group, Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Public Health England Chilton, Didcot, United Kingdom
| | - Christophe Badie
- Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group, Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Public Health England Chilton, Didcot, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Polanska
- Data Mining Division, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Serge M Candéias
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IRIG-LCBM, Grenoble, France
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40
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41
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Liu C, Yang Y, Schatz DG. Structures of a RAG-like transposase during cut-and-paste transposition. Nature 2019; 575:540-544. [PMID: 31723264 PMCID: PMC6872938 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Transposons have had a pivotal role in genome evolution1 and are believed to be the evolutionary progenitors of the RAG1-RAG2 recombinase2, an essential component of the adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates3. Here we report one crystal structure and five cryo-electron microscopy structures of Transib4,5, a RAG1-like transposase from Helicoverpa zea, that capture the entire transposition process from the apo enzyme to the terminal strand transfer complex with transposon ends covalently joined to target DNA, at resolutions of 3.0-4.6 Å. These structures reveal a butterfly-shaped complex that undergoes two cycles of marked conformational changes in which the 'wings' of the transposase unfurl to bind substrate DNA, close to execute cleavage, open to release the flanking DNA and close again to capture and attack target DNA. Transib possesses unique structural elements that compensate for the absence of a RAG2 partner, including a loop that interacts with the transposition target site and an accordion-like C-terminal tail that elongates and contracts to help to control the opening and closing of the enzyme and assembly of the active site. Our findings reveal the detailed reaction pathway of a eukaryotic cut-and-paste transposase and illuminate some of the earliest steps in the evolution of the RAG recombinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David G Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Dyda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Phoebe A Rice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Hickman AB, Voth AR, Ewis H, Li X, Craig NL, Dyda F. Structural insights into the mechanism of double strand break formation by Hermes, a hAT family eukaryotic DNA transposase. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:10286-10301. [PMID: 30239795 PMCID: PMC6212770 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Some DNA transposons relocate from one genomic location to another using a mechanism that involves generating double-strand breaks at their transposon ends by forming hairpins on flanking DNA. The same double-strand break mode is employed by the V(D)J recombinase at signal-end/coding-end junctions during the generation of antibody diversity. How flanking hairpins are formed during DNA transposition has remained elusive. Here, we describe several co-crystal structures of the Hermes transposase bound to DNA that mimics the reaction step immediately prior to hairpin formation. Our results reveal a large DNA conformational change between the initial cleavage step and subsequent hairpin formation that changes which strand is acted upon by a single active site. We observed that two factors affect the conformational change: the complement of divalent metal ions bound by the catalytically essential DDE residues, and the identity of the –2 flanking base pair. Our data also provides a mechanistic link between the efficiency of hairpin formation (an A:T basepair is favored at the –2 position) and Hermes' strong target site preference. Furthermore, we have established that the histidine residue within a conserved C/DxxH motif present in many transposase families interacts directly with the scissile phosphate, suggesting a crucial role in catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison B Hickman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrea Regier Voth
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hosam Ewis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xianghong Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nancy L Craig
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Fred Dyda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Lieber MR. Transposons to V(D)J Recombination: Evolution of the RAG Reaction. Trends Immunol 2019; 40:668-670. [PMID: 31307890 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionarily, how RAG endonucleases in vertebrate immune systems could shed dangerous transposon-like propensities, and instead, support the organized assembly of antigen receptor variable domains, has been unclear. Recent structural work by Schatz and colleagues (Nature, 2019) identifies features of the RAG endonuclease deemed to be key in supporting this critical change in vertebrate advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Lieber
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9176, USA.
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Zhang Y, Cheng TC, Huang G, Lu Q, Surleac MD, Mandell JD, Pontarotti P, Petrescu AJ, Xu A, Xiong Y, Schatz DG. Transposon molecular domestication and the evolution of the RAG recombinase. Nature 2019; 569:79-84. [PMID: 30971819 PMCID: PMC6494689 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1093-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Domestication of a transposon (a DNA sequence that can change its position in a genome) to give rise to the RAG1-RAG2 recombinase (RAG) and V(D)J recombination, which produces the diverse repertoire of antibodies and T cell receptors, was a pivotal event in the evolution of the adaptive immune system of jawed vertebrates. The evolutionary adaptations that transformed the ancestral RAG transposase into a RAG recombinase with appropriately regulated DNA cleavage and transposition activities are not understood. Here, beginning with cryo-electron microscopy structures of the amphioxus ProtoRAG transposase (an evolutionary relative of RAG), we identify amino acid residues and domains the acquisition or loss of which underpins the propensity of RAG for coupled cleavage, its preference for asymmetric DNA substrates and its inability to perform transposition in cells. In particular, we identify two adaptations specific to jawed-vertebrates-arginine 848 in RAG1 and an acidic region in RAG2-that together suppress RAG-mediated transposition more than 1,000-fold. Our findings reveal a two-tiered mechanism for the suppression of RAG-mediated transposition, illuminate the evolution of V(D)J recombination and provide insight into the principles that govern the molecular domestication of transposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Zhang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tat Cheung Cheng
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Qingyi Lu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Marius D Surleac
- Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Jeffrey D Mandell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- Aix Marseille Univ IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France
| | - Andrei J Petrescu
- Department of Bioinformatics and Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anlong Xu
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yong Xiong
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - David G Schatz
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Cut-and-Run: A Distinct Mechanism by which V(D)J Recombination Causes Genome Instability. Mol Cell 2019; 74:584-597.e9. [PMID: 30905508 PMCID: PMC6509286 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
V(D)J recombination is essential to generate antigen receptor diversity but is also a potent cause of genome instability. Many chromosome alterations that result from aberrant V(D)J recombination involve breaks at single recombination signal sequences (RSSs). A long-standing question, however, is how such breaks occur. Here, we show that the genomic DNA that is excised during recombination, the excised signal circle (ESC), forms a complex with the recombinase proteins to efficiently catalyze breaks at single RSSs both in vitro and in vivo. Following cutting, the RSS is released while the ESC-recombinase complex remains intact to potentially trigger breaks at further RSSs. Consistent with this, chromosome breaks at RSSs increase markedly in the presence of the ESC. Notably, these breaks co-localize with those found in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and occur at key cancer driver genes. We have named this reaction “cut-and-run” and suggest that it could be a significant cause of lymphocyte genome instability. A complex between the recombination by-product and RAGs triggers multiple DNA breaks The breaks co-localize with chromosome breakpoints in acute lymphoblastic leukemias The breaks occur at many frequently mutated genes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia Cut-and-run may underpin the most common types of lymphocyte chromosome instabilities
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47
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RAGs usurp cellular factors for both breaking and repairing. Blood 2019; 133:773-774. [DOI: 10.1182/blood-2019-01-892729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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48
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Villa A, Notarangelo LD. RAG gene defects at the verge of immunodeficiency and immune dysregulation. Immunol Rev 2019; 287:73-90. [PMID: 30565244 PMCID: PMC6309314 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mutations of the recombinase activating genes (RAG) in humans underlie a broad spectrum of clinical and immunological phenotypes that reflect different degrees of impairment of T- and B-cell development and alterations of mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance. Recent studies have shown that this phenotypic heterogeneity correlates, albeit imperfectly, with different levels of recombination activity of the mutant RAG proteins. Furthermore, studies in patients and in newly developed animal models carrying hypomorphic RAG mutations have disclosed various mechanisms underlying immune dysregulation in this condition. Careful annotation of clinical outcome and immune reconstitution in RAG-deficient patients who have received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has shown that progress has been made in the treatment of this disease, but new approaches remain to be tested to improve stem cell engraftment and durable immune reconstitution. Finally, initial attempts have been made to treat RAG deficiency with gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Villa
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell and Gene Therapy, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi D Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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A novel RAG1 mutation reveals a critical in vivo role for HMGB1/2 during V(D)J recombination. Blood 2018; 133:820-829. [PMID: 30538136 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2018-07-866939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Recombination Activating Genes, RAG1 and RAG2, are essential for V(D)J recombination and adaptive immunity. Mutations in these genes often cause immunodeficiency, the severity of which reflects the importance of the altered residue or residues during recombination. Here, we describe a novel RAG1 mutation that causes immunodeficiency in an unexpected way: The mutated protein severely disrupts binding of the accessory protein, HMGB1. Although HMGB1 enhances RAG cutting in vitro, its role in vivo was controversial. We show here that reduced HMGB1 binding by the mutant protein dramatically reduces RAG cutting in vitro and almost completely eliminates recombination in vivo. The RAG1 mutation, R401W, places a bulky tryptophan opposite the binding site for HMG Box A at both 12- and 23-spacer recombination signal sequences, disrupting stable binding of HMGB1. Replacement of R401W with leucine and then lysine progressively restores HMGB1 binding, correlating with increased RAG cutting and recombination in vivo. We show further that knockdown of HMGB1 significantly reduces recombination by wild-type RAG1, whereas its re-addition restores recombination with wild-type, but not the mutant, RAG1 protein. Together, these data provide compelling evidence that HMGB1 plays a critical role during V(D)J recombination in vivo.
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Structural gymnastics of RAG-mediated DNA cleavage in V(D)J recombination. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 53:178-186. [PMID: 30476719 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of vertebrate immunity is the diverse repertoire of antigen-receptor genes that results from combinatorial splicing of gene coding segments by V(D)J recombination. The (RAG1-RAG2)2 endonuclease complex (RAG) specifically recognizes and cleaves a pair of recombination signal sequences (RSSs), 12-RSS and 23-RSS, via the catalytic steps of nicking and hairpin formation. Both RSSs immediately flank the coding end segments and are composed of a conserved heptamer, a conserved nonamer, and a non-conserved spacer of either 12 base pairs (bp) or 23 bp in between. A single RAG complex only synapses a 12-RSS and a 23-RSS, which was denoted the 12/23 rule, a dogma that ensures recombination between V, D and J segments, but not within the same type of segments. This review recapitulates current structural studies to highlight the conformational transformations in both the RAG complex and the RSS during the consecutive steps of catalysis. The emerging structural mechanism emphasizes distortion of intact RSS and nicked RSS exerted by a piston-like motion in RAG1 and by dimer closure, respectively. Bipartite recognition of heptamer and nonamer, flexibly linked nonamer-binding domain dimer relatively to the heptamer recognition region dimer, and RSS plasticity and bending by HMGB1 together contribute to the molecular basis of the 12/23 rule in the RAG molecular machine.
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