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Saini P, Anugula S, Fong YW. The Role of ATP-Binding Cassette Proteins in Stem Cell Pluripotency. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1868. [PMID: 37509507 PMCID: PMC10377311 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are highly proliferative cells that can self-renew indefinitely in vitro. Upon receiving appropriate signals, PSCs undergo differentiation and can generate every cell type in the body. These unique properties of PSCs require specific gene expression patterns that define stem cell identity and dynamic regulation of intracellular metabolism to support cell growth and cell fate transitions. PSCs are prone to DNA damage due to elevated replicative and transcriptional stress. Therefore, mechanisms to prevent deleterious mutations in PSCs that compromise stem cell function or increase the risk of tumor formation from becoming amplified and propagated to progenitor cells are essential for embryonic development and for using PSCs including induced PSCs (iPSCs) as a cell source for regenerative medicine. In this review, we discuss the role of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily in maintaining PSC homeostasis, and propose how their activities can influence cellular signaling and stem cell fate decisions. Finally, we highlight recent discoveries that not all ABC family members perform only canonical metabolite and peptide transport functions in PSCs; rather, they can participate in diverse cellular processes from genome surveillance to gene transcription and mRNA translation, which are likely to maintain the pristine state of PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prince Saini
- Brigham Regenerative Medicine Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.S.); (S.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sharath Anugula
- Brigham Regenerative Medicine Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.S.); (S.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yick W. Fong
- Brigham Regenerative Medicine Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (P.S.); (S.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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2
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Afzal Z, Lange JJ, Nolte C, McKinney S, Wood C, Paulson A, De Kumar B, Unruh J, Slaughter BD, Krumlauf R. Shared retinoic acid responsive enhancers coordinately regulate nascent transcription of Hoxb coding and non-coding RNAs in the developing mouse neural tube. Development 2023; 150:dev201259. [PMID: 37102683 PMCID: PMC10233718 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201259] [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: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Signaling pathways regulate the patterns of Hox gene expression that underlie their functions in the specification of axial identity. Little is known about the properties of cis-regulatory elements and underlying transcriptional mechanisms that integrate graded signaling inputs to coordinately control Hox expression. Here, we optimized a single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) technique with probes spanning introns to evaluate how three shared retinoic acid response element (RARE)-dependent enhancers in the Hoxb cluster regulate patterns of nascent transcription in vivo at the level of single cells in wild-type and mutant embryos. We predominately detect nascent transcription of only a single Hoxb gene in each cell, with no evidence for simultaneous co-transcriptional coupling of all or specific subsets of genes. Single and/or compound RARE mutations indicate that each enhancer differentially impacts global and local patterns of nascent transcription, suggesting that selectivity and competitive interactions between these enhancers is important to robustly maintain the proper levels and patterns of nascent Hoxb transcription. This implies that rapid and dynamic regulatory interactions potentiate transcription of genes through combined inputs from these enhancers in coordinating the retinoic acid response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Afzal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christopher Wood
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Ariel Paulson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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Transcriptional Regulation and Implications for Controlling Hox Gene Expression. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10010004. [PMID: 35076545 PMCID: PMC8788451 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hox genes play key roles in axial patterning and regulating the regional identity of cells and tissues in a wide variety of animals from invertebrates to vertebrates. Nested domains of Hox expression generate a combinatorial code that provides a molecular framework for specifying the properties of tissues along the A–P axis. Hence, it is important to understand the regulatory mechanisms that coordinately control the precise patterns of the transcription of clustered Hox genes required for their roles in development. New insights are emerging about the dynamics and molecular mechanisms governing transcriptional regulation, and there is interest in understanding how these may play a role in contributing to the regulation of the expression of the clustered Hox genes. In this review, we summarize some of the recent findings, ideas and emerging mechanisms underlying the regulation of transcription in general and consider how they may be relevant to understanding the transcriptional regulation of Hox genes.
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Lee CY, Myong S. Probing steps in DNA transcription using single-molecule methods. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101086. [PMID: 34403697 PMCID: PMC8441165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is one of the key steps in determining gene expression. Diverse single-molecule techniques have been applied to characterize the stepwise progression of transcription, yielding complementary results. These techniques include, but are not limited to, fluorescence-based microscopy with single or multiple colors, force measuring and manipulating microscopy using magnetic field or light, and atomic force microscopy. Here, we summarize and evaluate these current methodologies in studying and resolving individual steps in the transcription reaction, which encompasses RNA polymerase binding, initiation, elongation, mRNA production, and termination. We also describe the advantages and disadvantages of each method for studying transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ying Lee
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Physics Frontier Center (Center for Physics of Living Cells), University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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Baek I, Friedman LJ, Gelles J, Buratowski S. Single-molecule studies reveal branched pathways for activator-dependent assembly of RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complexes. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3576-3588.e6. [PMID: 34384542 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) transcription reconstituted from purified factors suggests pre-initiation complexes (PICs) can assemble by sequential incorporation of factors at the TATA box. However, these basal transcription reactions are generally independent of activators and co-activators. To study PIC assembly under more realistic conditions, we used single-molecule microscopy to visualize factor dynamics during activator-dependent reactions in nuclear extracts. Surprisingly, RNA Pol II, TFIIF, and TFIIE can pre-assemble on enhancer-bound activators before loading into PICs, and multiple RNA Pol II complexes can bind simultaneously to create a localized cluster. Unlike TFIIF and TFIIE, TFIIH binding is singular and dependent on the basal promoter. Activator-tethered factors exhibit dwell times on the order of seconds. In contrast, PICs can persist on the order of minutes in the absence of nucleotide triphosphates, although TFIIE remains unexpectedly dynamic even after TFIIH incorporation. Our kinetic measurements lead to a new branched model for activator-dependent PIC assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inwha Baek
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Larry J Friedman
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Jeff Gelles
- Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
| | - Stephen Buratowski
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Vodnala M, Choi EB, Fong YW. Low complexity domains, condensates, and stem cell pluripotency. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:416-438. [PMID: 34136073 PMCID: PMC8176841 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i5.416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological reactions require self-assembly of factors in the complex cellular milieu. Recent evidence indicates that intrinsically disordered, low-complexity sequence domains (LCDs) found in regulatory factors mediate diverse cellular processes from gene expression to DNA repair to signal transduction, by enriching specific biomolecules in membraneless compartments or hubs that may undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). In this review, we discuss how embryonic stem cells take advantage of LCD-driven interactions to promote cell-specific transcription, DNA damage response, and DNA repair. We propose that LCD-mediated interactions play key roles in stem cell maintenance and safeguarding genome integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munender Vodnala
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Eun-Bee Choi
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Yick W Fong
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States.
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Dynamics of RNA polymerase II and elongation factor Spt4/5 recruitment during activator-dependent transcription. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:32348-32357. [PMID: 33293419 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011224117] [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: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase II (RNApII) transcribes messenger RNA from template DNA. Decades of experiments have identified the proteins needed for transcription activation, initiation complex assembly, and productive elongation. However, the dynamics of recruitment of these proteins to transcription complexes, and of the transitions between these steps, are poorly understood. We used multiwavelength single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to directly image and quantitate these dynamics in a budding yeast nuclear extract that reconstitutes activator-dependent transcription in vitro. A strong activator (Gal4-VP16) greatly stimulated reversible binding of individual RNApII molecules to template DNA. Binding of labeled elongation factor Spt4/5 to DNA typically followed RNApII binding, was NTP dependent, and was correlated with association of mRNA binding protein Hek2, demonstrating specificity of Spt4/5 binding to elongation complexes. Quantitative kinetic modeling shows that only a fraction of RNApII binding events are productive and implies a rate-limiting step, probably associated with recruitment of general transcription factors, needed to assemble a transcription-competent preinitiation complex at the promoter. Spt4/5 association with transcription complexes was slowly reversible, with DNA-bound RNApII molecules sometimes binding and releasing Spt4/5 multiple times. The average Spt4/5 residence time was of similar magnitude to the time required to transcribe an average length yeast gene. These dynamics suggest that a single Spt4/5 molecule remains associated during a typical transcription event, yet can dissociate from RNApII to allow disassembly of abnormally long-lived (i.e., stalled) elongation complexes.
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Lyons DE, McMahon S, Ott M. A combinatorial view of old and new RNA polymerase II modifications. Transcription 2020; 11:66-82. [PMID: 32401151 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2020.1762468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of mRNA is a dynamic process that is highly regulated by reversible post-translational modifications of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. The CTD is a highly repetitive domain consisting mostly of the consensus heptad sequence Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7. Phosphorylation of serine residues within this repeat sequence is well studied, but modifications of all residues have been described. Here, we focus on integrating newly identified and lesser-studied CTD post-translational modifications into the existing framework. We also review the growing body of work demonstrating crosstalk between different CTD modifications and the functional consequences of such crosstalk on the dynamics of transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle E Lyons
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah McMahon
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Melanie Ott
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, CA, USA
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Poddar A, Conesa JJ, Liang K, Dhakal S, Reineck P, Bryant G, Pereiro E, Ricco R, Amenitsch H, Doonan C, Mulet X, Doherty CM, Falcaro P, Shukla R. Encapsulation, Visualization and Expression of Genes with Biomimetically Mineralized Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8). SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1902268. [PMID: 31259481 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201902268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent work in biomolecule-metal-organic framework (MOF) composites has proven to be an effective strategy for the protection of proteins. However, for other biomacromolecules such as nucleic acids, the encapsulation into nano MOFs and the related characterizations are in their infancy. Herein, encapsulation of a complete gene-set in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) MOFs and cellular expression of the gene delivered by the nano MOF composites are reported. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) plasmid (plGFP) as a proof-of-concept genetic macromolecule, successful transfection of mammalian cancer cells with plGFP for up to 4 days is shown. Cell transfection assays and soft X-ray cryo-tomography (cryo-SXT) demonstrate the feasibility of DNA@MOF biocomposites as intracellular gene delivery vehicles. Expression occurs over relatively prolonged time points where the cargo nucleic acid is released gradually in order to maintain sustained expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Poddar
- Ian Potter NanoBiosensing Facility, NanoBiotechnology Research Laboratory (NBRL), School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - José J Conesa
- ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, MISTRAL Beamline - Experiments division. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08290, Spain
| | - Kang Liang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Library Road, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sudip Dhakal
- Ian Potter NanoBiosensing Facility, NanoBiotechnology Research Laboratory (NBRL), School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Philipp Reineck
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Gary Bryant
- Centre for Molecular and Nanoscale Physics, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Eva Pereiro
- ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, MISTRAL Beamline - Experiments division. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08290, Spain
| | - Raffaele Ricco
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Doonan
- Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Xavier Mulet
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | | | - Paolo Falcaro
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Ravi Shukla
- Ian Potter NanoBiosensing Facility, NanoBiotechnology Research Laboratory (NBRL), School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
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Harries LW. RNA Biology Provides New Therapeutic Targets for Human Disease. Front Genet 2019; 10:205. [PMID: 30906315 PMCID: PMC6418379 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA is the messenger molecule that conveys information from the genome and allows the production of biomolecules required for life in a responsive and regulated way. Most genes are able to produce multiple mRNA products in response to different internal or external environmental signals, in different tissues and organs, and at specific times in development or later life. This fine tuning of gene expression is dependent on the coordinated effects of a large and intricate set of regulatory machinery, which together orchestrate the genomic output at each locus and ensure that each gene is expressed at the right amount, at the right time and in the correct location. This complexity of control, and the requirement for both sequence elements and the entities that bind them, results in multiple points at which errors may occur. Errors of RNA biology are common and found in association with both rare, single gene disorders, but also more common, chronic diseases. Fortunately, complexity also brings opportunity. The existence of many regulatory steps also offers multiple levels of potential therapeutic intervention which can be exploited. In this review, I will outline the specific points at which coding RNAs may be regulated, indicate potential means of intervention at each stage, and outline with examples some of the progress that has been made in this area. Finally, I will outline some of the remaining challenges with the delivery of RNA-based therapeutics but indicate why there are reasons for optimism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna W. Harries
- RNA-Mediated Mechanisms of Disease, College of Medicine and Health, The Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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