Generation of a Zinc Finger Protein ZPR1 Mutant That Constitutively Interacted with Translation Elongation Factor 1α

Bioinformatic analysis of human ZPR1 gene pathogenic exome mutations

Advanced sequencing technologies enable rapid detection of sequence variants, aiming to uncover the molecular foundations of human genetic disorders. The challenge lies in interpreting the influence of new exome variants that lead to diverse phenotypes. Our study introduces a detailed, multi-tiered method for assessing the impact of novel variants, particularly focusing on the zinc finger protein 1 (ZPR1) gene. Herein, we employed a combination of variant effect predictors, protein stability analyses, and the American College of Medical Genetics and Association of Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guidelines. Our structural analysis pinpoints specific amino acid residues in the ZPR1 zinc finger domains that are sensitive to changes, distinguishing between benign and disease-causing coding variants using rigorous in silico tools. We examined 223 germline ZPR1 exome variants, uncovering significant ethnic disparities in the frequency of heterozygous harmful ZPR1 variants, ranging from 0.04% in the Ashkenazi Jewish population to 0.34% in African/African Americans. Additionally, the discovery of three homozygous carriers in European and South Asian groups suggests a higher occurrence of ZPR1 variants in these demographics, meriting further exploration. This research provides insights into the prevalence and implications of amino acid substitutions in the ZPR1 protein.

Unbalanced expression of the translation complex eEF1 subunits in human cardioesophageal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The signalling role of individual subunits released from some stable translation multi-molecular complexes under unfavourable circumstances is known. The disease-related role of the translation elongation factor 1 complex (eEF1) as a whole is never researched; however, its subunits possess apparent regulatory potency. Whether the individual eEF1 subunits can exist and function in cell beyond the complex is not known.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The protein and mRNA levels of the A1, Bα, Bβ or Bγ subunits of eEF1 were analysed by Western and Northern blot techniques in the same specimens of cardioesophageal carcinoma and correspondingly paired normal tissues. Cancer-induced changes in localization patterns of the eEF1 subunits were examined immunohistochemically.

RESULTS

Changes in different eEF1 subunits expression were found to be unbalanced, indicating cancer-related emergence of individual components of the eEF1 complex. Independent overexpression of at least one eEF1 component was observed in 72% clinical samples. Noncomplexed eEF1B subunits were also detected by immunohistochemical analysis. In the normal tissue, localization of the Bα, Bβ and Bγ subunits was nuclear-cytoplasmic while in the cancer tissue the only Bγ subunit stayed in nucleus.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data are first to indicate that the individual subunits can exist separately from the eEF1B complex in cancer tissues and that disintegration of eEF1B could be an important sign of cancer development. Nuclear localization of Bγ both in normal and in cancer tissues suggests its previously unknown nucleus-specific role in human cells.