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Chen JJ, Moy C, Pagé V, Monnin C, El-Hajj ZW, Avizonis DZ, Reyes-Lamothe R, Tanny JC. The Rtf1/Prf1-dependent histone modification axis counteracts multi-drug resistance in fission yeast. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302494. [PMID: 38514187 PMCID: PMC10958104 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302494] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase II transcription elongation directs an intricate pattern of histone modifications. This pattern includes a regulatory cascade initiated by the elongation factor Rtf1, leading to monoubiquitylation of histone H2B, and subsequent methylation of histone H3 on lysine 4. Previous studies have defined the molecular basis for these regulatory relationships, but it remains unclear how they regulate gene expression. To address this question, we investigated a drug resistance phenotype that characterizes defects in this axis in the model eukaryote Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast). The mutations caused resistance to the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU) that correlated with a reduced effect of HU on dNTP pools, reduced requirement for the S-phase checkpoint, and blunting of the transcriptional response to HU treatment. Mutations in the C-terminal repeat domain of the RNA polymerase II large subunit Rpb1 led to similar phenotypes. Moreover, all the HU-resistant mutants also exhibited resistance to several azole-class antifungal agents. Our results suggest a novel, shared gene regulatory function of the Rtf1-H2Bub1-H3K4me axis and the Rpb1 C-terminal repeat domain in controlling fungal drug tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Chen
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Calvin Moy
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Viviane Pagé
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cian Monnin
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Metabolomics Innovation Resource, Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ziad W El-Hajj
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Daina Z Avizonis
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Metabolomics Innovation Resource, Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Reyes-Lamothe
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jason C Tanny
- https://ror.org/01pxwe438 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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2
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Gong D, Li J, Wang S, Sha A, Wang L. Mapping and Detection of Genes Related to Trichome Development in Black Gram ( Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper). Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:308. [PMID: 38540367 PMCID: PMC10970695 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is a pulses crop with good digestible protein and a high carbohydrate content, so it is widely consumed as human food and animal feed. Trichomes are large, specialized epidermal cells that confer advantages on plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. Genes regulating the development of trichomes are well characterized in Arabidopsis and tomato. However, little is known about trichome development in black gram. In this study, a high-density map with 5734 bin markers using an F2 population derived from a trichome-bearing and a glabrous cultivar of black gram was constructed, and a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to trichomes was identified. Six candidate genes were located in the mapped interval region. Fourteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or insertion/deletions (indels) were associated with those genes. One indel was located in the coding region of the gene designated as Scaffold_9372_HRSCAF_11447.164. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that only one candidate gene, Scaffold_9372_HRSCAF_11447.166, was differentially expressed in the stem between the two parental lines. These two candidate genes encoded the RNA polymerase-associated protein Rtf1 and Bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger domain protein 1A (BAZ1A). These results provide insights into the regulation of trichome development in black gram. The candidate genes may be useful for creating transgenic plants with improved stress resistance and for developing molecular markers for trichome selection in black gram breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Gong
- Key Laboratory Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Jianling Li
- Key Laboratory Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Suhua Wang
- Key Laboratory Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
| | - Aihua Sha
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Lixia Wang
- Key Laboratory Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
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3
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Archuleta SR, Goodrich JA, Kugel JF. Mechanisms and Functions of the RNA Polymerase II General Transcription Machinery during the Transcription Cycle. Biomolecules 2024; 14:176. [PMID: 38397413 PMCID: PMC10886972 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020176] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Central to the development and survival of all organisms is the regulation of gene expression, which begins with the process of transcription catalyzed by RNA polymerases. During transcription of protein-coding genes, the general transcription factors (GTFs) work alongside RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to assemble the preinitiation complex at the transcription start site, open the promoter DNA, initiate synthesis of the nascent messenger RNA, transition to productive elongation, and ultimately terminate transcription. Through these different stages of transcription, Pol II is dynamically phosphorylated at the C-terminal tail of its largest subunit, serving as a control mechanism for Pol II elongation and a signaling/binding platform for co-transcriptional factors. The large number of core protein factors participating in the fundamental steps of transcription add dense layers of regulation that contribute to the complexity of temporal and spatial control of gene expression within any given cell type. The Pol II transcription system is highly conserved across different levels of eukaryotes; however, most of the information here will focus on the human Pol II system. This review walks through various stages of transcription, from preinitiation complex assembly to termination, highlighting the functions and mechanisms of the core machinery that participates in each stage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James A. Goodrich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 596 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA;
| | - Jennifer F. Kugel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 596 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA;
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4
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Lee H, Kim S, Lee D. The versatility of the proteasome in gene expression and silencing: Unraveling proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194978. [PMID: 37633648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The 26S proteasome consists of a 20S core particle and a 19S regulatory particle and critically regulates gene expression and silencing through both proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions. The 20S core particle mediates proteolysis, while the 19S regulatory particle performs non-proteolytic functions. The proteasome plays a role in regulating gene expression in euchromatin by modifying histones, activating transcription, initiating and terminating transcription, mRNA export, and maintaining transcriptome integrity. In gene silencing, the proteasome modulates the heterochromatin formation, spreading, and subtelomere silencing by degrading specific proteins and interacting with anti-silencing factors such as Epe1, Mst2, and Leo1. This review discusses the proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions of the proteasome in regulating gene expression and gene silencing-related heterochromatin formation. This article is part of a special issue on the regulation of gene expression and genome integrity by the ubiquitin-proteasome system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyesu Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Sungwook Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Daeyoup Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
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5
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MacKinnon S, Pagé V, Chen JJ, Shariat-Panahi A, Martin RD, Hébert TE, Tanny JC. Spt5 C-terminal repeat domain phosphorylation and length negatively regulate heterochromatin through distinct mechanisms. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010492. [PMID: 37939109 PMCID: PMC10659198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010492] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin is a condensed chromatin structure that represses transcription of repetitive DNA elements and developmental genes, and is required for genome stability. Paradoxically, transcription of heterochromatic sequences is required for establishment of heterochromatin in diverse eukaryotic species. As such, components of the transcriptional machinery can play important roles in establishing heterochromatin. How these factors coordinate with heterochromatin proteins at nascent heterochromatic transcripts remains poorly understood. In the model eukaryote Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe), heterochromatin nucleation can be coupled to processing of nascent transcripts by the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, or to other post-transcriptional mechanisms that are RNAi-independent. Here we show that the RNA polymerase II processivity factor Spt5 negatively regulates heterochromatin in S. pombe through its C-terminal domain (CTD). The Spt5 CTD is analogous to the CTD of the RNA polymerase II large subunit, and is comprised of multiple repeats of an amino acid motif that is phosphorylated by Cdk9. We provide evidence that genetic ablation of Spt5 CTD phosphorylation results in aberrant RNAi-dependent nucleation of heterochromatin at an ectopic location, as well as inappropriate spread of heterochromatin proximal to centromeres. In contrast, truncation of Spt5 CTD repeat number enhanced RNAi-independent heterochromatin formation and bypassed the requirement for RNAi. We relate these phenotypes to the known Spt5 CTD-binding factor Prf1/Rtf1. This separation of function argues that Spt5 CTD phosphorylation and CTD length restrict heterochromatin through unique mechanisms. More broadly, our findings argue that length and phosphorylation of the Spt5 CTD repeat array have distinct regulatory effects on transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah MacKinnon
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Viviane Pagé
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jennifer J. Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ali Shariat-Panahi
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ryan D. Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Terence E. Hébert
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jason C. Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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6
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DeBerardine M, Booth GT, Versluis PP, Lis JT. The NELF pausing checkpoint mediates the functional divergence of Cdk9. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2762. [PMID: 37179384 PMCID: PMC10182999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38359-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoter-proximal pausing by RNA Pol II is a rate-determining step in gene transcription that is hypothesized to be a prominent point at which regulatory factors act. The pausing factor NELF is known to induce and stabilize pausing, but not all kinds of pausing are NELF-mediated. Here, we find that NELF-depleted Drosophila melanogaster cells functionally recapitulate the NELF-independent pausing we previously observed in fission yeast (which lack NELF). Critically, only NELF-mediated pausing establishes a strict requirement for Cdk9 kinase activity for the release of paused Pol II into productive elongation. Upon inhibition of Cdk9, cells with NELF efficiently shutdown gene transcription, while in NELF-depleted cells, defective, non-productive transcription continues unabated. By introducing a strict checkpoint for Cdk9, the evolution of NELF was likely critical to enable increased regulation of Cdk9 in higher eukaryotes, as Cdk9 availability can be restricted to limit gene transcription without inducing wasteful, non-productive transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael DeBerardine
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Gregory T Booth
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Kanvas Biosciences, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA
| | - Philip P Versluis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - John T Lis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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7
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Kenaston MW, Shah PS. The Archer and the Prey: The Duality of PAF1C in Antiviral Immunity. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051032. [PMID: 37243120 DOI: 10.3390/v15051032] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the ongoing arms race between virus and host, fine-tuned gene expression plays a critical role in antiviral signaling. However, viruses have evolved to disrupt this process and promote their own replication by targeting host restriction factors. Polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (PAF1C) is a key player in this relationship, recruiting other host factors to regulate transcription and modulate innate immune gene expression. Consequently, PAF1C is consistently targeted by a diverse range of viruses, either to suppress its antiviral functions or co-opt them for their own benefit. In this review, we delve into the current mechanisms through which PAF1C restricts viruses by activating interferon and inflammatory responses at the transcriptional level. We also highlight how the ubiquity of these mechanisms makes PAF1C especially vulnerable to viral hijacking and antagonism. Indeed, as often as PAF1C is revealed to be a restriction factor, viruses are found to have targeted the complex in reply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Kenaston
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Priya S Shah
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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8
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Esquivel-Chávez A, Maki T, Tsubouchi H, Handa T, Kimura H, Haber JE, Thon G, Iwasaki H. Euchromatin factors HULC and Set1C affect heterochromatin organization and mating-type switching in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Genes Genet Syst 2022; 97:123-138. [PMID: 35908934 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.22-00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating-type (P or M) of fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is determined by the transcriptionally active mat1 cassette and is switched by gene conversion using a donor, either mat2 or mat3, located in an adjacent heterochromatin region (mating-type switching; MTS). In the switching process, heterochromatic donors of genetic information are selected based on the P or M cell type and on the action of two recombination enhancers, SRE2 promoting the use of mat2-P and SRE3 promoting the use of mat3-M, leading to replacement of the content of the expressed mat1 cassette. Recently, we found that the histone H3K4 methyltransferase complex Set1C participates in donor selection, raising the question of how a complex best known for its effects in euchromatin controls recombination in heterochromatin. Here, we report that the histone H2BK119 ubiquitin ligase complex HULC functions with Set1C in MTS, as mutants in the shf1, brl1, brl2 and rad6 genes showed defects similar to Set1C mutants and belonged to the same epistasis group as set1Δ. Moreover, using H3K4R and H2BK119R histone mutants and a Set1-Y897A catalytic mutant, we found that ubiquitylation of histone H2BK119 by HULC and methylation of histone H3K4 by Set1C are functionally coupled in MTS. Cell-type biases in MTS in these mutants suggested that HULC and Set1C inhibit the use of the SRE3 recombination enhancer in M cells, thus favoring SRE2 and mat2-P. Consistent with this, imbalanced switching in the mutants was traced to compromised association of the directionality factor Swi6 with the recombination enhancers in M cells. Based on their known effects at other chromosomal locations, we speculate that HULC and Set1C control nucleosome mobility and strand invasion near the SRE elements. In addition, we uncovered distinct effects of HULC and Set1C on histone H3K9 methylation and gene silencing, consistent with additional functions in the heterochromatic domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Esquivel-Chávez
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Takahisa Maki
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Hideo Tsubouchi
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Testuya Handa
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - James E Haber
- Department of Biology and Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University
| | | | - Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology
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9
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Chen JJ, Stermer D, Tanny JC. Decoding histone ubiquitylation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:968398. [PMID: 36105353 PMCID: PMC9464978 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.968398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone ubiquitylation is a critical part of both active and repressed transcriptional states, and lies at the heart of DNA damage repair signaling. The histone residues targeted for ubiquitylation are often highly conserved through evolution, and extensive functional studies of the enzymes that catalyze the ubiquitylation and de-ubiquitylation of histones have revealed key roles linked to cell growth and division, development, and disease in model systems ranging from yeast to human cells. Nonetheless, the downstream consequences of these modifications have only recently begun to be appreciated on a molecular level. Here we review the structure and function of proteins that act as effectors or “readers” of histone ubiquitylation. We highlight lessons learned about how ubiquitin recognition lends specificity and function to intermolecular interactions in the context of transcription and DNA repair, as well as what this might mean for how we think about histone modifications more broadly.
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10
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Chan J, Kumar A, Kono H. RNAPII driven post-translational modifications of nucleosomal histones. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1076-1095. [PMID: 35618507 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The current understanding of how specific distributions of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are achieved throughout the chromatin remains incomplete. This review focuses on the role of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in establishing H2BK120/K123 ubiquitination and H3K4/K36 methylation distribution. The rate of RNAPII transcription is mainly a function of the RNAPII elongation and recruitment rates. Two major mechanisms link RNAPII's transcription rate to the distribution of PTMs. First, the phosphorylation patterns of Ser2P/Ser5P in the C-terminal domain of RNAPII change as a function of time, since the start of elongation, linking them to the elongation rate. Ser2P/Ser5P recruits specific histone PTM enzymes/activators to the nucleosome. Second, multiple rounds of binding and catalysis by the enzymes are required to establish higher methylations (H3K4/36me3). Thus, methylation states are determined by the transcription rate. In summary, the first mechanism determines the location of methylations in the gene, while the second mechanism determines the methylation state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Chan
- Molecular Modelling and Simulation (MMS) Team, Institute for Quantum Life Science (iQLS), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - Amarjeet Kumar
- Molecular Modelling and Simulation (MMS) Team, Institute for Quantum Life Science (iQLS), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Kono
- Molecular Modelling and Simulation (MMS) Team, Institute for Quantum Life Science (iQLS), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan.
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11
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Wang Z, Song A, Xu H, Hu S, Tao B, Peng L, Wang J, Li J, Yu J, Wang L, Li Z, Chen X, Wang M, Chi Y, Wu J, Xu Y, Zheng H, Chen FX. Coordinated regulation of RNA polymerase II pausing and elongation progression by PAF1. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5504. [PMID: 35363521 PMCID: PMC11093130 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pleiotropic transcription regulator RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-associated factor 1 (PAF1) governs multiple transcriptional steps and the deposition of several epigenetic marks. However, it remains unclear how ultimate transcriptional outcome is determined by PAF1 and whether it relates to PAF1-controlled epigenetic marks. We use rapid degradation systems and reveal direct PAF1 functions in governing pausing partially by recruiting Integrator-PP2A (INTAC), in addition to ensuring elongation. Following acute PAF1 degradation, most destabilized polymerase undergoes effective release, which presumably relies on skewed balance between INTAC and P-TEFb, resulting in hyperphosphorylated substrates including SPT5. Impaired Pol II progression during elongation, along with altered pause release frequency, determines the final transcriptional outputs. Moreover, PAF1 degradation causes a cumulative decline in histone modifications. These epigenetic alterations in chromatin likely further influence the production of transcripts from PAF1 target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenning Wang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aixia Song
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shibin Hu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bolin Tao
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linna Peng
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabei Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiali Yu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ze Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xizi Chen
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyun Wang
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yayun Chi
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiong Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhui Xu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai Zheng
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Xavier Chen
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
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12
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Cohen A, Pataki E, Kupiec M, Weisman R. TOR complex 2 contributes to regulation of gene expression via inhibiting Gcn5 recruitment to subtelomeric and DNA replication stress genes. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010061. [PMID: 35157728 PMCID: PMC8880919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The fission yeast TOR complex 2 (TORC2) is required for gene silencing at subtelomeric regions and for the induction of gene transcription in response to DNA replication stress. Thus, TORC2 affects transcription regulation both negatively and positively. Whether these two TORC2-dependent functions share a common molecular mechanism is currently unknown. Here, we show that Gad8 physically interacts with proteins that regulate transcription, including subunits of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex and the BET bromodomain protein Bdf2. We demonstrate that in the absence of TORC2, Gcn5, the histone acetyltransferase subunit of SAGA, accumulates at subtelomeric genes and at non-induced promoters of DNA replication genes. Remarkably, the loss of Gcn5 in TORC2 mutant cells restores gene silencing as well as transcriptional induction in response to DNA replication stress. Loss of Bdf2 alleviates excess of Gcn5 binding in TORC2 mutant cells and also rescues the aberrant regulation of transcription in these cells. Furthermore, the loss of either SAGA or Bdf2 suppresses the sensitivity of TORC2 mutant cells to a variety of stresses, including DNA replication, DNA damage, temperature and nutrient stresses. We suggest a role of TORC2 in transcriptional regulation that is critical for gene silencing and gene induction in response to stress and involves the binding of Gcn5 to the chromatin. A fundamental characteristic of signaling pathways is their role in the regulation of gene expression. Target of rapamycin (TOR), an atypical protein kinase, is a component of two highly conserved TOR complexes: TORC1 and TORC2. These complexes affect nuclear functions through their activity in the cytoplasm as well as directly, through nuclear TOR pools. We previously showed that in fission yeast, TORC2 and its downstream substrate Gad8 associate with the chromatin fraction. We have also demonstrated that TORC2-Gad8 is required for gene silencing and transcriptional induction in response to stresses. Here, we demonstrate that Gad8 physically associates with proteins of the transcriptional machinery. We found that the loss of two positive transcriptional regulators, the SAGA complex and the bromodomain protein Bdf2, restored gene silencing as well as stress-induced transcriptional induction in TORC2 mutant cells. Our data suggests that TORC2-Gad8 contributes to gene regulation through a mechanism involving the inhibition of the accumulation of Gcn5 at the chromatin. These findings suggest a novel and possibly conserved functional relationship between TORC2, Gcn5 and Bdf2. These proteins and protein complexes are key targets in cancer therapies, thus, deciphering their functional relationship may be valuable for combination therapy in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adiel Cohen
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana, Israel
| | - Emese Pataki
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana, Israel
| | - Martin Kupiec
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine & Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronit Weisman
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana, Israel
- * E-mail:
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13
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Roehrig AE, Klupsch K, Oses-Prieto JA, Chaib S, Henderson S, Emmett W, Young LC, Surinova S, Blees A, Pfeiffer A, Tijani M, Brunk F, Hartig N, Muñoz-Alegre M, Hergovich A, Jennings BH, Burlingame AL, Rodriguez-Viciana P. Cell-cell adhesion regulates Merlin/NF2 interaction with the PAF complex. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254697. [PMID: 34424918 PMCID: PMC8382200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The PAF complex (PAFC) coordinates transcription elongation and mRNA processing and its CDC73/parafibromin subunit functions as a tumour suppressor. The NF2/Merlin tumour suppressor functions both at the cell cortex and nucleus and is a key mediator of contact inhibition but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study we have used affinity proteomics to identify novel Merlin interacting proteins and show that Merlin forms a complex with multiple proteins involved in RNA processing including the PAFC and the CHD1 chromatin remodeller. Tumour-derived inactivating mutations in both Merlin and the CDC73 PAFC subunit mutually disrupt their interaction and growth suppression by Merlin requires CDC73. Merlin interacts with the PAFC in a cell density-dependent manner and we identify a role for FAT cadherins in regulating the Merlin-PAFC interaction. Our results suggest that in addition to its function within the Hippo pathway, Merlin is part of a tumour suppressor network regulated by cell-cell adhesion which coordinates post-initiation steps of the transcription cycle of genes mediating contact inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E. Roehrig
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kristina Klupsch
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan A. Oses-Prieto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Selim Chaib
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Henderson
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Warren Emmett
- University College London Genetics Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy C. Young
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Surinova
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Blees
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anett Pfeiffer
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maha Tijani
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fabian Brunk
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Hartig
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Alma L. Burlingame
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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14
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Pinto D, Pagé V, Fisher RP, Tanny JC. New connections between ubiquitylation and methylation in the co-transcriptional histone modification network. Curr Genet 2021; 67:695-705. [PMID: 34089069 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-021-01196-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Co-transcriptional histone modifications are a ubiquitous feature of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription, with profound but incompletely understood effects on gene expression. Unlike the covalent marks found at promoters, which are thought to be instructive for transcriptional activation, these modifications occur in gene bodies as a result of transcription, which has made elucidation of their functions challenging. Here we review recent insights into the regulation and roles of two such modifications: monoubiquitylation of histone H2B at lysine 120 (H2Bub1) and methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36 (H3K36me). Both H2Bub1 and H3K36me are enriched in the coding regions of transcribed genes, with highly overlapping distributions, but they were thought to work largely independently. We highlight our recent demonstration that, as was previously shown for H3K36me, H2Bub1 signals to the histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex Rpd3S/Clr6-CII, and that Rpd3S/Clr6-CII and H2Bub1 function in the same pathway to repress aberrant antisense transcription initiating within gene coding regions. Moreover, both of these histone modification pathways are influenced by protein phosphorylation catalyzed by the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) that regulate RNAPII elongation, chiefly Cdk9. Therefore, H2Bub1 and H3K36me are more tightly linked than previously thought, sharing both upstream regulatory inputs and downstream effectors. Moreover, these newfound connections suggest extensive, bidirectional signaling between RNAPII elongation complexes and chromatin-modifying enzymes, which helps to determine transcriptional outputs and should be a focus for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pinto
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vivane Pagé
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robert P Fisher
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jason C Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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15
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Decker TM. Mechanisms of Transcription Elongation Factor DSIF (Spt4-Spt5). J Mol Biol 2020; 433:166657. [PMID: 32987031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The transcription elongation factor Spt5 is conserved from bacteria to humans. In eukaryotes, Spt5 forms a complex with Spt4 and regulates processive transcription elongation. Recent studies on transcription elongation suggest different mechanistic roles in yeast versus mammals. Higher eukaryotes utilize Spt4-Spt5 (DSIF) to regulate promoter-proximal pausing, a transcription-regulatory mechanism that connects initiation to productive elongation. DSIF is a versatile transcription factor and has been implicated in both gene-specific regulation and transcription through nucleosomes. Future studies will further elucidate the role of DSIF in transcriptional dynamics and disentangle its inhibitory and enhancing activities in transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim-Michael Decker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, 3415 Colorado Ave, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
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16
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Sansó M, Parua PK, Pinto D, Svensson JP, Pagé V, Bitton DA, MacKinnon S, Garcia P, Hidalgo E, Bähler J, Tanny JC, Fisher RP. Cdk9 and H2Bub1 signal to Clr6-CII/Rpd3S to suppress aberrant antisense transcription. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:7154-7168. [PMID: 32496538 PMCID: PMC7367204 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mono-ubiquitylation of histone H2B (H2Bub1) and phosphorylation of elongation factor Spt5 by cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9) occur during transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), and are mutually dependent in fission yeast. It remained unclear whether Cdk9 and H2Bub1 cooperate to regulate the expression of individual genes. Here, we show that Cdk9 inhibition or H2Bub1 loss induces intragenic antisense transcription of ∼10% of fission yeast genes, with each perturbation affecting largely distinct subsets; ablation of both pathways de-represses antisense transcription of over half the genome. H2Bub1 and phospho-Spt5 have similar genome-wide distributions; both modifications are enriched, and directly proportional to each other, in coding regions, and decrease abruptly around the cleavage and polyadenylation signal (CPS). Cdk9-dependence of antisense suppression at specific genes correlates with high H2Bub1 occupancy, and with promoter-proximal RNAPII pausing. Genetic interactions link Cdk9, H2Bub1 and the histone deacetylase Clr6-CII, while combined Cdk9 inhibition and H2Bub1 loss impair Clr6-CII recruitment to chromatin and lead to decreased occupancy and increased acetylation of histones within gene coding regions. These results uncover novel interactions between co-transcriptional histone modification pathways, which link regulation of RNAPII transcription elongation to suppression of aberrant initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Sansó
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Cancer Genomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pabitra K Parua
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Pinto
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - J Peter Svensson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Viviane Pagé
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Danny A Bitton
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College, London, UK
| | - Sarah MacKinnon
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Patricia Garcia
- Departament de Ciènces Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Hidalgo
- Departament de Ciènces Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jürg Bähler
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College, London, UK
| | - Jason C Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robert P Fisher
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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17
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Spt5 Phosphorylation and the Rtf1 Plus3 Domain Promote Rtf1 Function through Distinct Mechanisms. Mol Cell Biol 2020; 40:MCB.00150-20. [PMID: 32366382 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00150-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rtf1 is a conserved RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation factor that promotes cotranscriptional histone modification, RNAPII transcript elongation, and mRNA processing. Rtf1 function requires the phosphorylation of Spt5, an essential RNAPII processivity factor. Spt5 is phosphorylated within its C-terminal domain (CTD) by cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9), the catalytic component of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). Rtf1 recognizes phosphorylated Spt5 (pSpt5) through its Plus3 domain. Since Spt5 is a unique target of Cdk9 and Rtf1 is the only known pSpt5-binding factor, the Plus3/pSpt5 interaction is thought to be a key Cdk9-dependent event regulating RNAPII elongation. Here, we dissect Rtf1 regulation by pSpt5 in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe We demonstrate that the Plus3 domain of Rtf1 (Prf1 in S. pombe) and pSpt5 are functionally distinct and that they act in parallel to promote Prf1 function. This alternate Plus3 domain function involves an interface that overlaps the pSpt5-binding site and that can interact with single-stranded nucleic acid or with the polymerase-associated factor (PAF) complex in vitro We further show that the C-terminal region of Prf1, which also interacts with PAF, has a similar parallel function with pSpt5. Our results elucidate unexpected complexity underlying Cdk9-dependent pathways that regulate transcription elongation.
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18
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Structure of complete Pol II-DSIF-PAF-SPT6 transcription complex reveals RTF1 allosteric activation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:668-677. [PMID: 32541898 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0437-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is carried out by an elongation complex. We previously reported an activated porcine Pol II elongation complex, EC*, encompassing the human elongation factors DSIF, PAF1 complex (PAF) and SPT6. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the complete EC* that contains RTF1, a dissociable PAF subunit critical for chromatin transcription. The RTF1 Plus3 domain associates with Pol II subunit RPB12 and the phosphorylated C-terminal region of DSIF subunit SPT5. RTF1 also forms four α-helices that extend from the Plus3 domain along the Pol II protrusion and RPB10 to the polymerase funnel. The C-terminal 'fastener' helix retains PAF and is followed by a 'latch' that reaches the end of the bridge helix, a flexible element of the Pol II active site. RTF1 strongly stimulates Pol II elongation, and this requires the latch, possibly suggesting that RTF1 activates transcription allosterically by influencing Pol II translocation.
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19
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Goodman LD, Bonini NM. New Roles for Canonical Transcription Factors in Repeat Expansion Diseases. Trends Genet 2019; 36:81-92. [PMID: 31837826 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The presence of microsatellite repeat expansions within genes is associated with >30 neurological diseases. Of interest, (GGGGCC)>30-repeats within C9orf72 are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD). These expansions can be 100s to 1000s of units long. Thus, it is perplexing how RNA-polymerase II (RNAPII) can successfully transcribe them. Recent investigations focusing on GGGGCC-transcription have identified specific, canonical complexes that may promote RNAPII-transcription at these GC-rich microsatellites: the DSIF complex and PAF1C. These complexes may be important for resolving the unique secondary structures formed by GGGGCC-DNA during transcription. Importantly, this process can produce potentially toxic repeat-containing RNA that can encode potentially toxic peptides, impacting neuron function and health. Understanding how transcription of these repeats occurs has implications for therapeutics in multiple diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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20
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Yeast PAF1 complex counters the pol III accumulation and replication stress on the tRNA genes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12892. [PMID: 31501524 PMCID: PMC6733944 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49316-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA polymerase (pol) III transcribes mostly short, house-keeping genes, which produce stable, non-coding RNAs. The tRNAs genes, highly transcribed by pol III in vivo are known replication fork barriers. One of the transcription factors, the PAF1C (RNA polymerase II associated factor 1 complex) is reported to associate with pol I and pol II and influence their transcription. We found low level PAF1C occupancy on the yeast pol III-transcribed genes, which is not correlated with nucleosome positions, pol III occupancy and transcription. PAF1C interacts with the pol III transcription complex and causes pol III loss from the genes under replication stress. Genotoxin exposure causes pol III but not Paf1 loss from the genes. In comparison, Paf1 deletion leads to increased occupancy of pol III, γ-H2A and DNA pol2 in gene-specific manner. Paf1 restricts the accumulation of pol III by influencing the pol III pause on the genes, which reduces the pol III barrier to the replication fork progression.
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21
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Pagé V, Chen JJ, Durand-Dubief M, Grabowski D, Oya E, Sansô M, Martin RD, Hébert TE, Fisher RP, Ekwall K, Tanny JC. Histone H2B Ubiquitylation Regulates Histone Gene Expression by Suppressing Antisense Transcription in Fission Yeast. Genetics 2019; 213:161-172. [PMID: 31345994 PMCID: PMC6727805 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Histone H2B monoubiquitylation (H2Bub1) is tightly linked to RNA polymerase II transcription elongation, and is also directly implicated in DNA replication and repair. Loss of H2Bub1 is associated with defects in cell cycle progression, but how these are related to its various functions, and the underlying mechanisms involved, is not understood. Here we describe a role for H2Bub1 in the regulation of replication-dependent histone genes in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe H2Bub1 activates histone genes indirectly by suppressing antisense transcription of ams2+ -a gene encoding a GATA-type transcription factor that activates histone genes and is required for assembly of centromeric chromatin. Mutants lacking the ubiquitylation site in H2B or the H2B-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase Brl2 had elevated levels of ams2+ antisense transcripts and reduced Ams2 protein levels. These defects were reversed upon inhibition of Cdk9-an ortholog of the kinase component of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb)-indicating that they likely resulted from aberrant transcription elongation. Reduced Cdk9 activity also partially rescued chromosome segregation phenotypes of H2Bub1 mutants. In a genome-wide analysis, loss of H2Bub1 led to increased antisense transcripts at over 500 protein-coding genes in H2Bub1 mutants; for a subset of these, including several genes involved in chromosome segregation and chromatin assembly, antisense derepression was Cdk9-dependent. Our results highlight antisense suppression as a key feature of cell cycle-dependent gene regulation by H2Bub1, and suggest that aberrant transcription elongation may underlie the effects of H2Bub1 loss on cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Pagé
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Jennifer J Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Mickael Durand-Dubief
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - David Grabowski
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Eriko Oya
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Miriam Sansô
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029
| | - Ryan D Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Terence E Hébert
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Robert P Fisher
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029
| | - Karl Ekwall
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Jason C Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada
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22
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Bhalla P, Vernekar DV, Gilquin B, Couté Y, Bhargava P. Interactome of the yeast RNA polymerase III transcription machinery constitutes several chromatin modifiers and regulators of the genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II. Gene 2018; 702:205-214. [PMID: 30593915 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic transcription is a highly regulated fundamental life process. A large number of regulatory proteins and complexes, many of them with sequence-specific DNA-binding activity are known to influence transcription by RNA polymerase (pol) II with a fine precision. In comparison, only a few regulatory proteins are known for pol III, which transcribes genes encoding small, stable, non-translated RNAs. The pol III transcription is precisely regulated under various stress conditions. We used pol III transcription complex (TC) components TFIIIC (Tfc6), pol III (Rpc128) and TFIIIB (Brf1) as baits and mass spectrometry to identify their potential interactors in vivo. A large interactome constituting chromatin modifiers, regulators and factors of transcription by pol I and pol II supports the possibility of a crosstalk between the three transcription machineries. The association of proteins and complexes involved in various basic life processes like ribogenesis, RNA processing, protein folding and degradation, DNA damage response, replication and transcription underscores the possibility of the pol III TC serving as a signaling hub for communication between the transcription and other cellular physiological activities under normal growth conditions. We also found an equally large number of proteins and complexes interacting with the TC under nutrient starvation condition, of which at least 25% were non-identical under the two conditions. The data reveal the possibility of a large number of signaling cues for pol III transcription against adverse conditions, necessary for an efficient co-ordination of various cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratibha Bhalla
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad, India
| | - Dipti Vinayak Vernekar
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad, India
| | - Benoit Gilquin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG-BGE, Grenoble, France
| | - Yohann Couté
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG-BGE, Grenoble, France
| | - Purnima Bhargava
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad, India.
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23
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Van Oss SB, Cucinotta CE, Arndt KM. Emerging Insights into the Roles of the Paf1 Complex in Gene Regulation. Trends Biochem Sci 2017; 42:788-798. [PMID: 28870425 PMCID: PMC5658044 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The conserved, multifunctional Polymerase-Associated Factor 1 complex (Paf1C) regulates all stages of the RNA polymerase (Pol) II transcription cycle. In this review, we examine a diverse set of recent studies from various organisms that build on foundational studies in budding yeast. These studies identify new roles for Paf1C in the control of gene expression and the regulation of chromatin structure. In exploring these advances, we find that various functions of Paf1C, such as the regulation of promoter-proximal pausing and development in higher eukaryotes, are complex and context dependent. As more becomes known about the role of Paf1C in human disease, interest in the molecular mechanisms underpinning Paf1C function will continue to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Branden Van Oss
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Christine E Cucinotta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Karen M Arndt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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24
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Xu Y, Bernecky C, Lee CT, Maier KC, Schwalb B, Tegunov D, Plitzko JM, Urlaub H, Cramer P. Architecture of the RNA polymerase II-Paf1C-TFIIS transcription elongation complex. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15741. [PMID: 28585565 PMCID: PMC5467213 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The conserved polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C) plays multiple roles in chromatin transcription and genomic regulation. Paf1C comprises the five subunits Paf1, Leo1, Ctr9, Cdc73 and Rtf1, and binds to the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription elongation complex (EC). Here we report the reconstitution of Paf1C from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a structural analysis of Paf1C bound to a Pol II EC containing the elongation factor TFIIS. Cryo-electron microscopy and crosslinking data reveal that Paf1C is highly mobile and extends over the outer Pol II surface from the Rpb2 to the Rpb3 subunit. The Paf1-Leo1 heterodimer and Cdc73 form opposite ends of Paf1C, whereas Ctr9 bridges between them. Consistent with the structural observations, the initiation factor TFIIF impairs Paf1C binding to Pol II, whereas the elongation factor TFIIS enhances it. We further show that Paf1C is globally required for normal mRNA transcription in yeast. These results provide a three-dimensional framework for further analysis of Paf1C function in transcription through chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwei Xu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Carrie Bernecky
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Chung-Tien Lee
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany.,Bioanalytics Group, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Kerstin C Maier
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Björn Schwalb
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Dimitry Tegunov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Jürgen M Plitzko
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany.,Bioanalytics Group, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Max Planck Society, Am Fassberg 11, Göttingen 37077, Germany
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25
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Shetty A, Kallgren SP, Demel C, Maier KC, Spatt D, Alver BH, Cramer P, Park PJ, Winston F. Spt5 Plays Vital Roles in the Control of Sense and Antisense Transcription Elongation. Mol Cell 2017; 66:77-88.e5. [PMID: 28366642 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spt5 is an essential and conserved factor that functions in transcription and co-transcriptional processes. However, many aspects of the requirement for Spt5 in transcription are poorly understood. We have analyzed the consequences of Spt5 depletion in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using four genome-wide approaches. Our results demonstrate that Spt5 is crucial for a normal rate of RNA synthesis and distribution of RNAPII over transcription units. In the absence of Spt5, RNAPII localization changes dramatically, with reduced levels and a relative accumulation over the first ∼500 bp, suggesting that Spt5 is required for transcription past a barrier. Spt5 depletion also results in widespread antisense transcription initiating within this barrier region. Deletions of this region alter the distribution of RNAPII on the sense strand, suggesting that the barrier observed after Spt5 depletion is normally a site at which Spt5 stimulates elongation. Our results reveal a global requirement for Spt5 in transcription elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameet Shetty
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Scott P Kallgren
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Carina Demel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin C Maier
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dan Spatt
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Burak H Alver
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter J Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fred Winston
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Cardiac transcription factors orchestrate the complex cellular and molecular events required to produce a functioning heart. Misregulation of the cardiac transcription program leads to embryonic developmental defects and is associated with human congenital heart diseases. Recent studies have expanded our understanding of the regulation of cardiac gene expression at an additional layer, involving the coordination of epigenetic and transcriptional regulators. In this review, we highlight and discuss discoveries made possible by the genetic and embryological tools available in the zebrafish model organism, with a focus on the novel functions of cardiac transcription factors and epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory proteins during cardiogenesis.
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27
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Verrier L, Taglini F, Barrales RR, Webb S, Urano T, Braun S, Bayne EH. Global regulation of heterochromatin spreading by Leo1. Open Biol 2016; 5:rsob.150045. [PMID: 25972440 PMCID: PMC4450266 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.150045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin plays important roles in eukaryotic genome regulation. However, the repressive nature of heterochromatin combined with its propensity to self-propagate necessitates robust mechanisms to contain heterochromatin within defined boundaries and thus prevent silencing of expressed genes. Here we show that loss of the PAF complex (PAFc) component Leo1 compromises chromatin boundaries, resulting in invasion of heterochromatin into flanking euchromatin domains. Similar effects are seen upon deletion of other PAFc components, but not other factors with related functions in transcription-associated chromatin modification, indicating a specific role for PAFc in heterochromatin regulation. Loss of Leo1 results in reduced levels of H4K16 acetylation at boundary regions, while tethering of the H4K16 acetyltransferase Mst1 to boundary chromatin suppresses heterochromatin spreading in leo1Δ cells, suggesting that Leo1 antagonises heterochromatin spreading by promoting H4K16 acetylation. Our findings reveal a previously undescribed role for PAFc in regulating global heterochromatin distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Verrier
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Ramon R Barrales
- Butenandt Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Shaun Webb
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Takeshi Urano
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Sigurd Braun
- Butenandt Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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28
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PAF Complex Plays Novel Subunit-Specific Roles in Alternative Cleavage and Polyadenylation. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005794. [PMID: 26765774 PMCID: PMC4713055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The PAF complex (Paf1C) has been shown to regulate chromatin modifications, gene transcription, and RNA polymerase II (PolII) elongation. Here, we provide the first genome-wide profiles for the distribution of the entire complex in mammalian cells using chromatin immunoprecipitation and high throughput sequencing. We show that Paf1C is recruited not only to promoters and gene bodies, but also to regions downstream of cleavage/polyadenylation (pA) sites at 3' ends, a profile that sharply contrasted with the yeast complex. Remarkably, we identified novel, subunit-specific links between Paf1C and regulation of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) and upstream antisense transcription using RNAi coupled with deep sequencing of the 3' ends of transcripts. Moreover, we found that depletion of Paf1C subunits resulted in the accumulation of PolII over gene bodies, which coincided with APA. Depletion of specific Paf1C subunits led to global loss of histone H2B ubiquitylation, although there was little impact of Paf1C depletion on other histone modifications, including tri-methylation of histone H3 on lysines 4 and 36 (H3K4me3 and H3K36me3), previously associated with this complex. Our results provide surprising differences with yeast, while unifying observations that link Paf1C with PolII elongation and RNA processing, and indicate that Paf1C subunits could play roles in controlling transcript length through suppression of PolII accumulation at transcription start site (TSS)-proximal pA sites and regulating pA site choice in 3'UTRs.
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29
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García P, Encinar Del Dedo J, Ayté J, Hidalgo E. Genome-wide Screening of Regulators of Catalase Expression: ROLE OF A TRANSCRIPTION COMPLEX AND HISTONE AND tRNA MODIFICATION COMPLEXES ON ADAPTATION TO STRESS. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:790-9. [PMID: 26567340 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.696658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to environmental cues, the mitogen-activated protein kinase Sty1-driven signaling cascade activates hundreds of genes to induce a robust anti-stress cellular response in fission yeast. Thus, upon stress imposition Sty1 transiently accumulates in the nucleus where it up-regulates transcription through the Atf1 transcription factor. Several regulators of transcription and translation have been identified as important to mount an integral response to oxidative stress, such as the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyl transferase or Elongator complexes, respectively. With the aim of identifying new regulators of this massive gene expression program, we have used a GFP-based protein reporter and screened a fission yeast deletion collection using flow cytometry. We find that the levels of catalase fused to GFP, both before and after a threat of peroxides, are altered in hundreds of strains lacking components of chromatin modifiers, transcription complexes, and modulators of translation. Thus, the transcription elongation complex Paf1, the histone methylase Set1-COMPASS, and the translation-related Trm112 dimers are all involved in full expression of Ctt1-GFP and in wild-type tolerance to peroxides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia García
- From the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Encinar Del Dedo
- From the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ayté
- From the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Hidalgo
- From the Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/ Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Sadeghi L, Prasad P, Ekwall K, Cohen A, Svensson JP. The Paf1 complex factors Leo1 and Paf1 promote local histone turnover to modulate chromatin states in fission yeast. EMBO Rep 2015; 16:1673-87. [PMID: 26518661 PMCID: PMC4687421 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201541214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of open and repressed chromatin states is crucial for the regulation of gene expression. To study the genes involved in maintaining chromatin states, we generated a random mutant library in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and monitored the silencing of reporter genes inserted into the euchromatic region adjacent to the heterochromatic mating type locus. We show that Leo1–Paf1 [a subcomplex of the RNA polymerase II‐associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C)] is required to prevent the spreading of heterochromatin into euchromatin by mapping the heterochromatin mark H3K9me2 using high‐resolution genomewide ChIP (ChIP–exo). Loss of Leo1–Paf1 increases heterochromatin stability at several facultative heterochromatin loci in an RNAi‐independent manner. Instead, deletion of Leo1 decreases nucleosome turnover, leading to heterochromatin stabilization. Our data reveal that Leo1–Paf1 promotes chromatin state fluctuations by enhancing histone turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Sadeghi
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Punit Prasad
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Karl Ekwall
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Amikam Cohen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - J Peter Svensson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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31
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Mbogning J, Pagé V, Burston J, Schwenger E, Fisher RP, Schwer B, Shuman S, Tanny JC. Functional interaction of Rpb1 and Spt5 C-terminal domains in co-transcriptional histone modification. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:9766-75. [PMID: 26275777 PMCID: PMC4787787 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is accompanied by a conserved pattern of histone modifications that plays important roles in regulating gene expression. The establishment of this pattern requires phosphorylation of both Rpb1 (the largest RNAPII subunit) and the elongation factor Spt5 on their respective C-terminal domains (CTDs). Here we interrogated the roles of individual Rpb1 and Spt5 CTD phospho-sites in directing co-transcriptional histone modifications in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Steady-state levels of methylation at histone H3 lysines 4 (H3K4me) and 36 (H3K36me) were sensitive to multiple mutations of the Rpb1 CTD repeat motif (Y1S2P3T4S5P6S7). Ablation of the Spt5 CTD phospho-site Thr1 reduced H3K4me levels but had minimal effects on H3K36me. Nonetheless, Spt5 CTD mutations potentiated the effects of Rpb1 CTD mutations on H3K36me, suggesting overlapping functions. Phosphorylation of Rpb1 Ser2 by the Cdk12 orthologue Lsk1 positively regulated H3K36me but negatively regulated H3K4me. H3K36me and histone H2B monoubiquitylation required Rpb1 Ser5 but were maintained upon inactivation of Mcs6/Cdk7, the major kinase for Rpb1 Ser5 in vivo, implicating another Ser5 kinase in these regulatory pathways. Our results elaborate the CTD ‘code’ for co-transcriptional histone modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Mbogning
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Viviane Pagé
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Jillian Burston
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Emily Schwenger
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Robert P Fisher
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Beate Schwer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Stewart Shuman
- Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jason C Tanny
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
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32
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Characterization of the Human Transcription Elongation Factor Rtf1: Evidence for Nonoverlapping Functions of Rtf1 and the Paf1 Complex. Mol Cell Biol 2015. [PMID: 26217014 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00601-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Restores TBP function 1 (Rtf1) is generally considered to be a subunit of the Paf1 complex (PAF1C), a multifunctional protein complex involved in histone modification and transcriptional or posttranscriptional regulation. Rtf1, however, is not stably associated with the PAF1C in most species except Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its biochemical functions are not well understood. Here, we show that human Rtf1 is a transcription elongation factor that may function independently of the PAF1C. Rtf1 requires "Rtf1 coactivator" activity, which is most likely unrelated to the PAF1C or DSIF, for transcriptional activation in vitro. A mutational study revealed that the Plus3 domain of human Rtf1 is critical for its coactivator-dependent function. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies in HeLa cells showed that Rtf1 and the PAF1C play distinct roles in regulating the expression of a subset of genes. Moreover, contrary to the finding in S. cerevisiae, the PAF1C was apparently recruited to the genes examined in an Rtf1-independent manner. The present study establishes a role for human Rtf1 as a transcription elongation factor and highlights the similarities and differences between the S. cerevisiae and human Rtf1 proteins.
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33
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Materne P, Anandhakumar J, Migeot V, Soriano I, Yague-Sanz C, Hidalgo E, Mignion C, Quintales L, Antequera F, Hermand D. Promoter nucleosome dynamics regulated by signalling through the CTD code. eLife 2015; 4:e09008. [PMID: 26098123 PMCID: PMC4502402 DOI: 10.7554/elife.09008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) plays a key role in delineating transcribed regions within chromatin by recruiting histone methylases and deacetylases. Using genome-wide nucleosome mapping, we show that CTD S2 phosphorylation controls nucleosome dynamics in the promoter of a subset of 324 genes, including the regulators of cell differentiation ste11 and metabolic adaptation inv1. Mechanistic studies on these genes indicate that during gene activation a local increase of phospho-S2 CTD nearby the promoter impairs the phospho-S5 CTD-dependent recruitment of Set1 and the subsequent recruitment of specific HDACs, which leads to nucleosome depletion and efficient transcription. The early increase of phospho-S2 results from the phosphorylation of the CTD S2 kinase Lsk1 by MAP kinase in response to cellular signalling. The artificial tethering of the Lsk1 kinase at the ste11 promoter is sufficient to activate transcription. Therefore, signalling through the CTD code regulates promoter nucleosomes dynamics. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09008.001 The process of activating genes—known as gene expression—involves a number of steps. During the first step, the gene's DNA is copied or ‘transcribed’ to produce a molecule of messenger RNA. However, most of the DNA in a cell is wrapped around proteins called histones to make structures known as nucleosomes, and the DNA has to be unpacked to allow the enzymes that make messenger RNA to access it. Cells regulate how the DNA is packed by attaching chemical groups to the histone proteins. Adding acetyl groups to histones usually causes the nucleosomes to unwrap and creates loosely packed DNA that helps with gene expression. On the other hand, the addition of methyl groups has the opposite effect. RNA polymerase II is the enzyme that carries out transcription of messenger RNAs in all eukaryotic cells—that is, the cells of organisms like plants, animals, and fungi. Like all enzymes, RNA polymerase II is made of smaller building blocks called amino acids. One end of the RNA polymerase II enzyme, called the C-terminal domain (or CTD), contains a unique sequence of amino acids that serves as a scaffold to recruit other proteins involved in transcription and histone modifications. Different amino acids in this region of RNA polymerase II can be modified by the addition of phosphate groups. The pattern of these modifications is often thought of as a code and can influence which other proteins get recruited. It remains poorly understood how RNA polymerase II regulates nucleosomes to allow transcription to occur. Materne, Anandhakumar et al. have now addressed this issue by engineering mutant yeast cells in which phosphate groups cannot be added to specific amino acids in the RNA polymerase II enzyme. Most genes were expressed as normal in these yeast cells, but a few hundred genes were not expressed. Materne, Anandhakumar et al. then used a technique called MNase-Seq to map the position of nucleosomes across the genome and found that there were more nucleosomes near to start of these down-regulated genes. Further experiments showed that the addition of phosphate groups onto the RNA polymerase II is required to deplete the nucleosomes at the start of a gene called ste11, which allows transcription to occur. Materne, Anandhakumar et al. also found that artificially tethering the enzyme that adds phosphate groups to the C-terminal domain to the start of the ste11 gene was sufficient to oust nucleosomes and activate transcription by RNA polymerase II. Future work will address if this newly discovered mechanism is implicated in the activation of specific patterns of gene expression during the development of more complex organisms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09008.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Materne
- URPHYM-GEMO, Namur Research College, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Valerie Migeot
- URPHYM-GEMO, Namur Research College, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ignacio Soriano
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Carlo Yague-Sanz
- URPHYM-GEMO, Namur Research College, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Elena Hidalgo
- Departament de Ciencies Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carole Mignion
- URPHYM-GEMO, Namur Research College, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Luis Quintales
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Francisco Antequera
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Damien Hermand
- URPHYM-GEMO, Namur Research College, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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34
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Kowalik KM, Shimada Y, Flury V, Stadler MB, Batki J, Bühler M. The Paf1 complex represses small-RNA-mediated epigenetic gene silencing. Nature 2015; 520:248-252. [PMID: 25807481 PMCID: PMC4398878 DOI: 10.1038/nature14337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) refers to the ability of exogenously introduced double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to silence expression of homologous sequences. Silencing is initiated when the enzyme Dicer processes the dsRNA into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Small RNA molecules are incorporated into Argonaute protein-containing effector complexes, which they guide to complementary targets to mediate different types of gene silencing, specifically post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and chromatin-dependent gene silencing1. Although endogenous small RNAs play critical roles in chromatin-mediated processes across kingdoms, efforts to initiate chromatin modifications in trans by using siRNAs have been inherently difficult to achieve in all eukaryotic cells. Using fission yeast, we show that RNAi-directed heterochromatin formation is negatively controlled by the highly conserved RNA polymerase-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C). Temporary expression of a synthetic hairpin RNA in Paf1C mutants triggers stable heterochromatin formation at homologous loci, effectively silencing genes in trans. This repressed state is propagated across generations by continual production of secondary siRNAs, independently of the synthetic hairpin RNA. Our data support a model where Paf1C prevents targeting of nascent transcripts by the siRNA-containing RNA-induced transcriptional silencing (RITS) complex and thereby epigenetic gene silencing, by promoting efficient transcription termination and rapid release of the RNA from the site of transcription. We show that although compromised transcription termination is sufficient to initiate the formation of bi-stable heterochromatin by trans-acting siRNAs, impairment of both transcription termination and nascent transcript release is imperative to confer stability to the repressed state. Our work uncovers a novel mechanism for small RNA- mediated epigenome regulation and highlights fundamental roles for Paf1C and the RNAi machinery in building epigenetic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Maria Kowalik
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yukiko Shimada
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Flury
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Beda Stadler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Batki
- Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, 1/A Pázmány Péter sétány, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Marc Bühler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4003 Basel, Switzerland
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35
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Abstract
Transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) involves the coordinated action of numerous regulatory factors. Among these are chromatin-modifying enzymes, which generate a stereotypic and conserved pattern of histone modifications along transcribed genes. This pattern implies a precise coordination between regulators of histone modification and the RNAP II elongation complex. Here I review the pathways and molecular events that regulate co-transcriptional histone modifications. Insight into these events will illuminate the assembly of functional RNAP II elongation complexes and how the chromatin landscape influences their composition and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Tanny
- a Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics ; McGill University ; Montreal , Canada
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36
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Regulators of carcinogenesis: emerging roles beyond their primary functions. Cancer Lett 2014; 357:75-82. [PMID: 25448403 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Revised: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cancers are characterized by aberrant cell signaling that results in accelerated proliferation, suppressed cell death, and reprogrammed metabolism to provide sufficient energy and intermediate metabolites for macromolecular biosynthesis. Here, we summarize the emerging "unconventional" roles of these regulators based on their newly identified interaction partners, different subcellular localizations, and/or structural variants. For example, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) regulates DNA synthesis, microRNA maturation and drug resistance by interacting with previously undescribed partners; cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) crosstalk with multiple canonical pathways by phosphorylating novel substrates or by functioning as transcriptional factors; apoptosis executioners play extensive roles in necroptosis, autophagy, and in the self-renewal of stem cells; and various metabolic enzymes and their mutants control carcinogenesis independently of their enzymatic activity. These recent findings will supplement the systemic functional annotation of cancer regulators and provide new rationales for potential molecular targeted cancer treatments.
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