The Kleisin Subunits of Cohesin are Involved in the Fate Determination of Embryonic Stem Cells

Cohesin regulation and roles in chromosome structure and function

Chromosome structure regulates DNA-templated processes such as transcription of genes. Dynamic changes to chromosome structure occur during development and in disease contexts. The cohesin complex is a molecular motor that regulates chromosome structure by generating DNA loops that bring two distal genomic sites into close spatial proximity. There are many open questions regarding the formation and dissolution of DNA loops, as well as the role(s) of DNA loops in regulating transcription of the interphase genome. This review focuses on recent discoveries that provide molecular insights into the role of cohesin and chromosome structure in gene transcription during development and disease.

Transcription Factor EB-Mediated Lysosomal Function Regulation for Determining Stem Cell Fate under Metabolic Stress

Stem cells require high amounts of energy to replicate their genome and organelles and differentiate into numerous cell types. Therefore, metabolic stress has a major impact on stem cell fate determination, including self-renewal, quiescence, and differentiation. Lysosomes are catabolic organelles that influence stem cell function and fate by regulating the degradation of intracellular components and maintaining cellular homeostasis in response to metabolic stress. Lysosomal functions altered by metabolic stress are tightly regulated by the transcription factor EB (TFEB) and TFE3, critical regulators of lysosomal gene expression. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of TFEB-mediated lysosomal function may provide some insight into stem cell fate determination under metabolic stress. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanism of TFEB/TFE3 in modulating stem cell lysosomal function and then elucidate the role of TFEB/TFE3-mediated transcriptional activity in the determination of stem cell fate under metabolic stress.

Caffeine enhances chemosensitivity to irinotecan in the treatment of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer. This disease arises from gene mutations and epigenetic alterations that transform colonic epithelial cells into colon adenocarcinoma cells, which display a unique gene expression pattern compared to normal cells. Specifically, CRC cells exhibit significantly higher expression levels of genes involved in DNA repair or replication, which is attributed to the accumulation of DNA breakage resulting from rapid cell cycle progression.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the in vivo effects of caffeine on CRC cells and evaluate its impact on the sensitivity of these cells to irinotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor widely used for CRC treatment.

METHODS

Two CRC cell lines, HCT116 and HT29, were treated with irinotecan and caffeine. Western blot analysis assessed protein expression levels in caffeine/irinotecan-treated CRC cells. Immunofluorescence staining determined protein localization, measured DNA breaks, and explored the effects of DNA damage reagents during cell cycle progression and flow cytometry analysis was used to measure cell viability. Fiber assays investigated DNA synthesis in DNA-damaged cells during S-phase, while the comet assay assessed DNA fragmentation caused by DNA breaks.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrated that the combination of irinotecan and caffeine exhibits a synergistic effect in suppressing CRC cell proliferation and inducing cell death. Compared to treatment with only irinotecan or caffeine, the combined irinotecan and caffeine treatment was more effective in inducing DNA lesions by displacing RAD51 from DNA break sites and inhibiting DNA repair progression, leading to cell cycle arrest. This combination also resulted in more severe effects, including DNA fragmentation and mitotic catastrophe.

CONCLUSION

Caffeine could enhance the effectiveness of an existing drug for CRC treatment despite having little impact on the cell survival rate of CRC cells. Our findings suggest that the beneficial adjuvant effects of caffeine may not only be applicable to CRC but also to various other types of cancers at different stages of development.

α-Kleisin subunit of cohesin preserves the genome integrity of embryonic stem cells

Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex that comprises the SMC1, SMC3, and α-kleisin proteins, STAG1/2/3 subunits, and auxiliary factors. Cohesin participates in chromatin remodeling, chromosome segregation, DNA replication, and gene expression regulation during the cell cycle. Mitosis-specific α-kleisin factor RAD21 and meiosis-specific α-kleisin factor REC8 are expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to maintain pluripotency. Here, we demonstrated that RAD21 and REC8 were involved in maintaining genomic stability and modulating chromatin modification in murine ESCs. When the kleisin subunits were depleted, DNA repair genes were downregulated, thereby reducing cell viability and causing replication protein A (RPA) accumulation. This finding suggested that the repair of exposed single-stranded DNA was inefficient. Furthermore, the depletion of kleisin subunits induced DNA hypermethylation by upregulating DNA methylation proteins. Thus, we proposed that the cohesin complex plays two distinct roles in chromatin remodeling and genomic integrity to ensure the maintenance of pluripotency in ESCs. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(2): 108-113].

α-Kleisin subunit of cohesin preserves the genome integrity of embryonic stem cells

Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex that comprises the SMC1, SMC3, and α-kleisin proteins, STAG1/2/3 subunits, and auxiliary factors. Cohesin participates in chromatin remodeling, chromosome segregation, DNA replication, and gene expression regulation during the cell cycle. Mitosis-specific α-kleisin factor RAD21 and meiosis-specific α-kleisin factor REC8 are expressed in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to maintain pluripotency. Here, we demonstrated that RAD21 and REC8 were involved in maintaining genomic stability and modulating chromatin modification in murine ESCs. When the kleisin subunits were depleted, DNA repair genes were downregulated, thereby reducing cell viability and causing replication protein A (RPA) accumulation. This finding suggested that the repair of exposed single-stranded DNA was inefficient. Furthermore, the depletion of kleisin subunits induced DNA hypermethylation by upregulating DNA methylation proteins. Thus, we proposed that the cohesin complex plays two distinct roles in chromatin remodeling and genomic integrity to ensure the maintenance of pluripotency in ESCs. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(2): 108-113].