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Zhang X, Blumenthal RM, Cheng X. Keep Fingers on the CpG Islands. EPIGENOMES 2024; 8:23. [PMID: 38920624 PMCID: PMC11202855 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The post-genomic era has ushered in the extensive application of epigenetic editing tools, allowing for precise alterations of gene expression. The use of reprogrammable editors that carry transcriptional corepressors has significant potential for long-term epigenetic silencing for the treatment of human diseases. The ideal scenario involves precise targeting of a specific genomic location by a DNA-binding domain, ensuring there are no off-target effects and that the process yields no genetic remnants aside from specific epigenetic modifications (i.e., DNA methylation). A notable example is a recent study on the mouse Pcsk9 gene, crucial for cholesterol regulation and expressed in hepatocytes, which identified synthetic zinc-finger (ZF) proteins as the most effective DNA-binding editors for silencing Pcsk9 efficiently, specifically, and persistently. This discussion focuses on enhancing the specificity of ZF-array DNA binding by optimizing interactions between specific amino acids and DNA bases across three promoters containing CpG islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Zhang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Robert M. Blumenthal
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and Program in Bioinformatics, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA;
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
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2
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Bonchuk AN, Georgiev PG. C2H2 proteins: Evolutionary aspects of domain architecture and diversification. Bioessays 2024:e2400052. [PMID: 38873893 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400052] [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: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The largest group of transcription factors in higher eukaryotes are C2H2 proteins, which contain C2H2-type zinc finger domains that specifically bind to DNA. Few well-studied C2H2 proteins, however, demonstrate their key role in the control of gene expression and chromosome architecture. Here we review the features of the domain architecture of C2H2 proteins and the likely origin of C2H2 zinc fingers. A comprehensive investigation of proteomes for the presence of proteins with multiple clustered C2H2 domains has revealed a key difference between groups of organisms. Unlike plants, transcription factors in metazoans contain clusters of C2H2 domains typically separated by a linker with the TGEKP consensus sequence. The average size of C2H2 clusters varies substantially, even between genomes of higher metazoans, and with a tendency to increase in combination with SCAN, and especially KRAB domains, reflecting the increasing complexity of gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem N Bonchuk
- Department of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel G Georgiev
- Department of the Control of Genetic Processes, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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3
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Zhu Y, Zhao T, Wu Y, Xie S, Sun W, Wu J. ZNF862 induces cytostasis and apoptosis via the p21-RB1 and Bcl-xL-Caspase 3 signaling pathways in human gingival fibroblasts. J Periodontal Res 2024; 59:599-610. [PMID: 38482719 DOI: 10.1111/jre.13250] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigates the effects of ZNF862 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human gingival fibroblasts and their related mechanisms. BACKGROUND As a major transcription factor family, zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) regulate cell differentiation, growth, and apoptosis through their conserved zinc finger motifs, which allow high flexibility and specificity in gene regulation. In our previous study, ZNF862 mutation was associated with hereditary gingival fibromatosis. Nevertheless, little is known about the biological function of ZNF862. Therefore, this study was aimed to reveal intracellular localization of ZNF862, the influence of ZNF862 on the growth and apoptosis of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and its potential related mechanisms. METHODS Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting were performed to determine the intracellular localization of ZNF862 in HGFs. HGFs were divided into three groups: ZNF862 overexpression group, ZNF862 interference group, and the empty vector control group. Then, the effects of ZNF862 on cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis were evaluated. qRT-PCR and western blotting were performed to further explore the mechanism related to the proliferation and apoptosis of HGFs. RESULTS ZNF862 was found to be localized in the cytoplasm of HGFs. In vitro experiments revealed that ZNF862 overexpression inhibited HGFs proliferation and migration, induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1-phase and apoptosis. Whereas, ZNF862 knockdown promoted HGFs proliferation and migration, accelerated the transition from the G0/G1 phase into the S and G2/M phase and inhibited cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the effects of ZNF862 on HGFs proliferation and apoptosis were noted to be dependent on inhibiting the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21)-retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) signaling pathway and enhancing the B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (Bcl-xL)-Caspase 3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Our results for the first time reveal that ZNF862 is localized in the cytoplasm of HGFs. ZNF862 can inhibit the proliferation of HGFs by inhibiting the p21-RB1 signaling pathway, and it also promotes the apoptosis of HGFs by enhancing the Bcl-xL-Caspase 3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyao Zhu
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tian Zhao
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongkang Wu
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sijing Xie
- Department of Cariology and Endodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weibin Sun
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Wu
- Department of Periodontology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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4
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Han JL, Heinson YW, Pozo MR, Li W, Entcheva E. Paradoxical effects of ZIM3, a CRISPRi effector, on human induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocyte electrophysiology. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae027. [PMID: 38510978 PMCID: PMC10954067 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
We show that zinc finger imprinted 3 (Zim3), when used as Zim3-KRAB-dCas9 effector in interference CRISPR, without any guide RNAs, paradoxically up-regulates key cardiac ion channel genes in human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), responsible for healthy resting membrane potential, repolarization of the action potential, and electrical transmission of signals. These were found to yield expected functional enhancements consistent with a more mature iPSC-CM phenotype, with potentially desirable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie L Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Yuli W Heinson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Maria R Pozo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Weizhen Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Wang X, Yao L, Li Z, Zhang J, Ruan M, Mulati Y, Gan Y, Zhang Q. ZNF471 Interacts with BANP to Reduce Tumour Malignancy by Inactivating PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signalling but is Frequently Silenced by Aberrant Promoter Methylation in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:643-663. [PMID: 38169650 PMCID: PMC10758100 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.89785] [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: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours of the urinary system. However, the aetiology and pathogenesis of RCC remain unclear. The C2H2 zinc finger protein (ZNF) family is the largest transcriptional regulatory factor family found in mammals, and Krüppel-associated box domain-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) constitute the largest subfamily of the C2H2 zinc finger protein family and play an important role in the occurrence and development of tumours. The aim of this study was to explore the role of abnormal methylation of ZNF471 in the development of renal carcinoma. Methods: In this study, we first used the TCGA and EWAS Data Hub databases to analyse the expression and methylation levels of ZNF471 in renal carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Second, we collected samples of renal cancer and adjacent normal tissues at Peking University First Hospital to investigate the expression and methylation level of ZNF471 in renal cancer tissues and the relationships between these levels and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with renal cancer. Next, we investigated the effects of ZNF471 on the proliferation, metastasis, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis of renal cell carcinoma cells by cell biology experiments. Finally, we elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of ZNF471 in renal cell carcinoma by transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and molecular biology experiments. Results: The expression of ZNF471 in renal carcinoma tissues and cell lines was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues and cell lines due to abnormal promoter CpG methylation. Furthermore, the expression of ZNF471 in renal carcinoma tissues was negatively correlated with tumour stage and grade in patients with renal carcinoma. The results of the cell biology experiments showed that ZNF471 could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration and cell cycle progression of renal cell carcinoma cells and promote apoptosis in these cells. In addition, ZNF471 could interact with BANP and suppress the malignant phenotype of RCC by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Conclusions: As an important tumour suppressor, ZNF471 can interact with BANP in renal cancer cells and inhibit the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, thereby inhibiting the occurrence and development of renal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Wang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Lin Yao
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Jiaen Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Mingjian Ruan
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Yelin Mulati
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Ying Gan
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Urology, Peking University; Beijing Key Laboratory of Urogenital Diseases (Male) Molecular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, National Urological Cancer Center, Beijing 100034, China
- Peking University Binhai Hospital, Tianjin 300450, China
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6
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Wegert J, Fischer AK, Palhazi B, Treger TD, Hilgers C, Ziegler B, Jung H, Jüttner E, Waha A, Fuchs J, Warmann SW, Frühwald MC, Hubertus J, Pritchard-Jones K, Graf N, Behjati S, Furtwängler R, Gessler M, Vokuhl C. TRIM28 inactivation in epithelial nephroblastoma is frequent and often associated with predisposing TRIM28 germline variants. J Pathol 2024; 262:10-21. [PMID: 37792584 DOI: 10.1002/path.6206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Wilms tumors (WTs) are histologically diverse childhood cancers with variable contributions of blastema, stroma, and epithelia. A variety of cancer genes operate in WTs, including the tripartite-motif-containing-28 gene (TRIM28). Case reports and small case series suggest that TRIM28 mutations are associated with epithelial morphology and WT predisposition. Here, we systematically investigated the prevalence of TRIM28 inactivation and predisposing mutations in a cohort of 126 WTs with >2/3 epithelial cells, spanning 20 years of biobanking in the German SIOP93-01/GPOH and SIOP2001/GPOH studies. Overall, 44.4% (56/126) cases exhibited loss of TRIM28 by immunohistochemical staining. Of these, 48 could be further analyzed molecularly, revealing TRIM28 sequence variants in each case - either homozygous (~2/3) or heterozygous with epigenetic silencing of the second allele (~1/3). The majority (80%) of the mutations resulted in premature stops and frameshifts. In addition, we detected missense mutations and small deletions predicted to destabilize the protein through interference with folding of key structural elements such as the zinc-binding clusters of the RING, B-box-2, and PHD domains or the central coiled-coil region. TRIM28-mutant tumors otherwise lacked WT-typical IGF2 alterations or driver events, except for rare TP53 progression events that occurred with expected frequency. Expression profiling identified TRIM28-mutant tumors as a homogeneous subset of epithelial WTs that mostly present with stage I disease. There was a high prevalence of perilobar nephrogenic rests, putative precursor lesions, that carried the same biallelic TRIM28 alterations in 7/7 cases tested. Importantly, 46% of the TRIM28 mutations were present in blood cells or normal kidney tissue, suggesting germline events or somatic mosaicism, partly supported by family history. Given the high prevalence of predisposing variants in TRIM28-driven WT, we suggest that immunohistochemical testing of TRIM28 be integrated into diagnostic practice as the management of WT in predisposed children differs from that with sporadic tumors. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Wegert
- Theodor-Boveri-Institute/Biocenter, Developmental Biochemistry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Balazs Palhazi
- Theodor-Boveri-Institute/Biocenter, Developmental Biochemistry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Taryn D Treger
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cäcilia Hilgers
- Department of Pathology, Section of Pediatric Pathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Barbara Ziegler
- Theodor-Boveri-Institute/Biocenter, Developmental Biochemistry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Eva Jüttner
- Department of Pathology, Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Waha
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jörg Fuchs
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, University Children's Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Steven W Warmann
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, University Children's Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael C Frühwald
- Swabian Children's Cancer Center, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Hubertus
- Department of Pediatric Surgery at Marienhospital Witten, Ruhr-University Bochum, Witten, Germany
| | - Kathy Pritchard-Jones
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Norbert Graf
- Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sam Behjati
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rhoikos Furtwängler
- Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Inselspital Children's Hospital, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Gessler
- Theodor-Boveri-Institute/Biocenter, Developmental Biochemistry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Vokuhl
- Department of Pathology, Section of Pediatric Pathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Rosspopoff O, Trono D. Take a walk on the KRAB side. Trends Genet 2023; 39:844-857. [PMID: 37716846 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Canonical Krüppel-associated box (KRAB)-containing zinc finger proteins (KZFPs) act as major repressors of transposable elements (TEs) via the KRAB-mediated recruitment of the heterochromatin scaffold KRAB-associated protein (KAP)1. KZFP genes emerged some 420 million years ago in the last common ancestor of coelacanth, lungfish, and tetrapods, and dramatically expanded to give rise to lineage-specific repertoires in contemporary species paralleling their TE load and turnover. However, the KRAB domain displays sequence and function variations that reveal repeated diversions from a linear TE-KZFP trajectory. This Review summarizes current knowledge on the evolution of KZFPs and discusses how ancestral noncanonical KZFPs endowed with variant KRAB, SCAN or DUF3669 domains have been utilized to achieve KAP1-independent functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Rosspopoff
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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8
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Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a betaherpesvirus that establishes lifelong infection in its host and can cause severe comorbidities in individuals with suppressed or compromised immune systems. The lifecycle of HCMV consists of lytic and latent phases, largely dependent upon the cell type infected and whether transcription from the major immediate early locus can ensue. Control of this locus, which acts as a critical "switch" region from where the lytic gene expression cascade originates, as well as regulation of the additional ~235 kilobases of virus genome, occurs through chromatinization with cellular histone proteins after infection. Upon infection of a host cell, an initial intrinsic antiviral response represses gene expression from the incoming genome, which is relieved in permissive cells by viral and host factors in concert. Latency is established in a subset of hematopoietic cells, during which viral transcription is largely repressed while the genome is maintained. As these latently infected cells differentiate, the cellular milieu and epigenetic modifications change, giving rise to the initial stages of virus reactivation from latency. Thus, throughout the cycle of infection, chromatinization, chromatin modifiers, and the recruitment of specific transcription factors influence the expression of genes from the HCMV genome. In this review, we discuss epigenetic regulation of the HCMV genome during the different phases of infection, with an emphasis on recent reports that add to our current perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Matthews
- Infection Biology, Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ian J. Groves
- Infection Biology, Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Christine M. O'Connor
- Infection Biology, Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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9
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Carotti E, Carducci F, Barucca M, Canapa A, Biscotti MA. Transposable Elements: Epigenetic Silencing Mechanisms or Modulating Tools for Vertebrate Adaptations? Two Sides of the Same Coin. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11591. [PMID: 37511347 PMCID: PMC10380595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements constitute one of the main components of eukaryotic genomes. In vertebrates, they differ in content, typology, and family diversity and played a crucial role in the evolution of this taxon. However, due to their transposition ability, TEs can be responsible for genome instability, and thus silencing mechanisms were evolved to allow the coexistence between TEs and eukaryotic host-coding genes. Several papers are highlighting in TEs the presence of regulatory elements involved in regulating nearby genes in a tissue-specific fashion. This suggests that TEs are not sequences merely to silence; rather, they can be domesticated for the regulation of host-coding gene expression, permitting species adaptation and resilience as well as ensuring human health. This review presents the main silencing mechanisms acting in vertebrates and the importance of exploiting these mechanisms for TE control to rewire gene expression networks, challenging the general view of TEs as threatening elements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Federica Carducci
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (E.C.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (M.A.B.)
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10
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Lou X, Ma B, Zhuang Y, Xiao X, Minze LJ, Xing J, Zhang Z, Li XC. TRIM56 coiled-coil domain structure provides insights into its E3 ligase functions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2801-2808. [PMID: 37168870 PMCID: PMC10165346 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination is a post-translation modification mediated by E3 ubiquitin ligases. The RING domain E3 ligases are the largest family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, they act as a scaffold, bringing the E2-ubiquitin complex and its substrate together to facilitate direct ubiquitin transfer. However, the quaternary structures of RING E3 ligases that perform ubiquitin transfer remain poorly understood. In this study, we solved the crystal structure of TRIM56, a member of the RING E3 ligase. The structure of the coiled-coil domain indicated that the two anti-parallel dimers bound together to form a tetramer at a small crossing angle. This tetramer structure allows two RING domains to exist on each side to form an active homodimer in supporting ubiquitin transfer from E2 to its nearby substrate recruited by the C-terminal domains on the same side. These findings suggest that the coiled-coil domain-mediated tetramer is a feasible scaffold for facilitating the recruitment and transfer of ubiquitin to accomplish E3 ligase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Lou
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Binbin Ma
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiang Xiao
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laurie J. Minze
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junji Xing
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA
| | - Xian C. Li
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center and Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA
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