1
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Munaron L, Chinigò G, Scarpellino G, Ruffinatti FA. The fallacy of functional nomenclature in the kingdom of biological multifunctionality: physiological and evolutionary considerations on ion channels. J Physiol 2024; 602:2367-2381. [PMID: 37635695 DOI: 10.1113/jp284422] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Living organisms are multiscale complex systems that have evolved high degrees of multifunctionality and redundancy in the structure-function relationship. A number of factors, only in part determined genetically, affect the jobs of proteins. The overall structural organization confers unique molecular properties that provide the potential to perform a pattern of activities, some of which are co-opted by specific environments. The variety of multifunctional proteins is expanding, but most cases are handled individually and according to the still dominant 'one structure-one function' approach, which relies on the attribution of canonical names typically referring to the first task identified for a given protein. The present topical review focuses on the multifunctionality of ion channels as a paradigmatic example. Mounting evidence reports the ability of many ion channels (including members of voltage-dependent, ligand-gated and transient receptor potential families) to exert biological effects independently of their ion conductivity. 'Functionally based' nomenclature (the practice of naming a protein or family of proteins based on a single purpose) is a conceptual bias for three main reasons: (i) it increases the amount of ambiguity, deceiving our understanding of the multiple contributions of biomolecules that is the heart of the complexity; (ii) it is in stark contrast to protein evolution dynamics, largely based on multidomain arrangement; and (iii) it overlooks the crucial role played by the microenvironment in adjusting the actions of cell structures and in tuning protein isoform diversity to accomplish adaptational requirements. Biological information in protein physiology is distributed among different entwined layers working as the primary 'locus' of natural selection and of evolutionary constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Munaron
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Chinigò
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Scarpellino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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2
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Brown SD, Klimi E, Bakker WAM, Beqqali A, Baker AH. Non-coding RNAs to treat vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38773733 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16409] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular smooth muscle cell (vSMC) dysfunction is a critical contributor to cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, restenosis and vein graft failure. Recent advances have unveiled a fascinating range of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that play a pivotal role in regulating vSMC function. This review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms underlying vSMC dysfunction and the therapeutic potential of various ncRNAs in mitigating this dysfunction, either preventing or reversing it. We explore the intricate interplay of microRNAs, long-non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs, shedding light on their roles in regulating key signalling pathways associated with vSMC dysfunction. We also discuss the prospects and challenges associated with developing ncRNA-based therapies for this prevalent type of cardiovascular pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon D Brown
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eftychia Klimi
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Abdelaziz Beqqali
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew H Baker
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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3
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Zheng L, Shi S, Lu M, Fang P, Pan Z, Zhang H, Zhou Z, Zhang H, Mou M, Huang S, Tao L, Xia W, Li H, Zeng Z, Zhang S, Chen Y, Li Z, Zhu F. AnnoPRO: a strategy for protein function annotation based on multi-scale protein representation and a hybrid deep learning of dual-path encoding. Genome Biol 2024; 25:41. [PMID: 38303023 PMCID: PMC10832132 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03166-1] [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: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein function annotation has been one of the longstanding issues in biological sciences, and various computational methods have been developed. However, the existing methods suffer from a serious long-tail problem, with a large number of GO families containing few annotated proteins. Herein, an innovative strategy named AnnoPRO was therefore constructed by enabling sequence-based multi-scale protein representation, dual-path protein encoding using pre-training, and function annotation by long short-term memory-based decoding. A variety of case studies based on different benchmarks were conducted, which confirmed the superior performance of AnnoPRO among available methods. Source code and models have been made freely available at: https://github.com/idrblab/AnnoPRO and https://zenodo.org/records/10012272.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyan Zheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China
| | - Shuiyang Shi
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Mingkun Lu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Pan Fang
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou, 330110, China
| | - Ziqi Pan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hongning Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhimeng Zhou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hanyu Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Minjie Mou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shijie Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lin Tao
- Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Weiqi Xia
- Pharmaceutical Department, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Honglin Li
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Zhenyu Zeng
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou, 330110, China
| | - Shun Zhang
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou, 330110, China
| | - Yuzong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China.
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou, 330110, China.
| | - Feng Zhu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Industry Solutions Research and Development, Alibaba Cloud Computing, Hangzhou, 330110, China.
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou, 330110, China.
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4
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Xiang Y, Tsuchiya D, Yu Z, Zhao X, McKinney S, Unruh J, Slaughter B, Lake CM, Hawley RS. Multiple reorganizations of the lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex facilitate homolog segregation in Bombyx mori oocytes. Curr Biol 2024; 34:352-360.e4. [PMID: 38176417 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.018] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Although Lepidopteran females build a synaptonemal complex (SC) in pachytene, homologs do not crossover, necessitating an alternative method of homolog conjunction. In Bombyx mori oocytes, the SC breaks down at the end of pachytene, and homolog associations are maintained by a large oocyte-specific structure, which we call the bivalent bridge (BB), connecting paired homologs. The BB is derived from at least some components of the SC lateral elements (LEs). It contains the HORMAD protein HOP1 and the LE protein SYCP2 and is formed by the fusion of the two LE derivatives. As diplotene progresses, the BB increases in width and acquires a layered structure with a thick band of HOP1 separating two layers of SYCP2. The HOP1 interacting protein, PCH2, joins the BB in mid-diplotene, and by late-diplotene, it lies in the middle of the HOP1 filament. This structure is maintained through metaphase I. SYCP2 and PCH2 are lost at anaphase I, and the BB no longer connects the separating homologs. However, a key component of the BB, HOP1, remains at the metaphase I plate. These changes in organization of the BB occur simultaneously with the movement of the kinetochore protein, DSN1, from within the BB at mid-diplotene to the edge of the homologs facing the poles by metaphase I. We view these data in context of models in which SC components and regulators can be repurposed to achieve different functions, a fascinating example of evolution achieving homolog conjunction in an alternative way with recycling of SC proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbin Xiang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Xia Zhao
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Brian Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Cathleen M Lake
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - R Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 66160, USA.
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5
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Bertolini E, Babbi G, Savojardo C, Martelli PL, Casadio R. MultifacetedProtDB: a database of human proteins with multiple functions. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D494-D501. [PMID: 37791887 PMCID: PMC10767882 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad783] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
MultifacetedProtDB is a database of multifunctional human proteins deriving information from other databases, including UniProt, GeneCards, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) and MONDO. It collects under the label 'multifaceted' multitasking proteins addressed in literature as pleiotropic, multidomain, promiscuous (in relation to enzymes catalysing multiple substrates) and moonlighting (with two or more molecular functions), and difficult to be retrieved with a direct search in existing non-specific databases. The study of multifunctional proteins is an expanding research area aiming to elucidate the complexities of biological processes, particularly in humans, where multifunctional proteins play roles in various processes, including signal transduction, metabolism, gene regulation and cellular communication, and are often involved in disease insurgence and progression. The webserver allows searching by gene, protein and any associated structural and functional information, like available structures from PDB, structural models and interactors, using multiple filters. Protein entries are supplemented with comprehensive annotations including EC number, GO terms (biological pathways, molecular functions, and cellular components), pathways from Reactome, subcellular localization from UniProt, tissue and cell type expression from HPA, and associated diseases following MONDO, Orphanet and OMIM classification. MultiFacetedProtDB is freely available as a web server at: https://multifacetedprotdb.biocomp.unibo.it/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bertolini
- Biocomputing Group, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Babbi
- Biocomputing Group, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Castrense Savojardo
- Biocomputing Group, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Martelli
- Biocomputing Group, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Rita Casadio
- Biocomputing Group, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
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6
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Chae HB, Bae SB, Paeng SK, Wi SD, Thi Phan KA, Lee SY. S-nitrosylation switches the Arabidopsis redox sensor protein, QSOX1, from an oxidoreductase to a molecular chaperone under heat stress. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 206:108219. [PMID: 38048703 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108219] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
The Arabidopsis quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1 (QSOX1) thiol-based redox sensor has been identified as a negative regulator of plant immunity. Here, we have found that small molecular weight proteins of QSOX1 were converted to high molecular weight (HMW) complexes upon exposure to heat stress and that this was accompanied by a switch in QSOX1 function from a thiol-reductase to a molecular chaperone. Plant treatment with S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), which causes nitrosylation of cysteine residues (S-nitrosylation), but not with H2O2, induced HMW QSOX1 complexes. Thus, functional switching of QSOX1 is induced by GSNO treatment. Accordingly, simultaneous treatment of plants with heat shock and GSNO led to a significant increase in QSOX1 chaperone activity by increasing its oligomerization. Consequently, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing QSOX1 (QSOX1OE) showed strong resistance to heat shock, whereas qsox1 knockout plants exhibited high sensitivity to heat stress. Plant treatment with GSNO under heat stress conditions increased their resistance to heat shock. We conclude that S-nitrosylation allows the thiol-based redox sensor, QSOX1, to respond to various external stresses in multiple ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Byoung Chae
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea
| | - Su Bin Bae
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea
| | - Seol Ki Paeng
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea
| | - Seong Dong Wi
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea
| | - Kieu Anh Thi Phan
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea
| | - Sang Yeol Lee
- Division of Applied Life Sciences (BK21), PMBBRC, and Plant Biological Rhythm Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, South Korea.
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7
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Berdiaki A, Thrapsanioti LN, Giatagana EM, K Karamanos N, C Savani R, N Tzanakakis G, Nikitovic D. RHAMM/hyaluronan inhibit β-catenin degradation, enhance downstream signaling, and facilitate fibrosarcoma cell growth. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8937-8947. [PMID: 37710072 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08763-0] [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: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Increased hyaluronan deposition (HA) in various cancer tissues, including sarcomas, correlates with disease progression. The receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) expression is elevated in most human cancers. β-catenin is a critical downstream mediator of the Wnt signaling pathways, facilitating carcinogenic events characterized by deregulated cell proliferation. We previously showed that low molecular weight (LMW) HA/RHAMM/β-catenin signaling axis increases HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell growth. Here, focusing on mechanistic aspects and utilizing immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation, we demonstrate that LMW HA treatment enhanced RHAMM intracellular localization (p ≤ 0.001) and RHAMM/β-catenin colocalization in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells (p ≤ 0.05). Downregulating endogenous HA attenuated the association of RHAMM/β-catenin in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells (p ≤ 0.0.01). Notably, Axin-2, the key β-catenin degradation complex component, and RHAMM were demonstrated to form a complex primarily to cell membranes, enhanced by LMW HA (p ≤ 0.01). In contrast, LMW HA attenuated the association of β-catenin and Axin-2 (p ≤ 0.05). The utilization of FH535, a Wnt signaling inhibitor, showed that LMW HA partially rescued the Wnt-dependent growth of HT1080 cells and restored the expression of Wnt/β-catenin mediators, cyclin-D1 and c-myc (p ≤ 0.05). B6FS fibrosarcoma cells with different HA metabolism do not respond to the LMW HA growth stimulus (p = NS). The present study identifies a novel LMW HA/RHAMM mechanism in a fibrosarcoma model. LMW HA regulates intracellular RHAMM expression, which acts as a scaffold protein binding β-catenin and Axin-2 at different cellular compartments to increase β-catenin expression, transcriptional activity, and fibrosarcoma growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Berdiaki
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece
| | - Lydia-Nefeli Thrapsanioti
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece
| | - Eirini-Maria Giatagana
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece
| | | | - Rashmin C Savani
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, 1600 SW Archer Road, P.O. Box 100296, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - George N Tzanakakis
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece
| | - Dragana Nikitovic
- Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, 71003, Greece.
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8
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Jühlen R, Fahrenkrog B. From the sideline: Tissue-specific nucleoporin function in health and disease, an update. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2750-2768. [PMID: 37873737 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14761] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The subcellular compartmentalisation of eukaryotic cells requires selective exchange between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Intact nucleocytoplasmic transport is vital for normal cell function and mutations in the executing machinery have been causally linked to human disease. Central players in nucleocytoplasmic exchange are nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are built from ~30 distinct proteins collectively termed nucleoporins. Aberrant nucleoporin expression was detected in human cancers and autoimmune diseases since quite some time, while it was through the increasing use of next generation sequencing that mutations in nucleoporin genes associated with mainly rare hereditary diseases were revealed. The number of newly identified mutations is steadily increasing, as is the number of diseases. Mutational hotspots have emerged: mutations in the scaffold nucleoporins seemingly affect primarily inner organs, such as heart, kidney, and ovaries, whereas genetic alterations in peripheral, cytoplasmic nucleoporins affect primarily the central nervous system and development. In this review, we summarise latest insights on altered nucleoporin function in the context of human hereditary disorders, with a focus on those where mechanistic insights are beginning to emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Jühlen
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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9
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L P Hosszu L, Sangar D, Batchelor M, Risse E, Hounslow AM, Collinge J, Waltho JP, Bieschke J. Loss of residues 119 - 136, including the first β-strand of human prion protein, generates an aggregation-competent partially "open" form. J Mol Biol 2023:168158. [PMID: 37244570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In prion replication, the cellular form of prion protein (PrPC) must undergo a full conformational transition to its disease-associated fibrillar form. Transmembrane forms of PrP have been implicated in this structural conversion. The cooperative unfolding of a structural core in PrPC presents a substantial energy barrier to prion formation, with membrane insertion and detachment of parts of PrP presenting a plausible route to its reduction. Here, we examined the removal of residues 119 - 136 of PrP, a region which includes the first β-strand and a substantial portion of the conserved hydrophobic region of PrP, a region which associates with the ER membrane, on the structure, stability and self-association of the folded domain of PrPC. We see an "open" native-like conformer with increased solvent exposure which fibrilises more readily than the native state. These data suggest a stepwise folding transition, which is initiated by the conformational switch to this "open" form of PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo L P Hosszu
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Daljit Sangar
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Emmanuel Risse
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Andrea M Hounslow
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jonathan P Waltho
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Jan Bieschke
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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10
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Gizak A. Multitasking Proteins and Their Involvement in Pathogenesis. Cells 2023; 12:1460. [PMID: 37296581 PMCID: PMC10253090 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The "one protein, one function" paradigm, similar to the "one gene, one enzyme" hypothesis that dominated our thinking for a long time, has proven to be too simplistic [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Gizak
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Wrocław, ul. Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland
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11
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Cut loose TIMP-1: an emerging cytokine in inflammation. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 33:413-426. [PMID: 36163148 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Appreciation of the entire biological impact of an individual protein can be hampered by its original naming based on one function only. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), mostly known for its eponymous function to inhibit metalloproteinases, exhibits only a fraction of its cellular effects via this feature. Recently, TIMP-1 emerged as a potent cytokine acting via various cell-surface receptors, explaining a so-far under-appreciated role of TIMP-1-mediated signaling on immune cells. This, at least partly, resolved why elevated blood levels of TIMP-1 correlate with progression of numerous inflammatory diseases. Here, we emphasize the necessity of unbiased name-independent recognition of structure-function relationships to properly appreciate the biological potential of TIMP-1 and other cytokines in complex physiological processes such as inflammation.
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12
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Lipinski CA, Reaume AG. Phenotypic screening of low molecular weight compounds is rich ground for repurposed, on-target drugs. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:917968. [PMID: 36003497 PMCID: PMC9393533 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.917968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A target-based drug discovery strategy has led to a bias away from low molecular weight (MWT) drug discovery. Analysis of the ACS chemistry registration system shows that most low MWT drugs were first made in the time era before target-based drug discovery. Therapeutic activity among most low MWT drugs was identified in the era of phenotypic drug discovery when drugs were selected based on their phenotypic effects and before in vitro screening, mechanism of action considerations and experiences with fragment screening became known. The common perception that drugs cannot be found among low MWT compounds is incorrect based on both drug discovery history and our own experience with MLR-1023. The greater proportion of low MWT compounds that are commercially available compared to higher MWT compounds is a factor that should facilitate biology study. We posit that low MWT compounds are more suited to identification of new therapeutic activity using phenotypic screens provided that the phenotypic screening method has enough screening capacity. On-target and off-target therapeutic activities are discussed from both a chemistry and biology perspective because of a concern that either phenotypic or low MWT drug discovery might bias towards promiscuous compounds that combine on-target and off-target effects. Among ideal drug repositioning candidates (late-stage pre-clinical or clinically-experience compounds), pleiotropic activity (multiple therapeutic actions) is far more likely due to on-target effects arising where a single target mediates multiple therapeutic benefits, a desirable outcome for drug development purposes compared to the off-target alternative. Our exemplar of a low MWT compound, MLR-1023, discovered by phenotypic screening and subsequently found to have a single mechanism of action would have been overlooked based on current era medicinal chemistry precedent. The diverse therapeutic activities described for this compound by us, and others arise from the same pleiotropic lyn kinase activation molecular target. MLR-1023 serves as a proof-of-principle that potent, on target, low MWT drugs can be discovered by phenotypic screening.
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García-Vaquero ML, Gama-Carvalho M, Pinto FR, De Las Rivas J. Biological interacting units identified in human protein networks reveal tissue-functional diversification and its impact on disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3764-3778. [PMID: 35891788 PMCID: PMC9304429 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological processes are exerted by groups of physically interacting proteins. Proteins display variable biological roles depending on tissue-interactomic context. Tissue-specific protein-protein interaction networks reveal functional diversification. Most disease associated genes/proteins display tissue-specific phenotypes. Protein interaction network analysis is a valuable resource to identify disease genes.
Protein-protein interactions (PPI) play an essential role in the biological processes that occur in the cell. Therefore, the dissection of PPI networks becomes decisive to model functional coordination and predict pathological de-regulation. Cellular networks are dynamic and proteins display varying roles depending on the tissue-interactomic context. Thus, the use of centrality measures in individual proteins fall short to dissect the functional properties of the cell. For this reason, there is a need for more comprehensive, relational, and context-specific ways to analyze the multiple actions of proteins in different cells and identify specific functional assemblies within global biomolecular networks. Under this framework, we define Biological Interacting units (BioInt-U) as groups of proteins that interact physically and are enriched in a common Gene Ontology. A search strategy was applied on 33 tissue-specific (TS) PPI networks to generate BioInt libraries associated with each particular human tissue. The cross-tissue comparison showed that housekeeping assemblies incorporate different proteins and exhibit distinct network properties depending on the tissue. Furthermore, disease genes (DGs) of tissue-associated pathologies preferentially accumulate in units in the expected tissues, which in turn were more central in the TS networks. Overall, the study reveals a tissue-specific functional diversification based on the identification of specific protein units and suggests vulnerabilities specific of each tissue network, which can be applied to refine protein-disease association methods.
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Key Words
- BiU, BioInt unit
- Biological function
- CO, CORUM complex
- DEg, Differentially expressed gene
- DG, Disease gene
- Disease gene
- GO-BP, Gene Ontology biological process
- HK, Housekeeping
- Housekeeping gene
- PPI network
- PPI, Protein-protein interaction
- Protein module
- SS, Simpson's similarity
- TE, Tissue enriched
- TS, Tissue-specific
- Tissue-specific gene
- UB, Ubiquitous
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L García-Vaquero
- University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, C8 bdg, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal.,Cancer Research Center (CiC-IBMCC, CSIC/USAL and IBSAL), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Salamanca (USAL) and Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Margarida Gama-Carvalho
- University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, C8 bdg, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Francisco R Pinto
- University of Lisboa, Faculty of Sciences, BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Campo Grande, C8 bdg, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Javier De Las Rivas
- Cancer Research Center (CiC-IBMCC, CSIC/USAL and IBSAL), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Salamanca (USAL) and Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain
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14
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Matos AL, Curto P, Simões I. Moonlighting in Rickettsiales: Expanding Virulence Landscape. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:32. [PMID: 35202227 PMCID: PMC8877226 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7020032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The order Rickettsiales includes species that cause a range of human diseases such as human granulocytic anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), human monocytic ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis), scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi), epidemic typhus (Rickettsia prowazekii), murine typhus (R. typhi), Mediterranean spotted fever (R. conorii), or Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii). These diseases are gaining a new momentum given their resurgence patterns and geographical expansion due to the overall rise in temperature and other human-induced pressure, thereby remaining a major public health concern. As obligate intracellular bacteria, Rickettsiales are characterized by their small genome sizes due to reductive evolution. Many pathogens employ moonlighting/multitasking proteins as virulence factors to interfere with multiple cellular processes, in different compartments, at different times during infection, augmenting their virulence. The utilization of this multitasking phenomenon by Rickettsiales as a strategy to maximize the use of their reduced protein repertoire is an emerging theme. Here, we provide an overview of the role of various moonlighting proteins in the pathogenicity of these species. Despite the challenges that lie ahead to determine the multiple potential faces of every single protein in Rickettsiales, the available examples anticipate this multifunctionality as an essential and intrinsic feature of these obligates and should be integrated into available moonlighting repositories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luísa Matos
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.L.M.); (P.C.)
| | - Pedro Curto
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.L.M.); (P.C.)
| | - Isaura Simões
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.L.M.); (P.C.)
- IIIUC—Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
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15
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Cascarina SM, Ross ED. Phase separation by the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein: Consensus and open questions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101677. [PMID: 35131265 PMCID: PMC8813722 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a number of labs across the world have reallocated their time and resources to better our understanding of the virus. For some viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, viral proteins can undergo phase separation: a biophysical process often related to the partitioning of protein and RNA into membraneless organelles in vivo. In this review, we discuss emerging observations of phase separation by the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein-an essential viral protein required for viral replication-and the possible in vivo functions that have been proposed for N-protein phase separation, including viral replication, viral genomic RNA packaging, and modulation of host-cell response to infection. Additionally, since a relatively large number of studies examining SARS-CoV-2 N-protein phase separation have been published in a short span of time, we take advantage of this situation to compare results from similar experiments across studies. Our evaluation highlights potential strengths and pitfalls of drawing conclusions from a single set of experiments, as well as the value of publishing overlapping scientific observations performed simultaneously by multiple labs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Cascarina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Eric D Ross
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
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16
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Plasma membrane effects of sphingolipid-synthesis inhibition by myriocin in CHO cells: a biophysical and lipidomic study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:955. [PMID: 35046440 PMCID: PMC8770663 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04648-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Suppression of a specific gene effect can be achieved by genetic as well as chemical methods. Each approach may hide unexpected drawbacks, usually in the form of side effects. In the present study, the specific inhibitor myriocin was used to block serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), the first enzyme in the sphingolipid synthetic pathway, in CHO cells. The subsequent biophysical changes in plasma membranes were measured and compared with results obtained with a genetically modified CHO cell line containing a defective SPT (the LY-B cell line). Similar effects were observed with both approaches: sphingomyelin values were markedly decreased in myriocin-treated CHO cells and, in consequence, their membrane molecular order (measured as laurdan general polarization) and mechanical resistance (AFM-measured breakthrough force values) became lower than in the native, non-treated cells. Cells treated with myriocin reacted homeostatically to maintain membrane order, synthesizing more fully saturated and less polyunsaturated GPL than the non-treated ones, although they achieved it only partially, their plasma membranes remaining slightly more fluid and more penetrable than those from the control cells. The good agreement between results obtained with very different tools, such as genetically modified and chemically treated cells, reinforces the use of both methods and demonstrates that both are adequate for their intended use, i.e. the complete and specific inhibition of sphingolipid synthesis in CHO cells, without apparent unexpected effects.
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17
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Grigorieva DV, Gorudko IV, Grudinina NA, Panasenko OM, Semak IV, Sokolov AV, Timoshenko AV. Lactoferrin modified by hypohalous acids: Partial loss in activation of human neutrophils. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 195:30-40. [PMID: 34863835 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.11.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Previously we have shown that lactoferrin (LTF), a protein of secondary neutrophilic granules, can be efficiently modified by hypohalous acids (HOCl and HOBr), which are produced at high concentrations during inflammation and oxidative/halogenative stress by myeloperoxidase, an enzyme of azurophilic neutrophilic granules. Here we compared the effects of recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLTF) and its halogenated derivatives (rhLTF-Cl and rhLTF-Br) on functional responses of neutrophils. Our results demonstrated that after halogenative modification, rhLTF lost its ability to induce mobilization of intracellular calcium, actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and morphological changes in human neutrophils. Moreover, both forms of the halogenated rhLTF prevented binding of N-acetylglucosamine-specific plant lectin Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA) to neutrophils and, in contrast to native rhLTF, inhibited respiratory burst of neutrophils induced by N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine and by two plant lectins (WGA and PHA-L). However, we observed no differences between the effects of rhLTF, rhLTF-Cl, and rhLTF-Br on respiratory burst of neutrophils induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), digitonin, and number of plant lectins with different glycan-binding specificity. Furthermore, all rhLTF forms interfered with PMA- and ionomycin-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Thus, halogenative modification of LTF is one of the mechanisms involved in modulating a variety of signaling pathways in neutrophils to control their pro-inflammatory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria V Grigorieva
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Irina V Gorudko
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus.
| | - Natalia A Grudinina
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, Department of Molecular Genetics, FSBRI "Institute of Experimental Medicine", St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
| | - Oleg M Panasenko
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow 119435, Russia
| | - Igor V Semak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Alexey V Sokolov
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, Department of Molecular Genetics, FSBRI "Institute of Experimental Medicine", St. Petersburg 197376, Russia; Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow 119435, Russia
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18
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Kachaev ZM, Ivashchenko SD, Kozlov EN, Lebedeva LA, Shidlovskii YV. Localization and Functional Roles of Components of the Translation Apparatus in the Eukaryotic Cell Nucleus. Cells 2021; 10:3239. [PMID: 34831461 PMCID: PMC8623629 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Components of the translation apparatus, including ribosomal proteins, have been found in cell nuclei in various organisms. Components of the translation apparatus are involved in various nuclear processes, particularly those associated with genome integrity control and the nuclear stages of gene expression, such as transcription, mRNA processing, and mRNA export. Components of the translation apparatus control intranuclear trafficking; the nuclear import and export of RNA and proteins; and regulate the activity, stability, and functional recruitment of nuclear proteins. The nuclear translocation of these components is often involved in the cell response to stimulation and stress, in addition to playing critical roles in oncogenesis and viral infection. Many components of the translation apparatus are moonlighting proteins, involved in integral cell stress response and coupling of gene expression subprocesses. Thus, this phenomenon represents a significant interest for both basic and applied molecular biology. Here, we provide an overview of the current data regarding the molecular functions of translation factors and ribosomal proteins in the cell nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaur M. Kachaev
- Department of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Z.M.K.); (S.D.I.); (E.N.K.); (L.A.L.)
- Center for Genetics and Life Science, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - Sergey D. Ivashchenko
- Department of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Z.M.K.); (S.D.I.); (E.N.K.); (L.A.L.)
| | - Eugene N. Kozlov
- Department of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Z.M.K.); (S.D.I.); (E.N.K.); (L.A.L.)
| | - Lyubov A. Lebedeva
- Department of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Z.M.K.); (S.D.I.); (E.N.K.); (L.A.L.)
| | - Yulii V. Shidlovskii
- Department of Gene Expression Regulation in Development, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Z.M.K.); (S.D.I.); (E.N.K.); (L.A.L.)
- Center for Genetics and Life Science, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Department of Biology and General Genetics, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119992 Moscow, Russia
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19
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RHAMM Is a Multifunctional Protein That Regulates Cancer Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910313. [PMID: 34638654 PMCID: PMC8508827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional complexity of higher organisms is not easily accounted for by the size of their genomes. Rather, complexity appears to be generated by transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms and tissue organization that produces a context-dependent response of cells to specific stimuli. One property of gene products that likely increases the ability of cells to respond to stimuli with complexity is the multifunctionality of expressed proteins. Receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) is an example of a multifunctional protein that controls differential responses of cells in response-to-injury contexts. Here, we trace its evolution into a sensor-transducer of tissue injury signals in higher organisms through the detection of hyaluronan (HA) that accumulates in injured microenvironments. Our goal is to highlight the domain and isoform structures that generate RHAMM's function complexity and model approaches for targeting its key functions to control cancer progression.
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20
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Wong A, Hu N, Tian X, Yang Y, Gehring C. Nitric oxide sensing revisited. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 26:885-897. [PMID: 33867269 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) sensing is an ancient trait enabled by hemoproteins harboring a highly conserved Heme-Nitric oxide/OXygen (H-NOX) domain that operates throughout bacteria, fungi, and animal kingdoms including in humans, but that has long thought to be absent in plants. Recently, H-NOX-containing plant hemoproteins mediating crucial NO-dependent responses such as stomatal closure and pollen tube guidance have been reported. There are indications that the detection method that led to these discoveries will uncover many more heme-based NO sensors that operate as regulatory sites in complex proteins. Their characterizations will in turn offer a much more complete picture of plant NO responses at both the molecular and systems level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aloysius Wong
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Road, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China; Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Wenzhou-Kean University, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China.
| | - Ningxin Hu
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Road, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China
| | - Xuechen Tian
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Road, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China
| | - Yixin Yang
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Road, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China; Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Wenzhou-Kean University, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325060, China
| | - Christoph Gehring
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, I-06121 Perugia, Italy
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21
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Abstract
In the ocean surface layer and cell culture, the polyamine transport protein PotD of SAR11 bacteria is often one of the most abundant proteins detected. Polyamines are organic cations at seawater pH produced by all living organisms and are thought to be an important component of dissolved organic matter (DOM) produced in planktonic ecosystems. We hypothesized that SAR11 cells uptake and metabolize multiple polyamines and use them as sources of carbon and nitrogen. Metabolic footprinting and fingerprinting were used to measure the uptake of five polyamine compounds (putrescine, cadaverine, agmatine, norspermidine, and spermidine) in two SAR11 strains that represent the majority of SAR11 cells in the surface ocean environment, “Candidatus Pelagibacter” strain HTCC7211 and “Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique” strain HTCC1062. Both strains took up all five polyamines and concentrated them to micromolar or millimolar intracellular concentrations. Both strains could use most of the polyamines to meet their nitrogen requirements, but polyamines did not fully substitute for their requirements of glycine (or related compounds) or pyruvate (or related compounds). Our data suggest that potABCD transports all five polyamines and that spermidine synthase, speE, is reversible, catalyzing the breakdown of spermidine and norspermidine, in addition to its usual biosynthetic role. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that enzyme multifunctionality enables streamlined cells in planktonic ecosystems to increase the range of DOM compounds they metabolize.
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22
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Pathogen Moonlighting Proteins: From Ancestral Key Metabolic Enzymes to Virulence Factors. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061300. [PMID: 34203698 PMCID: PMC8232316 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Moonlighting and multitasking proteins refer to proteins with two or more functions performed by a single polypeptide chain. An amazing example of the Gain of Function (GoF) phenomenon of these proteins is that 25% of the moonlighting functions of our Multitasking Proteins Database (MultitaskProtDB-II) are related to pathogen virulence activity. Moreover, they usually have a canonical function belonging to highly conserved ancestral key functions, and their moonlighting functions are often involved in inducing extracellular matrix (ECM) protein remodeling. There are three main questions in the context of moonlighting proteins in pathogen virulence: (A) Why are a high percentage of pathogen moonlighting proteins involved in virulence? (B) Why do most of the canonical functions of these moonlighting proteins belong to primary metabolism? Moreover, why are they common in many pathogen species? (C) How are these different protein sequences and structures able to bind the same set of host ECM protein targets, mainly plasminogen (PLG), and colonize host tissues? By means of an extensive bioinformatics analysis, we suggest answers and approaches to these questions. There are three main ideas derived from the work: first, moonlighting proteins are not good candidates for vaccines. Second, several motifs that might be important in the adhesion to the ECM were identified. Third, an overrepresentation of GO codes related with virulence in moonlighting proteins were seen.
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Nuño-Cabanes C, Rodríguez-Navarro S. The promiscuity of the SAGA complex subunits: Multifunctional or moonlighting proteins? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2020; 1864:194607. [PMID: 32712338 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression, the decoding of DNA information into accessible instructions for protein synthesis, is a complex process in which multiple steps, including transcription, mRNA processing and mRNA export, are regulated by different factors. One of the first steps in this process involves chemical and structural changes in chromatin to allow transcription. For such changes to occur, histone tail and DNA epigenetic modifications foster the binding of transcription factors to promoter regions. The SAGA coactivator complex plays a crucial role in this process by mediating histone acetylation through Gcn5, and histone deubiquitination through Ubp8 enzymes. However, most SAGA subunits interact physically with other proteins beyond the SAGA complex. These interactions could represent SAGA-independent functions or a mechanism to widen SAGA multifunctionality. Among the different mechanisms to perform more than one function, protein moonlighting defines unrelated molecular activities for the same polypeptide sequence. Unlike pleiotropy, where a single gene can affect different phenotypes, moonlighting necessarily involves separate functions of a protein at the molecular level. In this review we describe in detail some of the alternative physical interactions of several SAGA subunits. In some cases, the alternative role constitutes a clear moonlighting function, whereas in most of them the lack of molecular evidence means that we can only define these interactions as promiscuous that require further work to verify if these are moonlighting functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Nuño-Cabanes
- Gene Expression and RNA Metabolism Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (CSIC), Jaume Roig, 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Susana Rodríguez-Navarro
- Gene Expression and RNA Metabolism Laboratory, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (CSIC), Jaume Roig, 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain.
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