Lamin B1 overexpression alters chromatin organization and gene expression

Peripheral heterochromatin positioning depends on nuclear envelope associated proteins and repressive histone modifications. Here we show that overexpression (OE) of Lamin B1 (LmnB1) leads to the redistribution of peripheral heterochromatin into heterochromatic foci within the nucleoplasm. These changes represent a perturbation of heterochromatin binding at the nuclear periphery (NP) through a mechanism independent from altering other heterochromatin anchors or histone post-translational modifications. We further show that LmnB1 OE alters gene expression. These changes do not correlate with different levels of H3K9me3, but a significant number of the misregulated genes were likely mislocalized away from the NP upon LmnB1 OE. We also observed an enrichment of developmental processes amongst the upregulated genes. ~74% of these genes were normally repressed in our cell type, suggesting that LmnB1 OE promotes gene de-repression. This demonstrates a broader consequence of LmnB1 OE on cell fate, and highlights the importance of maintaining proper levels of LmnB1.

Identification of long-lived proteins in the mitochondria reveals increased stability of the electron transport chain

In order to combat molecular damage, most cellular proteins undergo rapid turnover. We have previously identified large nuclear protein assemblies that can persist for years in post-mitotic tissues and are subject to age-related decline. Here, we report that mitochondria can be long lived in the mouse brain and reveal that specific mitochondrial proteins have half-lives longer than the average proteome. These mitochondrial long-lived proteins (mitoLLPs) are core components of the electron transport chain (ETC) and display increased longevity in respiratory supercomplexes. We find that COX7C, a mitoLLP that forms a stable contact site between complexes I and IV, is required for complex IV and supercomplex assembly. Remarkably, even upon depletion of COX7C transcripts, ETC function is maintained for days, effectively uncoupling mitochondrial function from ongoing transcription of its mitoLLPs. Our results suggest that modulating protein longevity within the ETC is critical for mitochondrial proteome maintenance and the robustness of mitochondrial function.

Nucleoplasmic Nup98 controls gene expression by regulating a DExH/D-box protein

The nucleoporin Nup98 has been linked to the regulation of transcription and RNA metabolism, ^1-3 but the mechanisms by which Nup98 contributes to these processes remains largely undefined. Recently, we uncovered interactions between Nup98 and several DExH/D-box proteins (DBPs), a protein family well-known for modulating gene expression and RNA metabolism. ^4-6 Analysis of Nup98 and one of these DBPs, DHX9, showed that they directly interact, their association is facilitated by RNA, and Nup98 binding stimulates DHX9 ATPase activity. ⁷ Furthermore, these proteins were dependent on one another for their proper association with a subset of gene loci to control transcription and modulate mRNA splicing. ⁷ On the basis of these observations, we proposed that Nup98 functions to regulate DHX9 activity within the nucleoplasm. ⁷ Since Nup98 is associated with several DBPs, regulation of DHX9 by Nup98 may represent a paradigm for understanding how Nup98, and possibly other FG-Nup proteins, could direct the diverse cellular activities of multiple DBPs.

Human Nup98 regulates the localization and activity of DExH/D-box helicase DHX9

Beyond their role at nuclear pore complexes, some nucleoporins function in the nucleoplasm. One such nucleoporin, Nup98, binds chromatin and regulates gene expression. To gain insight into how Nup98 contributes to this process, we focused on identifying novel binding partners and understanding the significance of these interactions. Here we report on the identification of the DExH/D-box helicase DHX9 as an intranuclear Nup98 binding partner. Various results, including in vitro assays, show that the FG/GLFG region of Nup98 binds to N- and C-terminal regions of DHX9 in an RNA facilitated manner. Importantly, binding of Nup98 stimulates the ATPase activity of DHX9, and a transcriptional reporter assay suggests Nup98 supports DHX9-stimulated transcription. Consistent with these observations, our analysis revealed that Nup98 and DHX9 bind interdependently to similar gene loci and their transcripts. Based on our results, we propose that Nup98 functions as a co-factor that regulates DHX9 and, potentially, other RNA helicases.